My review was written in June 1987 after watching the film on HBO.
"Odd Jobs" is the last of seven unsuccessful features made about three years ago by HBO and Silver Screen Partners to see the light of day, barely. Lensed in 1984, an overwrought attempt at comedy wastes the talents of several young performers soon to achieve prominence.
Paul Reiser (currently scoring in "Beverly Hills Cop II") toplines as a college kid working for the Cabrizzi Bros., moving firm for the summer (pic originally was titled alternately "Summer Jobs" and "This End Up"). First half of the film disjointedly crosscuts back and forth between his misadventures and those of four of his classmates: Robert Townsend (pre-"Hollywood Shuffle") and Paul Provenza working as caddies; Rick Overton selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door and Scott McGinnis as a waiter.
Each one loses his job, teaming up to form a moving company in deadly competition with the Cabrizzis. Pranks and physical humor are moderately funny in the second half, but pic is way too talky, overloaded with pointless and endless voiceover narration by Reiser and others trying to create the structure of the story being related to a femme journalist.
Director Mark Story smothers the potential comedy with overly broad performances and heavy-handed direction. Reiser emerges as a pleasant lead, but includes Jerry Lewis-style mannerisms which clash with his character. Rest of the cas, particularly Jake Steinfeld (of Body by Jake training fame) as a goonish mover, tend to ham it up, while Townsend is quite bland compared to his "Shuffle" persona. Julianne Phillips (future Mrs. Bruce Springsteen) is totally wasted as the female lead, and radio star Don Imus performs his evangelist impression briefly to no effect.
"Odd Jobs" is the last of seven unsuccessful features made about three years ago by HBO and Silver Screen Partners to see the light of day, barely. Lensed in 1984, an overwrought attempt at comedy wastes the talents of several young performers soon to achieve prominence.
Paul Reiser (currently scoring in "Beverly Hills Cop II") toplines as a college kid working for the Cabrizzi Bros., moving firm for the summer (pic originally was titled alternately "Summer Jobs" and "This End Up"). First half of the film disjointedly crosscuts back and forth between his misadventures and those of four of his classmates: Robert Townsend (pre-"Hollywood Shuffle") and Paul Provenza working as caddies; Rick Overton selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door and Scott McGinnis as a waiter.
Each one loses his job, teaming up to form a moving company in deadly competition with the Cabrizzis. Pranks and physical humor are moderately funny in the second half, but pic is way too talky, overloaded with pointless and endless voiceover narration by Reiser and others trying to create the structure of the story being related to a femme journalist.
Director Mark Story smothers the potential comedy with overly broad performances and heavy-handed direction. Reiser emerges as a pleasant lead, but includes Jerry Lewis-style mannerisms which clash with his character. Rest of the cas, particularly Jake Steinfeld (of Body by Jake training fame) as a goonish mover, tend to ham it up, while Townsend is quite bland compared to his "Shuffle" persona. Julianne Phillips (future Mrs. Bruce Springsteen) is totally wasted as the female lead, and radio star Don Imus performs his evangelist impression briefly to no effect.