THIRD IN AN OCCASIONAL SERIES

FORGOTTEN FILMS THAT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED.

Okay so today’s film is unusual in that it wasn’t really remembered at the time of its release.  It was a box office flop and didn’t even take off even after it’s video release (which some films have done, most notable examples: “Highlander” and “Taken”.)  The star of the film I am looking at today is probably more famous for the film he didn’t star in rather than the things he did.   The other stars in this film are a woman who I can’t remember seeing in anything else and a guy who was more famous for being a robot car.  Ladies and gentlemen, for your reviewing pleasure, I present to you (and this is probably the first time you’ve heard of this one) “Her Alibi”.

HER ALIBI (1989)

Not a clip his time but a poster and actually I think quite a classy poster.  It’s funny how in the eighties stacked up to other bad video covers this looked quite samey actually, but now over time I think it has become a bit of a classy image.  I actually introduced this film to a friend of mine called Phil Johnstone and he repaid that treat by actually obtaining the poster.  That poster held a place on my wall for a good two or three years, and it still a striking image, unlike these underneath which have not fared so well, so for that, Phil, I say to thee, thank you.  

Now again this is one of the lonely trips to the top shop for me and Lee to select a video as our personal lives where less full than Simon Cowell’s wardrobe, but this time we agreed on this one.  We figured it might be okay even though we weren’t expecting much, but what a treat we got.  To those unfamiliar with the film, here’s a brief synopsis.  Tom Selleck plays Phil Blackwood, a former best-selling writer who has fallen on a dry patch, and whom his agent, Sam (wonderfully played by William Daniels) is trying to drag him out of.  After a visit to the local court room however Phil Blackwood sees the beautiful Nina (Paulina Porizkova ...No, I’ve not seen her in anything else either!) who is charged with murder.  He decides that she couldn’t possibly have done this and takes the crazy step of offering to provide her with an alibi, that he and she were having an affair, but after inviting her back to his house to convince the cops that the alibi is real it seems more and more likely that his recent error of judgment is going to be his last.  Will he be inspired by her or incinerated by her?

Her Alibi is what I would class as a really, really good Sunday afternoon film.  When it is funny it is laugh out loud funny.  The film uses a really good narrative trick of having Phil’s latest book, that the unforeseen events in his life are inspiring, voiceover his actions and reactions when they are happening as can be seen below.  

The film is very much a throwback to the great Cary Grant and Bob Hope romantic comedies of the thirties and forties, and if this film was being remade for a modern audience then it would have Paul Rudd in the Tom Selleck role, Dustin Hoffman as Sam the agent and someone not dissimilar to Audrey Tatou or Franke Potente as the slight yet sly Nina.  That’s how I see it.  But the big tragedy about this film is that a remake may be the only way most people will get to see Her Alibi because although it was only made 22 years ago, for us in the UK it is largely unavailable and I will tell you why?


Due to the onset of DVD only selective films have been moved over to the format.  While this means that we do fortunately miss out on such duds as School Spirit, He's my Girl and  She's out of control, it also means that, unless you still have a video player and the original rental copy, this is sadly one of those films that has been lost in time.  Which is a shame as it's consistently funny and charming, the writing and direction are first rate and it is a film that deserves to find a new audience.  If you do happen across it do share it with someone because Her Alibi is a film version of a box of chocolates  . . . You know what you're gonna get, but you also know you're gonna enjoy it.  Phil, take it away...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiZ-SaBXl7M&NR=1
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dno9rnd57gSc6VvlF0nvEPWyFiOxZKDNjMXA1KU-w2uxrjHDpLpPsqaa1lcKSTwAwWklRGq4RS44NGVg8n2AQaG6vq4Zw28KKIhLZYYTwjDdm6T8W1xEbxKSuX661ehYCuB9nn4DUi8/s1600/300173.1020.A.jpg
http://cf1.imgobject.com/posters/a59/4bc950c8017a3c57fe023a59/her-alibi-original.jpg
http://www.movieposterdb.com/posters/10_03/1989/98308/l_98308_447e65a6.jpg
http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/s/school-spirit-1985--300-75.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGA_-fKXxks&feature=related