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Skin Deep (1989 film)
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Wikipedia article
'Skin Deep' is a 1989 American romantic sex comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring John Ritter.
Plot
Zachary "Zach" Hutton is a successful author who has a weakness for alcohol and beautiful women. Zach's mistress walks in on him in the process of cheating on her with her attractive hairdresser, followed by his estranged wife Alex discovering his mistress about to shoot him with his revolver. Following the breakup of those relationships, Zach engages in a long period of binge-drinking and solace-seeking with a string of women. He avoids work, continues to strain relations with his ex-wife and drunkenly attends a formal party dressed in a genie's costume.
Zach's affairs include one with a volatile woman named Molly who deliberately leaves him hooked up too long to a skin-treatment electro-therapy machine that gives his body quivering spasms from head to toe. He also has a one-night stand with a remarkably muscular female bodybuilder named Lonnie, telling her before sex that he feels "like Mrs. Arnold Schwarzenegger." One gag scene is portrayed in total darkness, with Zach wearing a luminous condom as he prepares to have sex with yet another woman he has just met, Amy. When her boyfriend returns to the hotel room similarly equipped, the two men engage in a frantic fight, their glow-in-the-dark attire bouncing crazily across the darkened room.
After disrupting his ex-wife's wedding day, it finally dawns on Zach just how out of control his lifestyle has become. He sobers up, abstains from womanizing, and begins to write again. Achieving the trifecta of recovery that Alex predicted he couldn't achieve, he wins back her love.
Cast
*John Ritter as Zachary "Zach" Hutton
*Vincent Gardenia as Barney the Barkeeper
*Alyson Reed as Alexandra "Alex" Hutton
*Joel Brooks as Jake Fedderman
*Julianne Phillips as Molly
*Chelsea Field as Amy McKenna
*Peter Donat as Leon "Sparky" Sparks
*Don Gordon as Curt Ames
*Nina Foch as Marge, Alex's Mother
*Denise Crosby as Angela "Angie" Smith
*Michael Kidd as Dr. Westford
*Dee Dee Rescher as Bernice Fedderman
*Bryan Genesse as Rick Curry
*Bo Foxworth as Greg
*Raye Hollitt as Lonnie Jones
*Brenda Swanson as Emily
*Jean Marie McKee as Rebecca "Becky"
Reception
Critical reception
The film received mixed to negative reviews. The film earned a 32% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 28 critics, with an average rating of 5.10/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".However, many critics praised John Ritter's performance in the film. Accessed July 24, 2021. One of the few positive reviews was by Roger Ebert, who wrote, "The daring thing Edwards does in 'Skin Deep' is to try to combine two entirely different tones within the same film. This is a smart, sensitive film that knows a lot about human nature."
Box office
Despite negative reviews, the film was a financial success grossing $20 million in the United States and Canada and $25 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $45 million. Accessed June 16, 2012.Soundtrack
*"Falling Out of Love" performed by Ivan Neville
*"Just to Keep You Satisfied" performed by Marvin Gaye
*"I Can't Go Home" performed by The Robert Cray Band
*"It's Just a Matter of Time" performed by Brook Benton
*"Skin Deep" performed by Debra Holland
*"Songbird" performed by Kenny G
*"Dreamin'" performed by Vanessa Williams
*"Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" performed by The Falla Trio
*"Have You Met Miss Jones?" written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (not credited in the film)
*"My Romance" written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (not credited in the film)
*Film score and additional incidental music by Henry Mancini (not credited in the film)
*Additional incidental music by Cole Porter (not credited in the film)
The song "Killer Love" by Al Jarreau was intended to be used in the film, but was omitted at the last minute. The song was released on Jarreau's 1988 album 'Heart's Horizon'.
References
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