Funny Movie With Gene Wilder and Richard Prio Blind and Deaf
Very funny pairing of the two wonderful comic actors
I remember first seeing this movie when I was about five years old, and I found it hilarious. I caught the movie a couple more times on network TV, but this is the first time I watched it again in its unedited form.
Needless to say, Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder are both wonderful talents with an irreplacable chemistry, and that chemistry is utilized very well throughout. Of course, the brilliantly original premise helps as well. A blind guy and a deaf guy who pair up to solve a murder? Classic! That premise is used wonderfully. There's a great line where they're interrogated and angry officer screams out, "Between the two of you, you saw and heard everything!"
There's a lot of great fish-out-of-water humor involving Pryor's blindness and Wilder's deafness. One of the most hilarious gags, along with the car chase, is when Pryor helps another blind man to walk across the street, and they end up in the back of a truck. Now that's a literal example of the blind leading the blind. Each gag is delivered and timed very well, thanks for the great actors and veteran director Arthur Hiller, who has directed the two leads before in "Silver Streak."
This isn't a perfect comedy. A few gags fall flat, but the key word is "few." Some reviewers and audiences have regarded this as the low point in Wilder's and Pryor's careers. I think of "Another You" as the low point, which is a horribly forgettable comedy that unfortunately was the last film they did together.
A good deal of the gags are far-fetched, but this is a slapstick farce and you have to expect that. That's why I always say that this is a very tricky sub-genre and if not done correctly, the audience will totally stop suspending disbelief and simply scoff at its foolishness.
Fans of Pryor and Wilder should not be disappointed. Also, if you want to see an early (comic) performance by Kevin Spacey, it's also worth checking out. Speaking of worth checking out, Joan Severance provides great eye candy, and she has a couple of nude scenes to boot. I was born in 1982, so this was the first movie where I saw the two comics together on screen, so "See No Evil" is more unique to me than it probably is to others. But come on! With scenes like a high-speed car chase involving a blind man and a deaf man trying to escape, how can this not be regarded as a "unique" comedy?
My score: 7 (out of 10)
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not their best, but still funny
In the final Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor pairing, they play a deaf man and a blind man who jointly witness a murder. Most of the humor comes from their schemes to prove their innocence, but probably the best scene is Pryor impersonates a doctor. How gullible can people be?! Also appearing is a young Kevin Spacey as one of the criminals. He and Joan Severance make the perfect criminal pair.
OK, so "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" isn't exactly laugh-out-loud humor like "Silver Streak" and "Stir Crazy" were, but there's no shortage of laughs anywhere in it. I certainly enjoyed it. Also starring Alan North, Anthony Zerbe, Louis Giambalvo and Kirsten Childs.
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A TIMELESS COMEDY
Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder are probably one of the best comedy couples around. And this title is probably one of the best they made together. The most of the credit goes here to Richard, who played his part really hilariously.
Anyway, a nice late-eighties comedy, with some great laughs and not so great plot. But hey, who cares about that, when you "smile your pants off".
7 out of 10
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The funniest Wilder/Pryor movie
Just saw this movie again recently, and it still gets me laughing like crazy. This was the first Pryor/Wilder movie I ever saw, when it first came out on video, and it eventually got me to the video store several more times to see their other movies. Although all of them got me laughing (especially Silver Streak), this one was by far the funniest. It's definitely an underrated movie. I only wish Pryor and Wilder had done more together.
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When two become one
"See no evil, Hear no evil"; a perfect title for an hilarious script that was brilliantly portrayed by Gene Wilder (Dave) and Richard Pryer (Wally). The tale of two "handicapped" (as Dave remarks at the end of the film, "I'm not handicapped, I have you") individuals who come together to be ones eyes. The hilarious duo get caught in a crime they did not commit and do everything in thier power to rid them of the accusation.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie tremendously. I remember watching it when it first came out in 1989 and thinking, "wow...what a funny flick". Being only 11 at the time, I didn't really understand the hilarity of all the jokes that was in it. The reason why I watch it again now... 13 years later is because of one Kevin Spacey (Who plays Kirgo, the crook). I'm in the process of collecting all of his movies... and this one just happens to be one in that list. I'm glad that it is. I find the script to be wonderfull, the acting brilliant and the time spent watching it a definate fun time. Great movie!!
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Very silly and simple...
Very silly and simple-minded, however fun, absurd comic situations, but the union of two bumbling ones, one visually impaired and one impaired was perfect, cute, with good jokes, simple and efficient production, nostalgia for the 90s, with its light humor (not even always) and cute...
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Pryor and Wilder At Their Very Best
See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
*** (out of 4)
Richard Pryor plays Wally, a blind man. Gene Wilder plays Dave, a deaf man. The two meet and quickly become friends as it seems they complete one another but they are accused of a murder and must take off and try to solve the mystery of who the real killers are.
SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL was the third of four films between Pryor and Wilder and I must say that it very well might be their best. If you go back and read some of the original reviews for the movie, it somewhat took a beating by many who said blind and deaf people shouldn't be made fun of. I agree with this but at the same time both actors turn in wonderful performances and I would argue that they say a lot about being handicapped and show both the blind and the deaf in a positive manor.
Of course, this is a comedy and it does feature Pryor and Wilder so one should expect jokes and there are a ton of them here and I'd say that the majority of them work. The comic genius of both actors is on full display here just by the way they bounce off one another whether it be a physical joke or just a matter of timing. Just take a look at the opening sequence where the two bump into one another and a fight almost breaks out even though they are unaware of the other one. The timing between the actors are just flawless here.
I'd also argue that both of them are very believable in their parts. This is especially true for Pryor who gives one of the best examples of a blind person that I've seen. Wilder also deserves a lot of credit for how he played the deaf man. Joan Severance, Alan North and Kevin Spacey are also good in their supporting parts. The director keeps the film moving at a very nice pace and as I said, the majority of the jokes work extremely well.
There's no question that the success of SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL falls back on Pryor and Wilder. Both turns in fabulous performances and make this film what it is.
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Speak No Evil about this comedy classic.
Take two excellent comedic actors-Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder-and a brilliantly simple premise-a blind man and a deaf man are wrongly suspected of a murder- and what you have is See No Evil, Hear No Evil, a side-splitting farce in which the disabled pair, Wally (Pryor) and Dave (Wilder), have to try and prove their innocence by tracking down the real villains (played by sexy Joan Severance and Kevin Spacey).
With Wally unable to see and Dave having to lip read, the scene is set for some incredibly funny knockabout comedy and hilarious verbal interchanges, ably handled by veteran director Arthur Hiller (who also worked with Pryor and Wilder on Silver Streak in 1976).
There are way too many funny moments to list, but my favourites are when Dave misunderstand's bad-tempered cop Braddock (Alan North), thinking he has said 'Fuzzy Wuzzy was a woman', and Wally, posing as a Swedish gynecologist, giving a talk on multiple orgasms in geriatric women!
Also worth a mention: Severance's shower scene (the actress going topless) and Kevin Spacey's facial cyst (the actor had it removed soon after, but here it is so big that it deserves a screen credit all of its own).
7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.
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Absolutely Superb
Hilarious, side splitting, very clever humour by two of the best comedy actors ever.
I have seen this film several times now, and each time is as amusing as the first.
You have just got to watch this film!
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What??
Great show. Making fun of disabilities and a really funny fart joke too.
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This isn't a perfect movie, but it is definitely fun to watch from beginning to end.
See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) is a movie I recently watched on Amazon Prime. The storyline follows a blind and def man who randomly meet and become friends. Shortly after encountering each other for the first time they "whiteness" a murder. Their hijinks lead them to also being suspects. They decide to track down the killer to clear their name. This movie is directed by Arthur Hiller (The In-laws) and stars Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights), Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), Kevin Spacey (American Beauty), Joan Severance (Bird on a Wire) and Alan North (Highlander). The storyline for this picture is just okay, but the charisma and delivery by Pryor and Wilder is out of this world. Their mannerisms, chemistry and banter was legendary. The scenarios and circumstances are clever with some being better than others. The fight scenes and choreography were executed well and fun. This isn't a perfect movie, but it is definitely fun to watch from beginning to end. I'd score this movie a 7.5/10.
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funny duo
Wally Karue (Richard Pryor) is blind and he doesn't like it. Dave Lyons (Gene Wilder) is deaf, and runs a newspaper stand. Wally gets a job from Dave, and quickly becomes fast friends. One day, a man comes in. After an argument with Eve (Joan Severance), she kills him. Both Wally and Dave only partly witness the incident. The incompetent police arrests the duo but then they escape. Eve and Kirgo (Kevin Spacey) are after the duo for a valuable coin.
Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder are always fun together. The gimmick allows the guys to have some hilarious back and forth. The mug shot scene was gut busting funny. While the joking around is funny, the caper doesn't work as well. In the end, the movie works as an excuse for the guys to go crazy.
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Good Fun
Not quite as good as Silver Streak and Stir Crazy but this Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor outing never fails in putting a big smile on my face.Seen it loads of times now and it's as funny as the first time, brilliant stuff.
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Richard Pryor is simply the best... better than all the rest!
Unfortunetely, I watch this movie two days before Richard Pryor dies from an heart attack, he was such a wonderful actor. The teacher of many black actors of nowadays including Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes and Chris Rock. As for the movie, it's the kind of comedy you want to watch every time you watch a comedy. You see? I don't! You hear? I don't!! That's two man, Richard Pryor as the blind guy (perfect choice by the way) and one of his best friends of all time, the talented Gene Wilder, who make the guy who can't hear. So he follow the words on the mouths of people. The plot is yet simple but effective. The beautiful Joan Severance and a unknown Kevin Spacey at that time make the villains in this movie. They are so credible, that you believe them. So I would say one thing about this movie and it's MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! You have 2 talented actors and you don't even care about the script anymore because they are so talented than they can make look good any movie they are involved to. Here, we have a good storyline, so it helps even more. You laugh about all the time even when you think ''It's too stupid to make this'', yeap, but you laugh because you are watching one of the best comedies of all times. The writing stuff is genius, they make this movie and probably at that time, it was another movie like this, but as of today, it has become a cult classic for every Richard Pryor fans! Thank you Richard for everything!
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Not Wilder or Pryor's Finest Work but Has Its Moments,
See No Evil,Hear No Evil is a decent movie with a mediocre storyline but a good comedic cast.I always like seeing Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder on screen together,the two always have great chemistry on screen and are clearly great friends,this movie is no exception,but it's just not the best movie either of them has done.I really enjoyed Pryor's performance,he did a great job pretending to be blind,he always looked straight ahead and was very convincing.I also appreciated Joan Severance and Kevin Spacey,Severance is very funny and attractive,and this is one of the first films Spacey has ever starred in,it's certainly not his finest performance,but he played his character well and this movie started off a great career for this man.See No Evil,Hear No Evil is worth the watch if it is on TV,it's short and has its some moments that are quite funny,but it's nothing outstanding.
Two friends,one blind and one deaf,go on the run to clear their names when they become murder suspects.
Best Performance: Richard Pryor
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Brilliant
A must watch. As funny now as it was when it came out.
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This collaboration of Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder is very funny to hear and see.
Of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor's team ups, this one ranks as my favorite. Granted it is not the most successful as I believe "Stir Crazy" was their biggest hit together, I still find this one the most funny. The story has Gene playing someone who is deaf and Pryor as someone who is blind. Right there you have the makings of a funny film as each other has to cope with the others handicap as Pryor's character tries to get a job at Gene's news stand where they become friends and have a very funny altercation at a bar. Well things start to spiral out of control as a person is murdered and our two heroes as it were get the blame. So they are off on a wild chase to first escape the police, then avoid recapture and finally find the people responsible for the murder. It plays out very well as by now Gene and Richard work perfectly together. Kind of a shame that Gene does not really appear in anything these days or for the last several years. He was a very funny comedic actor to be sure. This film is funny to be sure as well. A lot of good humor and it never really has to many sentimental moments either. It moves quickly too so all in all a funny comedy from two very funny guys.
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Blindness and Deafness Plays an Unforgettable Duo in This Film
It's a never ending trailer of goofyness when you put the late Pryor and Wilder in Comedy movie. I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than expectations wanted me too. I enjoy watching silly, 90s Comedies about a duo (much why my favorite movie is "Clerks", along with "Black Sheep"). Some people call it "a dud" and others say "not that funny", but this will be the first positive review of the film I have seen (or read for that matter).
I didn't know what to expect from the title, or the actors. I have never watched Pryor or Wilder in a movie (no, I haven't seen "Willy Wonka"). I have seen bits and pieces of Pryor's Comedy but when you put him in a movie where he plays a blind guy, he needs to be confused.
Pryor plays Wally, who's blind and near clueless. Wilder plays Dave, deaf and doesn't want to admit it. Get the connection? When a shot is fired right in front of Dave's stand, neither one saw or heard what happened. Dave picks up the gun and now the police are after them for their fake murder. The duo are being chased as well by the people that actually committed the murder Eve (Joan Severance) and Captain Braddock (Alan North) who are on the hunt for a gold coin that Wally and Dave stole after finding it placed in their change drawer.
The movie needs to be slow paced in order for the movie to catch up with the characters. Seeing as they are blind and deaf, the movie seems to be progressing faster then the characters. At points it feels that the movie wants to go faster, but since the characters are slow, the film needs to be slow.
Still a funny movie in places, I think after seeing this, for their troubles, I think the blind and deaf are given maximum brain power to think more clearly. If thats not the case, excuse me because thats how they are portrayed in this movie. Nothing bad here, just a silly, over the top Comedy with a lot of laughs and a lot of legs.
Starring: Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, Alan North, Kevin Spacey, and Joan Severance. Directed by: Arthur Hiller.
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They don't make 'em like they used to (pity)
I've noticed, looking back on eighties movies versus today's output, that back then (the best of them) just threw the audience into the action and went from there. There was little in the way of 'back-story' or a long period of the film's run-time dedicated to 'setting up' the characters. We were just sat down with them and left to get to know them.
I watched 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil' many times during my childhood and I've only just re-watched it again (having found it on an online streaming service). I have to say that it's held up over the years perfectly and is still as perfectly funny today as it ever was. Okay, so judging by today's uber politically correct standards it may be a but 'un-PC' here and there, but - in my opinion - that's no bad thing.
It takes two comic legends and puts them together, allowing them to play off each other wonderfully. Richard Pryor is blind. Gene Wilder is deaf. One day, during their job working at a news stand, a murder is committed. They get the blame. Now, it's up to the pair of them to apprehend the bad guys and prove their innocence.
Yes, it's a little far-fetched and 'screwball' in nature and you may have to suspend your disbelief a bit in order to fully appreciate everything that happens (a blind man driving a car for one!). However, it's not meant to be a great work of art with lashings of realism. It's there to make you laugh and if you allow yourself to go along for the ride then laughs you will get.
The plot is driven by the pair's banter between them as they try to get through this ordeal with their respective disabilities and, perhaps more importantly, try to get along with each other's disabilities. The nice thing about 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil' is that it never really makes fun of people with disabilities and provides a small - if humorous - insight into the perils they have to face in life while never showing that they can't achieve great things.
It's worth mentioning the bad-guys (and true killers) who are on their tale the whole time, simply because when I first watched it I never knew either of the male/female actors who played them. Now, I was actually quite amazed when I realised that the man of the duo was none other than Kevin Spacey (sporting a near-flawless British accent). I know these days he's not many people's favourite, so if you can overlook his input (and when judging Spacey on his acting alone I think few can say a bad thing about him) then there's nothing to stop you enjoying this silly, over-the-top (and yet poignant) film from yesteryear. Long may it keep up its sheer playful cheekiness.
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Old school
Funny film from the 1980s, old fashioned and good to watch. Richard Pryor was hilarious and Gene Wilder was the original Will Ferrell.
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Such a fun movie
Pairing Wilder and Pryor usually made for movie gold, and this is no exception. Coming at the end of their fruitful partnership, the chemistry between the deaf Wilder, and blind Pryor is so natural, you'd think they were friends their whole lives. (Turns out they really didn't socialize off set) A very original premise, a murder is committed and both men have either heard the shot, or seen the shooter, but not both! What turns out is such a funny, big hearted film that I watch it every time it's on tv. A big plus I'd the movie is the characters that populate the background, including a completely hysterical police captain, who nearly steals the show. Just watch the scene where they raid a motel. I was literally laughing with tears in my eyes! Such a fun movie, highly recommended!
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this is genius
This has to be one of the funniest films ever made.Two of the best comic actors in recent history.Who has there been since?next to this film I would have to put stire crazy but see no evil just eclipses it with the perfect timing of the jokes and the best scene of all fuzzy wuzzy was a what?{HAS TO BE SEEN}
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Hard to go wrong with this one
Warning: Spoilers
SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL is a fine '80s-era comedy that features a couple of big names pairing up. These are Richard Pryor, delivering an utterly convincing performance as a bolshy blind bloke; and Gene Wilder, a whimsical delight as a deaf guy with a chip on his shoulder. The two get engaged in a murder plot involving a gorgeous femme fatale and a youthful Kevin Spacey playing a British baddie. As expected, there's a lot of character interplay here, a lot of slapstick, and a lot of bad language, but it's nonetheless clean entertainment and also very funny. Pryor and Wilder have a ball as the odd couple and the highlights, like the car chase scene, are really very good.
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For Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, third time's the charm in their such teaming in See No Evil, Hear No Evil
tavm 18 February 2012
After nearly 25 years of reading about See No Evil, Hear No Evil, I finally watched it on Netflix Streaming. It stars Richard Pryor as Wally, a blind man and Gene Wilder as Dave, a deaf one. They form an unlikely friendship as both become "witnesses" of a murder. The villains are portrayed by Joan Severance and Kevin Spacey who I remember were also bad people on the TV series "Wiseguy" during this time. There are a lot of gags concerning both blindness and deafness but I don't think there was any meanness in intent in doing those scenes as both Pryor and Wilder have that sweetness inherent here that also served them well in their previous collaborations in Silver Streak and Stir Crazy. Though the fact that Ms. Severance is soooo fine here meant that, yes, she's the target of some what would now be called sexist jokes, I don't think they're that offensive. So on that note, I highly recommend See No Evil, Hear No Evil.
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098282/reviews#:~:text=SEE%20NO%20EVIL%2C%20HEAR%20NO%20EVIL%20is%20a%20fine%20'80s,a%20chip%20on%20his%20shoulder.
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