User reviews

'Trigger Happy' - or 'Mad Dog Time' as it is better known - this gangster spoof circles around a vicious crime boss recently released from a mental asylum and his underlings who wish to take his place. From such a plot summary alone, the film certainly sounds quite promising. Donning a bathrobe and walking with outstretched arms like a messiah, Richard Drefyuss also has a memorable first scene as the mentally unstable mobster, however, the rest of the film is far less impressive. The most notable aspect here is the star-studded ensemble cast. In addition to Dreyfuss, there are pivotal roles for Gabriel Byrne, Jeff Goldblum, Diane Lane, Ellen Barkin and Henry Silva, while the likes of Burt Reynolds, Billy Idol, Gregory Hines, Richard Pryor and Rob Reiner also appear. The film trips up though by trying to assign sizeable roles to each of its big name stars. The result is a film with too many main characters for one to get to know in any real depth, which in turn renders the film hard to follow on occasion. It is not a consistently funny movie either; amusing moments abound, mostly from the strange ways various characters are killed, however, there are far too many jokes stemming from the fact that three of the main characters have rhyming first names. A stylistic decision to have fades to blue, red, etc. (instead of black) is a little jarring too. Infamous as the film that Roger Ebert selected for the worst movie of its year, 'Trigger Happy' is not as worthless at all that, but it is also easy to appreciate why the film was a disappointment to fans of its stars back in its day.

I will agree that this movie is a lot of fun to watch,uncut that is, and I will go further and say that it was probably a hoot to be a part of the making of it as well. Lets face it some of these guys are not around anymore and this might have been one of their last laughs together. I for one found it exciting to have one last look at Henry Silva, Richard Pryor and Christopher Jones. Those last two by the way were in one of their first movies together as well, Wild In The Streets. Michael J. Pollard will always be seen in something. Kyle MacLachlan was probably in it just for the kicks. His performance seemed a bit over the top even for him. All in all I would have loved to have been an extra on this one but at least I got to see it.

Depending on the day you're having or the way you look at films, "Mad Dog Time" can become a case of a watchable film or one of the most saddening things ever made. But it can't be great. The cast is amazing, perhaps the main reason most people are brought into this thing but they can't save this from being just an average experiment, almost embarrassing each minute goes by.

What was this about anyway? At my view it was a competition of who kills who and who stays longer alive in a game triggered after the release of a powerful mobster (Richard Dreyfuss). Release from where? Jail, mental institution? A little unclear to me. But who were those people? It's a star parade with Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, Gabriel Byrne, Diane Lane, Gregory Hines, Kyle MacLachlan, Billy Idol, Billy Drago, Burt Reynolds, Richard Pryor, Henry Silva, so and so, but who were they? Mobsters, hit men, rivals, partners? Nothing is well established in this half wreck, neither their functions except killing each other, neither their purpose behind such cruel intentions. The little character development created by writer/director/supporting actor Larry Bishop is preposterous, ludicrous and silly, and the mountains of dialogs lead to almost nowhere trying to be important with characters asking to each other what's their life's philosophy.

The good things about "Mad Dog Time": Gabriel Byrne saves the day becoming the funniest actor on scene; Goldblum is a great presence, we cheer for him whenever he's involved in a gun duel; Hines impress in the brief appearances he has; the rest of the cast is just fine to see them acting together and that's it. Perhaps that's the greatest accomplish in here, see them assembled in one piece of film. If only in a better one... 6/10

... his version of "My Way" is hysterical (especially after I read somewhere that he truly thought - before he heard himself later - that it was Paul Anka that was out of tune and not himself!) and he gets all the best lines. That said, I thought Jeff Goldblum was also excellent - more understated than the rest of the characters which was a good foil for them.

The film is just simply great fun. It's not a classic, clever masterpiece of its time, but it is immensely enjoyable and well worth seeing at least once.

I'm quite convinced that everyone who gave this a good review watched a completely different movie than I did. With odd filming choices, bad acting, stilted dialogue and a slow plot that is so thin it barely deserves to even be called a plot, this was just a hot (or rather lukewarm) smoky mess from start to finish, dead on arrival much like many of the main players in this movie, and a one note symphony of stand off after stand off conducted sitting down for some reason (would it then be called a sit off?).

I'm going to level with you, I bought this because I have a crush on Jeff Goldblum, (hey, he has some pretty eyelashes in this movie, though his lines are limited), but even with an all star cast, it'd take a whole lot of polishing for this movie to shine. Though I will admit Gabriel Byrne's character Ben has some moments of intrigue, it can't save the whole show, and besides, most of the best scenes are already seen in the preview and so it's all downhill from there.

I mean it's certainly nowhere near the worst movie I've ever seen, it has its few small huff a tiny bit of air from your nose marginally funny moments, but it's cutting it awfully close. That lucky son of a gun who gets shot in the the first few minutes of the movie and didn't have to sit through the rest of it though, one could envy him.

How did such a great cast end up in such a rotten film?

If you are used to seeing Gabriel Byrne in serious roles such as Tom in Millers Crossing or Keaton in The Usual Suspects I recommend you take a look at this film. Even if you are not a fan of Gabriel Byrne in particular, all the actors in this film give really great performances. If you've got about eleven bucks (that is close to nine quid) I say order it online, or rent it from you favorite movie rental place. Guaranteed to make you laugh, whether or not you normally like gangster type movies. Mad Dog Time/Trigger Happy is one of those movies you never forget, and find yourself watching over and over. You will talk about it so much your friends will be begging to borrow it.

The world is a terrible place. But this movie is farce and it's fun. And if you don't like it... you don't get it... and if you don't get... it doesn't matter. It's up to you if you want to play along. Every actor in this one had fun. It's only a joke. And that's good enough for me. Gabriel Byrne is priceless. Byrne and Paul Anka doing MY WAY is, as "Vic" puts it, "...the best version ever". Okay... it's no masterpiece, but it's not bad. I was warned against seeing it, but I'm sure glad I did...

Before I start, I should point out that I know the editor of this film. We've never met, but we belong to the same fanzine(those things which came before message boards), and we have talked on the phone, so I do have a bias here. Anyway...

Somehow, it's ironic how while the "Rat Pack" culture of the late 50's and early to mid-60's made a comeback in the mid-90's, this movie, from the son of one of the original Rat Pack, and which was made in a similar fashion, was a flop. Not only that, it was a critical flop; I believe Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was the only one who did not savage this(he gave it a mixed review, as I recall). And while I don't think this is the greatest film in the world, and I am not a fan of the Rat Pack, or "cocktail," culture, I do think this is worth seeing.

For one thing, this looks stylish, and moves right along. For another, the core performances are all good. Richard Dreyfus is surprisingly restrained here as the head gangster coming back from a sanitarium, and has a droll edge to him. Jeff Goldblum goes back to the quietly ironic performances he gave in his pre-blockbuster days, like THE BIG CHILL. And while Ellen Barkin is only required to vamp in this movie, she does it entertainingly. Admittedly, it's not a great film; the dialogue is mostly made up of puns, and a lot of them don't work(like the whole "Zen of Ben" speech). And Gabriel Byrne and Kyle MacLachlan are awful here. Still, I was entertained, and if you like gangster films, you might be too.

If the Godfather can be rated as the greatest of realistic crime or gangster movies then Mad Dog Time should be rated as the greatest of surrealistic movies. This is a film which takes the serious reality of the mob world of killers and shows them in a strange weird way that should rate this film as one of the great films of the cinema art. It is like watching mobsters in a way the painter Picasso viewed reality with his famous Cubism. In some ways it is Film Noir but in other ways it is comic and even romantic. If you want to see a different kind of crime movie that is well acted and whose meaning may be no more than the art of strange film or showing what creative film making can do, then catch this one.

Hint number one - read the title as "the Time of the Mad Dog," or perhaps dogs. This is a pretty good ensemble piece (look at the cast and rent it - you know you're curious already), and first-time director Bishop gives them their chance, taking his time, letting the characters interact and chew the scenery as they wait - not enthusiastically - for the return of "the big boss" and whatever revenge ensues.

For some of us, the highlight is seeing Christopher Jones after his self-imposed exile from films; he remains a commanding film presence. And yes, with Christopher Jones, Larry Bishop and Richard Pryor involved, this IS the "Wild in the Streets" reunion party!

"Mad Dog Time"..."Trigger Happy" whatever you wanna call it...simply doesn't hit the mark. Maybe its just me, maybe i just don't like Gangster comedies ( as i thought Oscar , Johney Dangerously and Mafia also sucked ) It's probably more "witty sharp wordplay" than all out Comedy, only its not as witty and sharp as it ( or the other reviewers )Make it out to be.

The Rick , Mick , Vic Thing was old to begin with making it a running gag was at times painful to watch.

There wasn't enough Changes of Location or Feel for the period they were supposed to be in. The Majority of the film was either set in "Dreyfus's Club" or a variety of Offices /dim rooms... ( what was with that Sit down Gun stand off thing Goldblum kept winning ?)

The supporting cast was... on Paper excellent ( great to see Silva & Drago)but characters were killed off before they had time to develop. and Richard Pryors cameo was a Joke ! The Romance and Love element of the film also bogged it down.

4/10 I don't think i'll return to it anytime soon.

Despite the disparaging comments by other reviewers here, and the savaging this film received by mainstream critics, I've got stand by my original assessment of the piece which I made in 1996 on its release. This is a taut, sardonically funny, very well done flick, and I think it's detractor's may be missing the point a bit by pointing out that it plays like a rough draft. Were not many of the so called `Rat Pack' movies nothing more than hastily thrown together vehicles for whatever `Packer' happened to be starring? Of course it's rough around the edges! Of course it never seems to be getting its own joke! Unfortunately the joke ends up being on the film itself because it does its job too well. It looks at the genre from the coatroom, behind a row of smoke-scented overcoats. If it looks and feels like the reels were left on a smoky card table for a few weeks before being run - then it's doing its job. It's that very patina that gives Mad Dog Time it's credentials as a well done and mutli-faceted darkly funny movie that belongs not so much with it's erstwhile Rat Pack brethren as has been suggested so often, but rather with The Player and other movies whose joy, in part, is the fact that the players are so clearly having a ball making the thing. Goldblum and Dreyfuss stand out from an altogether superb cast. Goldblum for his ability to keep the audience guessing as to whether or not he really feels as confident as his character acts throughout and Dreyfuss for proving that nobody in the business can look both smugly amused and supremely confused at the same time as well as he. That's all I have to say. Now I think I'll hop home, pack my bags and leave town.

One of the worse pieces of crap ever "written". This film plays like a summer hiatus ad-lib by a bunch of stars who were sitting around the pool one Sunday afternoon drinking when one of them said, "I'm bored, let's make a movie for the hell of it." And that's what you get. Now the pseudo-critics will try to spin it as art, or quirky, or even genius...but you can dress up a pig in a dress too and it will still be a pig.

This is is a thoroughly unpleasant, if slickly made, movie. I tried it because it stars Richard Dreyfus and Jeff Goldblum, two good actors, and because the plot line - a mob boss is about to be released from a mental institution - sounded promising. The movie is billed as a comedy, sorta. What we have is an endless series of shots - you should pardon the pun - of people in dimly lit and elegant, if somewhat surreal, interiors, shooting each other - in the head, stomach, kneecap, foot, heart (no part of the anatomy is avoided, it seems) while uttering vague and cryptic dialogue, some of which is supposed, evidently, to be humorous in a sort of post-modern way. Goldblum's dialogue for the whole movie could fit on a 3x5 card, and he wears a single facial expression - a sardonic grin - throughout. Ellen Barkin and Gregory Hines do the best they can. Burt Reynolds does a cameo. The credits list Rob Reiner and Joey Bishop, but I somehow missed them (good move on their part). The whole thing is cold, sterile, mechanical and unsavory; an heir, I suspect, to the style of 'Pulp Fiction', 'Fargo' and 'Natural Born Killers'. If you liked those, you'll probably like this.

Larry Bishop's Mad Dog Time is a perpetually strange, endearing little pseudo gangster flick with a lot of sass, style and an endless cast that will glue your jaw to the floor. Seriously, there's so many familiar faces and big names in hidden nugget cameos that one starts to lose track. It takes place in a far corner of a different universe, populated by Rat Pack esque mobsters and gorgeous dames. All they do the entire movie is plot to kill each other, stage Russian roulette style shooting derbies, shoot each other and basically wreak havoc on one another. There's no outside world, they are completely cut off inside their ornate dining halls, chambers and night clubs. It's interesting and may be too gimmicky for some people, but it's definitely something different. Jeff Goldblum, sly and slick, plays Mickey Holliday, a gangster attempting to take the place of Vic (Richard Dreyfuss), whos about to return from the loony bin. He's also dealing with his volatile girlfriend Rita (Ellen Barkin ramping up the sex appeal and attitude), and locate her missing sister (Diane Lane, briefly). On top of this he's beset on all sides by vicious, power hungry thugs of all sorts, including Wacky Jackson (Burt Reynolds), Jake Parker (Kyle Maclachlan), and mysterious hit man Nick (Larry Bishop). There's a lot going on, and there's not a lot going on depending on how you look at it. It's pretty much all style and barely any substance, but oh what style! Goldblum is pitch perfect, in full dark humored cynicism mode, and Dreyfuss runs around like daffy duck on fire, chewing scenery like a mad goat. The roster of supporting talent includes Billy Idol, Angie Everhart, Billy Dragon, Gregory Hines, Christopher Jones, Henry Silva, Michael J. Pollard, Rob Reiner, Richard Pryor, and a priceless turn from Gabriel Byrne as Ben 'Brass Balls' London, a demented loudmouth who talks his way into hilariously violent situations. His duet of 'My Way' with Paul Anka, also appearing, has to be seen to be believed. Shot in rich velvety reds, with an emphasis on character, violence and a beautiful set design of rampant excessive ambiance, it's sure one you won't forget, whether you like it or not. It's like a love letter to the Cotton Club style, rat pack, Tommy gun madness of yesteryear in film. A treat.

Vic (Richard Dreyfuss) is a mob boss, leaving a mental institution, back to his world of gangsters. How can a director have a cast with Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Diane Lane (very gorgeous), Gabriel Byrne, Gregory Hines, Kyle MacLachlan, Burt Reynolds, Billy Idol and a make such a waste of time? This movie is a comedy that is not funny, having a constellation in the cast. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil):' Prazer em Matar-te!' ('Pleasure in Killing You!')

Hard to watch really, a failed attempt to do something fresh, still thousand of fine actors and actress wasted in short time, some doesn't had any opportunity to say a line, perhaps just Gabriel Byrne and Dreyfuss have a decent acting, Ellen Barkin was sexy on hot dresses relieve the damages, also Diane Lane on her glorious days is charming and desirable, at least we had the last laugh of the fantastic crook Henry Silva, the cameo appearance of the unmatched Richard Pryor was an insult to best black comic actor ever had, further brings the pop star Billy Idol was too irrelevant, phony killer, a sort of killers's contest among others foolishness let the movie being knowked out before the ending, by the way what crap closing!!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 5.5

Why this film was savaged when it was released is beyond me. It's a comedy for Pete's sake, not Macbeth. I'll admit the structure is a little strange and the characters are quirky to say the least. But it reminds me of Barton Fink in style. Maybe you have to be in a certain mood to really enjoy it. But give it a chance. There's a bit of everything here; Henry Silva doing a great Burt Reynold's laugh right to Burt's face; Ellen Barkin as sexy and nutty as ever; Richard Dreyfuss as the manic mob boss; and last but not least Gabriel Byrne as the flunky who would be king. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I think the critics got this one waaaay wrong. So, watch it and make up your mind.