Vibes (1988)

I saw this film a couple of times on HBO, and thought it was entertaining. Jeff Goldblum does his usual excellent job as a comic performer, but a real surprise is his costar Cyndi Lauper of pop music fame. No, I didn't expect her to be able to act so well, but she does, and has pretty good comic timing. I wonder why she didn't sky rocket with a comic film career as well as her already excellent music career.Peter Falk plays the swindler in search of riches, who then manipulates those around him to get what he wants. The trio head to the Andes where adventure ensues.There's nothing really fantastic about this movie, but it is a solid hour and a half comic adventure film with small portions of action here and there. Respectably shot, it almost looks like a low budget film when they go on location in South America because everything is so sparse, but it is an A-film.I think there could have been a few more laughs as the film is a bit dry in the laugh department, but is still worth seeing at least once.Check out a copy with a bucket of popcorn and enjoy.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and The Fly play two psychics hired by Columbo to find his long lost son in a foreign country. When they get there they discover he's really hired them to help find a hidden temple in the mountains where all the psychic energy in the world comes from.....The sad thing about vibes is that it has such a wonderful concept to it. If it focused more on the characters psychic powers, rather than turning into a pseudo Indiana Jones wannabe halfway through the film, it could have been something.The actors are not to blame, the writing is terrible, and Goldblum does his best bumbling fool act he mastered in the eighties before he became Mister Frost.Lauper has screen presence, but my gosh, her voice is so grating, I was desperately seeking Susan toward the end.It's a real shame, because the first twenty minutes is really entertaining and quite funny when we meet the psychics and their own brand of kooky powers.But then the film tries too hard to be clever, and it loses any momentum that it had to begin with.If your an eighties aficionado, it's firmly stuck in the eighties, with the music and clothing, but that's all there is to recommend.

Jeff Goldblum, Cindy Lauper, and Peter Falk star in "Vibes," a 1988 comedy.Goldblum and Lauper play psychics Nicky Deezy and Sylvia Pickel (pronounced pick-EL) who are at an institute where their abilities are being tested. Sylvia has a spirit guide named Louise, and Nick's specialty is psychometry, which is picking up vibes from objects. They are approached by Harry Buscafusco (Peter Falk) to find his son in Ecuador. Since he's offering a great deal of money, they accept.Falk is lying, of course, and it doesn't take Goldblum long to figure it out. He wants them to find a hidden temple in the mountains where all the psychic energy in the world comes from. One of his friends found it, but is now comatose. But they're not the only ones looking for it.This is sort of a Raiders of the Lost Ark meets The Power. What makes it a cut above a fluffy comedy is the casting of Cindy Lauper, a unique personality, the talented, quirky Jeff Goldblum, and the always wonderful Peter Falk. I think my favorite scene is the one where Goldblum confronts him, and Falk quickly makes up another story to support his lies.Fun movie.

It's all about the vibes. An endearingly quirky late 80s adventure comedy with a bit of romance on the side, sees Jeff Goldblum and Cindy Lauper as psychics hired on to head to Ecuador to find a treasure of a lost Aztec civilisation. The support cast is remotely good with the likes of Julian Sands, Peter Falk, Michael Lerner and a very minor part for a pre-stardom Steve Buscemi. The chemistry between stars Goldblum and Lauper is delightful, as Goldblum's dry gawkiness matches well with Lauper animated perkiness. The indistinct plot is quite slow going, often silly and never does it feel all that complete with little going on, but it's the snappy script with its one-liners and performances (especially Falk's comical turn) that makes it quite agreeable along with the exotic South American locations. Some moments bestow atmospheric touches and danger, namely the sequences around the ruins when something mystical eventuates, but these moments are probably weakest inclusions."What's your problem? Besides from your face."