Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Cyndi Lauper, Jeff Goldbloom & Peter Falk in Vibes (1988)

Obscurity factor: 4

This film really is a forgotten gem. It's one part romantic comedy, one part adventure and one part mystical exploration. Sylvia Pickle (Lauper) and Nick Deezy (Goldbloom) are psychic, but that's the only thing they have in common - Sylvia is a flamboyant hairdresser with a penchant for picking the wrong men, while Nick is the curator at a natural history museum. They meet while taking part in a psychic study and take an immediate dislike to each other. When they're thrown together on a trip to Ecuador by shyster Harry Buscafusco (Falk), on the pretense of rescuing his fictional son, they try and put their differences behind them. When the real reason for the trip is revealed to them, they find themselves in danger, with only their powers to help.

I remember watching this frequently on TV in the early 90's. This film has a lot going for it. Cyndi Lauper does a very nice job tackling both the comedy and the more dramatic aspects of the character, while Jeff Goldbloom makes an unlikely, but very charming action/adventure hero. All of it adds up to a delightful, warm film that's worth a second look.

Vibes was released on DVD in 2009. Prior to that it was only available on VHS. It can also be seen on YouTube in its entirety, thanks to an upload by winterw00d. Part one is above. The poster is available at MoviePosterShop.com

Obscurity factor: 4 (rarely screened on TV, available on DVD, somewhat forgotten)

2 comments:

  1. I remember in the 80s when someone told me Vibes included Cyndi Lauper playing a psychic beautician and I thought "that's a film for me!"

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  2. Yup, it's got a lotta charm - or as Cyndi might say it "chowm"...

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