PatD

What happens when you make a movie about true life events and then use *two* different narrative devices at once? You get the 1989 bomberino "Wired". There are movies that left a bad taste in my mouth and this is one of them.

It stars Michael Chiklis ("The Commish"; "The Shield") as John Belushi as he's higgledy piggledy shown aspects of his life in no cogent order by a Puerto Rican grim reaper, MEANWHILE Bob Woodward is investigating the life and death of Belushi a'la "Citizen Kane" with once in a while the two story threads intersecting. (It doesn't work.)

And all the while we're subjected to inexplicably bizarre scenes like Belushi undergoing an autopsy while he's still concious; the pinball game for his life; Belushi's body in a bag being put in the cabin of an airplane and then Belushi getting out of the plane and falling thousands of feet to the ground unharmed; and Belushi dying in his bed while talking with Woodward himself.

Anyone else seen (and survived) this curiousity from the 80's?

GoldenJCJ

I've never seen it but I do remember when it came out and how unusual everyone said it was. I should try tracking it down one of these days for curiosity factor alone.

Oddly enough, Jerry had a VHS copy of this movie on his shelf in the background of his apartment on Seinfeld. I don't know why it always caught my attention but it did.

PatD

^^
It can actually be found on YouTube, (cut up in parts of course).

Numanoid

I actually saw this in the theater. I was a Ray Sharkey fan, which is why I went to see it, but you could tell something was "off" about the whole film. I was just beginning to study film, and the only thing I really remember from the movie was during the pinball scene there is a low-angle shot of Sharkey, and the ceiling light above him forms a halo around his head (he plays an angel in the film). I remember pointing it out to my friend. And that's about all I remember of the movie, except that it was panned by the critics.

Mondo Kane

Responsible for one of my most favorite reviews Siskel & Ebert ever did!

RichC2

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Alan Smithee

God this movie was a mess.

"Gonna call the book Wired." "I'm fucked!"

PatD

^^
Love that line.

The movie isn't just a mess, it's an eyesore. The cinematography is dreadful.

Norm de Plume

Aww, I miss Siskel and Ebert.

PatD

Before the New Year comes in here on the west coast, I feel the need to reflect that 25 years later, that Wired is still one of the worst films ever made. Not an opinion--FACT.

Alan Smithee

I'd have to watch it one more time before I pass judgment on it- but I don't have it in my collection and not going out of my way to find it. Leonard Part 6 is still worse in my memory.

PatD

YouTube is your friend...

PatD

^^
And if all else fails, the reviewer known as The Cinema Snob has a pretty entertaining (and snarky) review/retrospective of the whole thing.

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