Jason slips into a Vortex and gets BEDAZZLED

That's the 1967 version with Dudley Moore, not the more recent version that I've never seen and so can easily pretend doesn't exist.

Anyway, the Vortex Room's 6 weeks of Satan (admission: $6.66) is over, and I caught the first half of the final night (couldn't stay for THE CAR, I had to catch BART home). BEDAZZLED is a devilish comedy starring the excellent Dudley Moore as virtual nobody Stanley Moon. He's a short order cook, no family, no friends, not even enough courage to speak to the waitress he likes. After chickening out one last time, he decides to end it all, and can't even do suicide right. And then he meets his new best friend--George Spiggot aka The Devil, the Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub, Lucifer, etc. (Peter Cook). Turns out the devil is more of an annoying prankster, scratching records and making prank phone calls. But he is a collector...of souls. He wants Stanley's, and is willing to trade him seven wishes for it. Of course, they all go wrong. Of course, Stanley learns a lesson. But what makes this movie fun is the chemistry between Moore and Cook. Really, the devil is Stanley's only friend so even when his wishes all backfire, it comes of as more like a mischievous friend pulling a practical joke--he does it because they're friends. That, and of course it's very silly (culminating in nuns jumping on trampolines). Oh yeah, and Raquel Welch has a brief bit as Lust, very nice!

Running Time: 103 minutes

My Total Minutes: 255,858