Loose Shoes

Loose Shoes, in Australia on Artiflix, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Artiflix, does something a lot of comedies forget to: it's consistently funny. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 4/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Royce D. Applegate sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Start it on Artiflix whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Loose Shoes earns its spot. The jokes in Loose Shoes land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. Broad satire and buffoonery presented as a series of movie trailers. Among the titles and subjects are: "The Howard Huge Story", "Skate-boarders from Hell", "The Invasion of the Penis Snatchers", Woody Allen (pre-Mia), movie trailer come-ons, Charlie Chaplin, war movies, Billy Jack. The source of the title is presented about an hour into the film. Royce D. Applegate and Lewis Arquette lead a cast with the timing to make it work. It hit screens in 1978. What keeps Loose Shoes from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, Loose Shoes respects your intelligence. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Royce D. Applegate is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.

Loose Shoes was released in 1978, directed by Ira Miller. The full 84-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.