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Senseless

  • 1998
  • R
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
19K
YOUR RATING
David Spade, Marlon Wayans, and Tamara Taylor in Senseless (1998)
A student gets his senses enhanced by an experimental drug. But abuse is not an option.
Play trailer2:21
1 Video
99+ Photos
ComedyRomance

A student gets his senses enhanced by an experimental drug. But abuse is not an option.A student gets his senses enhanced by an experimental drug. But abuse is not an option.A student gets his senses enhanced by an experimental drug. But abuse is not an option.

  • Director
    • Penelope Spheeris
  • Writers
    • Greg Erb
    • Craig Mazin
  • Stars
    • Marlon Wayans
    • David Spade
    • Brad Dourif
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    19K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Penelope Spheeris
    • Writers
      • Greg Erb
      • Craig Mazin
    • Stars
      • Marlon Wayans
      • David Spade
      • Brad Dourif
    • 40User reviews
    • 37Critic reviews
    • 38Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:21
    Official Trailer

    Photos168

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    Top Cast67

    Edit
    Marlon Wayans
    Marlon Wayans
    • Darryl Witherspoon
    David Spade
    David Spade
    • Scott Thorpe
    Brad Dourif
    Brad Dourif
    • Dr. Wheedon
    Esther Scott
    Esther Scott
    • Denise Witherspoon
    Debra Jo Rupp
    Debra Jo Rupp
    • Fertility Clinic Attendant
    Mark Christopher Lawrence
    Mark Christopher Lawrence
    • Wig Shop Owner
    Matthew Lillard
    Matthew Lillard
    • Tim LaFlour
    Tamara Taylor
    Tamara Taylor
    • Janice
    John Ingle
    John Ingle
    • Economics Professor
    Rip Torn
    Rip Torn
    • Randall Tyson
    Ernie Lively
    Ernie Lively
    • Coach Brandau
    Jenette Goldstein
    Jenette Goldstein
    • Nurse Alvarez
    Kenya Moore
    Kenya Moore
    • Lorraine
    Constance Zimmer
    Constance Zimmer
    • Zestfully Clean Woman
    Ken Lerner
    Ken Lerner
    • Dean Barlow
    Patrick O'Neill
    • Waiter #1
    Ross Rayburn
    • Waiter #2
    Jeanne Diehl
    • Banquet Guest
    • Director
      • Penelope Spheeris
    • Writers
      • Greg Erb
      • Craig Mazin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews40

    6.018.6K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    Y2K Bug

    Hilarious Movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    This movie is the best I've seen in a long time!! Wayans is the best!!!!
    Bio Hazard

    Actually, pretty good!

    I'd never even heard of Senseless, but it was recommended to me with high praise - so I gave it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised, well, I'm not saying it was fantastic - but I did laugh enough to make watching worth my while.

    It may help being a fan of one of the actors. I'm not a huge Wayans fan, any of the, how many of them are there? Anyway, nor am I a huge fan of Spade, although he has his moments. I am a huge Matthew Lillard fan, though (no, I'm not a 16 year old girl!) and I found his performance typically Lillard-esque - which is entertaining no matter what the role is - or how under-written his part is. Any fan of Matt will at least get something out of this movie. Keeping in mind I am not a huge Wayans or Spade fan, both gave good performances. Wayans had some great moments.

    Directed by Penelope Spheeris, (Wayne's World) - Senseless is overall a pretty good movie with a warm ending, which, being as it *is* a comedy, is a *lot* better than a cold ending!

    6.5/10
    Leah-7

    Senseless was a very entertaining film!

    Unlike some of the other users who have rated this film I enjoyed it. I am not a person who has the right to judge a film all I know is that it was not a bad movie. Matthew Lillard is a very good actor this might not have been him best movie but it was one of them. If you liked this movie you might also like Hackers it is a movie also casting Matthew. Scream is one of many others he plays in. It might be of a different genre but he bring comedy to a horror movie and that is not a easy task to uphold.
    6Dante Hicks

    No thought required

    Just like any one of a hundred fart-joke inspired comedies trundled out every year this movie has it's moments and is at times very funny. Wayans is pretty good mainly because he can be ridiculous without over-acting and therefore becoming annoying. However, there is nothing here that you haven't seen before and to know exactly what's going to happen before it happens becomes tiresome. If you want low-budget comedy you'd be better off watching the inspired Ski School 2 or Happy Gilmore and give this one a miss.
    vchimpanzee

    Very funny and also touching

    Darryl Witherspoon is a senior economics major whose mother has been raising several children on her own in a bad section of New York City. He is very bright and has a good chance of getting out of that neighborhood. But he has bills to pay and may get kicked out of the apartment he shares with hockey player Tim.

    Darryl has a good chance at being the one junior analyst hired that year by the prestigious Wall Street firm Smythe-Bates. But his competition includes Scott Thorpe, whose father works for the firm. Scott belongs to the fraternity Darryl wants to join, and he thinks he is better than everyone else and that Darryl isn't good enough to be one of them. Darryl also can't make it as a hockey player.

    Impressing Smythe-Bates becomes less of a priority as Darryl looks for work just to keep his apartment. The university is testing an experimental drug which heightens the five senses. Despite the potential side effects, Darryl is determined to do whatever it takes to make the money he needs. One possible problem with the drug he is not told about: at too high a dosage, one of the five senses shuts down, followed by another, and another. It's not possible to predict which of the senses will go or when, but you can bet this will happen at the worst possible time.

    Darryl also wants to meet girls, and Janice is attractive, pleasant and intelligent. Can he win her love? Can he find a way to impress Smythe-Bates?

    This was very funny. I liked the concept--as in "Smallville", a shiny green liquid can give an ordinary person super powers, and it can also cause all sorts of trouble.

    But the movie wasn't just funny. The romantic scenes were also warm and touching.

    The writing was quite intelligent. Someone must have known how Wall Street operates and the economic principles that guide the financial industry.

    I'm surprised we haven't heard more from Marlon Wayans. Although he seemed like a silly clown at times, he really demonstrated comic abilities when Darryl struggled with the drug's problems. And he showed superior talent for both comedy and drama when the drug did what it was supposed to do.

    David Spade was somewhat less of a loser here than he usually is. He excels at playing jerk loser characters, but Scott had more dimension than the usual Spade type.

    Richard McDonagle was quite good as one of the top men at Smythe-Bates. And Tamara Taylor impressed as Janice. Esther Scott had a brief but effective performance as Darryl's determined mother.

    This was really worth seeing. Don't be misled by the title.

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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Penelope Spheeris said in an interview that working with the Weinsteins on this made her want to stop making mainstream Hollywood movies. She thought, "How the fuck did I get here? What am I doing? I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to work in this movie business anymore."
    • Goofs
      When Darryl is in the clothing store he is supposedly nude, but in the close shots you can see he is wearing black underpants.
    • Quotes

      Darryl: [outburst] Would you all just cut this shit?

      [talks sarcastically to certain students]

      Darryl: You, you better fix that damn watch. And you rich girl, we know you have money. Put that damn diamond away. And you British guy, if you are going to live in this country you better go see a damn dentist about that stink-ass breath. You smell like hot garbage.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Palmetto/Senseless/Dangerous Beauty/Mrs. Dalloway/Nil by Mouth/Live Flesh (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Busy Child
      Written by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland

      Performed by The Crystal Method (as Crystal Method)

      Published by EMI Virgin Songs, Inc./Drug Money Music (BMI)

      Harder Faster Music (ASCAP)

      Courtesy of Outpost Recordings

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Senseless?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 20, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Experimento chiflado
    • Filming locations
      • Columbia University - Broadway & 116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(Stratford University exterior, under title shot)
    • Production companies
      • Dimension Films
      • Mandeville Films
      • Gold/Miller Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $12,874,899
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,337,651
      • Feb 22, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $12,874,899
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 33m(93 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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