Scavenger Hunt

Last updated

Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger Hunt movie poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Schultz
Screenplay bySteven A. Vail
Henry Harper
Story bySteven A. Vail
Produced bySteven A. Vail
Starring
CinematographyKen Lamkin
Edited byChristopher Holmes
Music by Billy Goldenberg
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • December 21, 1979 (1979-12-21)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million [1]

Scavenger Hunt is a 1979 American comedy film with a large ensemble cast which includes Richard Benjamin, James Coco, Scatman Crothers, Ruth Gordon, Cloris Leachman, Cleavon Little, Roddy McDowall, Robert Morley, Richard Mulligan, Tony Randall, Dirk Benedict, Willie Aames, Stephanie Faracy, Stephen Furst, Richard Masur and Vincent Price. The film was directed by Michael Schultz, and released by 20th Century Fox. It includes an appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and features cameos by Meat Loaf and Vincent Price.

Contents

Filming took place in and around San Diego, California, incorporating local landmarks such as Balboa Park and the Centre City Building.

Plot

Milton Parker (Vincent Price), an eccentric game inventor, dies after losing a video game with his nurse (Carol Wayne). Parker's greedy and estranged relatives show up at his mansion for the reading of his will. Lawyer Charles Bernstein (Robert Morley) tells them the winner of a scavenger hunt will inherit the $200 million estate. The potential beneficiaries form five teams and get involved in various misadventures.

The five teams consist of:

  1. Parker's widowed son-in-law Henry Motley and his four children.
  2. The servants: French cook Henri, valet Jenkins, limo driver Jackson and French maid Babbette.
  3. Dim-witted taxi driver Marvin Dummitz.
  4. Parker's widowed sister Mildred Carruthers, her attorney Stuart Sellsome, and her son Georgie.
  5. Nephews Kenny and Jeff Stevens, and Mildred's step-daughter Lisa.

Each group is given a list containing clues to acquire 100 items with various point values ranging from 5 to 100 points. The items are to be acquired by any means necessary, with the exception of being purchased. They are to be placed in five different pens on the grounds of the estate. The winner of the scavenger hunt will be the person or team to acquire the most points by 5 p.m. that day.

Chaos and carnage ensue, with scavengers returning occasionally to the Parker mansion to deposit items under the supervision of Bernstein and the scorekeeper, Cornfeld.

Mildred, Stuart and Georgie's adventure has them trying to win a stuffed toy bear at a local carnival, trying to haul a heavy safe out of Stuart's office building, and stealing the false teeth of a Native American. Stuart gets roughed up by a motorcycle gang led by Scum (Meat Loaf) after attempting to steal a stuffed fox tail off one of the gang's motorcycles. Late in the game, the team steals items from the servants and the Stevens/Lisa teams.

The servants' adventure has them trying to steal a toilet from a fancy hotel, partaking in a robbery at a convenience store to steal a cash register and getting locked in a university laboratory while trying to steal a microscope.

Kenny, Jeff and Lisa's adventure has them "borrowing" items such as the head of Jack from a Jack in the Box restaurant, recruiting an obese Duane, although they soon discard him. A bulletproof vest is borrowed from a self-defense-obsessed lady named Arvilla (Ruth Gordon) and they acquire "laughing gas," steal a uniform from a motorcycle cop, and get stuck in a football team's locker room trying to steal a helmet.

Dummittz' adventure has him trying unsuccessfully to steal a Rolls-Royce front grill and getting run over many times while trying to replicate an insurance scam he witnesses. A bridal shop security guard named Sam catches him attempting to steal a bridal dress. Sam joins the hunt. Together they steal a knight's suit of armor from a museum, with Marvin dressing up as a mummy and Sam putting on the armor. Sam, knocked unconscious, is stolen by the Mildred-Stuart-Georgie team.

Motley's adventure has him attempting to make his kids proud while acquiring a beehive, a life preserver and a parachute. Motley tries to get a medicine ball from a gym and to impress the instructor Lars (Arnold Schwarzenegger), which gets Motley thrown out of a second floor window trying to catch a medicine ball thrown to him.

Each team steals an ostrich from the San Diego Zoo, much to the dismay of the zookeeper (Avery Schreiber).

This leads to a climactic car chase back to the Parker mansion. The three remaining teams give up their individual chances to win in order to help Kenny, Jeff and Lisa win against the unethical Mildred-Stuart-Georgie team. With seconds to go, Sam, still wearing the armor, crawls out of the Carruthers' pen and into the other pen to win the contest for the Stevens brothers and Lisa. The victors decide to share their new wealth with the rest, except for Mildred, Stuart and Georgie, who are being chased away by the native American looking for his false teeth.

Cast

Reception

Scavenger Hunt did not receive good reviews. The Chicago Tribune's Gene Siskel termed the film "excruciatingly dull", observing that "Coco and Little disconnect a toilet; Randall gets knocked down by a safe; Benjamin steals items from another team. Isn't that a scream? Are your sides splitting?" [2] Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "When a movie's jokes are so noticeably without punch lines, only a mood of uproarious confusion can save the day. Mr. Schultz takes an orderly approach that only makes the movie more of a mess." [3]

People wrote that "An all-star cast [...] plays unsuccessfully for laughs". [4] TV Guide called the film "An all-star, all-stupid comedy attempt that proves, once again, no actor can triumph over bad material." [5]

Allmovie called it an "utterly wretched comedy". [6] DVD Talk opined that the film is "Not at all good, but almost fascinating for its cast and the wrongheadedness of its approach to comedy." [7] Blu-ray.com wrote, "It's a silly endeavor, but it's also exhausting to watch, with its inherent harmlessness evolving into a threat as the one-dimensional picture is stretched over nearly two hours of screen time." [8]

Home media

Scavenger Hunt was first issued on video cassette (both Beta and VHS formats) in 1983 by CBS/Fox Video. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 10, 2017.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension</i> 1984 American science fiction film by W. D. Richter

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, often shortened to Buckaroo Banzai, is a 1984 American adventure science fiction comedy film produced and directed by W. D. Richter and written by Earl Mac Rauch. It stars Peter Weller in the title role, with Ellen Barkin, John Lithgow, Jeff Goldblum, and Christopher Lloyd. The supporting cast includes Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Clancy Brown, Pepe Serna, Robert Ito, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Jonathan Banks, John Ashton, Carl Lumbly and Ronald Lacey.

<i>Predator</i> (film) 1987 film by John McTiernan

Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan and written by brothers Jim and John Thomas. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Dutch Schaefer, the leader of an elite paramilitary rescue team on a mission to save hostages in guerrilla-held territory in a Central American rainforest, who encounter the deadly Predator, a skilled, technologically advanced extraterrestrial who stalks and hunts them down. Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Richard Chaves, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, and Shane Black are supporting co-stars.

<i>The Court Jester</i> 1956 film by Melvin Frank, Norman Panama

The Court Jester is a 1955 American historical musical comedy film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker. The film was written, produced, and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama for distribution by Paramount Pictures. It was released in Technicolor and the VistaVision widescreen format.

<i>Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid</i> 2004 American adventure horror film by Dwight H. Little

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is a 2004 American adventure horror film directed by Dwight H. Little. It is a stand-alone sequel to the film Anaconda (1997) and the second installment of the Anaconda film series. The film follows a team of researchers set for an expedition into the Southeast Asian tropical island of Borneo, to search for a sacred flower which they believe will bring humans to a longer and healthier life. They soon become stalked and hunted by the deadly giant anacondas inhabiting the island.

Scarecrow Gone Wild is a low-budget direct-to-video film by York Entertainment released in 2004 about a group of college students who are hunted down by a killer scarecrow after a hazing ritual sends one male student into a coma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt</span>

The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt is an annual four-day team-based scavenger hunt held at the University of Chicago from Thursday to Sunday of a week in May, typically ending on Mother's Day. The list of items, usually over 300 items long, encompasses cryptograms, competitions, build challenges, a 3-course meal, and a 1,000-mile (1,600 km) road trip. "Scav Hunt" is well known for its quirky, strange, and impossible items. Scav held the Guinness World Record for largest scavenger hunt from 2011 to 2014.

"Chickenpox" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series South Park. The 23rd episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on August 26, 1998. The episode was written by series co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Trisha Nixon, and directed by Parker. In the episode, the parents of South Park intentionally expose their children to the chickenpox disease.

"See Homer Run" is the sixth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 20, 2005. The episode was written by Stephanie Gillis and directed by Nancy Kruse.

<i>Jumanji</i> 1995 film directed by Joe Johnston

Jumanji is a 1995 American dark fantasy adventure film directed by Joe Johnston from a screenplay by Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain, based on the 1981 children's picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. The film is the first installment in the Jumanji film series and stars Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde, and Bebe Neuwirth. The story centers on a supernatural board game that releases jungle–based hazards on its players with every turn they take.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Seemingly Never-Ending Story</span> 13th episode of the 17th season of The Simpsons

"The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" is the thirteenth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 12, 2006. The episode was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham and directed by Raymond S. Persi.

"ManBearPig" is the sixth episode in the tenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 145th episode of the series overall, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 26, 2006. In the episode, Al Gore visits South Park to warn everyone about a creature called ManBearPig, an allegory for global warming. Gore then gets Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny trapped inside the Cave of the Winds.

<i>Penelope</i> (1966 film) 1966 film by Arthur Hiller

Penelope is a 1966 American comedy caper film directed by Arthur Hiller, and starring Natalie Wood, Ian Bannen, Peter Falk, Jonathan Winters, and Dick Shawn. George Wells' screenplay was based on the 1965 novel of the same title, written by Howard Melvin Fast under the pseudonym E.V. Cunningham.

<i>Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt</i> 1999 video game

Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt is a 1999 party video game developed by Realtime Associates and published by THQ for the Nintendo 64. The game is based on the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats. It features the original voices from the Rugrats cast reprising their roles as Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, and Phil and Lil DeVille as well as supporting characters Grandpa Lou, Didi and Stu Pickles, Susie Carmichael, Reptar, and series antagonist Angelica Pickles.

<i>Lassie</i> (1994 film) 1994 film by Daniel Petrie

Lassie, or Lassie: Best Friends are Forever, is a 1994 American adventure family film directed by Daniel Petrie, starring Tom Guiry, Helen Slater, Jon Tenney, Frederic Forrest, Richard Farnsworth, Michelle Williams, and featuring the fictional collie Lassie.

<i>The Rainbow Jacket</i> 1954 British film by Basil Dearden

The Rainbow Jacket is a 1954 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden, and featuring Robert Morley, Kay Walsh, Bill Owen, Honor Blackman and Sid James. It was made at Ealing Studios produced by Michael Balcon and Michael Relph and shot in Technicolor. The film's sets were designed by the art director Thomas N. Morahan. Location shooting took place in London and at a variety of racecourse towns including Newmarket and Epsom. The film was released by General Film Distributors as a part of a long-term arrangement with Ealing.

<i>Tactical Force</i> 2011 Canadian film

Tactical Force is a 2011 Canadian-American action film written and directed by Adamo Paolo Cultraro, and starring Steve Austin, Michael Jai White, Michael Shanks, Keith Jardine, Michael Eklund, Darren Shahlavi and Lexa Doig.

<i>Sabotage</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by David Ayer

Sabotage is a 2014 American action thriller film directed by David Ayer and written by Ayer and Skip Woods. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway, and Mireille Enos. Schwarzenegger portrays the leader of a DEA team whose members find themselves being hunted down after they steal money seized during a cartel raid.

<i>Adventures in Babysitting</i> (2016 film) 2016 TV film directed by John Schultz

Adventures in Babysitting is a 2016 American adventure comedy television film directed by John Schultz and starring Sabrina Carpenter and Sofia Carson. It is a remake of the 1987 film of the same name. The film premiered on Disney Channel in the United States and Canada on June 24, 2016, and is the 100th Disney Channel Original Movie.

<i>Freaky Friday</i> (2018 film) 2018 television film

Freaky Friday is an American musical television film that premiered as a Disney Channel Original Movie on August 10, 2018. Based on the 1972 book of the same name by Mary Rodgers and the 2016 Disney Theatrical Productions stage adaptation by Bridget Carpenter; the movie is the fourth feature film installment in the Freaky Friday franchise. The adaptation stars Cozi Zuehlsdorff and Heidi Blickenstaff.

<i>Catwoman: Hunted</i> 2022 American-Japanese animated superhero film

Catwoman: Hunted is a 2022 animated superhero film based on the DC Comics character Catwoman by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation for DC Entertainment. It was released on February 8, 2022, by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It is the 47th installment in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. The film is directed by Shinsuke Terasawa from a script by Greg Weisman. It stars the voices of Elizabeth Gillies and Stephanie Beatriz. OLM, a Japanese studio behind the Pokémon anime series, provided their animation services for the film with their Team Inoue. The film follows Catwoman as she attempts to steal a priceless jewel, only to get caught in the crosshairs of a powerful consortium of criminals and villains, the Interpol, and Batwoman.

References

  1. ↑ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p259
  2. ↑ Siskel, Gene (December 28, 1979). "'Scavenger' not worth looking for". Chicago Tribune . p. A9. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Maslin, Janet (December 25, 1979). "Scavenger Hunt (1979) Screen: 'Scavenger Hunt' Is a Comedy About Greed". The New York Times .
  4. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: Scavenger Hunt". PEOPLE.com. 1982-08-30. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  5. ↑ "Scavenger Hunt - Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings". TV Guide. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  6. ↑ Nathan Southern. "Scavenger Hunt (1979) - Michael Schultz | Review". AllMovie. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  7. ↑ "Review". DVD Talk. 2017-01-10. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  8. ↑ "Scavenger Hunt Blu-ray Release Date January 10, 2017". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.