Guest House Paradiso (1999)

Richie and Eddie are in charge of the worst hotel in the UK, Guest House Paradiso, neighbouring a nuclear power plant. The illegal immigrant chef has fled and all the guests have gone. But ... See full summary »

Director:

Adrian Edmondson

Writers:

Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall

Stars:

Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Vincent Cassel

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rik Mayall	...	Richard Twat
Adrian Edmondson	...	Eddie Elizabeth Ndingombaba
Vincent Cassel	...	Gino Bolognese
Hélène Mahieu	...	Gina Carbonara
Bill Nighy	...	Mr Johnson
Simon Pegg	...	Mr Nice
Fenella Fielding	...	Mrs Foxfur
Lisa Palfrey	...	Mrs Nice
Kate Ashfield	...	Mrs Hardy
Steven O'Donnell	...	Chef (as Steve O'Donnell)
Charles Cartmell	...	Newscaster
Paul Garcia	...	Screen lover
Sophia Myles	...	Saucy wood nymph
Emma Pierson	...	Saucy wood nymph
Anna Madeley	...	Saucy wood nymph

Storyline

Richie and Eddie are in charge of the worst hotel in the UK, Guest House Paradiso, neighbouring a nuclear power plant. The illegal immigrant chef has fled and all the guests have gone. But when a famous Italian filmstar, Gina Carbonara, who is in hiding from a fiance she doesn't want to marry, arrives at the hotel, things get very interesting! Another family come to the hotel as it is the only one they can afford, and when Richie uses the many tunnels and airways to steal some of their rubber bikinis, then is caught by the family's dad, he tries everything to get the video back. When Eddie finds some radioactive fish and it's served to the customers, a bunch of power plant workers find out and a quaratine is on its way. Even worse, when Gina's estranged fiance arrives, all hell breaks loose! Just in time for Eddie, Richie and Gina to escape to the Carribean and spend all their new found money!

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Plot Keywords:

hotel | fish | slapstick | critically bashed | abusive boyfriend | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for gross humor, comic violence, language and sexual content

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1999 (UK)

Also Known As:

Agyatlan Apartman

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£672,979 (UK) (3 December 1999)

Gross:

£1,470,458 (UK) (24 December 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

PolyGram Films International, Samuelson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The timed light switch never lasts the same amount of time. The shortest time is 10 seconds whereas the longest time is 27 seconds.

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Goofs

When Richie is running down the stairs, there's no vomit on left hand, but when he asks for a handshake from the policeman there is now vomit on his hand.

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Quotes

Richard Twat: I trust you've slept well?
Mr Johnson: We had rather a rough night actually.
Richard Twat: Ah well, the perils of adultery.

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Crazy Credits

A scence with Richie, Eddie and Gina on a beach in the caribbean, running "Beach House Paradiso", a bar, is shown.

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Connections

References Stand by Me (1986)

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Soundtracks

"Jazz Delicious Hot, Disgusting Cold"
Written by Vivian Stanshall, Neil Innes, 'Legs' Larry Smith, Rodney Slater,
Roger Ruskin Spear, Vernon Dudley Bowhay Nowell, Martin Ash
Performed by The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

User Reviews

Not as inventive as it could have been...

The first time I had heard of Guest House Paridiso was in the, er... "washroom" after having just seen Fight Club. In each urinal was deposited a small, round black circle. When the circle came into contact with moisture (to put it delicately), it caused a colour picture to form, with photographs of the two stars and the tag line "You'll P*** Yourself Laughing". When you'd finished washing your hands, the circle had dried and faded to black again, waiting to spring it's surprise on the next "victim".

Okay, maybe the punchline wasn't terribly sophisticated, but you have to admit it was innovative. In fact, I think I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it in my life before, and these days of over a century of cinema and marketing, that's a real feat. What a pity the film that went with it failed to live up to the promise.

I hate to pan Guest House Paridiso and I am indebted to Rik Mayall (Richard Twat) and Adrian Edmondson (Eddie Elizabeth Ndingombaba) for many years of laughter through their appealing television series, be it the invention of The Young Ones (1982-1984), the sitting room plays of Bottom (1991-1995), or even solo work, such as Rik in the New Statesman (1988-1993). In fact, this would have made an hilarious 45 minute tv special. Unfortunately, its an 89 minute film.

There's definitely some merit to be had, and I laughed continuously throughout the protracted finale, which spoofed the Exorcist and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and involved... well, you'll have to see that bit for yourself. Yet often the pace is leaden, and a sterile atmosphere is throughout. The two stars (Edmondson taking his usual backseat, this time due to the fact that he adequately directs) never really get into first gear, Mayall only sporadically showing the foul-mouthed mania that makes us love him on the small screen. Indeed, the writers' presumption that we are already familiar with the characters leads to them being underdelivered to the audience. The slight hints of depth seen in the series (Richie's effeminate, failed social-climbing for example) are not present here, and instead we are left with parodies of parodies.

The Fawlty Towers accusation does pass water, complete with drunken chef and unseen, called-for waiter "Pasquele", which uncannily rhymes with Manuel. Some of the ideas, such a hotel next to a nuclear reactor with a childrens' swing hanging over a cliff face, are very, very funny, but ultimately the frenetic pace is stolen, the two constantly looking for a studio audience that isn't there, and all the "dead laugh" areas patched up with incidental "comedy" music that would have been dated in a Carry On film two decades ago.

Paridiso's brand of puerile, sadistic, perverse humour IS funny, and I feel sure it will make you laugh ... just not as often as it should.