. . . at least while watching THE LOVED ONE. Instead of FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, it's like THE LOVED ONE is "One wedding and a "Fun-for-All" funeral smörgåsbord. Strippers pop out of caskets, the hot chick embalms only herself, and ARTHUR's butler takes a one-way drop at his swimming pool. Clearly, THE LOVED ONE is a laugh riot--if you're a maggot. Caskets in 1965 are sold like today's Affordable Care Act health plans: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. For Bronze money, your eternal resting place is only waterproof. Pony up for Silver, and you stay "moisture resistant" for all time. But if you have a problem with "dampness," you had better "Go for the Gold." Rod Steiger is a real gut-buster as mortician Laf Joyboy, while Jonathan Winters' twin character outings lampoon Scientology in his role as proprietor\prophet-in-residence of Whispering Glades Cemetery while also spoofing Bhuddism as the family black sheep tabbed to run Happy Hunting Grounds Pet Cemetery. Though some scenes here play like tepid sketch comedy, others seem to foretell today's world. Fire up the grills, anyone?
Review of The Loved One
