Good Times (1967) User Reviews

Great soundtrack, weak flick...

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 9 December 2005]

Pop-singing duo (and mod-dressed lovebirds) Sonny & Cher are tapped to star in their own movie, but the couple are distressed over the corny script. Sonny Bono's soundtrack to "Good Times", which he produced and arranged (impeccably so), sounds like the very best of Phil Spector; the songs may give non-fans a glimpse at true musical genius. Unfortunately, all this aural greatness comes at the expense of a wayward, throw-away feature. Sonny & Cher spend most of their time on-screen bickering in a too-real example of marital discord. Debuting director William Friedkin stuffs the proceedings with eye-candy, but he can't get any momentum going in the fantasy scenes and they just peter out. It's a strenuous comedy, the biggest mistake of which was to plunk the leads down in the middle of so much unhappiness. They don't want to make the movie, they're being forced to make the movie, they fight about compromising their ideals about making the damn movie. Only the opening and closing montages are sunny, the rest is much too heavy--even with all that groovy music in the background. ** from ****

Camp Period Classic or a dated mess?

[raz1035 · 6/10 · 11 April 2006]

I'm a 60's fan and a Cher fan and I still had trouble getting through this movie. It's a touch of The Sonny & Cher Show, a touch of Laugh-In, a touch of early MTV and a touch of early reality show. This description sounds better than it actually is. It is still fun to watch a young & beautiful Cher in some fab clothes and singing great. She is surprisingly natural in her straight scenes. Sonny plays his scenes like a skit from The Sonny & Cher show or a Carol Burnett sketch. George Saunders looks like he was aging well playing his Allison Dewitt character from All Abot Eve. He committed suicide not long after this movie with one of the most upsetting suicide notes ever written. Sad. I believe the house that they filmed this movie is Sonny & Cher's actual home that they bought from Tony Curtis and had to mortgage to finish this film. I'm still glad I watched the whole film but doubt if I ever will need to see it again.

For Sonny & Cher's lovers

[RodrigAndrisan · 6/10 · 4 July 2016]

The puppy, the monkeys, the elephants, the crocodile, the lions, the tiger and the horses in this film are all natural so, I would say that they all are playing well. I do not know if I can say the same about Sonny & Cher. Cher's luck is that she looks very good. And both of them, Sonny & Cher, they are singing beautiful songs, very entertaining. George Sanders is George Sanders, big ego, big personality. It is one of the first films of the great William Friedkin. Just a musical without great expectations. The third episode, in which Sonny is a detective, is much more funny than the first two. Watch it only if you don't have anything better to do.

GOOD TIMES, okay movie

[DenBoy-3 · 28 July 1999]

This is the starring debut for Sonny and Cher (their screen debut being WILD ON THE BEACH). It is a hodge-podge of Sonny's fantasies of a movie-star career and Cher's not wanting to have any part of it (a carry-over from real life... ironic, huh?) It has one of their best songs DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS, and Sonny's comedy timing is surprisingly good. They could have done a lot better with a real script, I feel, but it WAS 1967...

Sonny and Cher and Self-Promotion

[nycritic · 5/10 · 17 March 2006]

It's honestly not that bad. Cheeky may be the closest I can come up with because Sonny and Cher play on their pop personas, dress to the nines in mod 60s style, and introduce what would be the skits that would make up the bulk of their variety show of the mid 70s.

There isn't much a plot to speak of, except that Sonny and Cher are asked to come up with a movie and Sonny fantasizes of the myriad ways he could reconfigure established genres and make them successful. Spoofs of note are the ones targeting THE MALTESE FALCON (film noir). Other genres made fun of are the Western and the adventure film. George Sanders plays up his stiff persona to play their boss Mr Mordicus and Sonny's heavy/villain in the skits. And yes, that's William Friedkin, some time before THE EXORCIST, making a cute little film that seems to have been aimed at the teeny-boppers, much like many of the teeny-bopper films promoting the likes of (insert teen idol here) in a fluffy movie about nothing spectacular.

Boring Sonny

[mrdonleone · 2/10 · 5 November 2019]

One of the worst movies I've ever seen. Not much more to be said about that.

A movie that didn't understand who had the S&C star power

[cherold · 4/10 · 16 January 2021]

Cher plays 2nd banana to Sonny in this amiable collection of movie spoofs. At times pretty funny (the final Mickey Spillane bit is probably best), but sporadic and too cute.

Cher, of course, went on to be the reason people watched the Sonny & Cher show and then became an award-winning actress, but apparently the folks who made this movie failed to discern her talent.

Sonny & Cher in 1960's Time Capsule

[CitizenCaine · 5/10 · 8 June 2009]

Back in early 1967, when Good Times was released, someone must have had the grand notion that this would be entertaining. It's essentially a warm-up for what viewers later saw between 1971 and 1974 on the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. George "what am I doing in this film?" Sanders plays an egotistical filmmaker who makes a deal with Sonny & Cher to make a movie. Sonny fantasizes about playing a sheriff, Tarzan, and a private detective. In between the fantasy scenarios, songs by one or both of the duo are presented. The sheriff scenario and especially the Tarzan scenario are both pretty silly, yielding maybe a few chuckles. The private detective skit is laugh-out-loud funny. Cher shows early on the talent she had to play the comic foil, as well as disappear into any role she played. Sonny is pretty much out of place throughout most of the film, and this explains why he went into politics and left show business: he was never that talented to begin with. Guys will get a charge out of ogling Cher at 20 years old wearing some groovy fashions of the day. William Friedkin made his feature film directorial debut with this film. I suppose there are much worse ways to make a directorial debut, and Friedkin shows off with some good camera angles, especially in the detective scenario. Look fast for an ode to Cagney's Public Enemy at the beginning of the detective skit. Along with the earlier Beatles' film Help!, one of the earliest movies to film pop stars in a less than completely musical setting. It's a time capsule from 1967 to be sure, complete with psychedelic/kaleidoscopic transitions between scenes. ** of 4 stars.

Wow! This was tragic

[Calaboss · 2/10 · 11 June 2006]

This flick is only viewable by those that have a huge amount of pot, and even then, it's a tough go. For guys, there is some redeeming value at being able to see Cher before she had her face screwed up by a doctor. And she DOES have a nice singing voice.

The late 60's were a strange time for movies, and this is a really good example. Far out, groovy, and bitchin' don't quite describe it. Jaw-dropping in its silliness, apparently nobody had any shame in 1967 Hollywood.

And Sonny, with that shaggy Beatles hair! Gosh, we were odd back then.

Best avoided if ANYTHING else is on.

Entertaining!

[bscell · 7/10 · 11 October 2006]

If you enjoy off the wall humor, and have a fondness for 60's nostalgia, you will like this movie (in my opinion). I found the film to be good-natured, a bit silly in spots, and touched with a slightly warped sense of humor that held my attention for the relatively short run-time. I just wish that Cher had a larger role in this one, but, I guess (at the time), Sonny was considered the real "talent." Granted, Sonny can't sing very well (especially so when compared to Cher), however, he seems to be having a "good time" making the movies within the movie. The Western spoof is especially entertaining.

This is a guilty pleasure movie. It amused me, made me smile a few times, and that is enough for me to recommend it!

A sign of things not to come

[znowhite01 · 3/10 · 1 May 2010]

First feature from William Hurricane Friedkin in 1967 is a comedy musical starring Sonny and Cher(!), and we're a far cry from the all the vehicular mayhem, gay themes and people getting shot in the face which was to soon follow from the man. Sonny Bono, here resembling the love child of an ogre and Gerard Depardieu, plays himself in a silly fantasy plot about trying to get his pre-surgical wife Cher in the film business. No, this is not a documentary, but a fun, harmless "what-if" caca comedy. We are then treated to three daydreamed scenarios: a Western with wimpy Bono cleaning up a corrupt barroom; a Tarzan jungle movie; and a film-noir detective parody. It's amazing how low and childish the direction sinks at times with its pseudo-hippie sensibilities and innocent morality. The slapstick gags are usually unfunny with only a few inspired moments: a card game with talking chimps and an overdone nightclub shootout. In between each episode comes the musical number which may or may not serve as anesthesia for the sequences that come before. Sonny's pilgrim haircut and squash physique may turn viewers off, but it's surprising to see that Cher was actually cute at one point.

better than what you think

[adrienneenterprises · 10/10 · 12 July 2023]

I seem to recall this was on TV in the 70's and the trailer blew my mind, but for some reason I never saw it. Thanks to Youtube, I saw it last year and the western scene seemed to have a really good vibe to it, but the rest was kind on "meh". You kinda think it was ok, but you wouldnt wanna watch it again. Then I watched it again this week, and I found it rather good. Put it like this, its no Casablanca, but if you are in a mood for some good time 60's vibe, it sooooo ticks all the boxes. Some will say its hopelessly outdated, but that's its charm. Watch it and make your own mind up. I will be watching again at some point :)

Treasurable artifact for 60s nostalgists

[teeport-1 · 7/10 · 23 November 2013]

So many films fail in their initial run, then enjoy a happier afterlife via TV reruns & video. I first saw GOOD TIMES on a Movie for a Sunday Evening in the '70s, then in the regular rotation for Movies 'til Dawn', then it disappeared for a long spell before reappearing on DVD. Kudos again to Anchor Bay!

I've a real affection for these innocent, lightweight musicals starring pop stars, and this one didn't disappoint: musically, thespically or photographically. Sonny & Cher were inspired comic actors even then. 1967 was an especially outstanding year for original movie music (JUNGLE BOOK; MAD MONSTER PARTY; portions of DR. DOLITTLE; many, many more) and Sonny Bono's song score was another good reason why. Some of his best are here: IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS (with Cher performing against comic-strip backgrounds); JUST A NAME (a touching & cinematic 'traveling' musical number) & the title song, done in a saloon setting. In short, the movie perfectly fulfills modest expectations. Unfortunately, the movie also coincided with S&C's declining statistics on the pop charts...until their 1971 comeback.

The comedy is broad but lovable, probably best in the western spoof. George Sanders has genuine menace, he adds a touch of real anxiety & suspense to the situation, you really feel for Sonny when he's obviously not going to meet an implacable deadline. The film's ending is bittersweet, not entirely "happy." GOOD TIMES is a genuinely good time, though. For me, with every viewing it gives a happy glow to the next day. It certainly deserves better than it's average rating here.

Critical Appraisal: 6 Personal Enjoyment: 8

Talent Wasted

[DKosty123 · 1/10 · 18 March 2006]

Yes, the movie has good music, but when you compare this with Sonny & Cher's other work, this is the worst I have seen. The film is stuffed with visual montages, & a meaningless plot. Sadly the movie has a lot of eye candy but not enough shots of a young, prime hard bodied Cher. The film does not have any humor which is what made their Variety show go. That element missing is the biggest problem, as I can only wonder why it was left out. Drama from Sonny & Cher puts you to sleep, & serious scenes from a couple whose only serious accomplishments in their lives is their music just doesn't work. The only thing that gets 1 point from me is the nostalgia value because other than that, this film is a total zero.

What a stupid movie!

[HallmarkMovieBuff · 16 March 2006]

The best parts of this movie are Cher singing, Cher berating future U.S. Congressman Sonny ("Why don't you take off that hat...you look like an idiot."), and Cher in a jungle suit lying on a tree (Great Gams, Sonnyman!).

This movie is about Sonny and Cher making a movie. The script is awful -- both of them. And the "satirical" situations are ridiculous. Watch this, if you must, as a period piece of the freewheeling '60s. (Was the scriptwriter on LSD?)

If you like stupid humor, then this movie's for you. Otherwise, this is a movie you can "watch" from another room with your ears.

I recommend that you fast forward through all the dialog scenes and watch only the musical numbers, which are quite good (and the reason I bumped my rating up a point). Or buy the soundtrack, if you can find it, and listen to that while you do housework or something else productive.

Nice 60s Groovy Flair

[zeppo-46774 · 4/10 · 2 August 2021]

It's not a Sonny and Cher movie -- it's a SONNY and cher movie .. cher takes the backseat to Sonny in nearly every vignette. Rarely the wise-cracking equal as portrayed in the Sonny and Cher TV program

Some of the set pieces go WAY too long- even for their times.

Songs you would hope to show up never do .... I Got You is prevalent, though it has some odd arrangements.

The film is somewhere between okay and Tedious....

From the Director of "French Connection" and "The Exorcist".

Wretched

[robert_fager-200-64760 · 1/10 · 4 April 2022]

Terrible movie. No decent songs, no discernible plot, no charm or humor or warmth. Unwatchable.

Not even a significant pop culture item of the 1960s. You don't need to see this.

And a good time was had by none.

[mark.waltz · 3/10 · 4 May 2020]

If any pop group of the mid-1960's should have had an attempt at a film career outside guest appearances at that time, it was Diana Ross and The Supremes, not Sonny and Cher. This mess of a movie has moments that are amusing, purely out of a delight of how bad they are rather than for the entertainment elements. Certainly, the musical numbers are in anticipation of the music videos of the future, and they are a sight to behold. The basic premise has Sonny and Cher, hot after their TV special, sought by movie mogul George Sanders (who has to be seen here to be believed!) who wants them to star in a big screen feature. What kind of feature is yet to be determined, even though they have the title ("Rags to Riches", how generic is that?). So Sonny has a series of fantasies of the type of film he thinks they should do, and boy, are they the epitome of silliness!

The musical numbers, which truly focus on Cher's outrageous costumes, are a mixed bag. Her opening number is actually pretty good, although the use of "I Got You Babe" over the credits is sung at a pace that makes you believe that they were on downers. The visuals in the opening number are hysterical, boofing comic strips of the time and including some outrageous drawings. When it comes time for Sonny's fantasies, the results are quite eye-rolling, with a horrible Western musical spoof showing off Cher's lack of dance talent at the time, a jungle theme that Tarzan would have turned down and a film noir parody that gives us an idea of what Cher would look like had she been blonde.

It is an inauspicious debut film, not only for the singing duo, but by future Oscar winner William Friedkin who gives no clue of the genius I ahead. There are certainly parallels here that would be evident in the gossip columns about Sonny and Cher a decade later and a sense that in spite of the fact that they fought a lot, their love was genuine and sincere. Neither are particulaly interesting as people in the confines of the script, and there are times when Cher's nagging and Sonny's childishness makes them unappealing. Visually, it is a sight to behold, filled with delightful 60's extreme colors and camp, but as good cinema? An absolute head-shaker.

Not for the masses.

[mrvault · 2/10 · 2 January 2021]

Pretty dumb and mostly boring. These two became popular during the hippie phase of American culture. Their acting skills leave a lot be desired but they had a lot of popular songs. The two later divorced and Sonny died in a skiing accident. Too bad the roles weren't reversed as Cher's parenting skills were even worse than her acting skills in this really poor movie. Both of her kids were messed up severely by her parenting. Unless you're desperate to hear the songs, give his one a pass.

Red Patent Boots

[skyinhighgear · 3/10 · 1 February 2021]

If you were in the audience 1967 at a downtown movie theater the first night of the showing of "Good Times" you got a big surprise. Sonny and Cher showed up live. I was 17 my date was 16. Wowed by Cher my date was not as entertained as I when Sonny came down the aisle, then to the middle of the row where I was seated and shook my hand and said "Good Luck". This has been my good luck charm my whole life. Never a dull moment. Later married a musician. The highlight was Cher's red patent boots. No one else in the world could walk in her boots!

entertaining

[winner55 · 7/10 · 29 November 2009]

I agreed to see this because it was the first film by William Friedkin (French Connection, Excorsist). And the big surprise is that it is not a bad film. (And kudos to Mr Friedkin to show such savvy in his parody of "High Noon" and other films.) Of course it's not a great film, either. Stylistically, it is rather of a kind with television movies of the same era, or a decade later. For better or worse, Friedkin decided not to go the route of "psychedlic trippy hippy film," but delivers a fairly staid, episodic musical comedy. That actually saves the film, in my opinion; I never felt, watching this, that it might have seemed better in its time and place with a hit of acid under the belt. It's a simple, middle-brow romantic comedy about a pair of singers wrestling with the very idea of making a movie for their fans.

For me, the saving grace of the film is Cher; here she is all exuberance, innocent sexuality (a quality difficult to project), love-of-life - oh, she's just great.

And through her, the film captures the romanticism of the 1960s that is largely forgotten today.

Finally, a word on the music: Sonny Bono's songs are wretched just as songs, but he had a real ear for melody and the arrangements here make that very clear - he missed his calling, he should have been composing soundtracks all along.

A bit of an oddity, but kind of fun.

Camp classic.

[Melllvar · 10/10 · 14 March 2001]

This movie is a classic example of 60's camp.The main story,Sonny's desire to star in a movie and Cher's lack of interest,takes a back seat to the fantasy sequences which satirize various movie generas.

The soundtrack is excellent.Sonny Bono was a musical genius and this film is the perfect showcase of this,and though Cher is talented,I think she did her best work with Sonny.If you are a fan of Sonny and/or Cher this is a movie you shouldn't miss.

This. Movie. Kicks. Butt.

[rooprect · 7/10 · 23 October 2010]

I don't own a single Sonny & Cher album, but I thought this film was fantastic. What's not to love about this movie? It's a time capsule to the outrageous 60s where comedy didn't have to make sense to be funny, singers didn't have to be on pitch to sound great, and plots didn't have to be fairytale-simple in order to entertain.

Indeed, the plot of this movie revolves around Sonny & Cher's contract to make a movie and their apprehension to the screenwriter's sappy story. Rather than go along with a lame Hollywood regurgitation of a "sure thing", they take us on a series of trippy brainstorms, showing us how *they* would make a movie. It's weird, it's wacky, at times it's incomprehensible, but it is undoubtedly unique.

This film is basically 3 stories within a story. The first is a western, the second is a jungle flick, and the third is a film noir detective story (in brilliant colour, no less). The comedy is hilarious if it's your style. It's sort of a madcap, deadpan, surrealistic sense of humour a lot like The Monkees TV show (or the Monkees film "Head"), a bit of Gilligan's Island with its intelligent slapstick, and toward the end it's a lot like "Airplane" with its utterly bizarre, over-the-top satire. Definitely stick around for the detective story which is my favourite of the lot. Anyone who's a fan of the Zucker-Abraham-Zucker films ("Airplane", "Naked Gun", "Top Secret", "Hot Shots") should get a kick out of that sequence.

The tunes (again, I know nothing about Sonny & Cher except for "Babe I Got You Babe" from the movie Groundhog Day) are thoroughly entertaining even when they're rough around the edges. Apparently Sonny Bono was sort of a Bob Dylan kinda guy who didn't have the most impeccable voice but knew how to deliver a lyric. Cher belts out those notes like she's a cannon, and that might shock those of you who are used to today's more demure, sultry vocal style. But as we see toward the end, Cher has tremendous versatility in her voice, and she is just as capable of a soft ballad as she is a throat wrencher. To me, the payoff is "I Got You Babe" acoustic version which is delivered at the end in a very subdued & classy way (not the version from Groundhog Day) which immediately clinched it: I'm a Sonny & Cher fan.

Oh, a quick word about the film quality & directing style: magnificent. The DVD I got is the MGM version released in 2004, and although there are no bonus features, the picture is as crisp and vivid as anything done today (perhaps it's been digitally remastered). The director William Freidkin who did, of all things "The Exorcist", throws in some nice artistic touches and creative shots that should be of interest to any cinema geeks in the audience; if nothing else, it's weird to think the same director would, 5 years later, be filming demon girls vomiting pea soup and telling priests nasty things about their mothers. All around, this is a great film which truly deserves a cult following, if only more people knew it existed. Snatch it up if you get a chance.

Bizarre but fun

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 26 August 2022]

The first (and only) film to star Sonny & Cher. Theyn play themselves getting involved with an evil Hollywood producer/director (George Sanders) who wants them to do a film on a lousy script he has because they're hot and can sell it. Most of the film deals with Sonny & Cher seeing themselves in various types of movies primarily westerns, Tarzan flicks and private eye flicks.

It's VERY 1960s in tone and style but not bad. It's the first feature film directed by William Friedkin and his direction really propels the film. It's a strange movie (to say the least) but certainly never boring. It's quick (only about 90 minutes) and very G-rated. Also the songs are good and it's great to see Cher so young and beautiful. So it's kinda worth seeing.

Great movie

[captainrobincarm · 10/10 · 18 October 2019]

I saw this movie and immediately fell in love with Cher