The Wrong Guy

It's the little things in this movie that make me love it. Like the exchange Nelson has with his boss before the murder. And the killer (Colm Feore) taking real extreme (and cartoonish) precautions to avoid being noticed as he flees the crime scene - like crawling through air ducts and using several different disguises - and yet all these excessive precautions are for naught because of the surveillance video. And all the completely improbable run-ins Nelson has with the killer. And when the guard says "Oh yes - he wanted us to watch." And when the killer says "You remember. The one we only use when something goes terribly wrong." And the state of the bathroom after Nelson cleans up. And all the ways Detective Arlen (David Higgins) conducts his investigation (eating at fancy restaurants, going to strip-clubs, etc.) And how Jimmy never realizes that Arlen isn't even trying to solve the case. And the way the busdriver identifies the 'proposed town' of Crow's Nest. And Nelson looking at his own reflection on the bus. And the DJ (hilariously voiced by Higgins) on the killer's radio. And Nelson trying to hide his face with a towel. And the motel guy (Kevin MacDonald) ducking for cover from gunfire under Nelson's towel. And the killer making a phone call from the top of a telephone pole - yet another over the top precaution to appear inconspicuous. And when Nelson tries to come up with a fake name at the hospital. And when Nelson steals the old man clothes (and doesn't realize how ridiculous he looks until he puts the hat on). And the way the killer's eyes are flaring at the moment he sees Nelson, then has to hide his blade when he sees the cops approaching. And how the killer says "Fine", and is expected to save someone's life, but the killer doesn't know what he's doing - and as soon as he uses the 'electric shock paddles' (I forget what they're called) it instantly kills the patient. And the killer saying "I really need to be alone now." And the entire conversation with the demented bald guy in the car (Enrico Colantoni) - the reference to a weapon made of tea bags and wax paper becomes significant later in the movie. And the noise of the water machine as it's activated and how it nearly drowns Nelson. And the line "It's these damn eyes. They're too sensitive to chemicals and... filthy towels." And the chat the killer has with the guy by the water machine and the way the camera zooms in on the killer's face (Feore's expression of mortal terror is priceless). And seeing Farmer Brown dressed in a business suit (the twist on the stereotypical 'evil businessman' is a classic). And the final showdown at the Statue of Liberty.

My favorite gag is when the killer is handed a passport - his stunned reaction, and then Daily saying "They didn't have any of those." Feore is brilliant in this movie - it's like he's in a fierce competition with Higgins to see who steals the show. Most people like Higgins the best, but I think I enjoyed Feore's performance the most. Foley's performance is underrated - he carries the movie. If someone else was playing Nelson, I daresay the movie wouldn't be NEARLY as good. Joe Flaherty and Jennifer Tilly were also great. I didn't find the scene with the Barenaked Ladies very funny, but I liked how they were just thrown into the movie for good measure. I don't know how any of the actors were able to keep a straight face in this movie - especially when Nelson mistakes Lynn for her father.

You MUST listen to the audio commentary on this DVD. The three writers (Foley, Higgins, and Jay Kogen) and the director (David Steinberg) do the most entertaining audio commentary ever made in DVD history. You'll appreciate all the gags in this movie a lot more when you listen to the commentary - like the significance of the water jug falling out of the air shaft when the killer is making his getaway. Perhaps everyone else got that joke, but I didn't until I heard the commentary. The commentators explain each gag (often while laughing uncontrollably), tell endless jokes, and make fun of a lot of things in The Wrong Guy. And they point out a lot of instances where Disney interfered with the production of the movie. I liked how Foley made the beep from Nelson's intercom seem like the high point of the movie - and it actually is a really funny sound gag. Higgins' criticism of the scene when the killer uses some sort of grappling hook cannon (and Steinberg pretending to take offence) is hilarious. I also liked when Higgins points out that Nelson keeps a photo of himself in his wallet. It was interesting to hear that Farmer Brown's newspaper was supposed to run a headline that was anti-semitic, but the movie's censors forbade it. Frankly, I think "New Bank Teller is a Cold-Blooded Murderer" was a funnier headline anyway. And I liked how they all point out that every vehicle in the movie moves real slowly. And Kogen makes a hilarious comment about Daily being in the shadows at Mr. Tiny's. Contrary to what Steinberg says, YOU WILL learn a lot about the making of this movie from the commentary - but you'll also be entertained at the same time. Buy this DVD - it's a work of sheer comic brilliance.