There are some funny bits in "Oliver the Eighth," but also some jokes that don't work so well. This is very much a mixed bag of a film.
Plot In a Nutshell: Oliver, partners in co-owning a barbershop with Stan, is chosen by a wealthy widow to be her new husband, unaware she is a serial killer with a penchant to permanently dispatch men named "Oliver."
Why I rated it a '6': The film starts off in good form at the barbershop. The boys' idle back-and-forth banter is amusing, and Oliver's duplicity regarding Stan's letter was an interesting choice. When the action moves to the dark and foreboding widow's mansion, it's still working well enough. A quirky butler adds to the feel of the film....for a while. He eventually goes into an extended routine of pantomime/invisibility, where first a deck of cards and then all food and drink items at the dinner table are clearly non-existent, but he and the lady of the house pretend they are real.
I think, if this idea was limited to just a minute or two, it would have been OK. But the routine goes on and on and basically wastes any humor potential it had. Some of the reviewers here think this was the most hilarious thing they've ever seen; others (myself included) think it was milked for far too long and dragged the film down. All I can say is, watch it for yourself and decide. But IMO this was not comedy gold.
There is another bit where Ollie sees a foot at the end of his bed and somehow doesn't realize it is his. I'm not sure how that's possible. And the ending of the film is a direct copy of a previous short of theirs, "The L&H Murder Case." That was disappointing. In his anthology of L&H films, author William Everson shredded "Oliver the Eighth," calling it "a surprisingly dull and banal film." I don't think it's quite that bad, there are some funny moments here, but an unbiased viewer will know that this isn't their best work.
6/10. Would I watch again (Y/N)?: Only in parts. I would skip over the pantomime routine.
Plot In a Nutshell: Oliver, partners in co-owning a barbershop with Stan, is chosen by a wealthy widow to be her new husband, unaware she is a serial killer with a penchant to permanently dispatch men named "Oliver."
Why I rated it a '6': The film starts off in good form at the barbershop. The boys' idle back-and-forth banter is amusing, and Oliver's duplicity regarding Stan's letter was an interesting choice. When the action moves to the dark and foreboding widow's mansion, it's still working well enough. A quirky butler adds to the feel of the film....for a while. He eventually goes into an extended routine of pantomime/invisibility, where first a deck of cards and then all food and drink items at the dinner table are clearly non-existent, but he and the lady of the house pretend they are real.
I think, if this idea was limited to just a minute or two, it would have been OK. But the routine goes on and on and basically wastes any humor potential it had. Some of the reviewers here think this was the most hilarious thing they've ever seen; others (myself included) think it was milked for far too long and dragged the film down. All I can say is, watch it for yourself and decide. But IMO this was not comedy gold.
There is another bit where Ollie sees a foot at the end of his bed and somehow doesn't realize it is his. I'm not sure how that's possible. And the ending of the film is a direct copy of a previous short of theirs, "The L&H Murder Case." That was disappointing. In his anthology of L&H films, author William Everson shredded "Oliver the Eighth," calling it "a surprisingly dull and banal film." I don't think it's quite that bad, there are some funny moments here, but an unbiased viewer will know that this isn't their best work.
6/10. Would I watch again (Y/N)?: Only in parts. I would skip over the pantomime routine.