***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** It's truly a shame that Michale Chiklis' dead-on characterization of John Belushi was wasted on this film. Director Larry Peerce, in a weak effort to create high-concept, avant-garde art has instead created a disjointed mess that trashes Belushi and bewilders the audience. Based very loosely on Bob Woodward's book, "Wired" is a sort of cross between "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Naked Lunch". John Belushi dies and is whisked off to the morgue, where a cynical, jaded attendant wheels his corpse to the autopsy room and admonishes Belushi's body for being stupid. Then, complete with hokey lightning, Belushi unzips the body bag, sits up and ambles out of the morgue to a waiting cab. The cab is driven by "Angel", a fellow druggie who ODed in Central Park. Angel then proceeds to drive Belushi through his life in a series of unconnected vinnettes, confusingly and distractingly presented in no order whatsoever.
As if the film hadn't engaged in enough lame cliche, it gets worse. While Belushi is taking a ride through his life, Bob Woodward is contacted by Belushi's widow who asks him to investigate his death. Woodward flies to Los Angeles to trace Belushi's last days. In the only interesting technique employed by the film, Woodward finds himself witnessing events in Belushi's life firsthand. Unfortunately, this effect is destroyed when the characters in the flashbacks start to interact with Woodward. Cathy Smith, as Woodward watches, looks up as she is administering the fatal injection of heroin to Belushi and says, "Wanna shot, Woodie?". Lame. Then, as Woodward is alone in Belushi's room, watching him die...the two get into a conversation which ends with Woodward telling Belushi, "I would help you John, but you did this to yourself". In another scene, Belushi is awake for his own autopsy. The film is ruined by several such lame attempts to be shocking, disturbing, or artsy, and only succeeds in being crude and offensive.
John Belushi's death rocked Hollywood and changed attitudes about drugs. Drug humor was no longer funny after his death. "Wired" thankfully does nothing to try to reverse this or glamourize drugs. Unfortunately, what could have been a entertaining-if-tragic tribute to Belushi's talents is instead a muddled mess with no sympathetic characters, no warmth, no message, no point, and Chiklis' brilliant performance wasted on a film of virtually no value.
Rest in peace, John.
As if the film hadn't engaged in enough lame cliche, it gets worse. While Belushi is taking a ride through his life, Bob Woodward is contacted by Belushi's widow who asks him to investigate his death. Woodward flies to Los Angeles to trace Belushi's last days. In the only interesting technique employed by the film, Woodward finds himself witnessing events in Belushi's life firsthand. Unfortunately, this effect is destroyed when the characters in the flashbacks start to interact with Woodward. Cathy Smith, as Woodward watches, looks up as she is administering the fatal injection of heroin to Belushi and says, "Wanna shot, Woodie?". Lame. Then, as Woodward is alone in Belushi's room, watching him die...the two get into a conversation which ends with Woodward telling Belushi, "I would help you John, but you did this to yourself". In another scene, Belushi is awake for his own autopsy. The film is ruined by several such lame attempts to be shocking, disturbing, or artsy, and only succeeds in being crude and offensive.
John Belushi's death rocked Hollywood and changed attitudes about drugs. Drug humor was no longer funny after his death. "Wired" thankfully does nothing to try to reverse this or glamourize drugs. Unfortunately, what could have been a entertaining-if-tragic tribute to Belushi's talents is instead a muddled mess with no sympathetic characters, no warmth, no message, no point, and Chiklis' brilliant performance wasted on a film of virtually no value.
Rest in peace, John.