8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997) User Reviews

A Pleasant Surprise

[tohu · 6/10 · 16 September 2006]

The rest of the IMDb reviewers have got it about right. This is a good film. Nothing special or brilliant, but it does what it sets out to do which is to make you laugh - and it does so much better than most films of its kind.

I started watching this expecting to change channels quite quickly. I only gave it a chance at all because Joe Pesci was in it - which is never a bad asset for a film. What happened was I found myself smiling quite a lot, and then laughing quite a lot. Not uproariously or uncontrollably. But out loud, and more than once.

Pesci is good - but so is just about everyone else. And the script is wickedly funny too. It's much less predictable than most of its kind, There are twists which are genuinely surprising and interesting, and the film stays pretty fresh (even though in truth it's probably 20 minutes too long).

I'm quite a harsh marker, so a 6 from me is quite a compliment for a film like this. Well-written, nicely-paced, silly without being annoying, and containing some funny performances and a lot of good moments, you will like this one if you give it a chance.

Switch of your brain for once and enjoy.

[philip_vanderveken · 6/10 · 8 October 2004]

Before I watched this movie I already read the reviews on IMDb. Almost everybody says it is an awful movie. Well, I'm in a good mood today and I'm not going to follow everybody's opinion. I liked it, not all the time, but it was OK.

Joe Pesci is a mobster who has two days to deliver 8 heads of other criminals to his boss. If he fails his head will be the next to be cut off. Of course on the airport his bag is switched with another one.

Not all the gags and jokes are good. There are some very predictable and embarrassing ones. Not only embarrassing for a great actor like Joe Pesci, but also for the guy who came up with them. However, there were some terrific ones as well, the best perhaps is the dream sequence. I'm not going to tell what happened, but it is really hilarious.

Overall I would call it an enjoyable movie when you are able to switch off your brain for once. I gave it a 6/10, which isn't bad for this kind of movies.

Second best "head in a bag" movie ever .........

[merklekranz · 6/10 · 18 November 2009]

Perhaps inspired by the Warren Oates classic "Bring Me the Head of Alffredo Garcia", this heads in a bag comedy has a strong opening, and a somewhat ridiculous finish. The actor's do quite well with what is essentially a one joke movie. "8 Heads in a Duffel Bag" starts as black comedy, but eventually morphs into nothing more than slapstick. The ending at the airport is especially weak, as any idea of how to conclude the film seems to have been lost. Nevertheless, the strong, "dark" first half, along with above average comedy material saves the movie, and compared to some of today's lame comedies, I can recommend seeing "8 Heads in a Duffel Bag." - MERK

Some laughs, but mostly ho-hum

[Wizard-8 · 20 April 2010]

Eventually, one of the bigger flaws of "8 Heads In A Duffel Bag" will strike viewers. They will ask themselves, "Why does the tone of the movie keep changing?" Sometimes the movie is a goofy comedy. Sometimes it's high-energy farce. Sometimes (actually, most of the time), the movie's tone is kind of flat. I'm not sure why the tone kept changing. Maybe it was a consequence of the lower budget - although the movie never looks seriously cheap, it has the appearance of being hastily shot with not much thought put through it. (And while most of the movie is set in Mexico, it's pretty obvious that it was not shot there.) However, even if a more consistent tone had been generated, the movie would still suffer from a screenplay with a number of flaws. Although Pesci's character has a deadline, he obviously goes past this deadline with no consequences. The movie keeps dropping plot elements and bringing them back after a long time has passed. There are plot holes, and the last third of the movie, when all the characters are together, becomes somewhat confusing.

I will admit that I did laugh a few times, mostly at Pesci's behavior and one-liners. And it's nice to see George Hamilton in a major studio movie again, though he is mostly wasted. But while the movie's flaws didn't aggravate me greatly, at the end I muttered "ehhhh" to the 95 minutes I had just watched.

The title says it all

[=G= · 3/10 · 31 May 2002]

"8 Heads in a Duffel Bag" is a lame comedy built around a duffel bag which contains 8 human heads and all the nonsensical things which can happen to 8 heads. Except for Pesci, the film has a bunch of second rate acting talent involved in a silly make-it-up-as-you-go story about a gangster who's transporting the duffel bag and, of course, gets it mixed up with a similar duffel bag in airport baggage claim (how original) and....blaa, blaa. Bottom line; this no brainer offers marginal entertainment for the hard up couch potato and little else.

A crude but funny film

[rob-236 · 7/10 · 17 May 1999]

I went in to this film with absolutely no expectation at all and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It is in some parts so daft that you just can't help but snigger. Joe Pesci is great as a Mafia man assigned to bring back the heads of 8 'hits' he has made on the West coast. Enter a medical student, with a similar looking bag, his girlfriend and her family and you have the recipe for good crude comedy. Worth checking out if you are in the mood for a chuckle.

so many unlikeable characters

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 1 August 2015]

Tommy Spinelli (Joe Pesci) is a mob guy transporting 8 heads across the country as proof of deaths. Charlie mistakenly picks up his bag. He's on vacation with his girlfriend Laurie Bennett (Kristy Swanson) and her parents (George Hamilton, Dyan Cannon). Laurie wants to break up. The mother is a recovering alcoholic. When she finds the heads, everybody thinks she's drunk.

Joe Pesci is aggressively hateful and not in a funny way. Charlie is pathetic and the actor lacks charisma. Laurie is unlikeable. Nobody is likable. Also they are boring. The family slapstick is bland and weak. At least Pesci isn't boring. However the whole movie is unfunny.

A pretty entertaining comedy of errors

[Mike-DD · 7/10 · 24 August 2000]

Quite a load of laughs in this movie. Funny and entertaining, as well as maintaining interest by throwing in a few surprises and twists. Fine acting by most of the actors, in the sense that they manage to capture the uproarious mood of the movie throughout, with its series of laugh-invoking antics designed to prevent innocent people of knowing what's in the duffel bag, while seeking to try to either get rid or exchange for the correct bags. Not a classic comedy in any sense, but one which will keep you laughing and smirking throughout, without resorting to gags all the time to make you enjoy.

Good Start, But Goes Downhill Fast

[ccthemovieman-1 · 2/10 · 13 August 2007]

Well, I have to admit the title of this film caught my eye, enough for me to check out the VHS back in the late '90s. I also was encouraged by the beginning of this film. It starts off very promising with a funny premise and some really good humor.

But - wow - does terrible acting start to take over by the two leads, Andy Comeau and Kristy Swanson! No wonder these two never made it as film stars. The overacted so badly, it was embarrassing to watch. George Hamilton did a poor job, sounding very wooden.

Only Joe Pesci and Dyan Cannon gave any kind of acting performances in this dark comedy. Often, I love black comedies but this movie was just so poorly executed, so convoluted and overly mean-spirited, it was a waste of time. You want to just take a bath after watching (and listening to over 20 abuses of the Lord's name in vain) this and hope you forget the 90 minutes you just totally wasted. As mentioned, the best thing about the movie is the title.

Decent 90s Mob Comedy

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 23 July 2013]

A mob bagman (Joe Pesci) finds that his luggage, containing the proof of his latest hit, has been switched.

This was a nice departure for David Spade, stepping away from "Saturday Night Live", though still staying within comedy. Not his best work, but also probably not his fault. As a whole, the movie never really takes off the way it should.

The exception is an awesome dream sequence, perhaps one of the better dream sequences ever filmed. Sadly, this one minute is the very best -- the rest of the film does not live up to the great title. Overall, it is quite tame on the violence and gore for the subject matter. If the same story was done without it being comedy, who knows how great this might have been?

Stick This Film in a Duffel Bag.

[anaconda-40658 · 1/10 · 4 June 2015]

8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997): Dir: Tom Shulman / Cast: Andy Cameau, Joe Pesci, Kristy Swanson, George Hamilton, Dyan Cannon: This film couldn't be any worse if it was scribbled on toilet paper. Catchy title but for what extent? That there are sick people out there? For whatever reason Joe Pesci must deliver eight heads in a duffel bag to his boss but on a plane the bag gets in the possession of Andy Cameau who is on his way to Mexico to see his girlfriend and meet her parents. Pesci tortures two of Cameau's college buddies while Cameau and his girlfriend deal with the eight heads. Plot boils down to chasing about eight heads and attempting to replace them. Director Tom Shulman seems to be quoting from old style comedies but fails to provide a payoff. A dream sequence involving singing heads is inventive but perhaps another director could have brought greater substance to it. Pesci is a capable actor but his satire take on his gangster roles are hardly inspiring here, and the ending painting him as some sort of nice guy is revolting. Andy Cameau is embarrassing as he and his girlfriend, played by Kristy Swanson run about aimlessly to solve this sick dilemma. George Hamilton and Dyan Cannon play her parents and this is a major step down in their once flourishing careers. Pointless screenplay should be placed in a duffel bag and lit on fire. Score: 1 / 10

Great cast, great comedy.

[nfiz · 10/10 · 23 July 2006]

8 Heads in a Duffel Bag is a great example of a perfect situation comedy film. The events and(especially)the reaction to those events is comedy at its best. The directing conveys the humorous, yet dangerous tone of the film in a very superb way. The writing tells a story full of insane circumstances happening to normal, everyday people. The acting of the film, most notably that of Joe Pesci and David Spade, is such a huge part of the comedy that the film definitely couldn't have had otherwise. All in all, perfect writing, perfect acting. Watch and laugh.

Travis.

"Don't ever f--- with a guy looking for heads."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 28 June 2014]

I've read quite a few books about the Mafia but I don't recall that bringing back the head of a mob hit was ever a requirement to prove the job was done. I guess you just have to go with the concept here the same way you go in to see something like "Snakes on a Plane" or "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter". The idea is just so far fetched that you have to see it through to see how it all plays out. Joe Pesci is the right guy to pull off something like this, he's a lot like the character Tommy DeVito he portrays in 1990's "Goodfellas". His name is Tommy here too, so maybe he's the same guy, who knows? He's got a scene here that reminds me of yet another oddly titled flick, "Throw Momma From the Train" when he heaves George Hamilton's mother out of the car for being a bit overbearing. Look, no one's going to confuse this with being a great movie in any way but it's relatively entertaining if you like Pesci and his wise guy manner. With George Hamilton and Dyan Cannon both pushing sixty when the film was made, you have to admit they made a fine looking couple. Story continuity takes a bit of a beating as the picture progresses but I don't think that's what one looks for in a picture with a title like this. So don't even bother wondering what ever happened to George Hamilton when the picture ends.

Bland

[aleksanderk-95350 · 2/10 · 16 February 2021]

I'm surprised Joe Pesci signed on to make this film. The acting in this film is really bad from the other actors. The only other actor who did decent was David Spade. The film had some funny scenes, but nothing to make this qualify as a good film.

One of my favorite comedy

[AlexanderExtazy · 4 May 2015]

Forget about those silly low ratings. This is one of Joe Pesci's best movies.

He sure can play a terrific hit man is all I got to say!

The story from start till finish doesn't have any second with boredom in it.. every part and every minute is as interesting as the second coming!

The whole Mexican vacation setting is very lovely, and the comedy in it (especially the two dorky roommates) was hilarious.

It's hard to find a good comedy to laugh on these days, with all the rubbish being produced nowadays.

This ladies and gentlemen is a comedy classic, and I can surely vouch for any comedy lover to watch it .. at least once!

this sucks

[hanselmerchor · 3/10 · 14 January 2003]

one of the worst movies ever. Pesci, who is usually good, reminds us that he is nobody without DeNIro and Scorcese. Avoid this at all costs, the plot the acting and the dialogue is beyond pathetic. Nothing good, it is not funny, if anything it will upset your stromach.

Terrific

[philfeeley · 7/10 · 23 August 2019]

Very good '90s slapstick comedy. Joe Pesci at his best. All the actors do a great job with this screwball, wacky material. I came here just to give it an above average rating.

One Joke Turkey

[Mitch-38 · 3/10 · 7 May 2000]

Essentially a one-joke movie dragged on from start to finish, EIGHT HEADS IN A DUFFEL BAG is not especially good. The film's notion is to be a farce, but the timing is so poor, most of the jokes flop...and I do mean badly. Joe Pesci, in another self-parodying role, starts looking bored after the first twenty minutes or so. That expression magically mirrored the audience, as well.

A couple of gags came off well, including Pesci's dream sequence, which I'd have to say is ahead of its time. The rest would bored overactive children to sleep.

Headed in the right direction

[bkrauser-81-311064 · 7/10 · 27 October 2011]

The film begins auspiciously enough; Tommy (Joe Pesci) a middleman for two assassins is hired to transport eight severed heads to their mob boss to prove their owners are dead. This would be his last job before his retirement so to play it safe, he packs them in a duffel bag and takes a plane instead of driving because, you know, airport security was less stringent in 1997. While on board the plane, Tommy meets Charlie (Andy Comeau) a college student set to meet his girlfriend (Kristy Swanson) and her parents (George Hamilton & Dyan Cannon) in Mexico. Naturally Charlie's duffel bag get switched and madness ensues.

If you're interest was peaked by that small synopsis you're in for a mixed bag. The story unfolds somewhat predictably though definitely not without energy. Joe Pesci who has been able to hone-in on his inner Guido since Goodfellas, barks, snaps and growls to the point where every scene he's in is utter magic. Even with a situation as cliché as being on the phone while an impatient extra circles behind you is done with panache. His costars however play their parts with less success. Andy Comeau has the appearance of your typical rube but he doesn't have the attention to detail more experienced actors have. Playing it safe he seems frazzled when he should be panicked. David Spade and Todd Louiso who play Charlie's college friends and are shoehorned into the series of unfortunate events fare better but get a little annoying towards the end. Aside from Pesci, the only person who really hits a home run is Ernestine Mercer who plays Swanson's no-nonsense grandmother.

"8 Heads" however, is a fun time waster and manages to keep things light despite its dark subject matter. Writer/Director Tom Schulman who also wrote "What About Bob?" and "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" manages to keep the pace of your average farce without reinventing the wheel. And yes, there are head puns in this film but the groaner aren't the only thing this film has going for it.

http://theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com/

Terrible

[suhstayn · 1/10 · 30 July 2019]

Andy Comeau ruined this film for me. His acting was awful. Cringe worthy. Every time he had to show any emotion he was a train wreck. And unfortunately he was the main guy in the movie. Could have been a solid movie with a decent actor in his place.

Joe Pesci was very good. As always. Dyan Cannon and George Hamilton were very good too.

Funny, in a sick sort of way

[Meredith-7 · 7/10 · 26 July 1999]

I can understand why some people hate this film, but I can also appreciate why some people like it. I'm in the second category of these people. The jokes dont always work, but some of them are an absolute scream. The subject matter is a little sick, but its also so funny. Joe Pesci is pretty much sending up the roles he played so well in films like Goodfellas and Casino. Pretty much like Brando sending up his godfather character in The Freshman. If you thought that Weekend at Bernies was hilarious then chances are you will probably like this film as well. Its a nice little time waster.

A piece of crap

[FALinhares · 1/10 · 14 July 2002]

This film is a piece of crap and a bag full of prejudice over south American countries.

First of all the boy trying to be "Tom Hanks", sai that he cannot call the police over Mexico because there are no laws in Mexico and he would be fried. Later the girl has a brilliant idea of FEDEX 8 heads to USA, then the stupid guy said again that there's no FEDEX in Mexico. The guy that made the film doesn't even know about one of the biggest companies in USA... Later an American is arrested in Mexico and their Mexican lawyer said that he had good and bad news. The good one was that the American was over only mild torture???? The bad one is that he was sentenced to death??? Later after having their car stolen in Mexico the same stupid boy "finds" the car available for rent in a car rental store. One stupid ridiculous joke after another.

The people who worked on this film should ashamed on theirselves

good movie for people with good senses of humor

[vlvetmorning98 · 8/10 · 21 February 2004]

I saw this wonderful movie during its theatrical release, and everyone in the small theatre, including myself and my mother, loved just about every scene. Watch it with an open mind and you'll be very pleased. Joe Pesci, Kristy Swanson, and especially Ernestine Mercer, are absolutely hilarious. Even David Spade doesn't completely suck! Nice surreal touches as well.

A comedy of errors

[sauravjoshi85 · 6/10 · 20 March 2019]

The movie is a slapstick comedy regarding changes of luggage bags at airport. To be honest I really enjoyed this no brainer comedy movie. The start of the movie was excellent but looses plot as soon as it progresses. George Hamilton could've been utilised more. To be honest this is a good and entertaining movie

Not good, not horrible, but close.

[Ezra501 · 2/10 · 30 July 1999]

Well, what can I say, it is the first movie in the comedy Isle of my local video store. I have made it a goal to watch every movie in that section, and unfortunately this movie has to be the first one. Actually 6th sense was the first one, but I have seen that one not to long ago so I didn't bother to get that one. Anyways, it was predictable and lame, and if it weren't for David Spade's trademark sarcasm, I would have given it a zero. It had it's moments however, but a few clever lines does not make up for other short comings. Anyways, that how I feel.