Evil Roy Slade (1972)

Thanks for the memories!

Memorable, crazy movie

Absolutely the worst movie.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Plot--An abandoned tyke grows up embracing everything silly and evil, eventually heading up an outlaw gang whose many shootouts never hit anything. The question is can he ever stop laughing at little old ladies and be accepted into polite society.Hilarious spoof of all that was bright, shiny, and good in westerns of old. The tongue-in-cheek is done so well, it's impossible for former front-row-kids like myself to take offense. Astin's toothy, leering face is perfect as Slade. Every time he does something mean, like bump an old lady off the walkway, he flashes an evil leer.But just as good as Astin is, the snappy one-liners keep coming. I love it when he does something mean and says that he's worked hard to reach rock bottom. Or his idea of complementing a girl when he says she's prettier than the sun glinting off a rifle barrel! And get a load of Shawn, duded out like a Vegas showgirl. But whatever you do, stay away from his guitar. Thanks to him, I expect the great Autry and Rogers are turning over in their fancy wardrobes. Anyway, the laughs keep coming as long as Slade's on screen. My only gripe is that the comedic streak loses some momentum near the end as things serious up a bit. Then too, run-time was extended to give Berle some star exposure, even though his brand of verbal comedy appears miscast. Too bad that some kind of award is not given for farcical gems, because this wacko certainly deserves one, TV movie or no. And while we're at it, an award to Astin for the best comedic leer in town. All in all, a real little sleeper gem.

The theme song begins: "Evil Roy Slade makes fun of old people..." This movie has no weaknesses. Astin's facial expressions alone could carry it. The jokes never let up. I suspect the weighting factor on this movie is an ignorance on the part of the weigher of the broad, campy comedies of that era. It is either that, or the weigher is totally bereft of a sense of humor. I suggest the weigher watch and attempt to understand "The Great Race", "Murder By Death", "The Cheap Detective" (interestingly all three of these contain Peter Falk), "The Villain", "Casino Royale", and "What's New Pussycat" (These last two have Peter Sellers.). "Get Smart" and "Batman" are television examples. "Evil Roy Slade" gives several actors opportunities to deliver beautifully written lines, which they do with great style. I searched for years and finally got a DVD of it (I don't remember where.). John Astin is a genius.

Cult Classic 1970s movie. Decent production values and amazing comedic writing, it is hard to believe that it was made for TV and not an original cinema release. Great writing and John Astin (Mr. Addams in the Addams family TV show and Sean Astin's adopted father) was simultaneously hilarious and sublime. Parallel to Steve Martin's "The Jerk", the Evil Roy character was abandoned at birth and had to make his own way in the world. Evil Roy grew up tough and the "meanest villain in the West" but softens when he meets a schoolmarm. The late (and crazy) Dick Shawn was brilliant as Marshall Bing Bell ("Someone's at the door"). Although this movie probably hasn't aged well in the You Tube generation, it remains one of my favorite comedies... and more importantly to me ... it was my Dad's favorite comedy of all time.

I simply could not bear watching this "comedy" because it was so bad. Don't get me wrong...I love comedies. But aren't comedies supposed to be funny? I found the dated and sophomoric humor utterly boring. I felt sorry for the cast and figured they took their respective rolls only to keep paying their bills between better employment opportunities. While thoughts (and longings for) "Blazing Saddles" were never far away during the slightly more than thirty minutes that I was able to stand watching, what really saddened me was this; Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Edie Adams and Dick Shawn were all in the funniest American comedy ever made, director Stanley Kramer's 1963 "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." To have lowered their standards to appear in this dreg must have been painful. because it was so bad. Don't get me wrong...I love comedies. But aren't comedies supposed to be funny? I found the dated and sophomoric humor utterly boring. I felt sorry for the cast and figured they took their respective rolls only to keep paying their bills between better employment opportunities. While thoughts (and longings for) "Blazing Saddles" were never far away during the slightly more than thirty minutes that I was able to stand watching, what really saddened me was this; Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Edie Adams and Dick Shawn were all in the funniest American comedy ever made, director Stanley Kramer's 1963 "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." To have lowered their standards to appear in this dreg must have been painful.