Reviews (13)

Good, but not The Original
This movie was rushed to market to cash in on the unexpected success of "The Bad News Bears." It might have been a lot better had the original team of writer Bill Lancaster and director Michael Ritchie been involved.

Also missed are Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal; The Bears are the default stars here, and between lack of experience, weak script and poor directing, they don't really carry it off well. The movie really doesn't start to click until halfway through with the introduction of Mike Leak (William Devane).

There are some magical moments that are as powerful as any in the first movie, but I don't care for the "Kelly Leak Show" subplot; how could someone as repulsive as Jackie Earle Haley command more attention and higher billing than a powerhouse like Chris Barnes?

Overall, a good baseball movie and an adequate follow-up to it's predecessor.

We came for the Luper(Drew Barrymore)
When asked why they made the long journey, one lone ball player said, we came for the luper(drew barrymore), referring to there injured teamate who lies in a lonely bed unable to attend the game.Before we go out there, is there anything anybody wants to say? I've got something to say(garry hixon)we all know when we came out here to Houston with Mirror Vision, Drewli couldnt come with us, but when we go out there, and the breaks are beating the boys,(mirror vision) if we could just give it all we got, and win just one, for the luper(drew), she'll know about it, and shell be happy.-well what are we waiting for

One of the greatest movies EVER!
I need to buy this tape for several reasons. First of all, I want to show it to my 6 year old daughter. She already loves baseball and maybe if she sees it, I will have no chance whatsoever of becoming a soccer mom. This is one of the greatest baseball movies of all time. I loved it as a kid and still love it to this day and the main reason is because that bimbo Tatum O'Neal is NOT in the movie. Christopher Barnes was hilarious. I don't know why he decided to crawl under a rock and exist now in obscurity, but I still love him. Even though the kids all swore and disrespected their elders, they did have a loyalty and camaraderie for each other. Bad News Bears in Breaking Training is a film that captures the American Way.

This Movie Speaks to Me
I was seven when this movie came out. Also, I grew up in Houston, spending many nights at the Astrodome, watching the Astros blay ball. The footage of the old Dome's great extinct scoreboard is worth the price of the movie to me.

Classic.

Greatest Sports Film
I saw it in the theaters in '77 when I played little league and never really got over the idea of stealing a van. I liked it better than the original which was good but lacked the depth and incredible climax of the "let them play" scene. Plus, Bob Watson makes a guest appearance. Jackie Earl Haley never got the respect he deserved and probably should have been nominated for an Oscar for his role as Kelly Leak in this film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This nostalgic special captures some classic moments from one of the most beloved shows of the '70s--a zany parody of daytime drama that launched the careers of such celebrities as Katherine Helmond, Richard Mulligan, Robert Guillaume, and Billy Crystal. The special starts as Jessica Tate (Helmond) enters the afterlife. Through a combination of dogged persistence and her trademark ditzy wisdom, Jessica attempts to convince an especially harried angel (Maude's Bea Arthur) into giving her a second chance at life. After all, the story isn't done yet. No single retrospective could hope to explain all of the convoluted plot lines generated by the warring Tate and Campbell clans, and those unfamiliar with the show might be left a bit dizzy by Jessica's whirlwind history. In its time, the show mined a wide range of social issues for laughs, touching on everything from cult kidnappings to alien abductions, student-teacher affairs to interracial marriage, and gay parenting to terminal illnesses. Soap's knack for laughing at serious issues--and refusal to back away from "heavy" drama when called for--still makes for brilliantly relevant satire more than 20 years after the show first hit the airwaves. --Grant Balfour ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Just Snipits
I didn't enjoy the snipit version of this video. I would have rather seen whole episodes.

Soap Soup
I loved SOAP and wanted to find some videos of episodes. Why are there never any reruns of this popular show?? It was not clear that this video was a "review" of Jessica's life (while talking to Bea from Golden Girls as the greeter in heaven). While it was good to see my old favorite characters again, I have never liked seeing brief snippets of scenes that were really good and leave you wanting to see the rest. What I had hoped for was a video with several actual episodes. The video seemed very short. Concidering the price, I expected it to be as long as a movie. As a "review of Jessica's life" and "SOAP Soup", it was good and worth watching. However, I will probably not buy the other "best of Soap" videos available.

Soap Suds
Soap was is a classic. Written by the Witt Thomas Harris team (who also wrote The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Nurses and Benson to name but 4) this video contains Beatrice Arthur as a guardian at the gates of heaven, it really is funny!, I won't tell you what happens it this video, and what other clips are shown as it will spoil it. Buy it! it is well worth it! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Marketing tricks
Well, it's always a pleasure watching Marisa Tomei and I'm not the only one who thinks so. So when you want to sell a DVD you put her on the cover of the box, without mentioning ofcourse that she has only a tiny supporting role in this movie, like 6 minutes of exposure. So I bought it, watched the movie and was very much dissappointed. This is a movie of below-average quality, only suitable for 16-year-olds that have an evening off and don't know what to do with themselves. Too bad.....

WOW!
What a fun movie with outstanding music! While it IS an 80s movie, I think you will find a slightly more tolerable rating on your Eighties-Cheese-O-Meter.

The first time I saw PLAYING FOR KEEPS was in a dark and dirty movie theater in Queens, New York. It was the 80s and I was a rebellious teen who judged every movie by its references to Michael Jackson, Cindy Lauper and break dancing. Now that my brain is no longer infected by the "80s-Lack-of-Common-Sense-and-Good-Taste" Virus, I like the movie. in fact, I like it a lot. Now I understand that the producers were poking fun at 80s mentality I held in such high regard.

If I had to pick a fault it would be the slowness in the middle of the film, but the rest of the movie makes up for it. Also, I wish the set designer threw away his 80s color wheel when he designed the set for the final, climactic, party sequence.

Overall, Playing for Keeps is a fun movie with great music and a very sexy Marisa Tomei. If you want to have a good time and listen to some great music I recommend purchasing Playing for Keeps and adding it to your library.

I wouldn't be surprised if this movie became a cult classic.

inspirational flick
i cant believe this movie is 17 years old i dont know why i like this movie so much i dont really remenber it back in 1986 but all i know is it has a place in my heart good now good news its gonna have new life on dvd shocking cant wait release date aug the 12

best 80s movie ever made
my first time seeing this movie was in 1995 i was in love with it its one of those movies you gotta love i like the part when they was selling the candy boy it was something else this was the best teen movie of 1986 it was a different world then we didint have as many crimes matthew penn was very good to bad daniel jordano career didnt go much farther like i say when i watch this movie i get chills in my body i wish i could go back to 1986 when this movie was made i dont care you cant say a bad thing about this movie because its the bomb very hard to find

Haven't seen it yet
I actually haven't seen it year but I'm getting it b/c it was filmed in my hometown. Very curious to see what I recognize. My boyfriend who has seen it tens of times says it is a classic movie from the 80s with a great soundtrack and he's a movie encyclopedia! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This compilation introduces each of the twisted story lines of the 1970s-era soap opera spoof by beginning with Jessica Tate's wrongful conviction of the murder of Peter, her lover and step-nephew. In a jailhouse meeting, Jessica (Katherine Helmond) and brother-in-law Burt (Richard Mulligan) examine other possible suspects, a perfect excuse to roll tape. Viewers meet her daughter Corrine, also embroiled in an affair with tennis pro Peter, that is, until her chaste courtship with a priest interferes. They see Burt's stepsons Danny, burdened with a mob assignment to kill Burt; cross-dressing Jodie (Billy Crystal), saving up for a sex change operation until his football-playing boyfriend dumps him for a shot at heterosexuality; and Chuck and Bob, the inseparable ventriloquist and dummy team. Or how about Jessica's husband Chester, outraged at her betrayal despite his own mistress and girlfriend. The only nonsuspect is Mary--Jessica's sister, Burt's wife, and the moral center of the sitcom--who stands by Burt through his guilt-ridden impotence and descent into madness because he killed her first husband. But who killed Peter? That question is never answered in this 74-minute volume, which leaves Jessica still in her jail cell as credits roll. --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Just Snipits
I was disappointed in the snipit version of this video. It recaps past episodes that involved the characters inolved with Peter but doesn't really capture the essence of any of the episodes. I guess I would have preferred to see a few episodes in their original form.

AN UNCONVENTIONAL FAMILY BUT A LIVELY ONE
I can't say enough good things about this show or this 90 minute movie which is really a recap of everything that happened in the first season.

Jessica (katherine Helmond) and Burt (Richard Mulligan, God bless him!) are what made the sitcom what it was in addition to many others who went on to do great things after the show was canceled in 1981.

If you want a movie that has a lot more going for it than just your typical cookie cutter Father Knows Best clan. The Tates and The Campbells are for you.

There is not enough good things I can say about "Soap"
One of the most controversial series' ever made, and on top of that one of the funniest. Despite the protest letters that accumulated over 20,000, ABC backed up the sitcom and still aired it. Shortly after the protests stopped, then the ratings took off. It has everything from homosexuality to ventriliguism (sp?). Starring Katherine Helmond, Richard Mulligan, Billy Crystal, Robert Guilliame, Ted Wass, Robert Mandan, and Cathryn Damon, to name a handful. The best characters were played by Mulligan (Burt), Helmond (Jessica), and Guilliame (Benson). Richard Mulligan, who is an underappreciated actor, gives the most comical and convincing performance, which he won an emmy for. Katherine Helmond deserved an emmy for playing a dimwit so well. From Jessica's court scenes to Burt's alien abduction to devil possession, this outrageous comedy delivers. Even is able to become dramatic sometimes. Quite possibly the best comedy ever! GRADE: A+

A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO A GREAT SERIES!!
This tape, is a great way it be introduced to the wacky Tates and Campbells from Dunn's River, CT!!. Although packaged as THE BEST OF SOAP it is in fact a clip show that aired before the beginning of the second season. It was shown to catch viewers up on what had gone before in the previous first season. It shows Jessica Tate (played by Kathrine Helmond) in jail for a crime she did not commit and her brother-in-law Burt Campbell (played by Richard Mulligan) comparing notes trying to figure out who did kill Peter Campbell. The two review all the family members via clips from the past season. One word of warning: You don't find out who DID do it by the video's end. This was after all just a way to get you to watch the season opener the following week.There were 2 other retrspectives made during the series run. For somestrange reason the one for season 2 is not avaliable commercially while the one for season 3 is under the title of JESSICA'S WONDERFULL LIFE. ... Read more