I see Kevin Smith’s next movie is “Fletch Won”.
Now I love Kevin Smith’s work and I’m puzzled about this choice.
He obviously likes it, and apparently, so do many of you.
Now maybe it’s because of that shit film starring Chevy Chase that I have no desire to see this film.
Are the Fletch novels so great that this is a franchise worth cultivating?
Come on Fletch fans, explain it to me, make me want to read some of these books.
The film was one of ChCh’s least intolerable. The books are great and well worth cultivating.
I started reading the books because of the “shit film,” which I liked a whole awful lot. I haven’t seen it recently, so I’m not sure if it would hold up for me now. The first movie wasn’t so much an adaptation of the book as it was a Chevy Chase vehicle using a pretty good book as its structure; Chase’s schtick boosts up the more unbelievable or slow parts of the book, while the mystery story keeps it from being another weak SNL-alumnus movie that just jumps from comedy sketch to comedy sketch.
The second movie was deplorable, and IIRC it wasn’t even loosely based on any of the books, just the character.
With that out of the way: I recommend at least one of the Fletch books. When you read them all back-to-back as I did, the central gimmick just starts to seem less clever and more blatant. The central gimmick is (not sure if it’s really a spoiler, and it should be somewhat obvious after seeing the movie, but don’t read if you like to be completely surprised):
Each book starts out with two plot lines that seem completely separate, but manage to converge by the end.
Even after figuring out the gimmick, there was one book where it took me by surprise. (I won’t say which one, so as not to ruin the surprise and because I can’t remember which one.)
I remember Fletch, Too and Confess Fletch being my favorites of the series. Fletch Won wasn’t too bad, but IIRC it was the end of the series and it was already feeling a little tired. I really hated Fletch’s Moxie and Carioca Fletch. I went on to read one or two of the Flynn books, the off-shoot series, but had already lost interest by that point.
Bottom line is that they’re pretty conventional mystery stories, with an engaging gimmick and a pretty interesting central character. The movie was basically true to the spirit of Fletch’s character, but with a lot of Chevy Chase’s goofy screwball comedy grafted onto it. It was “irreverent,” but in the 80’s sense – they play around with the conventions of mystery novels but it’s not as if they were stunning examples of post-modernism. If you’re a fan of mystery series or are on the fence, you’d probably like them. I strongly doubt they’re good enough to convert anyone, though.
Well you’ve all given me a reason to reconsider.
It has been a long time since I saw the ChevyChase Fletch film.
Should I watch it again, or read the books, and if so in what order?
Gracias.
BIG RETRACTION
My colleague informs me that the Chevy Chase film I loathe is not Fletch but “Spies Like Us”.
Therefore my calling Fletch “shit” was unfounded and uncalled for.
So I will now go out and rent it.
Thanks to all.
I love your body, Larry.
I think Spies Like Us was intended to be a parody of the Hope/Crosby road movies. There was at least one redeeming factor: Vanessa Angel!
I think Spies Like Us was intended to be a parody of the Hope/Crosby road movies. There was at least one redeeming factor: Vanessa Angel!
I could be wrong (twice, :smack:) and Hope was in there just for the hell of it.
:smack: :smack:
Wow, I was afraid to open this thread because I misread Fletch as Feltch…
The Fletch books are a lot of fun - the movies sucked big time.
I read the first novel first. Then I saw the movie. Where’s that selective memory eraser when you need it? They sucked the heart and soul out of the book just to accomodate Chase’s, uh, comedic “style”.
Never read the books, but I loved the first Fletch movie. Then again, I also loved Spies Like Us.
“Every minute you don’t tell us what we want to know, I cut off a finger.”
“Yours or mine?”
Fletch and Spies Like Us are the only Chevy Chase films that are even close to being funny.
“It’s all done with ball bearings these days!”
What kind of name is Poon?
What do you do for a living, Mr. Fletcher?
I’m a shepard
What, no love for Vacation or Caddyshack?
/dunnunnunnuna…
I defend this movie. There’s nothing wrong with Fletch as a lightweight comedy/mystery. (Though I agree that the sequel wasn’t very good at all.) Chevy Chase as the Man of 1000 Faces!
“John … John Cock-toast-tone.”
Here’s Kevin Smith (article near bottom of page) on Fletch Won and creator Gregory McDonald:
