27.6.09

bedazzled (1967)

aka Stanley Donen's Bedazzled.
Stanley (Dudley Moore) works in a Wimpy Bar, and is obsessed with a waitress (Eleanor Bron), who hardly acknowledges his existence. Despairing of ever getting to know her better Stanley decides to commit suicide. Whilst unsuccessfully trying to hang himself George Spiggott (the devil) (Peter Cook) pops up to offer him the chance of a lifetime: sell his soul for seven wishes. Stanley falls for it and tries various ways to entice Margaret, each time being thwarted by the devil.
A fantastically realised comic version of Faust, with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook at the height of their powers. Admittedly some of the seven episodes are less than perfect, but the good ones more than make up for the rest. Especially good is the pop star spoof, with Cook stealing the show as Drimble Wedge & The Vegetations singing Bedazzled in nihilistic fashion.
NB - the film is in colour apart from the pop star episode show, which is a spoof tv show; British tv in 1967 was in black and white, which is why this episode.

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