The original Bedazzled was a 1967 film vehicle for Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Moore plays Stanley Moon, a short-order cook at Wimpy's who is hopelessly in love with waitress Margaret (Eleanor Bron) but too shy to tell her how he feels. Depressed over his lot in life, he attempts to hang himself. When his attempt fails, in steps Satan, who goes by the unlikely name of George Spiggott and is played by Peter Cook. George offers Stanley seven wishes in return for his soul, and in his desperation, Stanley sees no reason to refuse... after all, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?A remake was released in 2000 starring Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley. In this version, Elliot Richards (Fraser) is a geeky and friendless office drone who is in love with beautiful co-worker Alison (Frances O'Connor), but is too shy to act on his feelings. After being ditched at a bar by his "friends", Elliot runs into a beautiful woman (Elizabeth Hurley) who tells him that she's the Devil and offers him seven wishes in return for his soul. While obviously hesitant, he accepts in the hopes of using his wishes to make him into the perfect man for Alison; Hilarity Ensues.
The 1967 film contains examples of:
Can you guess which of the seven sins she is?
Affably Evil: George puts Stanley up in his mansion and plys him with food, drink and Lillian Lust. His hospitality makes it all too easy for Stanley to forget how cruel and manipulative he really is.
Covers Always Lie: This cover makes it look like Rachel Welch as Lust is one of the core characters. Although Lust does have a pivotal role in the film, she's only on for about seven minutes.
Distracted by the Luxury: Subverted in the rich man wish, where Margaret is running around with another guy, and Stanley buys Margaret a mink coat. She enjoys how it feels, but then just takes it off to run around some more.
Evil Is Petty: "Your pranks are so miserable." George's petty schemes include posing as a door-to-door salesman and phoning people while they're in the bath.
Because Raquel Welch is more appealing than Peter Cook.
20% More Awesome: "Ah... well, you know, you go out there and you give a 110%, and you wanna play good, and, you know, you hope you play good... I think we played pretty good tonight!"
Affably Evil: The Devil. Sure, she's out for Elliot's soul, but she's generally friendly and sympathetic to him most of the time. Even after he nullifies their contract and saves himself, she's still polite and cordial before seeing him off.
First wish: to be rich and powerful. He becomes a Columbian drug lord.
Second wish: to be the most emotionally sensitive man in the world. He cries over everything.
Third wish: a superstar athlete and a woman magnet. He becomes an awesome basketball player with no brain and a very small penis.
Fourth wish: intelligent, charming and handsome and wanted Allison to fall in love with him. Making him gay was arbitrary.
Wished to be the President. He becomes Abe Lincoln on the day of his assassination.
What ended up being considered his actual first wish was granted before he even signed the contract.
But the seventh wish makes up for everything literally, it turns out.
Brand X: For one of his wishes, Elliot ends up playing profession basketball for the "Diablos". The logo also appears as a sticker in his cubicle at work.
Camp Gay: Combine with a wish gone wrong, and you've got yourself a very funny moment.
Deal Escape Clause: Preforming one selfless wish or act while under contract voids it.
Devil:[Beat] Y'know, you'd think meeting THE DEVIL would be enough for some people, but no, all they want to talk about is Him. Like He's so bloody fascinating.
Elliot: So He's a man.
Devil: Yeah. Most men think they're God. This one just happens to be right.
Did Not Get the Girl: Even after everything he's gone through, Elliot finds out Allison was already dating. It turns out to be alright though as the experience taught Elliot about himself and gives him a confidence boost.
He did get a different girl though...Who looks exactly like Allison.
Evil Is Petty: In between wishes, the Devil gives people parking fines, tells high school kids not to bother with their studies because they were boring, swaps medication for Tic Tacs, and cheats at chess with God.
Flat Earth Atheist: Odd example during the fourth wish. Secular humanism may be "yummy", but Eliot of all people should know that at least in the film's reality, humanity isn't alone.
Gender Flip: The Devil is recast as Elizabeth Hurley.
Getting Crap Past the Radar: As a drug lord, Elliot yells "hijos de puta!", which is translated as "you guys suck!". It really means "you sons of bitches!"
God Karting With Beelzebub: The last we see of God and the Devil is the two of them playing chess in the park.
Greek Chorus: Elliot's "friends" reappear as different characters in each wish.
The Remake: More of a Reimagining really, taking the basic idea of a loser guy in love with an oblivious beauty being offered wishes by Satan, and then going its own way with it.
Replacement Love Interest: After Elliot chats with Alison and learns she has a boyfriend, he goes home and runs into his new neighbor Nicole... played by the same actress. Lampshaded when he asks her, "Do you have a sister?"
The Devil: "Do you think I enjoy this? I'm stuck in this horrible job for eternity. Everybody hates me. When I try to help someone they turn on me like I'm supposed to be God or something! For your information, my life is a living hell!"
And, much like you'd expect of the Devil, Hurley does a good job of straddling the line between sincerity and manipulation when she does it.
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