The Linguini Incident (1991, Rosanna Arquette, David Bowie, Eszter Balint) – Classic Movie Review 8933

Co-writer/ director Richard Shepard’s 1991 movie The Linguini Incident tries hard to be a freewheeling, chic comedy in the style of Desperately Seeking Susan. But, despite being bizarre, energetic and sometimes even inventive, it just is not nearly funny or clever enough.

Rosanna Arquette turns in an insufferably kooky performance and David Bowie an embarrassingly camp cockney one as the wacky, disgruntled staff of an incredibly chic New York restaurant and bar, where broke bartender Monte (Bowie) bets owner Cecil (Buck Henry) that Lucy (Arquette) can get out of a Houdini situation, chained inside a postbag and submerged in the bar’s giant fish tank.

Marlee Matlin scores as a goofy doorgirl called Jeanette and Buck Henry is amusing in a worrying sort of way as Cecil, and arguably Eszter Balint and André Gregory are amusing too. Thomas Newman’s score tries to add an element of fun missing elsewhere.

The main cast is as fascinating as it is cultish: Rosanna Arquette, David Bowie, Eszter Balint, André Gregory, Buck Henry, Viveca Lindfors, Marlee Matlin, Lewis Arquette, Eloy Casados, Michael Bonnabel, James Avery, Leana Hall, Maura Tierney, Julian Lennon and Iman. But the film is a total misfire. In Germany it was called Houdini & Company, which is not bad, but the desperate US DVD title is Shag-O-Rama, which is very bad indeed.

After a two-year wait, it went straight to video in Britain in 1993, after being press shown for a cinema release by Rank Film Distributors.

The Linguini Incident is directed by Richard Shepard, runs 108 minutes, is made by Isolar, is released by Rank Film Distributors (UK) and Academy Entertainment (1992) (US), is written by Richard Shepard and Tamar Brott, is shot by Robert Yeoman, is produced by Arnold Orgolini and Richard Gagnon, and is scored by Thomas Newman.

Iman appears briefly as a woman in the audience for Lucy’s stunt. She was married to Bowie from 6 June 1992 till his death on 10 January 2016, with one child.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8933

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