Ghosts Can'T Do It

After exploiting his trophy bride in similarly noxious movies like Tarzan, the Ape Man and Bolero, John Derek died in 1998 (at age 71), and this supernatural tripe suggests that true love reaches beyond the grave. The conceit here is that Bo's rich, much-older husband Scott (the ultra-hammy Anthony Quinn) still lusts after the hilariously distraught Katie (Bo's character) long after his suicide with a 12-gauge shotgun. But he's a ghost in need of a body to possess, so Bo embarks on a global journey to find a choice hunk of man-meat, kill him, and let Scott's spirit reap the benefits. Locations in Wyoming, Sri Lanka, the Maldive Islands, and Hong Kong do nothing to save this jaw-dropping clunker. It's a home movie made by brain-dead narcissists and should come with a disclaimer about the hazards of watching it. --Jeff Shannon

As for Bo, I don't know if she dropped off the face of the earth herself. If she doesn't get a reality show of her own pretty quick, only us old folks will remember that she existed at all, and we are of course reluctant to mention her name because we must explain "cornrows" at the same time.

See the movie just so you can talk about it at a party someday...it will become more relevant as the years go by.


Art Imitates Afterlife   August 29, 2003
Marty Martinez (Albuquerque, New Mexico United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Bo Derek stars in this strange tale, which shows the tragic ineveitability of a May/December marriage. The plot is strangely similar to her own relationship with director/photographer husband John Derek, who was 30 years her senior.
Anthony Quinn stars as her rugged, well-traveled and adventurous husband who stubbornly lives life to the fullest - despite his weak heart. After he commits suicide, his ghost (with the aid of lovely angel Julie Newmar) begins to haunt his grief-stricken widow. Desperate to rekindle her lost romance, Bo embarks on an international search to find a man of physical perfection. Her outrageous plan is to kill this man once she finds him, so her husband's spirit can "possess" his body, and they can live happilly ever after. To me, this film showcases John Derek's considerable talent as a photographer, but not as a filmmaker. I believe that Bo Derek is truly the most beautiful woman to ever appear on the silver screen, but this was never quite enough to carry the films in which John Derek tried to showcase her. The locations take us from the snowy plains of Montana to the beaches of Sri Lanka, but the absurd script and bizarre editing take away from the sincerity that this films tries so hard to convey. When John Derek passed away in 1998 from a massive heart attack, I remembered this film and decided to see it again. I actually enjoyed it more than when I first saw it, because I appreciated the autobiographical themes (as well as watching Bo frolicking nude). Leonard Maltin once called this film a "standard Derek atrocity," but I feel like this was more of a voyeuristic peek into the life of this mysterious and intriguing couple. Though she never matched the meteoric success of "10", Bo Derek will always be a stunning example of what a movie star really is. Maybe she's isn't a great actress or intellectual, but in the "old school" way of cinematic appreciation, she is a true movie star - and these days that's really rare...


Flawed and silly, but entertaining.   February 24, 2002
Calle (Sweden)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Kate and Scott are the happiest couple in the world. He is much older than she is, and after getting weaker (and less virile) from a heart attack, he shoots himself. However, soon after his death, Kate realizes she can still speak to his ghost. But ghosts can't "do it", so they need to find a man who can die so Scott's soul can possess his body.

The main reason I rented this movie was because I like watching a bad movie every now and then, and to see if it was really as bad as most reviewers said it is. And to be honest, it's not THAT bad. The story is silly of course, but silly comedies can be fun as well. But the screenplay is quite stupid and the editing between some scenes is really bad.

Apparently, some scenes in the movie are meant to be spoofs of other movies. One of these scenes, where Kate is dancing, and a reverend gets mad and says something like "she has the devil inside of her", is supposed to be a spoof of the Joan Crawford movie "Rain". I haven't seen that movie, so to me the scene seemed like just an attempt to make a funny scene with a funny character. And it is quite fun, but only because it's stupid. It doesn't make any sense. And most of the humor in the movie seems to be unintended. I'm not even sure John Derek's ambition was to make a silly comedy, or if he tried to make a romantic drama-comedy.

Bo Derek is famous for being naked in her movies, but if that's your reason for seeing this movie, you will probably be disappointed. She does get naked a few times, in a couple of very short sequences. She's also well known for being named "the worst actress of the decade" (the 80s). And she is not good, but not quite that bad. And the screenplay with its stupid dialogue doesn't help her.

To sum up, this movie is quite stupid, but not quite as bad as most critics say. If you, like me, enjoy watching bad movies for a laugh, I can recommend this one. My rating would be 2 and a half stars if that was possible. But since I can't give half stars, 3 seems more fair than 2.


Dreaming About Another Chance?   October 19, 2001
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Most reviews of this movie rate it as a real "stinker". Most of the "acting" doesn't rate at all ... and you need to keep an open mind when viewing this one. The scenery is absolutely wonderful, the story is actually delightful - with many moments of great humor - including Mr. Trump's appearance. Maybe the plot isn't deep, but all of you "critics" out there who do nothing but criticize from your reality's point of view need to realize that it's okay to have movies produced that are light and entertaining.