Eating Raoul (1982)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Paul Bartel

Writers:

Paul Bartel (writer)
Richard Blackburn (writer)

Release Date:

24 March 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

Meet the Blands! They're square . . . They're in love . . . And they kill people. [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

A relatively boring Los Angeles couple discover a bizarre, if not murderous way to get funding for opening a restaurant.

Plot Keywords:

Swinging | Restaurant | Dominatrix | Wine | Electrocution

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Paul Bartel	...	Paul Bland
Mary Woronov	...	Mary Bland
Robert Beltran	...	Raoul Mendoza
Susan Saiger	...	Doris the Dominatrix / Nurse Sally Cummings
Lynn Hobart	...	Lady Customer
Richard Paul	...	Mr. Cray - Liquor Store Owner
Mark Woods	...	Hold-up Man
John Shearin	...	Mr. Baker - the Horny Patient
Darcy Pulliam	...	Nurse Sheila
Ben Haller	...	Dewey
Roberta Spero	...	Swinger
Vernon Demetrius	...	Swinger
Arlene Harris	...	Swinger
Buster Wilson	...	Swinger
Marta Fergusson	...	Swinger

Runtime:

90 min | Spain:87 min | 83 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (2003) | Iceland:12 | Norway:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bartel

Trivia:

Years after the film became a cult favorite, a sequel was scripted, in which a man blackmailed the Blands with knowledge of their killings. Chevy Chase was slated to play this man, and Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov would reprise their roles from the original, but Bartel died before it could get started.

Goofs:

Continuity: Mary is wearing one pair of shoes from when she leaves the apartment to go to the bank and a different pair when she arrives there.

Quotes:

Paul: [to Mary, after killing someone] Well, there's one consideration. If you'd done what he asked, he would have died anyway.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Exactly Like You

Outrageous black comedy

(Mary, on the phone) 'Hello officer, is this the police? Who do I speak to to report a murder?'

(Paul, from the bathroom) 'Not a murder, an accidental death!'

This is a delicious off-beat black comedy with some great dialog from writer-director Paul Bartel about Paul and Mary Bland (played by Paul Bartel and Mary Woronow), a super-square couple who want to get out of their building, because of the sex-crazed swingers that seem to live in just about every other apartment in the building. They both dream of opening their own little gourmet restaurant some day in the country, but since Mary is a nurse and Paul has just been fired from his job at a liquor store (he is a wine fanatic), they realize their dream will be almost impossible to realize. But things turn to their advantage, when they accidentally kill a drunken intruder who stumbled into their apartment, they get inspired and come up with an outrageous plan. They start to lure wealthy swingers to their apartment and kill them for their money, something the straight laced couple feel they deserve anyway.

I never even heard of Paul Bartel, but recently tumbled across this movie and I thought it was great, original to say the least. The late Bartel has accomplished a cult status for quite a while now, and deservedly so. The writing in particular is great but the execution is somewhat flawed. Paul Bartel obviously is a better writer than he is an actor and most of the cast deliver deadpan-performances. However, Robert Beltran as Raoul, is a standout. Directors Joe Dante and John Landis also appear in the film (unbilled) but I haven't spotted them (yet).

It's difficult to categorize this VERY weird film. The story goes that Bartel - as so many others of his generation - started his career as a Corman-protégée. Apparently he couldn't convince Roger Corman to finance the project, so he shot it on weekends for $500.000. It doesn't really show. Where did he spend the money on?. There are no special effects, practically no gore and no spectacular set pieces, it seems a lot of money for a film like this.

Nevertheless, great fun! Watch out for those opening credits with beautiful music to match as well!