Product Description
The Cable Guy (1996)(#ad)
Plot
Kovacs a man who has just failed to convince his girlfriend to marry him moves into a new place. He leaves his old apartment because his girl friend does not want to marry him.
A friend of his named Rick convinces him to bribe a cable installer named Chip to install a channel for free films on his TV. Steven is then made one of the top customers that Chip has.
The cable guy goes with Steven to the TV satellite tower that sends out TV signals. Chip gives Steven advice about how to deal with his relationship troubles with his ex-girlfriend.
However, Chip then starts acting suspicious and starts showing up when Steven is with his friends and also starts leaving many unanswered messages on his telephone’s answering machine.
Robin then visits Steven’s house to watch “Sleepless in Seattle” but the movie channel is not working because Chip sabotaged it. Chip agrees to fix the cable if Steven changes out with him.
Rick later tells Steven that the cable company fired Chip because he was stalking customers. He also uses TV characters’ names as an alias from shows like a popular television sitcom.
Steven then finds that hip is holding Robin hostage at the satellite tower. Steven saves Robin. Chip begs forgiveness for not being a good pal to Steven. He then jumps into the dish and knocks out the whole town’s TV signal.
The fall does not kill Chip, even though he jumped from the satellite tower but he also hurts his back. Chip is forgiven by Kovacs, as he and Robin reunite. Chip is then flown in a helicopter to the emergency room, in one of the most interesting free movies online.
Background
The writer of the screenplay of the movie thought of the plot, while he worked as a Los Angeles prosecutor. The production company signed Jim Carrey to star in the film.
It was agreed that the dialogue of the new screenplay would suit the type of comedy that Carrey often played. Holtz wrote 4 extra drafts then handed the project over.
There were some scenes that were removed from the movie that was possibly considered too dark. One of the scenes is based on a Star Trek episode entitled “Amok Time.” The movie’s director Ben Stiller is a fan of the TV series that originally aired in the 1960s.
The original movie was basically about an annoying friend. However, this movie was more about someone who interfered in the life of a cable subscriber but was never a physical threat.
Review
“The Cable Guy” is a black comedy and one Amazon prime video to consider. It’s based on Carrey’s character Chip who spent his childhood watching TV.
It could be argued that Carrey’s brand of humor was too spontaneous for this type of movie. Another factor is Stiller’s directing doesn’t create a uniform tone.
For example, there’s Carrey’s odd karaoke rendition of “Somebody to Love?” by Jefferson Airplane. Then there’s also a creepy sequence in a restaurant with a medieval theme where Chip and Steven drink ale and eat chicken before they fight. They basically fight to the death using weapons like swords, maces, axes, and lances.
On the main criticisms of the movie were the dark tone of the movie versus Carrey’s lighthearted roles in movies like “Ace Ventura.” This approach got earned mixed reviews but many critics and moviegoers thought it wasn’t an effective approach.
It’s interesting that the movie made Carrey the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. An irony is that it ended his string of blockbuster movies.
There is much debate about why the movie was a flop that resulted in little or no net profits. Some arguments are related to the dark tone, fit for Carrey’s comedic style, or just a bad movie. What’s clear it was always an uphill battle for the film to have the same success as the “Ace Ventura” movies, for example.
Still, it was a bold choice for Carrey to play the role of Chip Douglas. It was easily the most maniacal role Carrey played based on scenes like his singing of “Somebody to Love.”
The movie keeps shifting from comedy to creepy. Regardless of how one critiques the movie, the film could be considered as one of the most interesting movies Carrey starred in.
It’s interesting that TV raised Carrey’s character. It’s explained that his mother left him with an “electronic babysitter” while she went to bars. He’s even told to watch TV after asking for a new brother to play with.
It’s interesting that the audience never knows Carrey’s true name. He uses several names based on various TV characters.
Carrey one says that real life is less exciting than movies since there’s no “danger music.” This highlights the power of music to shape the audience’s emotions. However, Carrey eventually has a mental breakdown.
An irony is that Carrey was raised by TV but decides to stop TV viewing of everyone in his town in other to improve their lives.
This results in one man reading the book as if for the first time. This basically is a social commentary that TV has become a substitute for other things in life-like friendships.
Reception
The movie grossed a total of about $60.2 million in North America and $42.6 outside the US. It’s interesting that the figures were lower than the average domestic projections for Jim Carrey’s movies.
The company is sometimes considered a flop but it made $47 million over its budget. However, after factoring in Carrey’s $20 million salary and a big advertising campaign the net profits from the movie was small or negative. However, it’s become a cult classic among movie-goers.
“The Cable Guy” is considered to have a darker tone than the previous movies that Carrey had starred in. There were mixed reviews from movie-goers.
The movie earned a 54% on Rotten Tomatoes based on nearly 60 reviews. If you want to download full movies this is one of the best choices if you want to see Carrey playing one of his most interesting roles.
