My Chauffeur (Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Review)

Is My Chauffeur a Hidden Treasure or Dumpster Fire?

Blu-ray Distributed By: Vinegar Syndrome / July 25, 2017

The first 1,500 copies sold through VinegarSyndrome.com will include a double-thick ‘glossy lipstick’ limited edition slipcover designed by Derek Gabryszak.

Casey Meadows (Deborah Foreman, Valley Girl), a dishwasher at an Italian restaurant, has just received an unbelievable job offer: the opportunity to work as a driver at the prestigious Brentwood Limousine Limited. Much to the shock and frustration of its posh, all-male chauffeur staff, Casey accepts the offer, but as she begins to settle into her new position, she discovers that working as a driver is more grueling than she could have anticipated. Finding herself having to contend with stoned singers, devious diplomats, and other raucous clients, she’s quickly at her wits end, but when she picks up a young man named Battle (Sam J. Jones, Flash Gordon), who’s just been dumped by his girlfriend, a budding romance quickly begins, only for Casey to discover that Battle is her bosses’ son!

Writer/director David Beaird’s light hearted cult comedy, MY CHAUFFEUR, playfully combines comedy and romance with adept observations on sexism and class conflict. A late night TV staple, Vinegar Syndrome brings this 80’s classic to Blu-ray, newly restored from its original negative and featuring an all new interview with its leading lady.

Jimbo’s Take

Movie:	(3.5 / 5)
Video:	(4.5 / 5)
Audio:	(4.0 / 5)
Extras:	(4.0 / 5)
Average:	(4.0 / 5)

If you’ve ever wanted to see Flash Gordon run buck naked through a park with a baby stroller, then look no further. My Chauffeur delivers! What is My Chauffeur? A romantic comedy? A screwball comedy? A raunchy comedy? Incestual comedy??? I’m still not quite certain. Which makes this somewhat of an odd little film, but a natural choice for Vinegar Syndrome’s special edition treatment.

According to actress and star Deborah Foreman, Director David Beaird wrote the script for My Chauffeur in 3 hours at a diner. I can’t substantiate this claim, but after watching the movie it’s not hard to believe. The story feels, in a way, “good enough” to film. My Chauffeur has a plot and central mystery strong enough to hold it together, but Director David Beaird seems content to let his cast play in the sandbox and improvise during longer exchanges.

The central mystery involves the unusual employment of Casey Meadows (Foreman) to an all male (and mostly elderly male) chauffeur service. We are intentionally kept in the dark as to the relevance of this hire. Beyond this basic plot device, most of the film plays like separate vignettes of Taxicab Confessions, where Casey finds herself in escalating nights of insanity and debauchery, many of which could get her fired.

The movie takes a brief hiatus from goofball antics to introduce Battle Witherspoon (Sam J. Jones) as the rich asshole and possible love interest. Think of it as the screwball version of Pretty Woman without the whoring. Beaird allows Jones and Foreman to ad lib a handful of scenes that play a little over the top, but do succeed in drawing a few laughs. One scene in particular has Jones and Foreman screaming in a limo, getting drunk, and leading to the hilarious scene of Jones running naked through the park with a baby carriage. You have to admit…that’s pretty damn funny.

Unfortunately, this invitation to freeform does come at a cost. This movie is probably also known for introducing the antics of Penn & Teller to non-New York audiences. And the result is excruciating! During one of the final “vignettes,” Casey is assigned to chauffeur a Middle Eastern Sheik (Teller) to a meeting. A con-man (Penn Jillette) sneaks his way into the limo by claiming he is the Sheik’s bodyguard. Their schtick is cringe-worthy and borderline racist as Penn performs card tricks and refers to the “Arabs” as “towel heads”. The scenes do not gel with the overall film tone and were apparently filmed only because the comedy duo owed the director a favor. Frankly, the only saving grace is when three strippers join Penn & Teller and show their tits.

Which brings me to the R-rating… Beyond a few boobs and a very occasional F-bomb, the tone of this movie is much more playful in a PG kind of way. It’s so lighthearted and playful that I found myself a bit shocked when I was confronted with brief nudity and Sam Jones’ naked ass. With a little editing, the film could have easily scored a PG rating, possibly drawing younger couples and helping its box office draw.

Instead, upon release, Crown International Pictures inflated their domestic box office take, leading to an over-exaggeration that had the film seemingly outperforming Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple. Naturally, Spielberg didn’t believe My Chauffeur capable of this feat and after an investigation was proven correct. Crown International Pictures was humiliated, and Deborah Foreman was pulled from making any public appearances to further promote the film.

But all of that aside, does My Chauffeur make you laugh?

I did. Many times, in fact. And that’s really all you need from a comedy. You need to like the characters and to have a good chuckle. You may even recognize many of the veteran cast that help fill up a surprisingly robust ensemble. Alongside the usual assortment of Vinegar Syndrome produced extras, My Chauffeur has a lot to offer in a very unconventional and rewarding comedy package.

Jamie’s Take

Movie:	(3.0 / 5)
Video:	(4.0 / 5)
Audio:	(4.0 / 5)
Extras:	(4.5 / 5)
Average:	(3.9 / 5)

I remember as a kid seeing the video box of My Chauffeur and wanting to see the film, more for it’s R rating and the fact that Deborah Foreman was in it. Once my friend told me Foreman doesn’t get naked, I passed on it and never saw it until Vinegar’s release (talk about a boycott). Watching it as a middle age man, I feel the film isn’t a bad film and at time humorous but a bit of a hodgepodge of various tones that are slapstick, romantic, heart-felt, and dirty all at the same time, never quite gelling together.

When Casey Meadows gets her first customer to chauffeur, it turns out to be a nasty, foul-mouthed punk rocker who has a taste for women. I am unsure what Jim is talking about when he mentions the PG-esque tone as this was quite R and shockingly vulgar. There is a scene with the punk and his entourage of groupies who knock down an old woman and forcibly rip her panties off. While I did laugh as she uses her dog as a weapon to fend off the punk, this scene seemed rather off-putting and rather strange given the remainder of the film was a somewhat romantic fairy tale in the style of a Cary Grant / Katherine Hepburn film…with the occasional bare bottom or breast.

Sam Jones is rather good and his scenes with Foreman are the movie’s main highlights. His “drunken” breakdown had me in stitches and while it was preposterous, it was still funny. Jones comic timing and even dramatic moments when he starts to shed away his Ebenezor Scrooge persona is surprisingly well done and it’s a shame that he’s only remembered for his Flash Gordon role.

The supporting cast is also loaded with some great character actors such as E.G. Marshall, Sean McClory, Stanley Brock, and Howard Hesseman (who I could have used more of). Their scenes added a sort of class to an otherwise strange and offbeat movie.

Now the ending…I can’t really say but it had me shocked at first (“We were bad.”) but then it chickened out by pulling back on what could have been a rather gross and ballsy move for a comedy. That isn’t to say the ending is bad, it’s a little funny and weird but this could have been really fucking out there.

Vinegar’s blu ray looks and sounds great, as always. It has not one but two commentary tracks, one by a production assistant which has got to be a first if I am not mistaken. I loved the interview with Foreman who still looks great. I wouldn’t mind seeing Vinegar tackle more forgotten 80’s comedies in the future.

Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?

Jimbo:	(4.0 / 5)
Jamie:	(3.9 / 5)
Average:	(4.0 / 5)

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