Buy & Cell (1989)
Herbie Altman is framed for Stock fraud by his boss when the SEC starts investigating his company. Sent to prison, he helps a fellow inmate successfully invest his money. Soon all the inmates want his help. To manage all the money, he forms CON INC. and runs it from the prison under the noses of the warden and the guards. But when the IRS and SEC begin to investigate this successful company, it looks like he may be in trouble again
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Simply A Masterpiece
Excellent but underrated film
As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.
The first must-see film of the year.
Young investor Herbie Altman is set up by his bosses. Altman ends up being sentenced to prison for insider trading, the very action his bosses are engaged in.Altman ends up being the foil after a third boss opted not to partake, and commits suicide. Being railroaded into prison, Altman meets a vast array of characters: Con man sly (Michael Winslow) A crazy Cowboy (played to perfection by wrestling icon Roddy Piper)The zen man of guidance (Ben Vereen), and a insane inmate simply know as VCR (played by late comedy legend Fred Travalena). Not to mention a prison guard who doesn't mind being a little sadistic (played to campy perfection by former pro boxer Randall "tex" Cobb. Toss in a iron fisted warden ( played by Malcolm McDowell), and you have yourself the setting for a decent comedy.The Warden wants to use Atlman's ability to invest for his own gain. However, every time the I word (invest) is mentioned, Altman goes into a sneezing fit.In a prison for a tough prisoners, leave it to the wimpy looking Altman to lead a revolt. It is under Altman that the cons realize they can contribute to society, and are not the scum that the warden consistently keep telling them they are.The Cons, led by Altman put together a shell company, in order to take down the old evil bosses that sent Altman to prison in the first place. What happens at the end may by a little over the top, but its still entertaining when you suspend disbelief.And that's the whole point here. The filmmakers knew they weren't making an epic comedy, just a little slapstick version of Trading places. And that's what makes this film so refreshing, especially compared to today's cookie cutter comedies.Is this the greatest comedy ever made, no, not even close. DOes it have a decent amount of chuckles to hold interest to make for a great time passer? Yes it is.
Lame comedy about an ambitious young stockbroker who trades in his pin stripes for prison blues when he is framed for stock fraud. With the help of his fellow inmates, he parlays $300 into a successful company, only to take down the people who framed him.
Your hard life will never be complete without another stupid comedy movie from the late 80s that offers plenty of terrible nonsense. Michael Winslow didn't provide enough of the usual noises he was famous for in the POLICE ACADEMY series, which didn't matter at all. Everything else is substandard as always. Before investing interest in BUY & CELL, consider watching Comedy Central's lame-duck movies and decide for yourself.