Odd Jobs

I saw this a couple of times years ago, and just saw it again today. Even though it's over twenty years old, it holds up. This zany comedy had me laughing from scene two and kept me laughing all the way to the ending. Odd Jobs concerns a group of college friends who hope to make some extra money during their summer vacation. The boys try a variety of occupations from selling vacuum cleaners to waiting tables to working for a moving company. All these guys are a scream and get a chance to show off bits of their stand-up routines, but the clear winner in this outing is the late Leo Burmester (aka Burmeister) as Wylie the truck driver. He steals every scene he's in with his crazy over-the-top yet oddly believable performance. Corny, yes. But laugh out loud funny — all the way. Every performance, not just Wiley, was over the top, but in a good way. Scene after scene is filled with weirdo characters you won't soon forget. The chemistry between Wylie and Max (Paul Reiser) in their buddy movie sequences is perfect. Body by Jake was a little annoying with his Curly Howard laugh, but still good. And there is the Cabrizzi Moving Company whose sign looks like the label on a two dollar bottle of wine. Remember, Cabrizzi rhymes with sleazy. This is one of my own off-the-wall favorites along with Million Dollar Mystery. That one too didn't make any sense but we just went along to watch the comedians strut some of their best bits. These movies do what they're supposed to do: Entertain.