THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION (2001)

1940, New York City.  Woody Allen is an insurance investigator who has an outstanding success rate thanks to his numerous underworld connections and his ability to "think like a criminal". His glory days might be coming to an end though when the insurance company he works for hires an efficiency expert (Helen Hunt) to streamline the office.  She's even considering getting rid of the investigation division altogether! Allen tries to talk to Hunt, but it's of no used because all they do is end up trading insults.

One evening, some employees go to a nightclub, where there's a hypnotist act as part of the floor show, to celebrate a co-worker's birthday (and Allen's recovery of a stolen Picasso).  Allen and Hunt are selected as volunteers for the hypnotist (with hilarious results), but the hypnotist (David Ogden Stiers) has more sinister motives.  Later that night, Allen receives a telephone call at his apartment from the hypnotist who puts him back under hypnosis and orders him to use his insurance company knowledge to break into a customers mansion and steal their jewelry.  The next day, Briggs is called in to investigate the crime he doesn't even know he committed!

I love THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION and have watched it dozens of times over the years.  Although I usually turn it off about 3/4 of the way through, because the ending isn't that great...but the first half of the movie is hilarious!  The script is almost nothing but one-liners and witty remarks that are fired off so quickly that you'll have to watch the film multiple times to catch them all.

Beautiful set design, awesome looking 1940's clothing (some of the women's dresses were amazing!), strong acting by an impressive cast, quick pace, fantastic music that really sets the mood.  Highly recommended.

Would make a great double-feature with SMALL TIME CROOKS.

ROLLERCOASTER (1977)

A lone psycho is setting up small bombs at various amusement parks across the nation and if he doesn't get a million smackeroos quick he's gonna keep on doing it aaaaand...that's about the extent of the story.  The film opens with a small set-up and explosion that launches some roller coaster cars off the tracks killing a number of people.  After that, it's a strictly cat-and-mouse affair with the nameless bomber (Timothy Bottoms) using a structural engineer (George Segal) as the go between for him and the amusement park owners.  Of course, the FBI is hot on the case with agent Richard Widmark trying to apprehend the bomber.

There's really not a lot of excitement in ROLLERCOASTER, but at the same time the story just keeps on plugging along at a steady pace.  No big ups or downs, just enough drama to keep you interested.  One thing that I did find interesting was the crowd scenes of the people back in 1977.  The fashions and the way the people acted was just so foreign to me.  Everybody seemed sociable and happy.  No cell phones.  I know it's a just a movie and not a documentary, but it was still interesting.

Is ROLLERCOASTER worth watching?  If you're not into older films then probably not, but if you like classic cat-and-mouse style films then I say go for it.  Solid acting all around, nice supporting cast, quick pace, a young Steve Guttenberg and Helen Hunt, plot holes, tons of smoking, lots of telephone conversations and even a performance by Sparks.

Uncredited Steve Guttenberg.

A young Helen Hunt with Susan Strasberg.