Miracle Beach Reviews

If you can tell a good joke you can get away with a lot, as any party drunk knows. But there are limits. Just ask whoever has to clean up after that drunk--or anybody who watches MIRACLE BEACH, sunny sexploitation salved, but not saved, by playful humor. Up in the clouds is a cheapjack version of Mount Olympus or something, where magical figures like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy wander around in dimestore costumes. A presiding leprechaun judges that Earth's been good lately ("Nuclear arms are out, democracy is in and they're starting to work very hard on that recycling thing"), so he sends a pretty genie named--what else?--Jeanie (Ami Dolenz) down to obey the commands of some lucky human. Jeanie's bottle ends up with Scotty McKay (Dean Cameron), a recently evicted young California beach bum. Scotty and his garage-dwelling cohorts Lars (Alexis Arquette) and Soup (Brian Perry) are delighted to meet Jeanie, who makes their wishes instantly come true. It's actually amusing for a while to see them get any absurd thing they want, granted happily--though with minimal special effects--by the genie. Now housed in a luxury beach estate with live rock musicians in place of stereo and the Miss International swimsuit pageant staged on the grounds, Soup and Lars are sated. But Scotty's smitten with an unapproachable leggy supermodel, Dana (Felicity Waterman), who happens to live in the neighborhood. The only limit to Jeanie's power is she can't force lovers together, so she endows Scotty with money, moxie and multiple talents meant to attract Dana. The strategy works, and delectable Dana starts enticing Scotty toward her bed. But Jeanie realizes that Dana's a promiscuous tramp. "So what's the problem?" this film's target audience might well argue. Well, Jeanie's in love with Scotty herself and doesn't want to see him used. She does a few tricks to split Dana and the dupe, upsetting the leprechaun, but Scotty finally sees the light and pairs off with a now-mortal Jeanie for the finale. Directed by Skott Snider, a former helmer of Playboy videocassettes, this male wish-fulfillment fantasy avoids a quick drowning in its own raunch through occasional clever gags (a Hollywood executive charges his expenses to the budget of "Hudson Hawk II") and a watchable cast. Ami Dolenz (daughter of erstwhile Monkee Mickey Dolenz) and Felicity Waterman each have a winning way with the camera that transcends their thankless roles, and they fill their bikinis fetchingly--though nude scenes are apportioned instead to the hordes of female extras. Leading man Dean Cameron looks enough like Nicholas Cage to threaten havoc at the Francis Ford Coppola family reunion. Cameos include LA Clippers basketball star Gary Grant and pointless excerpts from past Brad Krevoy/Brian Stabler productions like THINK BIG and PURPLE PEOPLE EATER. The supporting cast contains some fine comic character performers, but Pat Morita plays it straight as Gus, a homeless guy who scorns a $10,000 handout from Scotty; this street person wants an honest job, not charity. Nice sentiment, but consider the message at the end when Gus turns out to be just another magical illusion. (Nudity, sexual situations.)