Review of S.O.B. (1981) by Matthew S — 18 Jul 2015

There is one truly interesting thing about this movie that almost makes it worth seeing: I am not aware of a major Hollywood Studio movie that satires major Hollywood Studios and the major Hollywood players in such an angry way. This movie is so angry you can almost smell it spewing off the screen.

This film gained a great deal of notoriety and a bit of controversy back in the day for featuring Julie Andrews topless. The problem is, Julie Andrew's breasts are really the core "entertaining" aspect of the movie.

"S.O.B." was written and directed by Blake Edwards who was also Julie Andrews husband. In the movie Andrews is playing a very skewed version of herself. In this skewed version she is an Oscar winning actor who is "America's Cinematic Sweetheart." Loved and adored by the world as a beloved actress who has remained successful in family-friendly roles. TV Sitcom star, Richard Mulligan, plays a skewed version of Blake Edwards. In this skewed version of the legendary Hollywood comic director, is presented a an "artiste" who refuses to pander to the Hollywood elite.

This "alternate reality" Julie Andrews has just starred in the biggest budget musical of all time written and directed by her "alternated reality" husband filmmaker. The movie flops in a big way. The director slips into a suicidal depression while his wife is hellbent on divorcing him and taking him for all he's got.

To save his career, keep his bankbook out of his movie star wife's hands -- he convinces the major Hollywood Studio to let him "re-shoot" the movie so that it becomes a close to X-rated musical. The primary idea being that the world will pay tons of money to see Julie Andrews nude.

Julie Andrews goes topless. Erotic dances, orgies, drugs, alcohol, wanton lusts, vengeance, perversities, chaos and mayhem proceed at full-pitch R-rated form.

The movie has some funny moments, but mostly it is just a rage-fueld rant. This is of course what makes it retain some interest. This film came out about the same time as the infamous "Heaven's Gate" -- which would forever change the way Hollywood functioned.

Warning: "S.O.B." runs for just over 2 hours. They feel like 9. You will never get this time back. It will be gone forever. Listen, in 1980's Julie Andrews had a lovely set of knocker. But you're going to have to sort through a great deal of foul comedy to see them.