Underplayed Gems
The whole movie catalogue

Films and series, searchable by what they are

← Back to the shop

Oscar (1991)

Oscar poster
Directed by
John Landis
Genre
screwball comedy film, crime film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 45m
Rated
PG
Rating
6.4 of 10 from 577 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb

How it feels

A mob boss promises his dying father he will go straight and become an honest businessman. He tries to arrange a bank loan and deal with his daughter's secret elopement, but a series of misunderstandings and mistaken identities make his new life hilariously complicated.

fast-pacedzanylightheartedslapstickchaoticnostalgiccampybreezy

What happens

Oscar is a 1991 American comedy film directed by John Landis. Based on the Claude Magnier stage play, it is a remake of the 1967 French film of the same name, but set in Depression-era New York City. Oscar stars Sylvester Stallone, in a rare comedic role, as Angelo "Snaps" Provolone, a mob boss who promises his dying father Eduardo that he will leave the world of crime and become an honest businessman. Alongside Stallone, the film's cast includes Marisa Tomei, Ornella Muti, Tim Curry, Don Ameche and Chazz Palminteri. Its score was composed by Elmer Bernstein. Designed as a comedic vehicle for Stallone (an unusual role for him), the film was considered a flop, failing to earn back its $35 million budget. Oscar was released in the United States on April 26, 1991, and received negative reviews from critics. According to Landis, Oscar was stylistically influenced by older Hollywood comedies, particularly those belonging to the "screwball" genre, which were popular during the period in which the film takes place. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? Tell the Catbot what you feel like watching and it picks from the whole catalogue, or browse by genre, country and year.

Lists: Korean thrillers worth the evening · Anime films beyond Studio Ghibli · Slow films for a rainy night · Horror that unsettles instead of startling · Series you can finish in a weekend · Nordic crime worth the subtitles · Good films that end in under 90 minutes · Documentaries that play like thrillers

Loading movies…

What should I watch?