Reviews (10)

GREAT MOVIE
The Quarterback Princess was a great movie. Helen Hunt was very good, and did you happen to notice Tim Robbins as the backup quarterback. My only complaint was that the blond cheerleader should of been the homecoming princess. I mean lets be reasonable she was a beautiful girl.

The Maidas Of Prince George
I was fortunate enough to have gone to school (Prince George College) with the younger Maida girls (Heidi & Gidget), having never had the pleasure of meeting the Quarterback Princess. I actually didn't know any of this when they were there, it's only years later that I found out who they were.
This is a very inspiring story and a very good movie. Helen Hunt is very credible as Tami Maida. This movie was the 'Rudy' of the 80's. Highly recommended.
They should've covered the Prince George years too, I could've been a pretty good subplot.

QUARTERBACK PRINCESS
A very good lighthearted movie. Tifanny, the blond chearleader, should of been the beauty pagent winner, but Tamis character was the main part of the movie. Tami should of excepted the fact that Tifanny was a better person, and she should of been much nicer to her when she was given the chance at being her friend.

This Helen Hunt Movie Should be on DVD!
Being a fan of Helen Hunt from when she was still a child actor and being a fan of her today I recall watching this movie on HBO or Cinnemax in the 80's and thinking it was good. I'm a woman who is not really into sports but I still liked this movie and I liked the message about going for ones dreams and even if this movie was only loosely based on Tami Maida's experience as a girl who was the homecoming queen and a quarterback on the the school team it still is good and this is one of my favorite Helen Hunt movies and I would like to see The Quarterback Princess put on DVD as well as all her other movies she made in her years as a child actor but especially this movie and The Miracle of Kathy Miller.

Inspired by a true story, but certainly not based on it
Having been in school with Tami at the time, I didn't really care for the movie, nor did anyone else I know for that matter. For the record, she faced no obstacles, her endeavor was supported by her classmates and the town, and she was QB for the freshman team. She was the freshman class' homecoming princess though, and she was a very sweet girl. After only 1 year in Philomath, her family moved back to Canada. ... Read more

Reviews (238)

great satire from the late eighties
Mel Brooks definitely lives up to expectations with Spaceballs. This parody of the Star Wars movies will deliver laughs whether you are a sci fi fan or not. The cast of characters (including Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis...and of course Mel Brooks) closely parallels the familiar cast of Star Wars, but Rick Moranis takes the cake as Dark Helmet, the Darth Vader-like figure. ("And now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.")

Personally, I found this movie amusing at 10, and now at 22 I still think it's wonderful. Most of the other reviews give you an idea of what the movie contains, so I won't get into a long explanation, but I have to recommend this one pretty highly as a great comedy.

Spaceballs
The Planet Spaceball has a problem; They're slowly running out of air. However, they have a plan; Capture Vespa(Daphne Zuniga), the Princess of their peace-loving neighbor planet Druidia, which would force their father, King Roland(Dick Van Patten), to give them the combination to the air shield, which underneath contains 10,000 years of fresh air. Instead, the Princess and her droid Dot Matrix(Voice of Joan Rivers), running away from her wedding to Prince Valium(JM J.Bullock), they find her. After being offered $1 million spacebucks, which they need to pay off gangster Pizza the Hutt(Dom DeLuise), space pirate Lonestarr(Bill Pullman)and his half dog/half man sidekick Barf(John Candy)go to stop the evil Lord Dark Helmet(Rick Moranis)and Spaceball President Skroob(Mel Brooks)and along the way, Lonestarr learns the ways of the Schwartz from the everlasting know-it-all Yogurt(Mel Brooks)

This movie, along with "DRACULA DEAD AND LOVING IT" is Mel Brooks at his best. It's fricking hilarious!! Bill Pullman is great as Lonestarr, a spoof combination of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, Daphne Zuniga gives her all as Princess Vespa, John Candy is hilarious as Barf, Joan Rivers is decent as Dot Matrix, Rick Moranis is downright classic as Dark Helmet, a wimpy puny spoof of Darth Vader(He's the funniest guy on this movie!!!)and the rest of the cast is average.

Highly recommended as one of Mel Brook's best and with lines like "I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate", "You are to refer to me as idiot, not you captain!", you won't stop laughing. So see this film.

AND MAY THE SCHWARTZ BE WITH YOU!!

because good is dumb
although not a mel brooks masterpiece this film does not suffer solely from lack of comedic inspiration. in fact i find it to be one of his best. its main problem, in my opinion, was the shift in audiences. for the most part films such as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein catered to an audience that was, by 1987, much older and focusing on family life. plus, brooks' comedic venom was now aimed at a less familiar target in Star Wars. intially, even i had a hard time time convincing myself it was worth seeing. but after repeated viewings i realized that it was as funny as many of brooks' best. now dont get me wrong, you wont laugh as often as you did for High Anxiety but you'll laugh none the less. sadly, the core players of previous films are missing here (Harvey Corman & Madeline Kahn) and it suffers becasue of it but the times were changing and so were the films. only later on did brooks really get into a stupor with Robin Hood: Men In Tights and Dracula: Dead and Lving It, starring the one dimensional Leslie Nielsen.

The Funniest Movie Ever!!!
Spaceballs, a comic masterpiece directed by Mel Brooks, is one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. I own the trilogy of Star Wars and I watched every movie in the trilogy before I viewed this movie. After I watched Spaceballs, I found myself in a state of pure laughter as I saw Mel Brooks and John Candy imitating the trilogy of Star Wars. Anyone that wants a good funny movie to view should buy Spaceballs today.

Holy Crap it was good!!
This movie was absolutely crazy and funny!! I couldn't help but laugh the whole way! My favorite moment was the spoofing scene of Alien. Sooo funny. Watch Spaceballs and get ready to laugh hard. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great first 3 minutes - the rest is poor
After a highly erotic opening scene that rivals any level of provocation in the softcore genre, this movie quickly deteriorates into a typical B-Movie with no suspense or steamy thrill. Rent before you buy. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A natural portrayal of character
You won't get large explosions, incredible lines, or wonderful camera work in "Gross Anatomy". What you will get, though, is a beautiful and realistic character portrayal of five clean cut kids who are trying to achieve the dream of thousands of students in this country: To become wonderful med students.

Matt Modine has to be one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. In this film, his development is staggering. From the moment you see him, you think "this kid is special". To see this beauty materialize during the course of the movie is unforgettable.

The film does a superb job of juxtaposing Christine Lahti's character (Dr. Woodruff) with Modine's. You can understand her dream of making her "best students into top doctors" and how Modine may fit this role. Modine's medical partners do a fine job of depicting some of the other practical problems that first year medical students may face.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining film that will leave the thoughtful viewer thinking about his own character development, perhaps juxtaposing it against one of the several fine characters in this film.

Perhaps the most underrated film of all time.
I am always disturbed to see the lack of recognition which "Gross Anatomy" has suffered. It is in my opinion one of the best films ever produced. The humour is good, but more significant is the character development which is so perceptive and subtle. It is certainly worth seeing, unfortunately it appears to be unavailable.

The best med movie ever!
For my opinion the year of 1989 it has been one of the most exciting years in the history of cinema. Three movies from this particular year changed my life. First Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, second Dead Poets Society and third is Gross Anatomy. the last one i saw it the first time in TV but i loved it right away. This movie mixtures two of my favorite items. Colleges and relationships. It has believable and true characters and most of all it has Daphne Zunigha. Its directory it is honest and modest but above all some melancholy corresses the story. I think the character Matthew Modine plays is a genious who he dosen't know he is genious. I loved it and i am waiting for the european edition of the movie because i cant buy it yet.
Dont miss it either youare med student or not...

Don't Watch This Unless You Care About Medical School
The only people I know who've even heard of this movie are med students and aspiring med students. I'll be starting medical school in a few months, myself, so I can't say that I'm any different. That's what initially drew me to the movie, and maybe that's the reason why I liked it.

This movie has Matthew Modine playing a first year medical student named Joe Slovak. He's the antithesis of everything that a stereotypical med student is perceived to be. He's laid back, worldly, handsome, and not especially self-serving. At first I thought his character would be in the style of Robin Williams in "Patch Adams", where he'd end up being the rebel who believed that medicine lacked humanity and would lead a crusade to somehow change things for the better. However, he doesn't really seem to care about people enough to make such a change. While this apathetic lack of motivation might be realistic, it certainly doesn't make for a colorful character in a movie. He is surrounded by four other med students who, as any movie about medical school would require, are all driven to excel and are vilified as a result. The movie tells how these five people worked together to get through their first year in school. All the typical elements are here: cut-throat competitiveness, jealousy, elitism, ways of dealing with stress, and of course, the obligatory subplot involving the budding romance between two lab partners.

If you're thinking about going to medical school, don't use this movie to decide whether it's a good idea. It won't sway your opinion in any particular direction. However, aside from the way in which the characters are skewed, this movie will give you a good idea of what medical school might be like. Though, if you're just looking for a movie to provide you with entertainment, this isn't what you want. Go watch "Patch Adams" instead. It's of the same genre, and it's better. Unless you're medically inclined, I don't recommend this movie.

No Special Features
If you read all the reviews of this film below based on the VHS version, you'll see it is one of the more enjoyable films of the late 1980s. Everything said about it is correct, and I stand by the praise I gave it as well.
I just wanted to alert viewers of the DVD, however, that there are NO special features. It's a bit odd for a DVD not to have any, but that explains why this is is so inexpensive.
Of course, the nice thing is, it's widescreen, so you can see the full picture. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Two mismatched college students (John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga) find themselves trapped together during a cross-country road trip, trying to make it home for the holidays. She can't stand him, and he just wants to get to L.A., where a sexy "sure thing" is waiting to greet him with open arms. It's not hard to predict where this sweetly old-fashioned romantic comedy is going to end up, but along the way there are many pleasures to be had. Director Rob Reiner, in his second feature (after This Is Spinal Tap), has a nice eye for the kitschy flotsam found along the American highway, and his identification with the college kids doesn't condescend to them one bit. The movie helped make a star of John Cusack, who gives a delightfully spritzy performance--kind of a precursor to his similarly energetic, likable turn in Say Anything. Given the usual crass tenor of Hollywood college movies, The Sure Thing is something to treasure. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (81)

My favorite romantic comedy
I usually don't like romantic movies. I mean let's face it they are usually predictable and the two stars have no chemistry. However, when done right a romantic comedy can work. In The Sure Thing it works. John Cusack stars as Walter Gibson a freshman at a small northeastern college. He has been down on his luck in the woman department. He meets a girl, Alison in his English class. They have a Pseudo-date and it ends badly. Walter decides to take a cross-country road trip to meet with his friend Lance (played by ER's Anthony Edwards when he still had hair.) Lance assures of a sure thing upon his arrival. He of course through some unfortunate luck and show tunes is stuck with Alison on the road trip. What I liked was the honesty of this movie. Cusak's character learns about women, relationships and the actual meaning of the word love by being stuck with Alison. She learns to loosen up, and accept people for what they are. In every successful relationship that I have had, that is what happens. I learn from her and she learns from me. Yes, the end is a little predictable and it is a little dated, but the story is funny and pretty dead on.

A Sure Winner
The Sure Thing is director Rob Reiner's second film and his first conventional movie after the mockumentary format of This Is Spinal Tap. The film has the classic teenage plot of boy meets girl, girl at first hates boy and then in the end they end up together. But instead of being just another cliché, The Sure Thing features such likable and winning performances by the two leads, John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga, that it becomes a memorable and lovable film. Mr. Cusack stars as Walter "Gib" Gibson who is in a slump when it comes to getting girls. Everyone around him at his New England campus seems to be scoring, except him. He meets a pretty girl, Alison (Ms. Zuniga) in his English class and tries to hook up with her. Alison is a straitlaced girl, who schedules everything she does to the second, while Gib is a spontaneous guy who lives life minute to minute. Alison agrees to tutor Gib in English and he tries to seduce her, but he fails miserably and she ends up hating him. His best friend from high school, Lance (Anthony Edwards) is out at college in California where he has set up a date for Gib who is a "sure thing". All Gib has to do is get to California by 12/22 and he's in. The problem is he has no money to fly, so he finds a ride with a couple who are driving out to Los Angeles. As fate would have it, Alison is also in the car as she is heading out to see her boyfriend in LA. The couple Gary Cooper and Mary Ann Webster are upbeat squares who sing showtunes on the trip. Gary is played by a young Tim Robbins in one of his first roles. Gib and Alison are constantly bickering at one another and eventually they are thrown out of the car and forced to hitch. Along the way, Alison starts to see the real charm in Gib and starts to fall for him. Eventually they reach LA and go their separate ways. They both end up at the party where Gib meets his sure thing (Nicolette Sheridan). Jealousy ensues between the two and Gib eventually takes his sure thing up to Lance's bedroom. The movie flashes forward where Gib and Alison are back in English class and we learn that Gib didn't cash in on his sure thing and Alison and Gib end up sharing a kiss under the stars. Mr. Cusack got his first leading role after a series of bit parts and he shines in his opportunity. He shows that offbeat charm that would become his signature trait. Mr. Reiner perfectly captures life on the road in America and the film is a low-key success.

What's Important
This 1980's teen genre comedy is not as good as the earlier "Ridgeway High." It's not as good as "Pretty In Pink" or the other John Hughes movies. But it has its moments and certainly is far better than the awful "Valley Girls" which appeared in 83. Rob Reiner has an easygoing hand on the direction. He's not going to be remembered as Hitchcock or Ozu, but again, sweet comedy is Reiner's best stuff. I always found John Cusak movies vaguely unsatisfying. His roles are the smart aleck kid that revolts against middle-class etc... But in this movie of boy-girl opposites, he's good, even handsome in a Tom Cruse way. Alison Bradbury is fine as the anal co-ed, and thank you movie god, she's a brunette, not a blonde. This is a "Road" flick and the usual rain drenched hitchhiking scenes unfold. America is big and beautiful. Hard to miss with this material. The moral, getting laid is less important than finding someone you adore. Not a bad idea.

Who invented liquid soap and why?
The Sure Thing has to be the most quotable movie of all time. When I saw it for the first time in the 80s I didn't appreciate it for what it was. When I rediscovered it in the early 90s I couldn't believe what a gem this movie is.

"excuse me I see a sweet young thing whose sarong needs adjusting"

Funny!
While this isn't as good as SAY ANYTHING..., John Cusack's later movie, it is still very good and very funny. John Cusack is better in his earlier romantic comedies like this one, SAY ANYTHING...(a classic and my favorite movie) or the hilariously offbeat BETTER OFF DEAD than he is today (with the exception of HIGH FIDELITY, I didn't like AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS at all). He is very funny throughout the whole movie, but my favorite scene of his is in the pool scene when he's imagining his future ("When I get out of jail, I'm 36 years old.") if his love interest doesn't help him pass English. The love interest, Daphne Zuniga, is also very funny (especially when she tries to prove to J.C. in the car that she's not stuck-up-if you've seen the movie, you know which scene I mean). Overall, very funny. Like all romantic comedies, it is predictable, but the comedy, good acting and chemistry make this movie not MONEY FOR NOTHING. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a wonderful surprise
I had never heard of this film. Why not! I ran across it at a local video store, checked out the cast and director, and decided to rent it. // There is great good humor in this movie of brothers coming of age,and there is the correct amount of pathos in a family coming to terms with an unexpected death. // Lee Grant handles the cast and the story with a deft and knowing touch. But I ask again why wasn't this movie properly promoted.

Daphne made this film worth seeing
The scene with Daphne Zuniga -- the longish scene, that (thank goodness!) just kept going on and on -- made this movie worth watching. She is a genuine pleasure to see onscreen. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This film wraps up the big wrestling match that Terry Davis's novel left unresolved. It also makes Carla (Linda Fiorentino, in her screen debut) less of a bad girl. What it does capture is the book's flowing feeling of power and the possibility of youth. Probably best known for presenting a just-emerging Madonna singing "Crazy for You," Vision Quest also uses Matthew Modine nicely. He doesn't typify the usual coming-of-age youth, but his character, Louden Swain, isn't the typical youth, period. Swain needs to win the Washington State wrestling championship, and he's up against a guy who carries logs up stadium steps. He's also involved with an older woman, Carla, and learning that love and all that stuff is much harder than pinning an opponent. Ah, youth. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (51)

themes counter mediocre acting to produce excellence
Since most of the people submitting reviews here are wrestlers, ex-wrestlers, or are associated with wrestling, it is very easy to have a biased point of view towards this movie. While some people critique the screenplay or acting, those that enjoy it are looking past the acting and into the theme of the movie.

After reading the book, it becomes evident that the movie is quite different. While the book focuses on growing up ("coming of age") and life, the movie focuses more on the wrestling aspect, obviously to appeal to the masses. I'd say the book was more award-winning material, while the movie was more inspirational. Wrestling, although a big part of Louden Swain's life, was not as overpowering in the book. The book was not about wrestling per se, but about life and growing up. The movie concentrated on the wrestling aspect more which makes it an excellent motivator. Despite the sometimes mediocre screenplay, this movie is a classic to wrestlers because it shows that the human spirit will overcome all. It accurately portrays the blood, guts, and tears that accompany an athlete involved in the sport. As another reviewer commented, the "Rocky" for wrestlers. A definite recommendation to all wrestlers.

good movie, bad DVD
I'm really hoping that they re-release this movie soon. In terms of the Rocky-esque movies, this is one of the better ones. I liked it even better the second time around because I noticed just how realistic Modine's performance is not only as a wrestler, but also as a highschooler.

The problem with the DVD is that (1) the transfer is positively awful, (2)it's standard as opposed to widescreen (not a big issue in this case), and (3) there are no features. The main problem, of course, is with the quality of the transfer, which probably looks better on some VHS versions of the film.

Re-release this into a more non-hurried DVD format and this rating will go from 3 stars to at least 4.

"You ever hear of Pele?"
There are a lot of reasons to love this movie - It's a great coming of age tale, a solid 80's high school film - and all the reasons that other reviewers have already shared... but it stands out, in my opinion, for providing the most elegant argument for why we as a society love sports and athletes Towards the end of the movie one of the charachters gives a little pep talk about watching Pele play soccer... "and I tell you I started crying... yeah that's right I started cryin..."

Vision Quest
I absolutely love this movie, despite the wrestling. This movie isn't only about wrestling, it's about coming of age, and the human spirit.

DVD version is much better than VHS
I have looked at some of the reviews on the suggested
bad quality of the picture of the DVD version, but I
feel this current full-screen DVD version of Vision
Quest is still very good and a heck of a lot better than my
VHS store bought version. Yes, a wide-screen and special
edition DVD packed with features and with some restoration
of the original film would be great, but this DVD version
will do until then. Also, for those people who do want
a choice of having the full-screen format you may want to
buy this DVD now because if Vision Quest is ever released
in a new special edition it may be released in wide-screen
only format so this full-screen version may be hard to get
at some point in the future. ... Read more

Reviews (51)

themes counter mediocre acting to produce excellence
Since most of the people submitting reviews here are wrestlers, ex-wrestlers, or are associated with wrestling, it is very easy to have a biased point of view towards this movie. While some people critique the screenplay or acting, those that enjoy it are looking past the acting and into the theme of the movie.

After reading the book, it becomes evident that the movie is quite different. While the book focuses on growing up ("coming of age") and life, the movie focuses more on the wrestling aspect, obviously to appeal to the masses. I'd say the book was more award-winning material, while the movie was more inspirational. Wrestling, although a big part of Louden Swain's life, was not as overpowering in the book. The book was not about wrestling per se, but about life and growing up. The movie concentrated on the wrestling aspect more which makes it an excellent motivator. Despite the sometimes mediocre screenplay, this movie is a classic to wrestlers because it shows that the human spirit will overcome all. It accurately portrays the blood, guts, and tears that accompany an athlete involved in the sport. As another reviewer commented, the "Rocky" for wrestlers. A definite recommendation to all wrestlers.

good movie, bad DVD
I'm really hoping that they re-release this movie soon. In terms of the Rocky-esque movies, this is one of the better ones. I liked it even better the second time around because I noticed just how realistic Modine's performance is not only as a wrestler, but also as a highschooler.

The problem with the DVD is that (1) the transfer is positively awful, (2)it's standard as opposed to widescreen (not a big issue in this case), and (3) there are no features. The main problem, of course, is with the quality of the transfer, which probably looks better on some VHS versions of the film.

Re-release this into a more non-hurried DVD format and this rating will go from 3 stars to at least 4.

"You ever hear of Pele?"
There are a lot of reasons to love this movie - It's a great coming of age tale, a solid 80's high school film - and all the reasons that other reviewers have already shared... but it stands out, in my opinion, for providing the most elegant argument for why we as a society love sports and athletes Towards the end of the movie one of the charachters gives a little pep talk about watching Pele play soccer... "and I tell you I started crying... yeah that's right I started cryin..."

Vision Quest
I absolutely love this movie, despite the wrestling. This movie isn't only about wrestling, it's about coming of age, and the human spirit.

DVD version is much better than VHS
I have looked at some of the reviews on the suggested
bad quality of the picture of the DVD version, but I
feel this current full-screen DVD version of Vision
Quest is still very good and a heck of a lot better than my
VHS store bought version. Yes, a wide-screen and special
edition DVD packed with features and with some restoration
of the original film would be great, but this DVD version
will do until then. Also, for those people who do want
a choice of having the full-screen format you may want to
buy this DVD now because if Vision Quest is ever released
in a new special edition it may be released in wide-screen
only format so this full-screen version may be hard to get
at some point in the future. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

1982 U.S. slasher movie, that says it all
Another 80's college film in which all the "students" look older than expected. College girl Joanne Murray takes on the unenviable job of readying the student housing building to become apartments, which includes selling the unneeded furniture, etc. This takes place during a break, so a mysterious psycho is stalking the nearly-empty premises on campus. Need more?

Who's the killer? Is it weirdo John Hemmit from Room 25, an older resident of the dorm with a fuzzy Bozo-the clown balding head? He's played by "Woody Roll," by the way. Or is it jeans-jacket wearing redneck Bobby Lee, who hits on our heroine? Watch it and see.

As you can imagine, this is typical slasher stuff, with overly dramatic music that sounds ripped off from "Psycho." Don't expect anything earth-shattering; you do get a cheapie, yet solid release for fans of 80's slasher/horror. No real extras on the DVD, however, save a biography of supporting actress Daphne Zuniga in her film debut, amazingly she went on to 80's moneymakers like The Sure Thing, VisionQuest and Spaceballs. After that...Toxic Avenger 3, anyone???

It's not like the grainy print is retouched or anything...who's gonna bother? 80's horror fanatics will still love this cheesefest that was like a poor man's "Pieces??" I don't know, it's not as gory and weird as Pieces, but it's in that same mindless yet fun stalk n' slash vein....

Expect a low budget, some bad acting, and if those are things you are able to tolerate then Pranks ain't half bad. Best served with lots of beer and a roomful of friends.

Carpenter & Obrow's The Dorm That Dripped Blood
In this dorky slasher hooey, half a dozen students must clean out an old college dormitory before it is demolished. One reviewer must clean out his eyes and ears before they are demolished by this film.

All the stock characters are here: heroine Joanne (Laurie Lipinski), smartass Craig (Stephen Sachs), hunk Brian (David Snow), insecure Patti (Pamela Holland), and red herring suspects Bobby Lee (Dennis Ely) and John Hemmit (Woody Roll).

Debbie (Daphne Zuniga, they all had to start somewhere) and her parents are the first victims of the unseen killer. The killer then plays hide and seek, cat and mouse, etc, with the cast. One by one, they end up missing until the killer's identity is revealed in a stunning moment that will ring through the ages as a pinnacle point in the art of film...or you know whodunnit if you pay mild disinterested attention to the movie.

Obrow and Carpenter even go through the old device of having the killer explain their motives for the spree, as if anyone but the surviving cast member cared.

The one plus I could find was the pretty good gore effects. The killings have a mean quality to them, from Debbie's death by being run over a few times, to the bloody climactic fight. Sex is kept to a minimum, we get to see a topless girlfriend of Bobby Lee's, but that's it. The film cannot even get exploitation elements down correctly. Another plus is that the killing does start almost immediately, as if the film makers were in a rush to grab the audience's attention. Holding the audience's attention should have been a concern.

"The Dorm That Dripped Blood" is so typical, and so bad, it is no wonder the makers of the "Scream" and "Scary Movie" series had such an easy time skewering the genre. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

MAD AT MYSELF....FOR BUYING THIS
I Don't know what Martin Donovan was hoping to achieve in this visually stunning but emotionally empty piece of garbage. There's so little dialogue that when it comes, you expect something revealing? Forget it...Mary Stuart Masterson, Fionnula Flannagan and Hart Bochner are totally ineffectual, and the plot is so stupid and threadbare, one has to wonder who put up the money for this one!
DO NOT BUY...DO NOT RENT......A WASTE ALL AROUND!

La balada del lobo
Este film es una balada. Una balada triste y meláncolica sobre un amor que nunca fue . Olvidense completamente de todos los géneros que puedan servir para esta película. "Mad at the moon" no puede clasificarse . Por favor , veanla , Martin Donovan es un gran e inusual director que no debe ser olvidado tan facilmente .

La balada como film de horror
La película empieza con un disco puesto es una extraña máquina antigua, luego vemos imagénes en blanco y negro de tres niños que juegan juntos hasta que son separados posteriormente . Este film se centrara en lo que pasa luego de este principio . La niña crecio y vive en un mundo de fantasias inspirado en las novelas goticas que lee. Quiere tener un amor tan ardiente como el de esas novelas , pero termina casandose con el hermano del peligroso y seductor hombre que la atrae. Finalmente ese hombre es un licantropo , y al salir la luna llena se convierte en un hombre lobo , lo cual génera una tensa situación enla familia. No se como clasificar a esta película, puede ser un western , un drama o un film de horror . Y tampoco es prdecible . Es más bien una balada triste sobre amores que jamas ocurren , sobre deseos incumplidos . El estilo aplicado por Donovan a este film es muy inusual . Desde su estilizada fotografía pasando por la milimetrica actuación de todos sus protagonistas. Algunas incoherencias narrativas atacan a la factura géneral del film , pero es un film inusual y sumamente atractivo . Inferior al film anterior de Donovan "Apartment zero" , otra gran película. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Chris Walas, the effects whiz who turned Jeff Goldblum into the gooey,grotesque Brundle-Fly in David Cronenberg's The Fly makes his directorialdebut in this equally icky sequel. Eric Stoltz is Brundle's genetically diseasedoffspring, a boy genius brought up in an experimental laboratory by a nefariousfoster father eager to see what his inevitable metamorphosis will bring. Nosurprise here: like father, like son. Daphne Zuniga is his sweet younggirlfriend, and John Getz reprises his role from the first film as a bitteralcoholic with a very bad fake beard. This cut-rate "Son of the Fly" knockoffpales next to Cronenberg's classic, degenerating into a gory revenge flick.Walas strains under a limited budget, and many of the more elaborate creatures(a monstrously mutated dog, the skeletal fly monster leaping about thewarehouse-like lab) are rather shabby. The makeup is suitably gooey, slatheredin ooze and pus, and the mayhem-filled finale is a nasty but impressiveover-the-top frenzy of blood and gore climaxing in the nastiest piece of poeticjustice since Freaks. The opening birth scene (with a look-alike subbingfor mom Geena Davis) is an homage to Larry Cohen's It's Alive. --SeanAxmaker ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Like Father, Like Son
Set Brundle was a fly. Seth Brundle had a son. He is brilliant. He matures rather quickly. And he is probably gonna turn into a beastie like his old man.

After the small budget success of THE FLY, it was inevitable someone would cash in and make a sequel. The result is a quick bang for your buck hour and a half. This time around, CHRIS WALAS takes over directing chores. He did the original make-up designs for the first film. And so, unsurprisingly, this entry is filled with even more grotesque and sickening 'gooey' effects. But gooey is not always better. Eric Stoltz plays the five-year old offspring of Jeff Goldblum's BRUNDLEFLY and is given very little to work with in the formulaic screenplay. He does have one excellent scene as he prepares to immerse his body into a cocoon, so he can get 'Better'. Daphne Zanuga is the beautiful but useless girlfriend who, like Geena Davis before her is quite often running her hands over the wet, gooey, deformed skin of her fly-friend. And like it's sequel before it, we have another ridiculous performance by Gary Chalk as Scorby, the overzealous security guard. John Getz, the only performer returning from the predecessor, joins him in the ridiculous department. (Goldblum does show up in a brief video recording.) The film is often gross which was obviously the intention of the director. All in all, this film is an obvious story to get a quick buck. Come prepared. Bring a flyswatter.

Well worth buying just for the first one...
Cronenberg's masterful remake of "The Fly" is, simply put, one of the very best sci-fi movies in recent memory. Much like his "The Dead Zone," it mixes a character's terrifying journey with a powerful love story, and manages to do so successfully. Poor Seth Brundle's transformation is disturbing, suspenseful, and gory indeed, but Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis bring such conviction and sadness to their roles, your heart is pulled along for the ride. The metaphor of watching someone you love succumb to a disease which changes them utterly, is just as shocking as the mutations Brundle's body undergoes. Enough said. This is a great and powerful, albeit sad, movie experience.
"The Fly 2" is far less successful. It's always good to see Eric Stoltz, who is a strong actor with lots of appeal, and although his career has proven that he's not exactly leading man material, he comes close to pulling it off here. But the movie takes the formula from the first movie and screws it up: the gore is heaped on while the love story takes a back seat to it. Daphne Zuniga and Stoltz just don't generate the kind of chemistry and compassion that Goldblum and Davis did. Instead, the movie is basically an F/X vehicle. Once the two pretty young people hit the sack, it's pretty much downhill into head-smashing, face-peeling splatter movie territory. Too bad.
But Cronenberg's movie will live on forever; this two-movie disc is well worth the price for anyone interested in a frightening, suspense-filled human drama which doubles as a pretty darn cool horror show, even if its sequel is vastly inferior.

The Legacy Lives On...
I'm addicted to these movies. I didn't know what to expect, seeing as I had only seen the original with Vincent Price. This is definitely now one of my favorite movies of all time. The first one features Jeff Goldblum who fuses with a fly and starts to mutate into a 185-pound walking fly. The gross effects in this movie is definitely not some for the weak-stomached.

The sequel was just as good as the first one. The ending is a classic example of "what goes around comes around." In this movie, Brundle's son has a chromosome disorder which makes him age at a faster rate. When he reaches adulthood, he starts to mutate into the fly, for he inherited the genes from his father. He then hatches out of a cacoon and starts reeking revenge on Bartok Industries. I liked it. The Fly [is action packed] in this movie.

These movies are must-see-material. Beware...it's not for the weak-stomached...

Symphonic horror!!
This score by Chris Young was written almost simultaneously with his score to Hellbound: Hellraiser II. This can be heard easily; they are both sweeping symphonic horror scores, performed by a full orchestra. No holds barred on these two!!

There are some atonal and nasty sounding tracks as well as some soothing quieter ones. Hellbound had the same characteristics.

If you are a Christopher Young fan and you love Hellbound, then this is the perfect companion score.
If you are more into his not-so-dark action scores like Hard Rain (The Flood) or more into his gentle and sentimental scores like Murder in the First, I don't think you'll like this.

Mind you, this score is not so creepy and atonal as The Dark Half or A Nightmare on Elmstreet 2, but melodic and beautifully melodramatic, with contemplative tracks as well as a full-blown orchestral finale. Again a parallel with Hellbound.

In my humble opinion this lesser known Chris Young score belongs to his top three soundtracks!!!
No thanks to the not so good motion picture it came with.

Have you ever heard of Insect Politics?
The Fly must have been one of the single greatest films of the 1980's because it left us with quotes, parodies, and astounding visuals that would change special FX in moviemaking forever. Besides the makeup effects, It had terrific acting especially from Jeff Goldblum whose performance as Seth Brundle sparked my interest in theater. People ask me when i'm interviewd "What got you into acting and production?" my usual response is "The Fly". Sometimes I say Jeff Goldblum but this is the one that made me realize I had to become an actor. The humanism is astonishing in the screenplay by Charles Edward Pogue whom I would hire to write for a project any day. It takes a modern turn from the 1958 version in which the teleportation booths are now Telepods. The names and locations have been changed. The forging of the characters is also different and there is a better conflict between Seth and Stathis Borans. Seth and reporter Veronica meet at the Bartok industries party where new inventions for that year are being unveiled. The first shot of the film besides that terrific title sequence with the cell like colors and the beautiful main title begins with a shot of Seth saying "What am I working on? Uh I'm working on something that will change the world and human life as we know it." Then we cut to Veronica asking if it will change it a lot or just a bit. They then go back to Seth's lab for a demonstration with her stocking as the subject of teleportation. She is clearly astonished and starts to get quotes when he gets excited and says she can't write a story. Luckily for him, her boss doesn't buy it. Seth then propositions for her to live with him and record his process. They fall in love and make love like 3 times in which once after merging with the fly he gets her pregnant leading up to part 2. One night she leaves to confront Stathis for printing a story after he said he wouldn't and Seth assumes that she's running out on him and gets drunk. He feels that the pod's imperfections are worked out and decides to use the ultimate subject- himself. But a stowaway fly wants to join in on it too and the computer (one of my favorite pieces of the system) splices their DNA patterns together and soon Seth finds he is turning into a freakish, irritable 185 pound fly with one ill temper and dangerous enzymes that can melt through anything. So he directs his anger to Stathis who suggests an abortion and the murder of Brundle. But the newly formed Brundlefly won't go down without a fight. He sets out to find a cure for himself even if it takes killing Borans and sacrificing the life of his one true love to do it. This film struck me hard when i viewed it on the sci fi channel for the first time. I loved it. I loved the telepod system especially because of the construction of the computer, pods, prototype pod 3, and the backup generator (you see that in the background sometimes). I loved the computer's visuals on the screen and i wish more computers were made that way. But most of all I loved the stages of the brundlefly transformation. There needs to be a seperate dvd of this film with lots of bonus features, photos and the infamous deleted monkeycat/leg amputation scene. If i'm not mistaken, there is an online petition fot the special edition dvd release. That was the first film on the disk. Lets move on to the inferior sequel. The Fly 2 was pretty good to be so low budget and low in plot. Martin played by Eric Stoltz is pretty good for a kid raised to speak properly and in scientific terminology. He turns into a bigger, meaner, faster and more fake looking fly than his dad. He undergoes a catterpillar to butterfly like transformation but when he merges, he comes to get revenge on those who lied to him for so long with deadly results. I liked it pretty good. It had dramatic music and sequences and i liked the "I'll show you a magic trick you'll never forget." line. The idea of a bulletproof, acid shooting monster roaming around killing everything in an unescapeable complex is great. And he actually finds the cure. There were some pretty unbelieveable parts. Such as injecting water into the blood stream (...) I grew up with them. They got me to where I am today. I owe it all to a small stowaway fly. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Fun Potboiler B-movie
Another vote for "guilty pleasure". This movie was implausable, a bit tacky, tawdry, but I enjoyed it anyway. An entertaining yarn. Just don't expect to feel too edified at the end of the movie! It's over-melodramatic typical B-movie fare. Also, some people might be upset by the filmmakers' obvious agenda to get a priest involved in a love affair. And let's face it, we all can tell that this is where the film is headed from the beginning.

The main stars, Tom Berenger and Daphne Zuniga are fine. Tom Berenger always does well as the handsome, tormented and conflicted hero; Daphne Zuniga was very pretty, but I was little confused about her role. There were elements of sleaze to her part (the first scene she's in certainly qualifies) and maybe she's not the best actress for sleaze. I haven't quite made up my mind about that. But still, she was capable enough.

If you are a fan of either Berenger or Zuniga, and don't mind a somewhat tacky, implausable B-movie, you'll get a kick out of this film.

GREAT FLICK!!!
This movie is great on two levels: 1) The story is a bit far- fetched, but it is believable due some fine acting. The stars work well together to turn this into an enjoyable movie.
2) Daphne Zuniga gets naked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

High "sleaze"
I own this video; I am on a fixed income so have to choose my purchases VERY carefully. I saw this movie on cable years ago & loved it so much I wanted the video. I love "sleazy" movies [in the old days classified as "film noir"]--mystery, intrigue, plot twists, "good vs. evil," suspense, plot twists & turns]... This movie has all those elements + good acting [I was young when Dane Clark was in his hey-day but have always liked him], Tom Berenger [good in both drama, thrillers & comedy], Daphne Zuniga [CONVINCING damsel-in-distress/victim] & Anne Twomey [I'd never heard of her before this!--MOST capably "playing her part well; there all the honor lies"]. I only wish Donald P. Bellisario would have directed MORE FILMS in this genre. If you like modern-day film noir with a mafia, gangster flavor, you will LOVE this movie. It's not well-known or highly-tauted by the critics, but it's one of my favorites & well-worth the investment.

Guilty Pleasure
I had read years ago this movie was dumped straight to video without a theatrical release, and it seems strange because of how many really bad movies out there get released, but this one is decidedly a guilty pleasure. You can't take it seriously, it's just like most *rebel* or *mafia* movies, it's a lot of fun. In this instance, having the only son of a mafia don (termed "godfather" in the movie, which was going way too far) becoming a priest, and with a strong hint of the sensational reason behind that motivation, it becomes even more interesting as his former brother-in-law's girlfriend comes under his protection and his vow of celebacy is seriously shaken. Actually Freud would have had a field day with this movie. The problem with it, actually, is not enough of the characters - particularly the family itself - is seen interracting with each other so we have a fuller history of the family's relationships and the internal workings of the organization. A rather satisfactory finish, but one could have wished for a sequel or more drawn-out ending. Another problem is star Berenger looks considerably older (and somewhat out-of-shape) than his 33-year-old character should be.

Entertaining Movie
This movie is about a priest who is the son of the head of a mafia family. Of course he cannot walk in his father's footsteps, so his sister tries to take the lead. The movie has an excellent plot with a suprise ending. It's well worth seeing. ... Read more

Reviews (238)

great satire from the late eighties
Mel Brooks definitely lives up to expectations with Spaceballs. This parody of the Star Wars movies will deliver laughs whether you are a sci fi fan or not. The cast of characters (including Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis...and of course Mel Brooks) closely parallels the familiar cast of Star Wars, but Rick Moranis takes the cake as Dark Helmet, the Darth Vader-like figure. ("And now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.")

Personally, I found this movie amusing at 10, and now at 22 I still think it's wonderful. Most of the other reviews give you an idea of what the movie contains, so I won't get into a long explanation, but I have to recommend this one pretty highly as a great comedy.

Spaceballs
The Planet Spaceball has a problem; They're slowly running out of air. However, they have a plan; Capture Vespa(Daphne Zuniga), the Princess of their peace-loving neighbor planet Druidia, which would force their father, King Roland(Dick Van Patten), to give them the combination to the air shield, which underneath contains 10,000 years of fresh air. Instead, the Princess and her droid Dot Matrix(Voice of Joan Rivers), running away from her wedding to Prince Valium(JM J.Bullock), they find her. After being offered $1 million spacebucks, which they need to pay off gangster Pizza the Hutt(Dom DeLuise), space pirate Lonestarr(Bill Pullman)and his half dog/half man sidekick Barf(John Candy)go to stop the evil Lord Dark Helmet(Rick Moranis)and Spaceball President Skroob(Mel Brooks)and along the way, Lonestarr learns the ways of the Schwartz from the everlasting know-it-all Yogurt(Mel Brooks)

This movie, along with "DRACULA DEAD AND LOVING IT" is Mel Brooks at his best. It's fricking hilarious!! Bill Pullman is great as Lonestarr, a spoof combination of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, Daphne Zuniga gives her all as Princess Vespa, John Candy is hilarious as Barf, Joan Rivers is decent as Dot Matrix, Rick Moranis is downright classic as Dark Helmet, a wimpy puny spoof of Darth Vader(He's the funniest guy on this movie!!!)and the rest of the cast is average.

Highly recommended as one of Mel Brook's best and with lines like "I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate", "You are to refer to me as idiot, not you captain!", you won't stop laughing. So see this film.

AND MAY THE SCHWARTZ BE WITH YOU!!

because good is dumb
although not a mel brooks masterpiece this film does not suffer solely from lack of comedic inspiration. in fact i find it to be one of his best. its main problem, in my opinion, was the shift in audiences. for the most part films such as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein catered to an audience that was, by 1987, much older and focusing on family life. plus, brooks' comedic venom was now aimed at a less familiar target in Star Wars. intially, even i had a hard time time convincing myself it was worth seeing. but after repeated viewings i realized that it was as funny as many of brooks' best. now dont get me wrong, you wont laugh as often as you did for High Anxiety but you'll laugh none the less. sadly, the core players of previous films are missing here (Harvey Corman & Madeline Kahn) and it suffers becasue of it but the times were changing and so were the films. only later on did brooks really get into a stupor with Robin Hood: Men In Tights and Dracula: Dead and Lving It, starring the one dimensional Leslie Nielsen.

The Funniest Movie Ever!!!
Spaceballs, a comic masterpiece directed by Mel Brooks, is one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. I own the trilogy of Star Wars and I watched every movie in the trilogy before I viewed this movie. After I watched Spaceballs, I found myself in a state of pure laughter as I saw Mel Brooks and John Candy imitating the trilogy of Star Wars. Anyone that wants a good funny movie to view should buy Spaceballs today.

Holy Crap it was good!!
This movie was absolutely crazy and funny!! I couldn't help but laugh the whole way! My favorite moment was the spoofing scene of Alien. Sooo funny. Watch Spaceballs and get ready to laugh hard. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

My favorite romantic comedy
I usually don't like romantic movies. I mean let's face it they are usually predictable and the two stars have no chemistry. However, when done right a romantic comedy can work. In The Sure Thing it works. John Cusack stars as Walter Gibson a freshman at a small northeastern college. He has been down on his luck in the woman department. He meets a girl, Alison in his English class. They have a Pseudo-date and it ends badly. Walter decides to take a cross-country road trip to meet with his friend Lance (played by ER's Anthony Edwards when he still had hair.) Lance assures of a sure thing upon his arrival. He of course through some unfortunate luck and show tunes is stuck with Alison on the road trip. What I liked was the honesty of this movie. Cusak's character learns about women, relationships and the actual meaning of the word love by being stuck with Alison. She learns to loosen up, and accept people for what they are. In every successful relationship that I have had, that is what happens. I learn from her and she learns from me. Yes, the end is a little predictable and it is a little dated, but the story is funny and pretty dead on.

A Sure Winner
The Sure Thing is director Rob Reiner's second film and his first conventional movie after the mockumentary format of This Is Spinal Tap. The film has the classic teenage plot of boy meets girl, girl at first hates boy and then in the end they end up together. But instead of being just another cliché, The Sure Thing features such likable and winning performances by the two leads, John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga, that it becomes a memorable and lovable film. Mr. Cusack stars as Walter "Gib" Gibson who is in a slump when it comes to getting girls. Everyone around him at his New England campus seems to be scoring, except him. He meets a pretty girl, Alison (Ms. Zuniga) in his English class and tries to hook up with her. Alison is a straitlaced girl, who schedules everything she does to the second, while Gib is a spontaneous guy who lives life minute to minute. Alison agrees to tutor Gib in English and he tries to seduce her, but he fails miserably and she ends up hating him. His best friend from high school, Lance (Anthony Edwards) is out at college in California where he has set up a date for Gib who is a "sure thing". All Gib has to do is get to California by 12/22 and he's in. The problem is he has no money to fly, so he finds a ride with a couple who are driving out to Los Angeles. As fate would have it, Alison is also in the car as she is heading out to see her boyfriend in LA. The couple Gary Cooper and Mary Ann Webster are upbeat squares who sing showtunes on the trip. Gary is played by a young Tim Robbins in one of his first roles. Gib and Alison are constantly bickering at one another and eventually they are thrown out of the car and forced to hitch. Along the way, Alison starts to see the real charm in Gib and starts to fall for him. Eventually they reach LA and go their separate ways. They both end up at the party where Gib meets his sure thing (Nicolette Sheridan). Jealousy ensues between the two and Gib eventually takes his sure thing up to Lance's bedroom. The movie flashes forward where Gib and Alison are back in English class and we learn that Gib didn't cash in on his sure thing and Alison and Gib end up sharing a kiss under the stars. Mr. Cusack got his first leading role after a series of bit parts and he shines in his opportunity. He shows that offbeat charm that would become his signature trait. Mr. Reiner perfectly captures life on the road in America and the film is a low-key success.

What's Important
This 1980's teen genre comedy is not as good as the earlier "Ridgeway High." It's not as good as "Pretty In Pink" or the other John Hughes movies. But it has its moments and certainly is far better than the awful "Valley Girls" which appeared in 83. Rob Reiner has an easygoing hand on the direction. He's not going to be remembered as Hitchcock or Ozu, but again, sweet comedy is Reiner's best stuff. I always found John Cusak movies vaguely unsatisfying. His roles are the smart aleck kid that revolts against middle-class etc... But in this movie of boy-girl opposites, he's good, even handsome in a Tom Cruse way. Alison Bradbury is fine as the anal co-ed, and thank you movie god, she's a brunette, not a blonde. This is a "Road" flick and the usual rain drenched hitchhiking scenes unfold. America is big and beautiful. Hard to miss with this material. The moral, getting laid is less important than finding someone you adore. Not a bad idea.

Who invented liquid soap and why?
The Sure Thing has to be the most quotable movie of all time. When I saw it for the first time in the 80s I didn't appreciate it for what it was. When I rediscovered it in the early 90s I couldn't believe what a gem this movie is.

"excuse me I see a sweet young thing whose sarong needs adjusting"

Funny!
While this isn't as good as SAY ANYTHING..., John Cusack's later movie, it is still very good and very funny. John Cusack is better in his earlier romantic comedies like this one, SAY ANYTHING...(a classic and my favorite movie) or the hilariously offbeat BETTER OFF DEAD than he is today (with the exception of HIGH FIDELITY, I didn't like AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS at all). He is very funny throughout the whole movie, but my favorite scene of his is in the pool scene when he's imagining his future ("When I get out of jail, I'm 36 years old.") if his love interest doesn't help him pass English. The love interest, Daphne Zuniga, is also very funny (especially when she tries to prove to J.C. in the car that she's not stuck-up-if you've seen the movie, you know which scene I mean). Overall, very funny. Like all romantic comedies, it is predictable, but the comedy, good acting and chemistry make this movie not MONEY FOR NOTHING. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

"Stand-In's" stink!
Stagy, contrived and utterly pretentious production about famous 30's actress stand-ins who congregate at a drearily elegant bar, their only thing in common being the same profession. These women are an assortment of the disillusioned and the daydreamy, or a combination of both, encountering difficulty knowing who they are since they're always "standing in somebody's shadow" and sometimes are in danger of losing their identity as they take on the persona of their famous counterparts. The only non stand-in is bartender Jack Turner (Costas Mandylor), an aspiring dancer who spends most of his time breaking into twirls like a human top, and gazing in the mirror as he runs his fingers through his hair. The rest of the gang consists of Daphne Zuniga as Shirley, Garbo's stand-in, Monica (Jordan Ladd) for Bette Davis, Peggy (Charlotte Chatton) for Mae West, Rhonda (Missy Gordon) for Dietrich, and Martha-Anne (Sammi Davis) doubles for Harlow. Talk about crackpot casting! None of these actresses bears the slightest resemblance to her famous counterpart, a fact which is hard to overlook--except perhaps Davis, but unfortunately she looks more like a drag queen parody of the Platinum Blonde! The movie opens dramatically with a grainy B&W apocraphal recreation of the tragically true event of failed starlet Peg Entwistle's sensationalized suicide off the HOLLYWOOD sign in 1932. Fast forward to 1937, when the stand-in's wait for Martha-Anne to show up for her 32nd birthday party. While waiting, junkie Shirley shoots up some dope, then engages in a spirited tiff with Monica as to who deserved the 1935 Oscar more (Garbo or Davis?) and taking it personally as if they were those stars themselves instead of just their stand-ins, and Peggy relates a pathetic tale of how proud she was to sign autographs when taken for Mae West. The rest of the time they spend dancing, engaging in industry gossip and insulting one another. To show how creative and artistic (wacky in my view) these characters are, the script has them blurting verses from Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" as well as inane poems throughout the film. Then Rhonda shows up with the weirdly named Taffy, Rita Hayworth's 19-year old stand-in. Katherine Heigl plays her and ends up stealing the show with her subtle internalized characterization consisitng of scheming determination and lost vulnerability, and though she's too babyfaced and wholesome to be a deadringer for the sultry star, she bears an effective resemblance and in some lighting and camera angles looks uncannily like Hayworth.

When Martha-Anne finally arrives for her party she steps in the bar just as Harlow's death is announced on the radio, and her distraught emotional state is further rattled by Taffy's devious plans to backstab Martha-Anne so she can become Harlow's double in the actress' unfinished picture, which she hopes will get her some publicity and notice. By underestimating Martha-Anne's anger over using Harlow's death as a golden opportunity and stepping stone as well as her love and devotion for her dead "boss," this turns out to be a fatal move for Taffy, a duplicitous character but ultimately sympathetic since there are tragic filial motivations for her desperate need to succeed and not become another Peg Entwistle. Besides the stagey feel, miscasting, and uninspiring dialogue, the other big drawbacks for the chronologically, historically correct are these--Martha-Anne first hears of Harlow's illness and death on the radio after she's just finished doubling for the "healthy" star, but in reality Harlow was gravely ill days before her eventual death and Martha-Anne thus would have been in professional "limbo" during this time. The other drawback is including Hayworth as a 30's star--while she was acting at the time, she was just a starlet and didn't become a full-fledged star until the 40's, therefore a lowly contract player wouldn't have rated a stand-in. I'm not trying to be nitpicky here, but these things are distractingly obvious to any classic film buff and the writers' should know better, but I'm afraid they counted too much on the audiences' ignorance.

Thoroughly entertaining, superbly produced, memorable film.
Stand-Ins is about six young women, each of whom is a 1937 era Hollywood studio employee who, because of their physical resemblance, takes the place of a famous actress (Rita Hayworth, Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Jean Harlow) and "stands in" on the film set when directors want to check lighting, camera angels, etc. and don't wish to tire out their stars for such mundane technical production steps in the making of their movies. The setting is a local bar where the six women gather together with the bar tender to celebrate the birthday of a seventh member of their little club of fellow stand-ins. Fascinating character developments with startlingly and intimate revelations throughout the afternoon, a sudden and surprising crisis, all are backgrounded with informative behind-the-scenes movie making insights. Stand-Ins is thoroughly entertaining, superbly produced, memorable enacted film that will enhance any community library video movie collection.

Must stop drooling now....
Worth watching for no other reason than for Katherine Heigl ! ... Read more

Reviews (238)

great satire from the late eighties
Mel Brooks definitely lives up to expectations with Spaceballs. This parody of the Star Wars movies will deliver laughs whether you are a sci fi fan or not. The cast of characters (including Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis...and of course Mel Brooks) closely parallels the familiar cast of Star Wars, but Rick Moranis takes the cake as Dark Helmet, the Darth Vader-like figure. ("And now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.")

Personally, I found this movie amusing at 10, and now at 22 I still think it's wonderful. Most of the other reviews give you an idea of what the movie contains, so I won't get into a long explanation, but I have to recommend this one pretty highly as a great comedy.

Spaceballs
The Planet Spaceball has a problem; They're slowly running out of air. However, they have a plan; Capture Vespa(Daphne Zuniga), the Princess of their peace-loving neighbor planet Druidia, which would force their father, King Roland(Dick Van Patten), to give them the combination to the air shield, which underneath contains 10,000 years of fresh air. Instead, the Princess and her droid Dot Matrix(Voice of Joan Rivers), running away from her wedding to Prince Valium(JM J.Bullock), they find her. After being offered $1 million spacebucks, which they need to pay off gangster Pizza the Hutt(Dom DeLuise), space pirate Lonestarr(Bill Pullman)and his half dog/half man sidekick Barf(John Candy)go to stop the evil Lord Dark Helmet(Rick Moranis)and Spaceball President Skroob(Mel Brooks)and along the way, Lonestarr learns the ways of the Schwartz from the everlasting know-it-all Yogurt(Mel Brooks)

This movie, along with "DRACULA DEAD AND LOVING IT" is Mel Brooks at his best. It's fricking hilarious!! Bill Pullman is great as Lonestarr, a spoof combination of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, Daphne Zuniga gives her all as Princess Vespa, John Candy is hilarious as Barf, Joan Rivers is decent as Dot Matrix, Rick Moranis is downright classic as Dark Helmet, a wimpy puny spoof of Darth Vader(He's the funniest guy on this movie!!!)and the rest of the cast is average.

Highly recommended as one of Mel Brook's best and with lines like "I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate", "You are to refer to me as idiot, not you captain!", you won't stop laughing. So see this film.

AND MAY THE SCHWARTZ BE WITH YOU!!

because good is dumb
although not a mel brooks masterpiece this film does not suffer solely from lack of comedic inspiration. in fact i find it to be one of his best. its main problem, in my opinion, was the shift in audiences. for the most part films such as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein catered to an audience that was, by 1987, much older and focusing on family life. plus, brooks' comedic venom was now aimed at a less familiar target in Star Wars. intially, even i had a hard time time convincing myself it was worth seeing. but after repeated viewings i realized that it was as funny as many of brooks' best. now dont get me wrong, you wont laugh as often as you did for High Anxiety but you'll laugh none the less. sadly, the core players of previous films are missing here (Harvey Corman & Madeline Kahn) and it suffers becasue of it but the times were changing and so were the films. only later on did brooks really get into a stupor with Robin Hood: Men In Tights and Dracula: Dead and Lving It, starring the one dimensional Leslie Nielsen.

The Funniest Movie Ever!!!
Spaceballs, a comic masterpiece directed by Mel Brooks, is one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. I own the trilogy of Star Wars and I watched every movie in the trilogy before I viewed this movie. After I watched Spaceballs, I found myself in a state of pure laughter as I saw Mel Brooks and John Candy imitating the trilogy of Star Wars. Anyone that wants a good funny movie to view should buy Spaceballs today.

Holy Crap it was good!!
This movie was absolutely crazy and funny!! I couldn't help but laugh the whole way! My favorite moment was the spoofing scene of Alien. Sooo funny. Watch Spaceballs and get ready to laugh hard. ... Read more