gwnightscream Ted Danson, Howie Mandel, Richard Mulligan, Stuart Margolin, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Edwards and Paul Sorvino star in Blake Edwards' 1986 comedy. Danson (Cheers) plays Spence Holden, an actor & womanizer who discovers a horse-doping plot to fix a race. He decides to capitalize with help from his friend, Dennis Powell (Mandel) and they become chased by thugs, Binky (Margolin) & Turnip (Mulligan) who work for mob boss, Tony Pazzo (Sorvino). Alonso (The Running Man) plays Tony's wife, Claudia who finds romance with Spence and Edwards (Blake's daughter) plays Ellen Frankenthaler, an auction secretary who finds romance with Dennis. Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue) appears as Spence's brother-in-law, Phil, Rick Ducommun (The 'Burbs) also appears as Ordell, Dennis' uptight boss and he & Mandel were also in "Little Monsters" 3 years after this. I watched this growing up and always enjoyed it. I think it's underrated and Danson & Mandel are great together. I recommend this good 80's comedy.

socchiato When Blake Edwards initially was putting this film together it was originally intended to star Burt Reynolds and Richard Pryor. Unfortunately due to Pryor's near fatal burning the film had to be recast. The Films original Title was 'The Music Box' taken from the Laurel & Hardy short film of the same title. Was made as a homage to classic comedies . Did not fair well at the box office. ************************************************************ ************************************************************ ************************************************************ ************************************************************

jhaggardjr "A Fine Mess" is a sloppy comedy from Blake Edwards, director of "Micki + Maude", "Victor/Victoria", "10", and the "Pink Panther" films. I first saw "A Fine Mess" at the theater with my best friend when it first came out. I was only 15 years old at the time, and we laughed our heads off. You would think that today I would find this film to be incredibly stupid. Well, I just watched it again recently, and I still laughed at this movie. That makes "A Fine Mess" a huge guilty pleasure of mine. It's about Ted Danson and Howie Mandel getting mixed up in a fixed horse race, and spend parts of the movie running from two clumsy gangsters (Richard Mulligan and Stuart Margolin) who are responsible for creating this fixed horse race on orders from their mob boss (Paul Sorvino). In the midst of this fine mess they fall in love with beauties Maria Conchita Alonso and Jennifer Edwards (Blake's daughter). This movie was no doubt an embarrassment to Edwards, Danson, Mandel, Sorvino, and especially Mulligan and Margolin. They all make total fools of themselves. But I laughed anyway. It's notable for an appearence by a pre-"NYPD Blue" Dennis Franz and a bit part by a pre-"Babe" James Cromwell. But one thing I'll always remember about "A Fine Mess" is film critic Rex Reed's thrashing of the movie on the movie review show "At the Movies" when he and co-host Bill Harris (taking over for Siskel and Ebert) were reviewing their choices for the worst movies of 1986. Reed started saying quote "Well at least part of the title is accurate. "A Fine Mess". Well it's worse than a mess. It was an all out disaster, and there's nothing fine about it." It was quite obvious that Reed gave "A Fine Mess" no stars. But I give it three stars. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. This movie does make me laugh. If you decide to watch this, remember to check your brain at the door.*** (out of four)

Mister-6 You can't blame Blake Edwards for making this kind of movie.For years, he depended on the kind of pratfalls that course through "A Fine Mess" as his bread and butter, so to speak. They served the "Pink Panther" series well, and made Inspector Clouseau a world-wide reference point for the ultimate in clumsiness.But for a movie that basically features two losers crossing the mob in a horse race then moving a piano to a rich lady's house, this film is all over the place. So many people introduced then forgotten, plot lines that go nowhere, laughs that are fun for the moment but have no context.Shocking, really, this coming as it does from Blake Edwards, who once personified classy comedy with such works as the aforementioned "Panther" films, not to mention classics like "10", "Micki + Maude" and the under-appreciated "S.O.B.".And with the calibre of talent, you'd expect great things; the manic Mandel, lecherous Danson, luxuriant Alonzo, and wackos like Mulligan and Margolin as mob flunkies all have the fire, but there's just nothing here to stoke the furnace.There were separate moments here and there that gave me a smile but, like the movie itself, it just lives for the moment, then is gone.TIDBIT - The idea for this movie actually came from a Laurel and Hardy short where Stan and Ollie try to move a huge piano up innumerable flights of stairs. Hence, the name.It still is fitting: this movie is definitely a "Mess", if not a "Fine" one.Three stars. Saved but for the virtue of Mulligan in the cast and a bit part for pre-"NYPD Blue" Franz.