S.O.B.

An all-star cast invades Blake Edwards’ outrageous satire of Hollywood dealmakers’ Machiavellian exploits. When Felix Farmer (Richard Mulligan) breaks the record for “lowest gross in history” with his latest movie, the studio brutally turns on him, sending him into a suicidal spiral. His solution? Remake his family-friendly, feel-good musical, Night Wind, into a disco thumping, X-rated, Caligula-esque orgy of epic proportions—“With new lyrics, prurient but profound!” Its climax: leading lady Julie Andrews flashes the world her never-before-seen bosoms. Ironically, S.O.B. was a giant flop for Edwards, but it remains a cautionary tale about mainstream ambition. It is also a savage takedown of the merciless entertainment industry, which for decades overlooked Paul Reubens’ artistry.