The President's Analyst

source: The President's Analyst

Trailer—The President's Analyst

The President's Analyst

Because of copyright problems (probably resulting from Barry McGuire finding God) some of the music has been replaced on most copies of the home video version. This replacement REALLY spoils some of the best parts of the film. The most evident example takes place during the stalking scene in the field. The sceen was designed to keep in pace with the song being played. The replacement is at the wrong tempo and spoils the whole scene. The scene at the club when Dr. Schaffer gets nabs was missing on my copy as well. AMC showed the film with the proper music, but without the eyeball footage and how he meets Nan. In the uncut version, it is one of my favorite films.

Enjoyed this great comedy film starring James Coburn, (Dr. Sydney Schaefer) who is a very successful analyst in New York City and he is contacted by government agencies to inform him that he has been hired to become the analyst for the President of the United States. Dr. Sydney enjoys his position dealing with the President but after a few months he becomes completely worn down mentally by all the problems the President has to deal with everyday. Sydney eventually packs his bags and winds up with a group of flower people during the 1960's and becomes a love person who enjoys the freedom of free love with very young gals. Foreign Governments become interested in Dr. Sydney because of all the secrets the President has told him during his analyst meetings and he is hunted down by all kinds of government agencies who want to capture him and some want to kill him. There is plenty of laughs and this is really a gem of a great film.

I had read that this movie was a great satire--funny irreverent and cleaver. However, after the movie was about half over, it degenerated into a 2nd rate imitation of an OUR MAN FLYNT movie (which itself is a third-rate Bond knockoff). It seemed like MAYBE they had a good idea for a film but midway through they spliced in some crappy movie. In other words, everything they set in motion to be a good film completely lost its way---almost like it changed writers or directors. The bottom line is that it was NOT cleaver, funny or even remotely interesting from that point on--just bad. Since I saw it more recently, I assume MAYBE some of the glowing reviews I'd read or heard about came from people who saw the movie when it first came out in the 1960s. Perhaps then it seemed like a good movie, but in today's light it just seemed very dumb and pointless.

During the first few minutes of "The President's Analyst", it's a little hard to tell what's going on. But once James Coburn gets a stressful, paranoid job as the Chief Executive's personal psychiatrist, all bets are off as every government on Earth is after him. And to think that throughout the movie, we hear some Christmas songs - often sounding like they were sung by hippies! Anyway, this is a really funny movie. I get the feeling that Coburn is sort of spoofing his own role as Derek Flynt, what with all the espionage stuff. And the fact that he has a hot young woman (Joan Delaney) as his soul-mate. But the movie partially plays off of our various pet peeves about contemporary life. It has the definite feeling of a zany '60s comedy. Also starring Godfrey Cambridge and Severn Darden. The Phone Company. Ha!

Ok, I'll admit it. There are occasional days when, if you ask me my favorite movie of all time, this is the movie I'll name. Don't ask me why. Maybe it is my deep seated hatred and paranoia toward the phone company. Maybe it is just that this film captures my view of politics, diplomacy, and psycho analysis in a nutshell. Maybe it's just the way Coburn delivers the line "Canadian spies?" I don't know. Regardless, this, while it may not be the best movie ever made, is one of the most fun. Say it with me: "We are your phone company. . . "

To me this is the movie about the paranoia of the 1960s. Theodore Flicker has made a gem. In my estimation this movie features the best performances by both James Coburn and Godfrey Cambridge. The beauty of the film is that it moves from serious tones to comedy to farce without effort. I hope this is a movie that no one tries to remake. In today's market there would be a car chase and this would turn into an out and out thriller. One of the best films of the 1960s. Go to your video store or your movie rental company and take this movie home today. Sit back and laugh.

James Coburn...............at his best! Godfrey Cambridge......at his best! Severn Darden..............at his best! Did you think Dr. Strangelove was the best satire of the '60s? Then you never saw this movie. WHAT A HOOT! There's poor James Coburn, on the lam, hiding out with a "typical American family" picked at random. They go to dinner in NYC, and suddenly the spies of many nations leap out from everywhere. The couple's eyes light up! Mom yells, "MUGGERS!!!" Dad whips out a gun...Mom takes a karate stance...and they lay waste an entire street full of professional killers. Coburn escapes again. There's subtle humor, whacky humor and very strange humor here. The FBI probably started dossiers on everybody involved.