Original Post-Date: 9/2/2009
It's hard to believe now, especially after the horrible and sad VH1 show, but for a couple of years Andrew "Dice" Clay was the king of stand-up comedy. A foul-mouthed misogynist with a heavy New York accent, Clay captivated America with his dirty sense of humor and his trademark retelling of Nursery Rhymes with his own sick twist. Yes, it sounds lame now and some of the jokes do not age well, but he was an honest to god king: he even headlined Madison Square Garden, the mecca for any comedian! However, The Dice Man would not be placated by simply just conquering the comedy world. No, he wanted to branch out into film, and the result of this is the movie "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane".
Directed by Renny Harlin, director of classics like 12 Rounds and Cutthroat Island, Dice stars as Ford Fairlane, a foul mouthed misogynist (real stretch) detective who specializes in music business-related mysteries. After getting a case to find a blonde groupie named ZuZu Pedals (I'd say the actress's name but she's the worst part of the film and I don't want to know it) by his old friend Johnny Crunch (Gilbert Godfried), Crunch is murdered and the mystery thickens. The cast also includes Lauren Holly as his assistant/sometimes lover Jazz, Wayne Newton (yes, THAT Wayne Newton) as the seedy record exec Julian Grendel, Morris Day (no Time) as Fairlane's buddy Don Cleveland, and Ed O'Neill as Detective Enus, a cop who does not like Ford for reasons I won't spoil because of the simply AWESOMENESS that results from it.
Dice does not have to stretch his acting chops here. He is pretty much playing himself, but if he was a detective instead of a comedian. He is mouthy, he is sexist, and he is very in your face. He does a good job though, especially in the few (as in 1) emotional scenes in the movie. Holly is perfect as his assistant Jazz, who is loyal and may or may not be in love with him (come on guys, it's not a spoiler, you know how movie conventions work). The supporting cast is great in this film and really bring the world to life.
Why should you see this movie? Because it's really funny, in both legitimate and cheesy ways. A lot of the jokes could go either way, but most of the time you're laughing, either at the stupidity or because it was actually clever. The story itself also has enough twists and turns to keep you interested and engaged, and it never truly gets boring. There are unfunny parts here and there, and ZuZu Pedals is annoying overacted in it, but her screen-time is small enough to ignore it.
The movie, of course, flopped and Dice went from being the king to barely even being a peasant. You can see him now at small comedy clubs across the country where he still performs. Do yourself a favor: before you see him embarrass himself, watch this film so you can understand just how great he was, and just how much more he deserved for this film.
You can rent it on Netflix, or buy it at Amazon or Best Buy
Directed by Renny Harlin, director of classics like 12 Rounds and Cutthroat Island, Dice stars as Ford Fairlane, a foul mouthed misogynist (real stretch) detective who specializes in music business-related mysteries. After getting a case to find a blonde groupie named ZuZu Pedals (I'd say the actress's name but she's the worst part of the film and I don't want to know it) by his old friend Johnny Crunch (Gilbert Godfried), Crunch is murdered and the mystery thickens. The cast also includes Lauren Holly as his assistant/sometimes lover Jazz, Wayne Newton (yes, THAT Wayne Newton) as the seedy record exec Julian Grendel, Morris Day (no Time) as Fairlane's buddy Don Cleveland, and Ed O'Neill as Detective Enus, a cop who does not like Ford for reasons I won't spoil because of the simply AWESOMENESS that results from it.
Dice does not have to stretch his acting chops here. He is pretty much playing himself, but if he was a detective instead of a comedian. He is mouthy, he is sexist, and he is very in your face. He does a good job though, especially in the few (as in 1) emotional scenes in the movie. Holly is perfect as his assistant Jazz, who is loyal and may or may not be in love with him (come on guys, it's not a spoiler, you know how movie conventions work). The supporting cast is great in this film and really bring the world to life.
Why should you see this movie? Because it's really funny, in both legitimate and cheesy ways. A lot of the jokes could go either way, but most of the time you're laughing, either at the stupidity or because it was actually clever. The story itself also has enough twists and turns to keep you interested and engaged, and it never truly gets boring. There are unfunny parts here and there, and ZuZu Pedals is annoying overacted in it, but her screen-time is small enough to ignore it.
The movie, of course, flopped and Dice went from being the king to barely even being a peasant. You can see him now at small comedy clubs across the country where he still performs. Do yourself a favor: before you see him embarrass himself, watch this film so you can understand just how great he was, and just how much more he deserved for this film.
You can rent it on Netflix, or buy it at Amazon or Best Buy