The Big Bounce
An Elmore Leonardnovel, subsequently remade for a2004 Owen Wilson release, gets the swinging sixties treatment. Ryan O'Neal, in his first big film after achieving TV stardom, plays a Vietnam vet drifting from job to job; Leigh Taylor-Young is the rich man's mistress who takes a fancy to him. The plot sort of revolves around an amazingly vague plan to steal money from the rich guy, but the purpose seems to be showing thrillseeker Taylor-Young in various stages of undress. This is a vacuous movie, ineptly written and shot, in which poor O'Neal wanders around looking understandably bewildered. (His career bounced back withLove Storythe following year.) Decorating this mishmash is the exceptionally maladroit musical score by Mike Curb (remember the soft-rock stylings of theMike Curb Congregation?), whose soupy melodies undercut the tension at every turn. In short, a pretty good selection for Bad Cinema Night.--Robert Horton