Burt Reynolds is so laid-back in this picture I thought he might fall over. He, Jack Weston and Tom Skerritt are cops at the Boston Precinct trying to stop a serial killer from blowing up more politicians, Yul Brynner is the bad guy who knows just what clueless cops these guys are, and Raquel Welch is the new badge in the building (the guys humiliate her for awhile, but she's tough and proves her merit). This is a routine cop comedy with dramatic and sometimes violent overtones, not unlike "MASH" (which it attempts to emulate in its cynicism). It was moderately popular in theaters in 1972 mainly because Burt Reynolds had just posed for Cosmo magazine and the ads and the movie one-sheet played that up. I liked Welch's scenes defending herself in the office (where she's been unceremoniously dumped at a desk) and the climactic moments are well done. The end vocal by Dinah Shore is a wonderful bit (Burt was dating her at the time). But that very last shot is perplexing: there's no explanation for it, and I'm sure it left audiences baffled. It's an artistic shot, done with humor, but considering what happens before it, it makes no logical sense. **1/2 from ****
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Scarecrow-888 September 2009For a 90 minute movie, there sure is hell a lot of plot. We watch as a variety of cases converge at the end as Boston's *cough* finest *cough* set out to make arrests regarding two arsonists who set fire to bums, a trio behind a series of bombings which are killing city public figures, and a duo who plan to rob a liquor store. The punchline is how, not through "solid police work", the cases are solved basically because those who commit the crimes fall right into their laps.
This cop comedy doesn't exactly paint a flattering view of a specific precinct whose detectives seem unable to catch a serial bomber, who leaves notes demanding ransom money in exchange for the lives of those targeted. We also see how busy the precinct can be during serious renovations, as the desks are cluttered, phones are ringing, people pass to and fro, and two goofy painters cause mischief as they often get in the way of the daily routines, causing the officers unneeded pains. Good cast has Burt Reynolds, Tom Skerritt, Jack Weston, James McEachin, and Racquel Welch as detectives assigned to various cases, often assisting each other at times. I was rather surprised to see Yul Brynner show up as the infamous "deaf man with the hearing aid", the mastermind behind the bombings.
For some reason, Fuzz just didn't satisfy me. It seems that the filmmakers just had too much damn plot and not enough time to dedicate to the endless stream of characters and stories. Trying to provide equal screen time to the actors involved seemed quite daunting. It's a superb cast and if they were given a central case, the mad bombings, maybe this could've been a little more cohesive. The preposterous finale where our heroes get the bad guys gift-wrapped to them must've been quite amusing on paper, but I was shaking my head at the mere absurdity of it..it's quite a coincidence(s)that all the cases burdening the Boston precinct's cops would culminate in one general area in the city, allowing them to close chapters they couldn't do on their own. The cops in the film have their share of bumbling errors, often muscling the wrong people as Brynner constantly fools them. These cops, however, have a camaraderie that's admirable, clowning around with each other to keep the pressures and unpleasantness of the job from getting to them. Welch is almost raped by the man she's assigned to capture. Reynolds is almost burned alive by two teenagers who he's horrified to discover are the serial arsonists. Skerritt is often arresting people who have little to do with his desired suspects. McEachin actually apprehends the painters attempting to steal precinct equipment while in surveillance. We see that police work isn't always cut and dry, that the daily grinds associated with the duties of detectives often result in mistakes, bad judgments, blunders, and situations which they unfortunately inherit while trying to solve cases that are certainly difficult and tiresome.
Reynolds works the usual charm and Skerritt is breezy. Chubby Weston is jolly fun as Reynolds oft-humiliated partner falling prey to one problem after another while moving from case to case. Welch, with a rather underwritten role, doesn't have much to work with, probably hired for her sexiness. Brynner is suave and cool, despite being a diabolical killer. I do think where the film does succeed is in capturing the madcap mayhem of a busy precinct, and there's nothing quite as effective as seeing the authentic Boston locations..that's what made the 70s so good, the abilities they once had to capture the atmosphere of the city streets and the array of eccentric people who live within it's confines. -
***SPOILERS*** There's these two snot-nose teenagers out to clean up the neighborhood by setting homeless persons on fire. I guess murderers rapists and muggers were a little too tough for these fearless heroes to handle. This leads Det. Carella, Burt Reynolds, to go undercover in hand-me-down cloths as bait to catch these self-anointed crime fighters. It seemed that Carella was so surprised that the two were overage bed wetters, like you have to be a grown up to do these kind of things, that he loses his concentration drops his guard and almost gets burned to death by them throwing a lit can of gasoline on him.
At the Boston 87th precinct police station there's a call demanding $5,000.00 or else the parks commissioner would be killed. Laughing off the threat a while later like the call said the commissioner is blown up in his car going to a political dinner. The threats to murder top city officials and the two young creeps setting homeless men on fire at first have nothing to do with each other at first. Yet by the time the movie "Fuzz" is over they somehow become connected to give the movie a happy, and ironic, ending.
"Fuzz" is a M.A.S.H like story of police in the big city with some dozen sub-plots going on all at once. The sub-plots make you feel like your watching four or five movies, by turning the channels, at one time. For us guys in the audience there's busty and almost unapproachable especially by Det. Carella, who's can't even get into a single scene with her, Det. Eileen McHenry, Raquel Welch. Det.McHenry is assigned to the 87th as a specialist in rape cases. Later she's put undercover, or under the covers, with cute and cuddly as a Teddy Bear Det. Kling, Tom Skeritt, in trying to find who's extorting the city of thousands of dollars in threats to kill off it's top officials.
The film "Fuzz" has a number of scenes that are totally unconnected with the extortion plot by this El Sordo, Yul Brynner, better known as the guy with the thing, hearing aid, in his ear who's the main villain in the movie. Where as for the two aforementioned wimpy teenage "crime fighter", who fight crime by setting innocent and helpless bums or hobos on fire, are just too cowardly and stupid to be anything approaching a criminal master mind or villain like El Sordo the bald headed deaf man.
Unelievably complicated ending with El Sordo and his gang about to celebrate their blowing up of Boston's City Hall going to a liquor store, to buy a bottle of champaign. The liquor store that's about to be robbed by these two not too bright hoodlums Tony & Pete, Don Gordon & Charles Tyner, of a big $86.00 in the till, with Det. Carella and his partner the bumbling Det. Meyer, Jack Weston, assigned to stake the place out.
The shootout that follows foils El Sordo's plan to blow up City Hall with his plans discovered by Det. Kling who just happened to show up. The now on the run deaf one, soaked with booze after the liquor store shootout, ends up passing out along the docks only to run into the two teenage crime fighter, mistaking him for a drunken bum, who set the poor and almost unconscious man on fire with a Molotov cocktail.
What's really interesting about the movie "Fuzz" is that it's two top stars Burt Reynolds and Raquel Welch weren't even on speaking terms with each other, on and off the screen. Which made it very difficult if not impossible for any interaction between the two. It was as if you were watching a split-screen of two different films with two totally different stories. El Sordo did somehow survive his ordeal as the movie ended to the tune of Burt's girlfriend, at the time, the late Dina Shore singing "I'll be seeing you". Still after that final scene in the movie "Fuzz" that was the last time we ever saw him since there was no "Fuzz" sequel. -
I was expecting a decent police drama out of the movie "Fuzz." With the talents of Burt Reynolds, Yul Brynner, and Raquel Welsh, viewers would anticipate a memorable picture. But considering the acting talent involved, the film is a near disaster with several plot-holes and mood changes in scenes and story lines that confuse, alienate, and annoy the viewer.
To the best that I can make out (as I was half-asleep waiting for anything to happen in this picture) Yul Brynner plays a deaf man who has orchestrated the assassination of several high ranking political officials and other selected targets. Bert Reynolds and Jack Weston are the cops who dress up as Nuns. ("NUNS?") to try to stop them, against a backdrop of a discombobulated police station and staff that makes Barney Fife look like an organized lawman! What a mess! There is absolutely no continuity to this film or plot development. You would think that some of the random shooting events would place an element of dramatic suspense, giving the viewers some reason to see this picture. However, in the next scene it's a comedy, than in the following scene it turns serious again. Fuzz is a perfect example of a movie that is only removed from being a 1, because I have given an extra point to the recognition of the actors, and another point for perhaps two good scenes that I liked in the whole movie. However, that's it. Fuzz in my judgment scores a VERY GENEROUS 3.
If the script would have stuck to ONE quality serious element, with concern about a strong issue from the cast, Fuzz could have been a passable police film. However, with too much going on at once, a weak and extremely confusing script, and a picture who's writers look like they crammed material from at least three different movies into this one, Fuzz is extremely fuzzy and never comes into focus. -
udar554 June 2006This is billed as a Burt Reynold's vehicle but he is actually part of a great cast in this Ed McBain 87th Precinct comedy-thriller. The police in Boston are searching for an extortionist dubbed "The Deaf Man" who is demanding cash or he kills a high ranking city official. Reynolds along with Tom Skeritt and Jack Weston are the cops on the case. The film really has a great ensemble feel and, I hope, accurately predicts the goings on inside a police station. Raquel Welch co-stars as a female detective out to snag a rapist. Yul Brynner, who must have been having lots of fun at this point in his career, is "The Deaf Man." His screen time is minimal but he does a good job. Familiar faces pop up in nearly every other scene with guys like Charles Tyner, Albert Popwell, Tamara Dobson and a very young Charles Martin Smith in small roles. The film's only major problem is that it neatly wraps up everything in the end. Seriously, every crime the cops are investigating is solved in one scene that relies heavily on convenience.
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jj9274 February 2006By reading comments left by others, I can tell they never read the book "Fuzz" by Ed McBain. I think this is the WORST adaptation of a book I've ever seen. Ed McBain's stories are great! This movie was one TOTAL let down.
In response to other's comments: the final shot with the hand in the water is because the Deaf Man was supposed to survive and come back to terrorize the 87th Precinct several more times. If this movie was any good, perhaps they had a sequel in mind. Also, Eileen McHenry's (Burke, in the book), played by Welch, rape scene seemed almost gratuitous whereas in the book, the rapist was successful and this became the root of her troubles and ambitions in the future of the series of 87th Precinct books.
This movie showed NO storyline. It was merely scenes (poorly shot and directed) pieced together to form a not-easy-to-follow plot. All these scenes lacked so much detail and explanation, that the viewer was left wondering what was going on. For example, while in the park on stakeout, the blind man with the dog was really a cop (who later shot himself in the foot). This character was never introduced in the movie.
Had it not been for Reynolds and Welch (sex symbols of the time) I don't think anyone would have noticed this movie was in the theaters. -
ianlouisiana3 April 2006I thought this was pretty damned neat in 1972.Of course we had yet to be drowned in a morass of Wambaugh clones and a surfeit of Harry Callahan wannabes,and wisecracking cops in grubby squadrooms being re - decorated were relatively thin on the ground.It is unfortunate that films like "Fuzz" when they are considered at all are only seen through eyes that have seen a hundred similar films since and,probably unconsciously,critically assessed to a certain extent within a frame of reference that didn't exist when they were made.I doubt if Nietszche was referring to movies when he said "Life must be lived forwards but can only be understood backwards",but it certainly applies to commenting on "Fuzz". Based on the first "Deaf Man" episode in the 87th precinct stories,it featured Mr Burt Reynolds as Det Steve Carella and Mr.Tom Skerritt as Det Burt(correct spelling) Kling. I always thought the 87th precinct was supposed to be in New York,but the film is set in Boston,later to be very familiar to admirers of Mr Robert B.Parker's estimable Private Detective Spenser. I have never been in a police station in America,but if in 1972 they were not similar to the one in "Fuzz",then they should have been . Far more exciting than our more prosaic Victorian ones in London with their echoes of "The Blue Lamp" and "It always rains on Sundays". I worked in them for 30 years and was always expecting Sidney Tafler or John Slater to be brought in protesting their innocence. I couldn't imagine Burt or Tom exchanging one-liners in the charge room in Walthamstow nick for example,or chasing a milk-bottle thief down Priory Court. Our cells weren't full of whores,pimps,second storey men,hustlers and Murphy artists(whatever they are).We had good old English flashers,blaggers and tealeaves."Fuzz" made The Life in America seem so much more exciting.Mr Yul Brynner takes his foot off the subtlety pedal as the deaf man. It is a pleasingly silly characterisation that sets the tone for most of the film.For Ed McBain readers many of the favourites like Lt Byrnes,Det Brown and Andy Parker will be familiar figures,if not perhaps quite as they imagined them. "Fuzz" and the films that followed it cleared the way for "Hill St Blues" and "N.Y.P.D. Blue",that should not be forgotten.It is not a great film,or even a very good film,but it is far better than its reputation would suggest.
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drednm17 November 2018Based on the same characters as the early 60s TV series 87th PRECINCT that starred Robert Lansing, Norman Fell, Gena Rowlands and others. The TV series was based in New York City but here the 87th Precinct is in Boston (though no one has a Boston accent).
Burt Reynolds stars in this ensemble comedy/drama about a mad bomber trying to extort money from a wealthy man. It's an uneasy mix of comedy and drama especially when people start getting blown up. The cops also come off as a bunch of really stupid oafs without any common sense at all.
Reynolds plays the same character Lansing played on TV. Raquel Welch shows up as a cop and is totally miscast and unbelievable, though to be fair, it's a badly written role. Other cops include Jack Weston, Tom Skerritt, James McEachin, Steve Ihnat, Dan Frazer, and others. Gino Conforti and Gerald Hiken plays i for laughs as a copy of wisecracking painters assigned to re-do the squad room. And Neile Adams shows up for one scene as Reynolds' deaf wife (the Rowlands part on TV).
The bad guys are headed by Yul Brynner as a hearing-impaired maniac and Don Gordon and Peter Bonerz as his main stooges. There's also a couple of kids played by Charles Martin Smith and Gary Morgan who run around torching drunks (a real barrel of laughs).
Nothing quite works and the film makes Boston look like a burned out slum. -
bkoganbing5 September 2009With the last shot leaving very much in doubt whether the crime wave that has struck the 87th precinct is truly over, my guess is that the producers were anticipating a Fuzz 2. The need for one never arose however.
A very good group of players just can't quite get this film to come together. Fuzz reminds me of a Police Academy film with two many pretensions. In fact the Boston PD may just be where those Academy graduates end up.
The main plot of the film involves a master criminal, the Deaf Man played by Yul Brynner who is blackmailing the city of Boston so he won't kill any of their top officials. He calls his threat into the precinct with detectives Burt Reynolds, Tom Skerritt, Jack Weston, and Raquel Welch are working. When they don't believe him, Brynner kills a couple of city officials to make his point.
A couple of other story lines involving a search for some punks setting homeless on fire and a rapist and somehow and through some Clousseau like luck this crowd actually solves all the cases. You have to see the film to see how they do it.
Best scenes are Raquel and Skerritt in a sleeping bag while on stakeout with Skerritt getting terribly distracted and Reynolds and Weston as nuns observing them and a possible perpetrator. That's for the main cast members, but when painters Gino Conforti and Gerald Hiken who are busy painting the precinct while all this is going steal the film whenever they're on screen. In fact in the old days some studio would have teamed these two permanently for a series of films.
Fuzz is the harbinger of Police Academy films to come. -
roblanious4 November 2007I am not one who likes police or public safety movies because I cannot relate to Hollywood's false renditions thanks to my experience as a cop in a large city. I can say that this was how police a precinct is with minimal exaggerated humor attached. Police stations may never have that many officers or detectives at one time except at shift change, but there was a scene where almost nobody could could be found at the station which was more realistic. I liked how the movie gave us a lot of different cops, unlike typical movies which show the same one or two cops doing all the work without any collaboration of anyone else. The movie even portrayed police as average boneheads, unlike the unrealistic super brains or Dirty Harry hard-asses usually portrayed in movies. I actually laughed through the movie. I was able to relate more with the cops in this movie than those on "Law and Order" or "CSI".
Now the movie was too short to unfold the characters better. I had hoped the cops would actually solve the case and prove they were not "inept" as "The Deaf Man" called them, but that was not to be. All was solved by consequence when all the main perps came together by chance. But, then again, only on TV or in the movies do the police solve all their crimes. I found the movie "Mother, Jugs, and Speed", a cult classic among ambulance people to this day, to be similar in humor. -
peterwcohen-300-94720030 August 2022This was a trashy, nonsensical set of non sequiturs, with no rhyme or reason. Just random events. No continuity. No dramatic flow. No discernable plot. Fun-to-watch actors were wasted in the making. Why is Raquel Welch in this? Just to get sexually harassed in the precinct and then to arrest a rapist and promptly disappear from the movie? How about Dan Frazer -- He plays the character he would perfect in Kojak, but with just a wisp of presence. Burt Reynolds is barely in the movie, and so seems pointless. Really, the only good things in the movie were Jack Weston and the goofy painters. Yeah, that bizarre, misplaced comedy routine with the painters -- that was one of the best things about this movie.
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DVDZombie28 December 2005After reading several bad reviews of this film I was almost afraid to watch it. I hate wasting my time on bad movies, but I decided based on the cast to give it a go and I'm glad I did. The movie is not a fast paced comedy by any stretch of the imagination. It is instead, like many movies from it's time, a slow moving style of film along the lines of The Big Fix. It keeps your interest because the characters are interesting. It makes you laugh at times and actually has a little suspense mixed into a story that seems disjointed at first, but ties together so well in the end it makes the whole movie work.
The plot centers partially around a bombers scheme to blackmail the city of Boston, but more so around the police precinct he chooses to contact with his threats. We see a group of officers trying to get through their daily routine as they work on several cases at once. Focusing on the bomber but still trying to deal with a myriad of other problems that present themselves as they try to solve other crimes. It presents itself as more of a "day in the life" type movie rather than a film with one main focus. It's well acted, well told and is a good movie for those times when you really want to just relax and get into a story. Sure it has a few weak spots as with most movies but it is certainly worth putting on and I'm very glad I had the chance to see it.
In short, if your looking for Starskey & Hutch 2005, this isn't it. If your looking for a slow paced intelligent movie, don't let bad reviews chase you away and give this film a shot. -
thinker169113 January 2010If one goes to the movies a lot, it is often a bit more interesting when one has read the original work first. Ed McBain was also known as mystery writer Evan Hunter when he wrote the first of many stories surrounding his famous 87th Precinct. The series centered mostly around the reoccurring characters in his Police Station. This compilation series became the basis for the Hollywood movie called " Fuzz. " In the film, Burt Reynolds plays Det. Steve Carella, Jack Weston is Det. Meyer Meyer while Tom Skerritt plays Det. Bert Kling. With the arrival of newcomer Det. Eileen McHenry (Raquel Welch) the precinct sets out to solve a trio of baffling crimes. Formost in their sights is the mad bomber (Yul Brynner) out to extort millions from high city officials by threatening to kill them if they don't pay up. Although there is a serious attempt to convey real police drama concerning juvenile assaults, multiple arson and serial rape, the comic atmosphere and jovial levity, renders all efforts moot. Interestingly, the drama was attempted, but the end result proved more humorous than serious, rendering the movie a silly exercise with no solid resolutions. The surprising appearances of Albert Popwell as Lewis and Yul Brenner as a heavy, meant it was not a total loss. ***
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ThomasColquith4 March 2022I did not finish watching "Fuzz", I got about halfway, so that means a 1/10 rating in my book. I am shocked by the many positive reviews of this film. I found it to be terrible. It was like a cacophony of random people, sounds, and actions with no coherence, order or sense. And perhaps the filmmakers were trying to show the chaotic nature of a police station, but this just didn't even feel like a film. It had no plot or character development in any reasonable fashion and the talented cast is wasted. It was almost as if the film was intended to annoy the audience. For example, during a big stakeout next thing I know a male and female cop are canoodling in a sleeping bag in the park. It made no sense and carried on way too long. And meanwhile the male cops were halfway dressed as nuns for no reason. A terrible film really, again 1/10. Even seeing a pretty Raquel Welch does not make this film worth watching, and she is hardly in it really. At the beginning I thought she was a citizen seeking to report a crime, then it turns out she was a cop waiting for a job! Again, incoherent. And seeing the guys ogle her and her looks of disgust did not help anything. Interestingly, she obviously knows that she is beautiful and the effect that she has on men, but she does not seem entirely comfortable with that nor really seeks to use it to her advantage. In summary, "Fuzz" is one old film that is probably best forgotten.
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The complex, yet banal, inner workings of a Boston police department are depicted in this serio-comic film featuring a style that, at times seems similar to that of Robert Altman. Reynolds plays a detective who's going undercover as a bum in order to flesh out attackers who are going around setting homeless drunks on fire. Welch arrives at the precinct as a decoy intended to draw out a serial rapist. As if there isn't enough crime and depravity taking place, a mysterious caller announces that he wants monetary payment or he will kill a city official! When that whole scheme goes awry, the caller increases his demands and moves up the food chain to another official. Detectives Reynolds, Westin, Skeritt , Welch, Inhat and McEachin all take part in various plans to eke out the mastermind before he can carry out his plot. Meanwhile, the office is being repainted by wisecracking oddballs Conforti and Hiken. The various story threads eventually come together in a deliberately coincidental climax. In what is really an ensemble film, Reynolds is low-key and entertaining, his patented smirky humor in place, but tempered by some tender and serious moments. Weston, a vastly underrated actor who excelled at playing nervous and put-upon types, is excellent throughout the film. Skerritt enjoys the playful aspects of his part which include getting stuck in a sleeping bag with Welch (worse things could happen to an actor!) Welch is clearly trying to project something beyond the typical sexpot image she had at the time, something not helped by the exploitive and inaccurate poster (which also promises more than Reynolds is permitted to deliver, though he does have a prominently staged shirtless scene.) Welch and Reynolds, having clashed during "100 Rifles" do not share any scenes to speak of here. Brynner appears as a wealthy, hard-of-hearing man. So bleak, natural and believable are the precinct scenes that when Brynner appears in his more glamorous surroundings, it almost feels cut in from another film (in look and tone, actually!) A mother lode of familiar character actors play various cops, crooks and witnesses. Reynolds, who always had a strong tendency to work with friends and former associates, had worked with Weston on TV years before. He also utilized his then-girlfriend Shore to sing the end credits number. The performers speak in mostly understated tones, over one another and frequently in the middle of activity, increasing the verisimilitude of the piece. The humor is mostly laid back and subtle, but the characters become rather endearing and amusing. This being 1972, political correctness is not always at the forefront! It's not a film that's for everyone, but for fans of the stars and of absurd situational humor, it does have its rewards.
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waynec5016 February 2006Burt Reynolds has made many films, a couple very good, but most are bad. This is possibly the worst. This was supposed to be a big name feature, but a sloppy script, uninspired acting and directing doom it. Burt's miscasting as Steve Carella is bad enough, but Yul Brynner's arrogant, sneering deaf man is wooden. Raquel is forced to hide her best acting assets (you know what) under winter coats, heavy sweaters and boots. There are good actors in it, but they're given nothing to work with. It doesn't come close to the book it's based on. It's hard to believe that prize-winning author Ed McBain was involved in this mess. Avoid it, which shouldn't be too hard, it's hardly ever on TV, and don't waste your money buying or renting it.
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slightlymad2212 August 2015Continuing my plan to watch every Burt Reynolds movie in his filmography in order, I come to 'Fuzz'
My usual Plot In A Paragraph is a bit tricky, as there are several plots, which all take place at the same time, which is probably more realistic than most cop movies, because things are always happening at the same time in a police station. Let's see.
Plot In A Paragraph: A gang of bombers led by a mysterious man known only as "The Deaf Man" (Yul Brynner) is blowing up city officials as part of an extortion plot. Some punk kids are setting drunken bums on fire and a rapist is loose in the park.
I really enjoyed this movie Reynolds shares great chemistry with Tom Skerrit and Jack Weston, and Yul Brynner and Raquel Welch were both good too!! It had some funny scenes and rather than good police work, the cops stumble on the solution by sheer coincidence (which makes a refreshing change)
The nicest scene in the movie is a touching moment between Reynolds and his deaf wife in the hospital, as Reynolds attempts to play down his serious injuries!! -
merklekranz9 January 2007I like Burt Reynolds in a comedy such as "The End", and was hoping for something along those lines here. "Fuzz" is not even close, and certainly cannot be considered a comedy. Any effort at humor seems extremely forced, and just plain not funny. A pretty good cast is almost totally wasted, Reynolds and Welch most notably. Tom Skeritt seems simply along for the ride. Too many characters with little or no development, and a plot that stretches credibility to the extreme. I mean, letting anybody near a bomb target's car, nevertheless under the hood, is a real rubber band job. I rate this 1.0 out of ten for all of the above reasons. - MERK
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lastliberal16 May 2007Put together a cast that includes Burt Reynolds, Yul Brynner, Jack Weston, Racquel Welch, and Tom Skerrit and you would think that you would have a movie worth watching. Not here.
I have been busy with work and not able to see Hot Fuzz yet, so I tuned into Fuzz. I needn't have bothered. It was a total waste of time.
It was supposed to be a comedy with multiple stories like M.A.S.H., but it just didn't work. I not only didn't laugh once, but it was hard to stay interested.
Raquel Welch was totally wasted in this film. Catch her in The Three Musketeers. -
bensonmum215 November 2017Fuzz follows the trials and tribulations faced by the officers of the 87th Precinct in Boston as they go about trying to put the bad guys away. While they're working a number of cases throughout Fuzz, the film focuses on their attempts to locate and stop a mysterious killer known to them as The Deaf Man. He's already killed two local government officials and now has his eyes set on the mayor.
I've been aware of the movie Fuzz for years, but only watched it for the first time last night. My preconceived notions were that the film was a gritty Burt Reynolds / Raquel Welch police drama involving a crazed killer. In reality, only part of that is true and that leads to some of the film's greatest weaknesses. To begin with, while Reynolds and Welch might be the names in the cast, this is actually an ensemble piece. Their participation and importance is no greater than their co- stars. In fact, I'd say that Jack Weston and Tom Skerritt feature more prominently than either of the "stars". And, once the case Welch is working is solved, she disappears from the movie for the final 30 or so minutes altogether. All are capable and talented actors, but if you're going into Fuzz for a heaping helping for old Burt or Raquel, you'll be sadly disappointed.
As for gritty, sure, parts are. Subplots involving rape and setting winos on fire isn't pleasant. And the film has that New York, dirty, gritty look to it that you only find in films from the 70s - it really can't be replicated. But this isn't something like Across 110th Street. Fuzz attempts to throw comedy into the mix - and does it very poorly. For example, the police stake-out a local park in an attempt to catch the killer. Burt goes in undercover - but he's dressed as a nun. How (not) funny - Burt Reynolds dressed as a nun, complete with that push-broom mustache. The end result is a very uneven film.
Finally, while the police are out to catch The Deaf Man, that's only one plot thread in the film. At the beginning of the movie, the police are so concerned with the painters in the precinct, they can't even be bothered with The Deaf Man's calls to the station threatening a commissioner's life. He actually has to call back about three times before they take him seriously. Even then, the killer still isn't the main focus with the mad rapist and the crazed kids out burning bums taking up valuable screen-time. I'm pretty sure the film is at least at the hour point before we even seen The Deaf Man. And his ultimate capture is a real letdown. The cops sort of accidentally stumble their way into finding him. And just as quickly, the movie ends.
Despite all the problems I had with Fuzz, I can't really give it an overall bad rating because I still had a surprisingly good time watching it. As I've already indicated, it's got a nice 70s vibe to it, there are some quality actors in the film, and there are occasions where, despite the flaws, the plot works (the death of the Parks Commissioner being a prime example). Overall, a 5/10 from me. -
Wuchakk8 December 2020Detectives in Boston have to deal with several typical crime issues in the big city, including a money-hungry killer bomber (Yul Brynner). Burt Reynolds, Tom Skerritt, Raquel Welch and Jack Weston head the cast.
"Fuzz" (1972) is an 87th Precinct tale based on the book of the same name and written by the author, Evan Hunter, aka Ed McBain. It's similar in some ways to other big city detective flicks of that era, like "Bullitt" (1968), Dirty Harry (1971), "The Night Stalker" (1972) and "Deathwish" (1974), but it's easily the least of these because (1) the attempt to shoehorn humor into the life-or-death proceedings, à la "M*A*S*H" (1972), seems forced and (2) the script tries to juggle too many separate incidents with too many characters.
One example of the strained humor is the painters working in the headquarters throughout. But some of the humor works. If they would've toned down these kinds of artificialities the movie would've worked better. But working out the kinks in scripts take time and time means money.
In any case, if you can adapt to the movie's peculiar tone there's a lot to appreciate here, including the great cast, which includes many recognizable faces, like Charles Martin Smith, Steve Ihnat and Cal Bellini. It's also worth noting that the film gets better as it moves along with the last act being the best. It was the obvious inspiration for the TV show Hill Street Blues.
Fifteen months after its release and a week or so after it's TV premiere, 24 year-old Evelyn Wagler was shockingly murdered in the rundown Blue Hill district of Boston in what might have been a copycat crime based on this movies' depiction of bums doused with gasoline and set ablaze. What made this incident worse was that it appeared to be a racial hate crime, the victim being white and the six teen perps being black, as witnessed by Wagler before she succumbed to her injuries four hours after the crime. The thug scum were never caught.
The movie runs 1 hour, 32 minutes.
GRADE: B-/C+ -
All hopes that this would be a credible cop movie flew up the air shaft in the first five minutes when it became evident that this particular Boston precinct house was largely staffed by NYC actors with NYC accents. Oh, well, I thought. Maybe it'll be funny. Wrong again. The various attempts at humor by scenarist Evan Hunter, adapting one of his 87th precinct novels, range from mildly amusing (the too gentle attack dog) to trying too hard (having Burt Reynolds and Jack Weston dress up as nuns) to downright annoying (the loud, obnoxious, and resolutely mirthless painters). At the very least, I then thought, I'll get some decent action sequences. Again I was to be dismayed, this time by director Richard Colla's lackluster handling of a police chase, a political assassination, and a stakeout. My last hope was that with such a wonderful ensemble of 70s actors I would be treated to some hard hitting and/or interestingly offbeat performances. Four times unlucky. I have rarely seen Reynolds, Raquel Welch, Jack Weston, Tom Skeritt and Don Gordon this dull, a failing for which I also blame Colla since these actors usually are not. Only James McEachin and Dan Frazier manage to infuse some quirky life into their characters.
Bottom line: What profiteth a movie to reach for "Police Academy" by way of "French Connection" only to come up with PG, mid level "Barney Miller"? Give it a C. -
Woodyanders18 February 2013The police at a Boston, Massachusetts precinct search for a mad bomber who's trying to extort money from the city. Meanwhile, the cops must also contend with arson attacks on homeless people, a rapist in a local park, and a string of robberies in the area. Director Richard A. Colla offers a pleasing mix of rousing action and cynical comedy that unfolds at a snappy pace, makes good use of the gritty urban locations, and delivers a colorful portrait of the camaraderie amongst the police who are always up to their ears with their assorted cases. The sound acting from the excellent ensemble cast keeps the movie humming: Burt Reynolds as the laid-back Steve Carella, Tom Skerritt as breezy smartaleck Bert Kling, Jack Weston as the huffy Meyer, Raquel Welch as sassy'n'sexy undercover lady cop Eileen McHenry, James McEachin as the easygoing Arthur Brown, Bert Remsen as irascible desk sergeant Murchison, and Don Gordon as antsy low-life hoodlum Anthony La Bresca. Yul Brynner does well as a smooth criminal mastermind. Popping up in small parts are a bunch of familiar character actors who include Charles Tyner, Britt Leach, Albert Popwell, Norman Burton, and a very young Charles Martin Smith (as a whiny'n'wimpy arsonist). Evan Hunter's episodic script neatly captures the chaotic and unpredictable nature of police work. The fact that this film shows the cops going about their daily routines gives it an extra credibility. The exciting climax nicely ties several subplots together. Jacques Marquette's crisp widescreen cinematography boasts lots of cool mobile camera-work. Dave Grusin's funky-throbbing score hits the get-down groovy spot. A nifty flick.
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This ambitious but uneven Boston Police action comedy struggles to be serious and superficial at the same time. Although it qualifies as one of Burt Reynolds' more respectable theatrical film releases before he scored with John Boorman's "Deliverance" and Robert Aldrich's "The Longest Yard," "Fuzz" is standard-issue stuff. Affable Burt and his co-stars conjure up a genuine sense of camaraderie that adds credibility to this above-average thriller. Yul Brynner is cast as a ruthless villain with a hearing problem, but he doesn't participate physically in the action until slightly more than an hour has elapsed in this 92 minute law & order epic. Nevertheless, he makes a memorable exit. Sexy Raquel Welch doesn't have as many scenes as she should have had. She has one hilarious scene in a sleeping bag during a stakeout in the park with Tom Skerritt. Future "Cleopatra Jones" starlet Tamara Dobson has a bit part as Brynner's girlfriend. Interestingly, Evan Hunter wrote the screenplay based Ed McBain's literary "87th Precinct" novels. McBain was Hunter's nom de plume. His screenplay moves in circles but laces the loose threads together for a surprise ending. Wait until you learn the truth about the city painters. "Zig Zag" director Richard A. Colla is imitates Robert Altman with the use of an ensemble cast and meandering plot lines and William Friedkin's gritty "French Connection" surveillance and shoot'em up scenes. In one playful scene, Carella and Meyer, garbed in nun's habits, tail a conspicuous man (Don Gordon of "Bullitt") across Boston. Composer Dave Grusin's title music is superb and embellishes the action with its bone-smacking, gut-heaving, pulsative quality of both Isaac Hayes' "Shaft" theme and Quincy Jones' "Dollars" theme. Lenser Jacques R. Marquette's on-location photography in Boston is nice since most thrillers end up on those familiar New York City streets.
"Fuzz" is a formulaic police procedural that imitates "M.A.S.H." with its multiple characters. Actually, Colla's film looks like the prototype for ABC-TV's sitcom "Barney Miller." Several scenes concern supporting actors and actresses complaining to the detectives while more important activities occur around them. An anonymous phone caller menaces the 87th Precinct with threats of assassinating city officials while a pair of predatory youth roams the streets at night intent on turning drunks into bonfires. The assassins are fodder-as-usual for this kind of cop operas, but the firebugs are just as unsavory as they were back when this film came out. When our heroes aren't dealing with the assassins and the firebugs, they are bickering with a couple of painters painting the precinct premises. Raquel Welch shows up at the precinct to serve as decoy for rapists. This doesn't keep the guys from kidding her. Boston Police Department Detective Eileen McHenry (Raquel Welch of "Bandolero!") listens patiently and grimaces as a woman complains about a flasher. The woman provides almost too many gory details about her assailant. Meanwhile, BPD Detectives Steve Carella (Burt Reynolds of "100 Rifles") and Meyer Meyer (Jack Weston) wheeze with laughter at McHenry's dilemma. She knows that they are playing a prank on her and she realizes it after the woman furnishes so many details. Finally, a group of criminals are planning to rob a liquor store. Consequently, despite the 87th's penetrating investigations, the anonymous phone caller, in reality a deaf man (Yul Brynner of "The Magnificent Seven"), neither vaunts nor tarries about killing police officials. The two youth kindle a couple of drunkards, one being Carella disguised as a rag picker. Carella is momentarily surprised when he sees how young they are before they torch him. Later, an interesting scene occurs as a surveillance technician praises an African-American detective but addresses him invoking the horrendous N-world. The cop belts him out of sight of the camera. The big shoot-out at the end is staged with finesse. Ironically, a couple of liquor store bandits stumble onto the Deaf Man and his accomplice in a police uniform and start shooting. There are some interesting touches. The wife of Detective Carella is deaf, too. -
JasparLamarCrabb22 June 2007Not bad. It's fun and features Burt Reynolds and Raquel Welch in their prime...although they share very little screen time together. The plot involves a group of unorthodox Boston policemen (and Welch) trying to nail the "deaf man," who's been setting off bombs around the city. It's not very suspenseful and it's not very imaginatively directed, but the cast keeps its afloat. In addition to Reynolds & Welch, there's the reliable Tom Skerritt, Jack Weston, and Alex Rocco (as an office painting Greek chorus!) --- They're all terrific. The really odd, and most notable thing about FUZZ, is the truly bizarre casting of Yul Brynner as the villain. It's such a small and thankless role, it's a wonder the Oscar winner even took it. He doesn't even have time to strut around with his hands on his hips!