O.C. AND STIGGS

US, 1987, 109 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Jenkins, Neil Barry, Paul Dooley, Dennis Hopper, Jane Curtin, Ray Walston, Melvin Van Peebles, Martin Mull, Tina Louise, Cynthia Nixon, Jon Cryer.
Directed by Robert Altman.

O.C. and Stiggs is a later film by Robert Altman. After his successes in the mid-'70s with films like Nashville, Three Women, A Wedding, he turned to the filming of plays in the 1980s: Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean; Fool for Love, Streamers, Beyond Therapy. This was one of his last mainstream action films during the '80s.

The film is based on a story featured in National Lampoon. It is almost like Nashville Meets National Lampoon. The Nashville technique of filming a wide range of characters and their floating interactions offering insight and satire is evident here. The city is Phoenix, Arizona. However, there is an element of mockery that is more developed in this film. O.C. and Stiggs do the mocking - but the audience is asked to identify then, and it is very hard since there is no major reason for their perverse and zany mockery.

The film is satiric in its presentation of characters, over the top in performances from stars like Dennis Hopper. The whole is an uneasy, even if sometimes fascinating, amalgam of satire and observation on American society. it is a Robert Altman film in the tradition of his films of the '70s.

1. The film in the work of Robert Altman? His capacity for creating characters, mingling them, giving impressions and satiric observation? His zany style meeting the National Lampoon story and its mockery?

2. The focus on Phoenix, Arizona, the city, the suburbs, the countryside? Mexican sequences? Phoenix as near to Mexico? The interiors and exteriors? The ordinary homes, the Schwabs' household?

3. The musical score, the background, the Fred Astaire- Ginger Rogers themes and dancing, the African music? The dancing sequences, the final concert?

4. The focus on Phoenix, Arizona? Middle America, the city, the Valley of t he Sun, the desert, the heat The collage of radio comments indicating the city's lifestyle? Hood?

5. The structure of the film: O.C. and Stiggs being introduced, their tormenting of the Schwabs, the flashback sequences while they were wasting the Schwabs' phone money on ringing Gabon? The momentum and development as well as the meandering of the plot?

6. The eliciting of audience sympathies? The National Lampoon style? The stances of O.C. and Stiggs? Righteousness, judging the Schwabs? Michelle's observations? The silliness of the Schwabs - but did they deserve such lampooning or not?

7. The portrait of O.C. and Stiggs: coming over the fence, their dislike of the Schwabs, their comments on then throughout the film, their zany and perverse humour, comic style, presumptions of being righteous? Stealing the lobsters, sitting on the sofa, observing, the phone and the high bill? Memories of the summer in the artificial Phoenix surf, the holidays, friendship with Barney? The clashes with the Schwabs, especially Randall? Their own family situations? O.C., Cramps and his stories about his police days? The horrible meals? Stiggs and his family, his mother concerned about the play and drama? His absentminded father reading the paper? His flirting with Florence? The sisters? influenced by their families? The build-up to Lenore's wedding with the Chinese bridegroom? The going to the ex-army types to buy the machine gun? With Dennis Hopper and his over the top style? Buying the gun, giving it to Randall, his shooting at the wedding reception? O.C. and his seeing Michelle, the Astaire- Rogers dance routine? Their behaviour at the wedding? Hiring the suits, seeing her going out, turning up at the restaurant with the girls, the gift of the lobsters? Going to the Schwabs and skinny-dipping? Being chased away, meeting Pat, his lifestyle, the discussion about his clothes, the name Aphrodisiacs and their later getting the money? The build-up to the play and the concert going on instead? Everybody en ' Joying themselves dancing? Their concern about the wino and his death? Setting up the Schwab house as a refuge and a club to attract wealthy Phoenix types? The afternoon, the various gunlocks in the house, the society women and their enjoying the visit? Schwab returning, chasing then down to the nuclear shelter, their phoning their army friends, the invasion, the fight and the explosions? The money and O.C. being able to get his grandfather out of the old people's home? The happy ending? As characters, types? National Lampoon 'heroes'?

8. The sketch of the families: the Stiggses, the mother, her absentmindedness, acting, ignoring her husband, improvising, the performance of Cactus Flower, being dressed for the role, its cancellation? The father, his reading the papers, the glasses and the meetings with Florence, his son always catching him, the restaurant? The finale at the table?

9. Cramps and his memories of the police force, his gory stories, the meals, telling Michelle the gruesome story? Going to the old people's home? Being rescued?

10. Florence, Barney and his friendship, the school nurse? Her being chased by Mr Stiggs, the meetings? The interaction with the boys, her finally becoming Cramps's nurse?

11. Dennis Hopper and his military friend, the em-Vietnamese veterans, their arsenal, their camp, the marijuana? Taking photographs, the helicopter's taking off and flying (and the Wagnerian imitation of Apocalypse now, as well as Hopper's role in that film?)? Their attack at the end, the grenade, the exploding of the nuclear shelter?

12. Michelle, her boyfriend, his ambitions to work for Schwab, her attraction to O.C., the dancing, the outing, O.C's getting down the helicopter and visiting her - and a touch of sanity and judgment?

13. The exaggeration of the Schwab family: their eccentric and exaggerated mannerisms?, Racism about blacks in the house, the Chinese son-in-law? The barbecue, the timetabling of the commercial, everybody watching it? The parody and the awkwardness of Schwab's commercial? The wife and her continued drinking, the range of devices for drinking? The forbidding of alcohol in the house? The moralising television that was watched? Schwab and insurance, the stealing of the lobsters, calling the police, rash judgments? The preparation for the wedding, Lenore and her pettiness, the poor bridegroom? The ceremony itself, Lenore taking charge, the photos, the pigeons and their droppings all over the guests, Lenore being left behind, her crankiness at the reception, Randall and his awkwardness, at school, jokes being played upon him, drinking from the exploding fountain? Shooting the machine gun at the wedding reception? Ordinary life at the Schwabs? The father treating his daughter like a child? His being absent from the house, the invasion, the nuclear shelter, the final explosion? Did the Schwabs deserve such attack?

14. The sketch of the wino, his friendship with the boys, his death? Their wanting to help the other winos in the city?

15. Pat, his affluent lifestyle, next-door neighbour, the designs for fat women, aphrodisiacs, his giving the cheque to the boys? Happy-go-lucky attitude?

16. An overview of Phoenix life, Middle America, satiric observation?