Review of Every Which Way but Loose (1978) by Directors C — 24 Nov 2011

"Every Which Way But Loose" is like a buried treasure that immediately took me back to my childhood. It's like a relic from another time and place, and oddly enough, it holds up surprisingly well. The film is gleefully stupid, almost single-mindedly so, and the story is as simplistic as they come. It was a departure at the time for star Clint Eastwood, considering he spent his early career turning out classic westerns and action flicks. This rare, for the time, comedic role led to many more, and Eastwood is a likable guy even though most of the laughs here happen around him.

His performance consists mostly of reacting to things around him, and the plot consists mostly of drinking, country music and barroom brawls. The sad thing is that I loved it all. I loved Ruth Gordon's foul-mouthed and hilarious performance, I loved the antics of Clyde the orangutan and I loved the music that really took me back.

The movie is like the worst of Burt Reynold's films from the era, but Eastwood makes this work and I relished the simplicity and easy laughs. The motorcycle gang was like something out of "The Blues Brothers", and the whole movie seems to take place in another world where lawlessness is king and actions don't seem to have consequences.

"Every Which Way But Loose" is the film equivalent of junk food. It's not very nourishing, but it's hard to get enough of. I loved it as a kid, and despite my reservations, I love it now.