It Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time (1975)

Synopsis: It’s a John Candy movie starring...um...Anthony Newley and Isaac Hayes.

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Sweeney (Anthony Newley) is a desperate artist. He is desperate for money. He’s desperate for fame, and he is desperately in love with his gold-digging ex-wife, Georgie (Stefanie Powers). Sweeney crashes receptions, kidnaps the mayor, impersonates a trashman, and dodges his mother-in-law’s bullets, all to gain Georgie’s affection... and $1,000,000 cash from her current husband!”

What Did I Learn?: In spite of the VHS jacket, John Candy only has a bit part in this movie, he doesn’t appear until perhaps an hour has passed, and doesn’t say much when he’s on-screen.

You Might Like This Movie If: You believe a lot of things seem like good ideas at the time.

Really?: 1) So, the police captain doesn’t recognize the men under his command? 2) Why does Sweeney take such a dislike to Burton even though he has no particular reason to do so?

Rating: It Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time is a terrible movie. It’s basically a low-budget, Canadian (the characters drink Labatt 50 out of stubbies!) teen sex/gross-out comedy featuring 40-something actors. The plot is nonsensical, the dialogue is awful, and Yvonne DeCarlo’s subplot seems tacked-on. That said, Newley does have a strange, roguish charm, even if his character is far too obnoxious to be even remotely likable, and some of the scenes of him with Stefanie Powers or Hayes are fun. Watch It Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time only if you’re determined to watch every John Candy film in existence, or if you’re desperate for Can-con. I cannot recommend this movie. 4/10 stars.

Would It Work For a BAD MOVIE NIGHT?: Alas, I tried to screen it years ago, and my guests couldn’t watch more than about 30 minutes.  

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073181/

The real star of this cinematic disaster.