What About Bob?

When I started this year's horror binge I wanted to throw in a few different things mostly to keep things interesting for myself but also to throw in something new for anyone who was reading. That's why I opened things up to TV shows and this review is no different. I thought it would be an interesting and funny experiment to review a film that wasn't horror through a horror lens. And on top of that, it's my blog, so you know... deal with it :) So here goes, and we'll see how successful this ends up being...

So, What About Bob. I loved this movie when I was a kid, and when I was thinking about a non-horror movie with horror elements to watch this one immediately came to mind. Bill Murray (who is a god amongst men by the way, in case you didn't know) plays an obsessive hypochondriac Bob Wylie to the extreme who is pawned off on a pompous psychotherapist Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss). Bob follows Leo to his vacation home and slowly begins (unbeknownst to Bob) taking over Leo's family and making the man insane. 

Now, why I'm reviewing this as a horror movie: well, it has a lot of the tropes of horror, doesn't it? First off, how about the whole Ring(u) plotline? Bob has gone through 10+ therapists, all of whom he lists off in one scene, and at the beginning Bob's previous therapist (who himself seems to have gone insane) pawns Bob off on Leo. Leo is struck with the "curse of the videotape" so to speak and in turn goes insane like those before him. Dude should a patsy to pawn him off on like the rest, know what I'm sayin'?

Let's talk about the slasher aspect of the movie too--Bob won't go away, as Leo laments over and over again. Like the Michaels and Jason's of the horror world Bob seems to appear out of the ether at the house, looking in on the occupants to the windows. Maybe his signature weapon is Gil, the fish around his neck... 

The face of terror: Bob. What About Bob II: Bob's Back coming soon to a theater near you.

However, Bob's biggest strength as the "slasher" who steals Leo's family is that he never seems as such to anyone but Leo, whom Bob eventually turns into the psycho killer. Leo descends into insanity until finally when everything has been torn from him (his big break on Good Morning America, his vacation, his family, and finally his own sister through marriage) he completely breaks and decides to kill Bob. Bob is shown in very horror fashion walking at night along an empty road, the trees swaying and every small sound striking fear in his heart--then finally Leo appears, gun pointed at his back. He then proceeds to tie Bob to explosives, laughing maniacally at finally having Bob's life gone from his. Being the true slasher though Bob can't die and returns for final vengeance birthday cake in hand, destroying Leo's sanity once and for all--the remains of his beloved house in tow. A true story of TERROR.

Well, I hope that shows how this is really a horror movie masquerading as a comedy. Bill Murray, you brilliant devil you. Man, I hope sarcasm translates into blog... 

9/10

I hope you enjoyed me having a bit of fun at my reviewings expense and at horrors expense as well. Back to regular horror programing tomorrow...