Nick Deezy (Jeff Goldblum) is a ‘psychometrist’ capable of touching an item and being able to psychically tell things about the person who handled it. Sylvia Pickel (Cyndi Lauper) is a psychic with the most fabulous hairstyle and a spirit-guide named Louise.
The two are drafted by Harry Buscafusco (Peter Falk) to help him find his lost son in the mountains of Ecuador – he says.
In reality, Harry is a (hilariously incompetent) con man and there is no lost son – but there is a lost Incan city of gold. Harry lies (badly) constantly, changing his story every time someone pokes a hole in it.
Nick and Sylvia clash as every good romantic comedy couple do. Nick is obsessive, bringing his own water and freeze-dried food to the southern hemisphere, while Sylvia plays her Queens-vibe to the hilt, dressing in increasingly bizarre cotton-candy colour combinations and dispensing New York wisdom about life and love.
The great supporting cast includes Googy Gress as nasty rival psychic, Ingo Swedlin, and Julian Sands in an all-too-brief appearance as Dr Harrison Steele, the researcher who introduces Nick and Sylvia.
There are also short cameos from Steve Buscemi and Elizabeth Peña and a requisite dance number (so popular in 1980s comedies) which pairs the 6’7″ Goldblum with the diminutive Lauper.
Nick Deezy Jeff Goldblum Sylvia Pickel Cyndi Lauper Harry Buscafusco
Peter Falk Ingo Swedlin
Googy Gress Eli Diamond
Ramon Bieri Burt Wilder
Michael Lerner Juan
Hercules Vilchez Lyle
Harvey J. Goldenberg Dr Scott
Ray Stoddard Dr Drake
Tom Henschel Dr Silver
Susan Bugg Dr Harmon
Rodney Kageyama Dr Weiner
Van Dyke Parks Dr Thompson
Steven Scott Dr Harrison Steele
Julian Sands Fred
Steve Buscemi Consuelo
Elizabeth Peña Baseball Man
Jerry Vichi Monty Man
Leo V. Finnie III
Director
Ken Kwapis
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