Heaven Can Help

My review was written in May 1989, after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

Angels interfere with humans' problem one more time in the inept comedy "Heaven Can Help", a laughably amateurish attempt at whimsy by action specialist Tony Zarindast.

Tony Bova earns a couple of honest laughs as a real estate honcho who styles himself like Frankie Valli or James Darren in the 1960s. For no good reason (a subplot involving an angel hooking up with his son Joe Balogh's computer makes no sense), he becomes the battleground between the devil (impersonated inadequately y Myron Natwick) via his with henchwoman Jinx Dawson and a couple of angels.

Pic's quota of slapstick is mechanically rendered and Zarindast's script lacks the necessary wit to pull this fantasy premise off. Special effects, including flying scenes (with thick wires plainly visible) and pointless animated rays are very poor.

Silliest gimmick has both femme adversaries styled to look like British singer Samantha Fox: Dawson reps Fox' musical persona when the witch is granted youth and made a rock singer, while the angel is personified by short, muscular, ultra-stacked Dianne Copeland. Unintentional camp humor overwhelms the pic's few legit gags.

Cast, especially Ted Prior as a very California type of angel, tries hard but can't bring this extremely overlong film to life.