This is just a turd of a film. When it came out in 1981 it actually made some money, but no one talks of it any more.
MODERN PROBLEMS killed Ken Shapiro's Hollywood career. A promising writer and director, he had previously movie the TV spoof THE GROOVE TUBE which had Chevy Chase and Richard Belzer in it. (Which makes you wonder why Chase said MODERN PROBLEMS was Shapiro's first film and that Shapiro was not not a good director when he worked with him before)
The plot of the film has Chevy Chase's air traffic controller get the ability to move things with his mind. This causes him no end of trouble and his relationship with his girlfriend break.
Unfunny and incredibly mean spirited film was one of the many ruts on Chase's career. This is a film that makes you wonder why Chase took the role. He is a hateful character who uses his terrible new found power to do terrible things. Yea he's an angry character but the things he does are just cruel and full of bad bathroom humor.
I don't know anyone who ever really liked it. Yes, I know people who watched it because it was on cable, but no one ever rented it when I was at the video store. and in the 40 years since it came out I've never heard of anyone saying they watched it or that they liked it. Hell I've never seen it ever play any revival theater. I know part of it is that Chase is not as well liked in many corners, his reputation as a cantankerous soul has over taken any feeling for any film of his that isn't Vacation or Fletch or Caddyshack.
I hate this film. I hate the ugliness of it. I disliked it so much that it lessened my feelings for Chase as an actor. I had fallen in love with him in the films he made with Goldie Hawn. After this film I stepped back because the glee he seemed to feel doing the cruel comedy.
I know this isn't much of a review but I just have no use for this film
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