Going to med school in the 79’s and 80’s I fell in love with Shem’s dark, dark book, The House of God. I waited a long time for the movie version to be released, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.
And the movie never arrived, as far as I am aware. Apparently it was such a stinker that not only did it never get released, but it never went to video.
Or did it? Rumors always abounded of bootleg copies floating around out there, in the posession of a friend of a friend of a friend.
My (meager) attempts to track down more info on the net have yielded little besides the cast list, and the fact that a lot of reviewers savaged it.
Anybody out there actually see this flick?
Well, it made it at least as far as video once. I’ve got screenshots in my collection of a naked Bess Armstrong that are from that movie. Never seen it, though. Loved the book.
I wasn’t aware that a movie was made. It starred Tim “Vice President Otter” Matheson, and has several other recognizable names in the cast. It must have sucked hard if it was too bad to be released.
My only complaint with the novel has always been that real residents don’t have that much sex. I mean, that time could be spent sleeping. Otherwise? Pretty much documentary.
Apparently, it aired on late-night TV at least once - the copy I used to have was a taped-off-TV deal that was being passed around the hospital I worked at.
It’s AWFUL -a very poor adaptation of the book, watered down to leave only the lightest of the dark humor and to eliminate the central messages. Any and all references to the ‘house’ or the interns being Jewish were eliminated. Of the main characters, Chuck comes off the best. There are some nice performances and a few good moments, but not enough to redeem the movie. (James Cromwell - the farmer from ‘Babe’ - does a particularly nice turn as one of the Irish cops)
If you can get hold of it for cheap, it’s worth watching one time just to see the trainwreck, but don’t spend major money on it. It’s not worth it.
Gytha
A movie with both Joe Piscopo and Gilbert Gottfried screams ‘Craptacular’!
Thanks, Astro. I’ll see if I can acquire it.
Residency must be different these days, DoctorJ. Back when I was a HO, we worked harder and longer for less money and had more sex, dagnabbit! 
And thanks for the warning, Nanny. I mean Gytha. I’m not expecting much. But the movie was just so anticipated by myself and my friends back in the day that it’ll be something for me to flaunt at our next re-union. But I won’t expect much.
“House of God” wasn’t bad… a lot better than “Fine” and “Mount Misery”. I wasn’t aware it was made into a B-movie.