Blake Edwards’ 80s offerings seem to range from total failures to triumphs, with nothing much in between. Skin Deep, his last theatrical release of the decade is a success that really lives up to its tag line ’The comedy that glows in the dark’. But I won’t be spoiling that for you – just urging you to watch the movie to find out by yourself.

Skin Deep is in many ways a rephrase of Edwards’ former works, and resemblance to the 1979’s ’10’ and the 1983 horrid stinker The Man Who Loved Women are obvious. The movie was written as a vessel for Dudley Moore, who luckily refused the role, for it resembled too much his earlier roles. Moore was of course right: The drunken, piano playing, womanising man child starring here is a cut right out of Moore’s Arthur movies, and would’ve turned to just another spinoff had Moore accepted the lead role. Instead, John Ritter was hired and he really embraces the role wholeheartedly, making Skin Deep his very best comedic role to date.

Ritter even surprises with some very solid physical comedy acting, something I had no idea he had the talent for.

Edwards’ writing and especially his dialogue is super sharp and he seems to gather up much of the best sides from his earlier screen writings here – plus of course them few just right loaned bits.

80s-o-meter: 78%

Total: 87%