S.O.B. (1981) [Blu-ray]

Once upon a time a highly successful film director named Blake Edwards teamed with his very popular actress wife to make a big budget Paramount musical called "Darling Lili". Released in 1970, the WWI-era movie was a major flop. Edwards blamed studio head Robert Evans for having made significant cuts to the final version of the film, though Paramount maintained that the film's budget had gone out of control and they had to exercise their right to salvage it through whatever means necessary. Several years later, Edwards had a contentious relationship with MGM that was exacerbated by the studio altering his final cuts of "The Carey Treatment" and "Wild Rovers". Hell hath no fury like a director scorned, especially a director who was not lacking in self-esteem. Ultimately, Edwards sought his revenge with the release of his notorious 1981 madcap comedy "S.O.B." The movie is a take-down of the film industry, presenting an ugly picture of Hollywood as a place populated by crooks, shnooks, disreputable studio brass and disloyal hangers-on all willing to sell their souls to advance their careers. Doubtless, Edwards was done wrong by certain studio executives but by all accounts, he wasn't "Mr. Popularity" either. Edwards had fractious working relationships with many people including Peter Sellers, with whom he made several successful "Pink Panther" films despite the fact the men came to loath one another.Edwards was indeed multi-talented. He was capable of directing successful dramas ("Days of Wine and Roses") and the occasional thriller ("Experiment in Terror") but his niche was comedy and for a period of years he produced some great successes including "Operation Petticoat" and "Breakfast at Tiffanys" as well as the best-received Inspector Clouseau films ("A Shot in the Dark" and "The Pink Panther".) By the 1970s, however, his films were under-performing. In 1975, more out of necessity than sentimentality, he and Peter Sellers returned to the "Pink Panther" franchise and scored three more hits. "S.O.B." was his most personal film, however, and allowed him to figuratively put his considerable list of enemies in his cross-hairs. Edwards wrote, produced and directed the film which boasted an impressive all-star cast, including Julie Andrews, who would break new ground in her career by famously baring her breasts (thus causing Johnny Carson to quip to Andrews that he was thankful to see that "the hills were still alive!")The film begins with a comical suicide attempt by once-esteemed film director Felix Farmer (Richard Mulligan), who can't cope with the demise of his career due to the catastrophic boxoffice returns on "Night Wind", his mega-budget family musical starring his wife Sally Miles (Julie Andrews). Felix bungles the attempt which will become a running gag throughout the film as fate keeps preventing him from taking his own life. Now suffering from a mental illness, Felix is convinced that he has heard advice from God about how to salvage his film and career. He approaches the Machiavellian studio chief David Blackman (Robert Vaughn, whose character is supposedly based on Robert Evans.) Felix offers to reimburse the studio for their investment in the musical so that he can own all the rights and reshoot it as a pornographic production complete with the songs intact, only with an S&M take. Blackman jumps at the chance to redeem his own reputation and agrees, but Sally is a tough sell. Her entire career has been built on playing sweet, innocent characters, much as Andrews's career was defined in the early days. She is appalled at Felix's mental state and the fact that he hocked their entire net worth to pull off this madcap scheme. She turns to the film's original director, Tim Culley (William Holden) for advice and he and their mutual friend, quack physician Irving Finegarten (Robert Preston) for counsel. They both convince her the daffy scheme might work and would prove to be a good career move. With Sally reluctantly immersing herself into a sex-filled musical, word around Hollywood gets out that Felix might actually be creating a potential blockbuster. This causes Blackman to renege on the deal. Felix now goes entirely off the deep end and "kidnaps" the reels of his completed film in order to thwart Blackman from exploiting him.Movies that present Hollywood as a soulless climate are as old as the film industry itself but "S.O.B." is in a class of its own in this regard. There are no sympathetic characters. As Felix devolves into complete madness, his family, confidantes and friends all conspire to take advantage of him for their own selfish purposes. Edwards presents a Devil's Playground of cheating lovers, emotionless sex and untrustworthy partners. It was a parlor game back in the day to guess which real-life personalities were being portrayed on screen. For example, there was little doubt that Shelly Winters' obnoxious talent agent was based on the much-feared Sue Mengers. Loretta Swit, playing the film's most grating character, seems to be a compilation of every gossip columnist who Edwards grew to loathe. Other well-known stars are also used to good effect including Larry Hagman, Robert Webber, Robert Loggia, Marisa Berenson, Stuart Margolin and Craig Stevens. Ostensibly, the star is Richard Mulligan, who gives a very spirited performance that is ultimately undone by Edwards having him cross over into theater of the absurd. Because of the large cast, most of the actors don't get much screen time but those who do resonate very well especially Andrews, Holden, Preston, Webber and Vaughn. The latter has a show-stopping scene that almost rivals the unveiling of Andrews' prized bosoms when it is revealed that his character of the macho studio executive has a passion for making love to his mistress (Berenson) while he is attired in female lingerie."S.O.B." is genuinely funny but, as previously stated, Edwards goes overboard into silliness especially in the last third of the film. Until then the events that we witnessed have been mostly plausible but Edwards goes over the top and resorts to almost slapstick as well as introducing some characters such as a manic Asian chef and an Indian guru (played respectively by Benson Fong and Larry Storch) who would be far more at home in a Pink Panther movie. Still, it remains a biting satire that is mostly quite enjoyable- and it's all accompanied by a score from Edwards' frequent collaborator, Henry Mancini.The Warner Archive Blu-ray looks gorgeous and contains the original trailer.

A funny spoof on the film industry!! A very good cast.

This is the only movie I can recall seeing that is, essentially, about itself. It tells the story of a tortured Hollywood filmmaker whose latest film is turning into a mess, so he decides to convince his star - his wife, and America's Sweetheart - to do a nude scene. Of course, director Blake Edwards used his wife - America's Sweetheart Julie Andrews - to play the part. And the scene in which she reluctantly does the deed is one of her great acting moments, and a memorably classic comedic moment.Decades before this film was made, a "tortured" Blake Edwards fled the corrupt and corrosive Hollywood scene with Andrews and settled in Switzerland. This movie is his statement of why, and his revenge, using a whole stable of '80's A-list actors to eviscerate the industry. In addition to Andrews, Richard Mulligan (of "Soap" fame) plays the desperate, suicidal husband and filmmaker, and star William Holden is his friend and director. The rogues' gallery of film executives includes Robert Vaughan and Larry Hagman, while Loretta Switt is a shrewish gossip columnist. Most notable, however, are Mulligan and Holden's two cohorts - a very neurotic Robert Webber and, in the performance of his lifetime as a sleazy studio doctor, Robert Preston.Although the film often veers in to the slapstick, the story here is framed around a very dark theme. A once popular, now has-been actor dies alone on a beach, and as everybody parties and schemes around him, only the man's dog seems to care. And as this thread is integrated into the main plot as it climaxes, and after you've laughed yourself into delirium, you may find tears in your eyes.You won't find this movie on any lists of great comedies, on any streaming services, or on television. But why would you, given that all of those things are largely controlled by the people the movie savagely lampoons? But it is one of the very best comedies ever filmed and deserves to be seen.

Growing up as a huge fan of Classic Hollywood movies, backstories and biographies, SOB by Blake Edwards instantly became one of my favorites. This star vehicle for Julie Andrews who was at the top of her game here allows her to spoof her squeaky clean image. She's surrounded by a glorious cast of old Hollywood Legends like William Holden, Robert Preston and Shelley Winters. Add some of TV's classic Leading Men from the 60s and 70s like Craig Stevens, Robert Vaughn, Larry Hagman and Soap's Richard Mulligan as Julie's estranged husband Felix and you get a vague notion of the quality here.SOB is about the Hollywood director trying to save his latest bomb movie by completely changing the tone with eleventh-hour reshoots and turning the bomb into a blockbuster. In the bargain he has to deal with divorce, depression, stereotypically dark studio heads, hangers-on and yes men along the way. Homages have been thrown in too - like to Charlie Chaplin fighting for Creative control over his passion project and legends about the late John Barrymore. This movie may not be for everyone or every taste, but for fans of the seamy side of Tinsel Town it's a delicious sendup.

Ok so, apparently the main reason for watching this film are Julie Andrews' bare breasts. Is it worth it? I can't say since I'm not all that interested in Julie's anatomy. Other than that, this is a really biting satire about Hollywood and the studio system. The humour is very black, rather crude at times, and stricty for grown ups. Possibly the best line in the entire film is the disclaimer at the end that the story, names, characters and incidents are fictitious and that that no identification with actual persons etc. etc. is intended or should be inferred. A film maker and his wife making a film about a film maker and his wife. Oh, yes. It's all pure fiction. Absolutely. Not a doubt about it.If you're in the mood for very dark humour you should enjoy this film well enough. There are many familiar faces: Julie Andrews, William Holden in his last role before his death, Larry Hagman at height of his fame, Marissa Berenson. And all deliver spirited performances. Good fun to watch. However, those who stumble across this film solely because they are fans of Ms Andrews in such wholesome family films as Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music may be well advised to give this one a miss. This is different. Also, absolutely not suitable for young children. They wouldn't understand it, and neither would they enjoy it.The DVD I bought was released for the Spanish market. Cover notes and DVD menu are in Spanish only. The film will play in English (mostly) without any Spanish subtitles. However, there are a few short passages where the Spanish subtitles are embedded and can't be hidden. I had no problem with it, the scenes were few and far between. It's easy enough to figure out the language settings. The only (optional) subtitles available are Spanish. No extras.

Probably best known for his comedies (Breakfast At tiffany’s, Pink Panther, Victor Victoria, etc), director Blake Edwards moves into satire with a savage attack on Hollywood, its moguls, filmakers and sundry cohorts.. Obviously not fearing the hand that feeds him (though it probably upset a few folk), his tale centers upon the changing fortunes of a movie producer (Richard Mullican) who, with Tinseltown’s biggest flop on his hand, goes mad, makes a few suicide attempts and is suddenly inspired to reshoot as adult entertainment – and reveal its formerly wholesome star (Julie Andrews) in all her glory!Besides a complete change of role for Ms. Andrews, there’s top performances from its all-star cast – the majority reacting OTT as desperate situations mount one upon another, with only William Holden and Robert Preston unmoved by the chaos around them. A witty screenplay that runs the humour from chuckles to slapstick, with the story told in a series of scenarios, it’s a Hollywood themed movie that stands alone. Released in Warner’s Archive Collection series, the transfer is top notch, has subtitles and, as it’s a DVD-R, playable worldwide.

When looking into the examples of ethical behaviour, highlighted in Blake Edwards' biting satire on Hollywood sensibilities, the only lesson that can be learn't is that dogs are indeed better than people. The canine in this film is the only mammal, in the entire piece, that has any concept of moral prority, and makes clear in his/her laboured efforts to assist its beleaguered ( if not deceased ) owner where real humanity can be found.

It came in the wrong language after reading the small print on the web site it became clear Region 2 although ok for the Uk you need to check is it in English, I know the film from days gone bye so was disappointed with the result.

Blake edwards made Victor Victoria, Breakfast at tiffanys, and a lot of great comedy and drama. This is a less known but equally hylarious, crazy, liberating and absurd comedy in a californian easy going spirit that makes it more free and provocative and positively disruptive.