O.C. and Stiggs aren’t your average unhappy teenagers. They not only despise their suburban surroundings, they plot against them. They seek revenge against the middle-class Schwab family, who embody all they detest: the middle class.
Any prolific filmmaker — especially one as improvisational and indulgent as Robert Altman — will inevitably misfire. Over the course of his decades-spanning career, Altman directed more than 30 feature films (hits like “Nashville,” “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” and “M*A*S*H”). Unfortunately, one of those hits is not the subject of this review. Instead, we’ll take a look at the 1987 flop “O.C. and Stiggs.”
Based on characters appearing in stories from “National Lampoon,” “O.C. and Stiggs” perhaps has more of interest behind the scenes than it does in front of the camera. Photographed in Phoenix, Arizona, in the summer of 1983 but not released until late 1987 and early 1988, the in-depth documentary on the making of the film (included on the disc) goes into more detail about the production and the atmosphere of an Altman shoot. The disorderly shoot is reflected in the finished film, which plays more like a series of vignettes and underdeveloped sketches than a cohesive narrative.
“O.C. and Stiggs” is a chaotic film. Every scene has some new nonsense unfolding courtesy of our lead characters, played by Daniel H. Jenkins and Neill Barry, as they carry out their personal vendetta against the Schwab family (Paul Dooley, Jane Curtin, Jon Cryer). Despite its non-stop onslaught of cinematic mayhem, the film is frequently dull and unfunny. A comedy that leaves you repeatedly checking your watch and wishing for it to come together, finally. Even Altman’s stacked cast couldn’t save this stinker — in addition to Dooley, Curtin, and Cryer, the film also features Dennis Hopper, Martin Mull, Ray Walston, Melvin Van Peebles, and Tina Louise.
There isn’t much in the included booklet in the way of notes on this film’s transfer, other than that it was “restored by MGM.” Even so, this is a fine-looking disc. The image might be grainier than some people will like, but it looks natural and unprocessed. The audio, a mono soundtrack, also sounds clear.
A limited edition from Radiance Films, “O.C. and Stiggs” includes a feature-length making-of documentary about the film, an interview with Robert Reed Altman (director Altman’s son), and a booklet featuring writings about the film. Unsurprisingly, both the interview and making-of are overly laudatory, offering little critical distance from the film’s shortcomings. I found the making-of more intriguing than the movie, but it was overly long at 2 hours.
Ultimately, “O.C. and Stiggs” is more of a curiosity watch than anything. Far from Altman’s best work and definitely a product of its time, this is a film not recommended unless you are an Altman completist or a National Lampoon devotee.
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