Reviews (278)

A CLASSIC! THE BEST ROCKUMENTARY FILM EVER!
This is Spinal Tap is the brilliant rockumentary/mockumentary chronicling the band Spinal Tap's tour of the United States. This was Rob Reiner's debut film, and what a film to begin with. This is Spinal Tap remains somewhat of a cult classic, but its hilarious characters, awesome music, and brilliant storyline comes to life on screen, and everyone could enjoy this movie. Michael McKean plays the lead singer David St. Hubens to perfection, while Harry Shearer plays Derek Smalls with great finesse. A young Christopher Guest plays Nigel with a quiet brilliance, and Guest would incidentally go on to direct and star in two of his own mockumentary films, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and BEST IN SHOW, which I must say, are equally genius, especially the recent sleeper hit BEST IN SHOW. Also great is Tony Hendra, as the cricket-stick wielding manager of the band. June Chadwick is strong as David's girlfriend Jeannine, and Bruno Kirby makes a great cameo as the limo driver. The other supporting cameos are fantastic, coming from Fred Willard(who won a Best Supporting Actor award from the LA Critics for his role in BEST IN SHOW), Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Fran Drescher, Angelica Huston, and Paul Shaffer. This utterly hilarious movie is excellently directed by Reiner, who plays the director of the mockumentary within the film, Marty Dibergi! Fantastic!

Original Rockumertary
This Is Spinal Tap pokes fun at documentary films with what faux director Marty DiBergi calls a rockumentary. While MTV took this title and actually had rockumentaries, VH1's wildly successful Behind The Music series is a take off (albeit a serious one) of Tap's concept. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest & Harry Shearer star as a fictional English heavy metal band Spinal Tap. The film follows them around on their concert tour and the hoopla surrounding the release of their album Smell The Glove. The three stars are hysterical. They conduct themselves with a mock seriousness and that better than everyone attitude that stars often assume. The concert sequences are great as the Tap's songs are great spoofs of the metal genre with titles like "Stonehedge" & "Big Bottoms". The movie is woefully short, so the extra footage is a welcome addition. Tony Hendra is brilliant as the band's put upon manager and a young Fran Drescher shows up as a record label executive while Dana Carvey and Billy Crystal have a small bit as mime waiters.

Fantastic
The classic This is Spinal Tap is truly the greatest depiction of a rock band in cinematic history. I remember watching this for the first time with my buddies...everything thats happened in this movie has happened to me. The guy getting stuck in the pod, the tour dates being cancelled, playing under a puppet show, all of it!! And my buddies are sitting there laughing and Im like....this isnt funny. And THATS what makes the movie so great.....its SO realistic.

The definitive rock and roll band movie.....get it today!!

Big and stupid. And clever. VERY, VERY clever.
Alright, I'm not going to bore you with the details or story of this sublime Reiner "documentary," nor am I going to babble on and on about how spot-on a parody of NWOBHM (that's "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" to the uninitiated) this is.

Instead, I will offer you some quotes. Those alone should give you plenty of insight as to why this is one of the greatest movies of all time. To wit:

"Oh, there actually is, uh... there was a Saint Hubbins?"
"That's right, yes."
"What was he the saint of?"
"He was the patron saint of quality footwear."

"You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really. It's sort of..."
"What do you call this?"
"Well, this piece is called "Lick My Love Pump".

"As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll."

"Here lies David St. Hubbins... and why not?"

"Dozens of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not really widely reported."

"It's like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black."

"We are Spinal Tap from the UK - you must be the USA!"

"You can't really dust for vomit."

"This pretentious ponderous collection of religious rock psalms is enough to prompt the question, 'What day did the Lord create Spinal Tap, and couldn't he have rested on that day too?'"

And of course: "Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
"These go to eleven."

Not laughing? Well, the visuals are even funnier--malfunctioning stage props, a guitar solo that probably singlehandedly gave birth to the "neo-classical" shred style, unique ways to use a violin, and of course lots and lots of retarded sexuality and bad poetry. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Derek Shearer absolutely NAIL it. Everybody should have this film. Especially metalheads who aren't afraid to have a good, long laugh at themselves.

Rockin' and Mockin'
When this film was originally released, its targets were hard rock bands like Whitesnake and Dio, along with overly pretentious concert films like The Last Waltz and Song Remains the Same. 20 years later, the film still holds up - and practically everything in it could apply to newer bands like the Darkness, and VH1's ridiculous Behind the Music TV series. Why? The cast and creators manage to walk the fine line between satire and homage while staying in love with the spirit of rock n'roll. Sure, band members Nigel, David, and Derek may be half-witted hacks but we love them because they reflect not only most of our rock heroes - but our rock fantasies as well. There's a sense of joy in this film that's absent in many 'serious' rock bands and films that are soon forgotten. Director Rob Reiner was also smart enough not to aim for a constant barrage of one-liners and slapstick. There's actually a story and a subtext here that most parody films totally lack. The DVD comes with a grab-bag of Spinal Tap goodies, including a hilarious commentary track and rock videos. This one's a comedy for the ages. ... Read more

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John Huston was only one of five directors on this expensive, all-star 1967 spoof of Ian Fleming's 007 lore. David Niven is the aging Sir James Bond, called out of retirement to take on the organized threat of SMERSH and pass on the secret-agent mantle to his idiot son (Woody Allen). An amazing cast (Orson Welles, Peter Sellers, Deborah Kerr, etc.) is wonderful to look at, but the film is not as funny as it should be, and the romping starts to look mannered after awhile. The musical score by Burt Bacharach, however, is a keeper. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (84)

The funniest James Bond spoof ever
The "Austin Powers" series sure could take a few hints from "Casino Royale". Whereas the former is predictable and obvious, "Casino Royale" is a good example of that famous dry British wit.

What else could you call it when wealthy Ursula Andress tells Peter Sellers that she gets her newspapers BEFORE they're printed, and he replies, "Well, I suppose you can do anything if you've got money..." Or when Joanna Pettet comments on her estranged mother's oversized bed and is told, "The German army was very large in those days."

I've withheld one star because the movie does tend to have an episodic feel, due to the five different directors who worked on it, and because it drags a bit in places. Still, the witty jokes more than make up for those small flaws. Considering how many hands this movie was in, it's amazing that it works so well. Woody Allen gives his funniest performance as neurotic Jimmy Bond. Peter Sellers is terrific, as usual. And watch out for an appearance by a young Jacqueline Bisset as Miss Goodthighs.

The movie's crowning touch is the music by Burt Bacharach, which manages to be catchy and loopy at the same time.

Finally, one of the best reasons for owning rather than renting this movie is that some of the gags go by so fast (Q's laboratory, the art auction), that you might not catch them all until your second or third viewing. And, like a lot of good humor, some of the jokes just get funnier with repeat viewings.

Somewhat entertaining, mostly dull
Casino Royale isn't a terrible movie; it has its moments, and, truly, has a superb cast. That much can be said for it. There are some scenes with Ursula Andress, especially, that are very funny, and the beginning isn't without its humor. However, in general it is a mess of movie; loosely constructed, making little to no sense, and, what is worst of all, not even all that funny. I had to fight off sleep to keep consciousness during the movie, something I almost never have to do. I actually got to the point where I couldn't wait for it to end. Not the worst film ever made, but save your money. Rent it if you must.

When your castle is blown up, it's back to the spy game....
Great movie! Sir James Bond played by David Niven is forced back into espionage after his hedonistic lifestyle is so rudely interrupted by a British army 81mm mortar team who proceeds to blow up his perfectly splendid castle. Bond prefers a life of luxury to the dangers of espionage but alas, it's back to the good old Walther PPK 7.65mm and the cloak and dagger for 007. As Dr. Michael Lim the Travelling Gourmet, I too appreciate the finer things in life. I think all fans of Bond do too. The music is remarkable. This is THE movie where that immortal and hauntingly seductive song, by Burt Bacharach, "The Look of Love" reaches deep into your libido and psyche, especially when you hear it for the very first time. My old friend, the late Derek Nimmo (of BBC's Just a Minute) fame is in this movie too as a would be Bond under the tutelage of Sir James himself. If you see the current Austin Powers movies you'll see where the scipt writers got many of their ideas from. Beautiful and seductively voluptuous women abound as in all 007 movies. In those days, men were men and women were not pale, anaemic anorexic skin and bone creatures but lovely, curvaceous and meaty damsels. Bring back the real women I say to Hollywood film makers! This spook spoof will put a smile on your lips and cheer you up no end. Certain scenes like when Sir James demonstrates how things should be done are really hilarious. Above all, the classic British ideal of stiff upper lip, always remain calm and unruffled no matter what, and carry on regardless...comes through all the antics, bombs, blondes and bullets. David Niven comes a very close second to Patrick Macnee (The Avengers) when it comes to playing cool, calm and collected English gentlemen. And so, what's next? As Austin Powers would say, "Yeah, Baby, Yeah!!!" By Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet ENJOY!

Bond Spoof and Origins
Charles Feldman's Casino Royale is a colorful psychedelic mess 36 years after its creation. This film was the first James Bond spoof and a precurser of the Austin Powers movies. Unfortunately the film has not aged well.

The jokes seem as dated as the costumes. There is virtually no plot to speak of and the sequences by four directors seem cobbled together by fifth director Val Guest.

The film is fun to watch with its great musical score and vibrant colors but there isn't a lot holding this thing together.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the disc is the 1954 TV movie from Climax Mystery Theatre which featured Barry Nelson as the American spy Jimmy Bond. It was fun to see the true origin of the Bond franchise.

Bottom line rent it for its place in history but don't go in expecting greatness.

Swingin' 60s on Film!
Funny! Despite it's bad reputation, if you are a NON-square, ya gotta check this out. Lots of in-jokes, droll humor and laugh-out-loud stuff. Sure, it's a bit "all-over-the-place" but that's half the fun. The go-go dancing Indians, the cavalry charge into the casino, the Dr. Caligari sets, the pop-art sets and psychedelic FX, the Frankenstein monster... it's all like a mix of The Magic Christian, Monty Python, Blazing Saddles, Austin Powers, The Monkees "Head" and James Bond thrown into a Swingin' Sixties blender. And all those great stars strutting their stuff!! Don't worry about the plot... this is eye candy. If you want a generous 60s fix, just sit back and let this flow over you. All that and the Burt Bacharach score. I'm glad I bought this. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

In the dark years of the 1930s, dance marathons became popular as a way for desperate people to compete for prize money. Sometimes the events would drag on for weeks as contestants pushed themselves far beyond the point of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, the dancers shambling around the floor in a half-dead stupor. People would then pay to sit in the bleachers, watch the event, and cheer on their favorites. They Shoot Horses is taken from hard-boiled pulp writer Horace McCoy's novel of the same name; Jane Fonda plays a bitter young woman paired up with Michael Sarrazin for the ordeal. Gig Young portrays the unctuous MC of the event, bringing equal parts compassion and sleaze to his role. Many of the film's images are unforgettable, such as "the derby," a heel-and-toe race around the dance floor with bouncy, lighthearted music to accompany the miserable spectacle. It's a powerful, tragic period piece that reminds us of the privations of the Great Depression. In the largest sense, the film has existential overtones that go far beyond the story of enervated dancers staying on their feet for a month or more. This film brought home a string of Academy Award nominations for the cast and director Sydney Pollack and a win for Young. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (32)

gloom, despair, agony, bleak, depressing...I LOVE IT !
Jane Fonda left her fluff pieces behind her and became a REAL actress after her Oscar-nominated performance here as Gloria, the bitter and hopeless woman who joins a grueling dance marathon (a craze of the Depression '30s) with Michael Sarrazin as her partner. She leaves nothing behind and throws herself into this bleak role taking huge risks that 'STAR' actresses don't do anymore. The film also put Sydney Pollack on the map as a director to be reckoned with. Finding an audience for this film may be tough because of its unrelenting gloom, but if you watch it and don't find yourself thinking about it for weeks after you have seen it, you don't know what movies are about. The message here is that there are no winners in life....only survivors. These are the kinds of films I favor (bleak and depressing) as that is what real life is about....it's a struggle. If you're looking for a diversion from real life, don't come here. The film also contains an Oscar-winning turn by Gig Young as the dance marathon's promoter and emcee and an Oscar-nominated performance by Susannah York as a Garboesque wannabe actress looking for a break. Horses is more a disaster film than anything else. No ship hits an iceberg and no building catches fire, but everyone involved experiences disaster. Don't pass this up.

A MASTERPIECE RESTORED
I was overjoyed to receive a gift of the reissue of this video in 1995, that is until I watched it in all its "pan & scan" desecration. It is truly a joy to watch this DVD (VHS is now available in widescreen as well) in the right format with all the extras. But all that aside, this is a towering, neglected masterpiece of American cinema that virtually put director Sydney Pollack on the map and established Jane Fonda as the premier American actress of the Sixties and Seventies. Who else could have captured the tragic essence of the bitter, beaten Gloria but Fonda? Watch her especially in the final elimination round as she desperately (and literally) carries her ailing partner around the floor in a final attempt to win the big prize and (symbolically) maybe give life one more try. Fonda never sentimalizes this great character as a lesser actress would have been tempted to; no simple answers or easy forgiveness will do for Gloria--she is too important to be trivialized. Red Buttons, Susannah York, and Gig Young are also superb in supporting roles; the cinematography and music also deserve kudos. If you haven't seen it, do not miss this American classic and one of the century's greatest actresses just entering her prime. How we do miss Jane.

An Awful Movie
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is an awful film. It is about as interesting as watching water boil. It is also unhistorical in that the 1930's are depicted as a time of prosperity even though in real life that was the decade of the Great Depression.

There is no real depth to the plot. Nor is there anything exceptional about either the direction, photography or the soundtrack. Jane Fonda is badly miscast in this role and she delivers her lines poorly. None of the performances in this movie are especially good.

In sum, this is a movie to avoid.

Possibly the worst movie of all time!
The only movies that may be worse would be Accidental Tourist or maybe Blair Witch Project. It's tough to pin down what exactly made this movie so bad. Thats probably because every facet of it STUNK SO BAD! All I know is that I wasted 2 hours of my life of this tripe, 2 hours that I'll never get back. Go ahead and rate my review as unhelpful if you must, but DON'T SPEND MONEY ON THIS FILM!

Jane Fonda's Performance was Overlooked!
Horace McCoy's depression era play, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is tragically brought to life through the performances of an ensemble cast. Jane Fonda delivers her greatest performance, as Gloria, a loner trying to cope with an everyday painful existence.
Be prepared for a shocking ending, if that's possible. There arises a glimmer of hope that life is better.
Sydney Pollack directs a masterpiece in the exploration of the human condition under the throngs of depression. The utter despair, agony, and suffering of each character is felt, heard, seen, and endured by the viewer. It becomes so intense that you want to scream, "Enough, I can't watch any more." There's no need to scream out. Horace McCoy solves the problem for the viewer, and for Gloria. ... Read more

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In 1996, with his public image at a low ebb after a messy breakup with Mia Farrow, clarinetist and filmmaker Woody Allen set off on a tour of Europe with his New Orleans jazz band. Accompanying him were his sister, his soon-to-be wife Soon-Yi Previn, and Oscar-winning documentary maker Barbara Kopple. Like Allen says as the beginning of the tour, "Theoretically, this should be fun for us."

Woody Allen has always been more widely appreciated in Europe than in the U.S., so it's no surprise that the concerts quickly provoke the kind of fan hysteria usually reserved for rock stars.This star however is clearly not comfortable with his fame.Whether he's giving a tour of his lavish hotel suite or prodding at an unexpectedly dry omelet, the director seems profoundly ill at ease and sometimes--when trapped by a crowd or harassed by a particularly persistent photographer--he appears to be both frightened and angry at the way celebrity shapes his life. The pressure to be funny on cue is the bane of any comedian's life, of course, and for Allen the seemingly endless round of receptions and parties is something to be endured, not enjoyed.In the face of this, the mutual support and affection shared by Allen and the woman he introduces as "the notorious Soon-Yi Previn" comes across as both genuine and absolutely necessary. When they are together, he is at his funniest, and his least guarded.

What persuaded such a private artist to allow such a documentary to be made?Perhaps it was a desire to celebrate his love of music, something that appears to sustain him as much as his relationship with Soon-Yi. He may refuse to bob his head and tap his feet to please his audience, but when he launches into a soaring solo we finally see Allen at ease, transported by the thrill of playing jazz. --Simon Leake ... Read more

Reviews (16)

If you're looking for a Woody Allen film, this isn't it.
I really like Woody Allen and it's still kinda cool seeing one of my favorite filmmakers playing my favorite instrument (the clarinet) in my favorite musical style of 1940's-New Orleans-period Jazz. There's no doubt that Woody Allen has talent for filmmaking, but we've heard little about his musical talents until now. Unfortunately, "Wild Man Blues" doesn't satisfy as a documentary or a Woody Allen film, but a voyeuristic view of a pretty unglamorous 2-week tour.

"Wild Man Blues" shows Woody go through a European tour with his Jazz band, stopping in major cities like Paris, Milan, Madrid, Bologna & London. His performances are to large crowds of 1,000 or more people, and it turns into an event that is obviously uncomfortable for the notoriously recluse filmmaker. We get a pale "behind the scenes" view of Woody in real life, which personally reminded me of the MTV Real World method: Film everything and keep the most interesting parts, which are few & far between. As the movie progresses, Woody gets comfortable enough for the ever-present camera to start making some of his trademark quips about anomalies in general; broken light switches, forgotten breakfast items, etc. This wears off some of the effect, since it seems we are not watching a good documentary, but a film with inconsistent dialogue.

I personally would rather have a movie of an entire performance of the Jazz band, rather than a tour of fine hotel rooms, backstage areas and curious crowds, interspersed with a few minutes of performances. The film seemed to focus on Woody & Soon-Yi, while pretty much neglecting the rest of the band. Interesting comparisons were left un-addressed: Sure, Woody and Soon-Yi stay in 5 star hotels, but where does the band stay? How do they feel about their musical performances often being overshadowed by his celebrity? Woody gets a private plane, but no other musicians seem to fly with him? That would have been much more interesting that spending 5 minutes of film being spent on a broken shower.

The one surprise of the film is the revealing of the roles of Woody & Soon-Yi in their relationship. I was not expecting this, but I definitely came away thinking that they interact quite well as a couple. But once again, I love Woody Allen films, but am pretty uninterested in his personal life.

I've seen Woody Allen & his Jazz band live in NYC, and that was a huge treat unto itself. I hope one day a film focusing on the music-performance is released.

Un-Wild Man Blues
Barbara Kopple's "Wild Man Blues" is decidedly un-wild. That's its first fib. It is the un-intense and un-penetrating chronicle of Woody Allen's 1997 European tour with his New Orleans jazz band. Released in 1998, "Wild Man Blues" came hard on the heels of a period of public scandal for the notoriously private filmmaker, prompting critics to dub it a "public relations corrective". There is a whiff of mendacity about this film. Its motive is abstruse and its meaning convoluted. It carries an air of constructivism. It smells like propaganda. Lurking behind an obeisance to jazz music is a salve for moviegoers' indignation over Allen's romance with stepdaughter cum fiancé, Soon-Yi Previn.

Barbara Kopple has a reputation for truth seeking, winning an Oscar for her exploration of union violence in "Harlan County, USA", but "Wild Man Blues" lacks her early incisiveness. Despite her through-the-keyhole approach, Kopple's eye yields no unguarded moments. Instead she offers a prim and proper tableau--stagy and self-consciously sexless-- of the couple's daily life. Though they hold hands in public and snuggle in a gondola, only one scene suggests that Woody and Soon-Yi actually share a bed.

Conspicuously lacking in dialectic, this documentary is unable to facilitate any intelligent discourse on what is presumably the topic at hand: jazz. Woody Allen--filmmaker, intellectual and aesthete--has always drawn on the art of music with a sublime touch. The soundtracks for "Manhattan" and "Stardust Memories" are paragons. He is considered, and deservedly so, a jazz aficionado. What, then, accounts for the specious treatment of jazz in "Wild Man Blues"? Referring to Dixieland jazz only cursorily as "primitive", "un-cerebral", "crude", "like taking a bath in honey", Woody Allen denies us access to his comprehensive knowledge of music and Barbara Kopple does nothing to draw him out. Instead, she focuses on the ostentatious continental parade that was the 1997 tour. Private jets, ultra-lux accommodations and chauffeur-driven Mercedes purposefully serve to isolate the clarinetist from his band mates, a gulf that is not bridged when they finally cross paths in a Madrid green room. Allen takes the posture of puppeteer rather than participant and the resultant music is predictably stale and soulless. But then "Wild Man Blues" is hardly about the music.

This film has a separate agenda and its secret weapon is Soon-Yi. Convivial, energetic, the model of a modern young woman, Soon-Yi emerges as the film's bright spot, effectively its subject. Though a betrayal of Woody's beloved jazz, "Wild Man Blues" achieves its purpose: to overturn the public perception of Soon-Yi Previn as an exploited child. It establishes Woody and Soon-Yi in socially palatable roles-she as a confident, articulate, adult woman; he as having something to learn from her.

"Wild Man Blues" is an elegant and efficient little white lie that simultaneously exonerates and charges Woody Allen: exculpated as a corrupter of youth but indicted as a filmmaker who is not committed to the truth. Barbara Kopple is his cellmate.

The Private Woody on his terms
Woody Allen claims to be a private man. His films make their appearance without large press junkets with the filmmaker and even with the advent of DVD, he doesn't return to offer anything up on his experiences. So, it is rather ironic that he would have this movie made, one that exposes his personal life, even moreso since it takes place soon after his messy break-up with Mia farrow. But, since the film was being made, it was on his terms. It puts a heavy focus on Woody the musician (more a title of legend than reality.) Filmed on a Eurpoean Tour, the film is surprisingly revealing, allowing for the connection between his on and off screen personas to be compared. Featured prevelantly is his now wife, Soon-Yi Previn. With this document, she is shown to be a powerful force in his career(s). She also adds a touch of reality to his occasionally idealistic opinions. So, the result is a sometimes fun piece filled with some great Dixieland style music. A must for serious Woodyphiles but others may be a bit distraught by the pacing.

Woody can do no wrong
This is a fabulous documentary. Fun all the way, good music, good charm and witt. A new slant on his lovely wife plus his parents are too funny. Loved it.

paparaZZis'n'jaZZ
If you think Woody Allen is always playing himself in his films, you better watch »Wild Man Blues«. It shows a sensitive but also very calm, shy and yet self-confident soul. A human being who is not exclusively comfortable with being a celebrity. A New Orleans jazz enthusiast from New York who misses Europe when he's at home, and vice versa.

Meet the man, meet Woody Allen, watch »Wild Man Blues«! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A perfect marriage of novel but incisive writing, acting, and direction, Big is the story of a 12-year-old boy who wishes he were older, and wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). The script by Gary Ross(Dave) and Anne Spielberg finds some unexpected ways of attacking obvious issues of sex, work, and childhood friendships, and in all of these things the accent is on classy humor and great sensitivity. Hanks is remarkable in the lead, at times hilarious (reacting to caviar just as a 12-year-old would) and at others deeply tender. Penny Marshall became a first-rate filmmaker with this 1988 work.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (59)

It can't get any better than this
Oh boy do I love this movie. I'm so glad to hear it's going to come out on DVD (I'm pre-ordering now). I really doubt that Hollywood can make romantic comedies this good any more. Well, hopefully I'm wrong, but quite honestly, I haven't seen any better union since "Big" -- a screenplay so well written, a director so creative (as Penny Marshall), an actor so talented (as Tom Hanks), an actress so lovely (as Elizabeth Perkins), plus a perfect supporting cast (Robert Loggia, Jon Lovitz, Mercedes Ruehl...) Forgive me for being a bit cynical here, but movies like this have become so rare these days, just like happy marriages.

Superb FILM!!!
This has to be one of the greatest films all of all times,EVER!!
Tom Hanks did an exellent job playing a young boy(Joshua "Josh" Baskins) trapped in a grown mans' body. A child trying to make it in a rough world, living as an adult,but only in the flesh.
The writing was excellent! The entire casts' acting was superb! Penny Marshall has directed a true gem that has been a classic for about 14 years now, and will remain a classic for decades to come.
Living in New York as I do, It was really fun to know that the area where Josh met up with the fortune teller machine was shot on location at Rye Playland about 40 minutes driving time from where I live(pretty cool, huh?)I go in that area at times just to rekindle the movie shot(I'm pathetic,right?)
One of the funniest movie scences I can remember is when his (somewhat) love interest,Susan (played beautifully by Elizabeth perkins) tries to get romantic with Josh, but all he seems to care about is jumping on the trampling and seeing who gets to sleep on the TOP bunk.(His young mind cannot comprehend what she means when she says she wants to "SLEEP" with him). Those are classic "BIG" moments, along with him playing the gaint Step-On Keyboard at FAO Schwarz Toy Store that will never leave my memory!It was very interesting seeing Tom Hanks show his boyish side; that innocent charm that very few actors could have probably pulled off so well. I also like the moral to the story as well, JUST LIKE THEY SAY: "Be careful what you wish for,'cause you may get it". Every wish comes with a price. There's no such thing as a perfect wish.
(You'll know what I mean if you haven't seen the film yet). If you haven't seen this extraordinary movie yet, then please do yourself a favor and buy it. Or at least rent it first,then I'll guarantee you will purchase this movie to share with your family and friends for years to come.
P.S. I think Tom Hanks was perfect for the part of Josh,but do you think anybody else could have done a good job as well? What about Bill Murray or Robin Williams? What do you think? Well...now that i think about it, with Tom Hanks playing the Award winning role,and seeing how well it was played, I don't think I'd have it any other way. -- PEACE.

Purhaps THE Defining Moment in Hanks' Career
In 1980 Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari came to the small screen in the sitcom Bosom Buddies and the rest is history. For Hanks anyway. Haven't seen Scolari since Newhart and I'm not complaining. Bosom Buddies only ran for three seasons but Hanks starred in the smash hit Splash in 1984 and his star only rose from there. As he matured throughout the 80's, it became clear that Hanks wasn't going to stand pat with dumb little pratfall comedies like The Money Pit. Little by little his comedies crept away from the silliness and into the drama. Big, in retrospect, seems like a defining moment in Hanks' career. It's the first time Hanks is asked to carry a big budget sink or swim flick all his own. There's plenty of comedy here, of course, but there are underlying themes of loss and fear that had been touched on in some of his earlier smaller movies but never in a big buget blockbuster type flick and not so pervasively. This sense of the inherent sadness and uncertainty of life has come to dominate Hanks' flick. Movies like Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Castaway, and, especially, Philadelphia are quite grim in thier life is suffering seriousness. The Hanks in earlier fare like Splash and Volunteers contrasts sharply with the turn of the millenium Hanks. Big is a must watch for any Hanks fans.

One of the best 80ies comedies!!!
I really enjoyed watching "Big." It stars two of my fav.
actors: Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins. Tom Hanks is really
great as the young boy "trapped" in a mans body. Elizabeth
Perkins is soooo cute as Hanks love interest and also a great
actress. As I wrote,a great movie!!!

I Wish I Was Big . . .
Doesn't every child? Well, if you are a child, and have watched this movie, you have probably changed your mind by now! And if you're an adult, then you will identify with a lot in this movie. That is, if you're watching it with your eyes open.

The movie starts off by making everyone reminisce (well, NOW anyway) by showing the old games, which you thought were state-of-the-art at the time! Now you see them, and you see rubbish graphics, and you had to type what you wanted the characters to do - I remember those! And the film quickly goes on from there.

I'm not sure what it was about the movie, but I wasn't all that keen on it. It seems to drag in the middle, and the whole idea of the movie is forgotton. The mum isn't included as much, it would have been nice to maybe see Tom Hanks come back and see her again, instead of just phoning her. My other quibble is that it's only rated a PG - so much more could have been done with the movie, if it had been a 15, maybe NOT an 18. But I guess they were aiming at the kids, so putting it in some (funny) sex scenes would have not been allowed. Boo.

Tom Hanks is perfect as the kid in a man's body - to me, he seems all arms and legs, awkward and gangly.

An OK movie - not one I would watch again, so it's probably good I got it for free!!! ;) ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A married man, left alone during a hot summer, fantasizes madly about the impossibly gorgeous woman living in the upstairs apartment. When the woman is Marilyn Monroe, such fantasies are the stuff of epics, and The Seven Year Itch is a memorable laugh machine. Tom Ewell, repeating his role from George Axelrod's Broadway hit, plays the itchy protagonist, whose vivid imagination gets the better of him. When Monroe finally comes downstairs and becomes friends (confiding, among other things, that she keeps her undies in the icebox in this hot weather), imagination meets reality in a merciless attack on the male libido. Ewell's crack timing is matched by Monroe's zesty comic flair, and the scene in which her white dress is blown skyward by a passing subway train has entered the encyclopedia of great movie images. Director Billy Wilder adapted the play with Axelrod; if the film is not one of Wilder's signature works (Some Like It Hot and The Apartment would soon follow), it is nevertheless a smoothly crafted comedy. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (40)

classic sex farce
THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH provided for Marilyn Monroe the chance to play in an accomplished sex comedy, and gave the world a singular Marilyn moment: the now-classic subway grate scene.

Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell in his original Broadway role) has just farewelled his wife and young son for the annual summer exodus from New York. Far from having nothing to do, Sherman fantasises all day and night about the never-named girl (Marilyn Monroe) who has just moved into the apartment above his.

Evelyn Keyes (GONE WITH THE WIND) gives a comically-knowing performance as Sherman's wife, while Marilyn is delightful in her brilliant rapport with Ewell.

George Axelrod's long-running Broadway play was the basis of the film, but the all-powerful censorship board saw too many "vulgarities" in the play (where Sherman actually has an affair with the upstairs girl). In the film it is only toyed with. Walter Matthau was originally considered for the Sherman role, but Ewell fills the role of the everyman so perfectly that it is almost impossible to think of the film without him.

The DVD includes the "Backstory" making-of featurette, deleted scenes, restoration comparisons, trailer and gallery.

THE ULTIMATE MARILYN.....
This is the ultimate Monroe film. The one where she stands over a subway grating on a hot summer night to feel the rush of cool air from the trains passing beneath---the rush of air blowing the skirt of her sexy white halter dress up around her. But there's a movie that goes with this legendary image and it's a classic. Based on the adult Broadway play, "Itch" was watered down for the screen and stars Tom Ewell as the frustrated married man and Monroe as the Girl Upstairs. One hot New York summer, a man sends his wife and small son away for the summer---as all New York men do this time of the year according to Ewells' narration. He's left alone in their apartment to struggle with his vices---cigarettes and booze---when all of a sudden the Girl moves in sub-letting the apartment upstairs. She's a TV model and commercial actress and delightfully portrayed by Monroe. The homely and dumpy Ewell begins having steamy sex fantasies visualizing himself as a powerful lover irrestible to women. Monroe wants to be neighborly so she keeps inviting herself down to his flat frustrating the hopelessly timid Ewell. She doesn't realize her effect on him but he's got an air condtioner and it's hot upstairs. She's completely guileless. Monroe is perfect as the Girl and Ewell personifies the Everyman confronted with temptation when left to his own devices. Monroe is breathtaking in Technicolor and her performance speaks volumes about her comic potential. The subway grating scene caps her legend as a sex symbol but when you watch her performance here you see she was so much more than that.

The Seven Year Itch- One of the top ten Comedies ever
Nobody should die without seeing this masterpiece comedy at least 1 time.

There is no doubt that this film was influential to many other great comedy films. Ideas like the main character thinking out loud and narrating the movie was used in Ferris Bueller. Ideas like using the main characters fantasies for a laugh was used in the movie A christmas story. Ofcourse this films discussion of sexual tension between males and females has been used many times in movies like American Pie. Ofcourse by todays standards The seven year itch is a classy film compared to films like American Pie. The Seven year itch did it all and influenced some of the greatest comedies of my generation(80's to present).

casting=5 stars
ending=4.5 stars
Directing=5 stars
plot & storyline=5 stars
replay value=5 stars

OVERALL= 4.9 TOTAL STARS

DVD FEATURES: The Seven year itch has awesome DVD features. The AMC backstory explains how Tom Ewell was picked as the starring role, how the censors almost ruined the movie, and Joe Dimmagios reaction to his wife Marilyn Monroes controversial subway scene. Also included is 2 deleted scenes, restoration comparisons and previews for other Marilyn films...

The growing height of Marilyn's career
Too bad Marilyn Monroe didn't have kids, to carry on the legacy maybe, because she was something. This movie sure proves it. I think this movie shows Marilyn acting more comortably in front of the screen and I think this is when she began to become a Hollywood superstar. Everyone wanted to be like her. I think this movie is really funny and entertaining and is worth a rent, but GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES {1953} IS MY VERY FAVE, THAT'S HER SECOND OR THIRD MAYJOR HIT, THAT ONE PARTICULAR SPARKED HER CAREER AS WELL AS THE SEVENYEARITCH. SEE IT, YOU WON'T BE DISAPOINTED!

charming, funny and witty. a classic
ah ha, yes the famous sub-way scene. i don't know if the male viewers of america know how much that scene upset Marilyn Monroe because that is what American men and woman thought of her after this film. The 7 year itch is about more than that sub-way scene, so let's drop the obsession with it please. that aside, this is an excellent movie, one of the best comedies ever. tom ewell is hysterical, as is marilyn. a must see. a true classic. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

We have identified last night's dinner, it was veal...
"We are the C.I.T.s so pitious, The kids are brats the food is hideous..." so the song goes as Bill Murray and his helpful counselors sing at the end of this funny film. Bill Murray is at his best when he has a stooge who is seriously discussing something with him, like the reporter who asks why the camp costs so much. Also there is one great routine where Bill explains "It just doesn't matter..." This is a fun summer camp movie for just about any age of viewer. Also good Murray movies not to miss are "Kingpin," "Caddyshack," "Groundhog Day" and "What About Bob?" Chris Makepeace did a very good job in this debut movie and then did "My Bodyguard" and a few other lesser known movies including at least one vampire film. Tom Willett

The Kids are Brats, the Food is Hideous!
No, it's not about fat guys at an Italian restaurant. It's a lovable, low-budget flick about summer camp, shot in Canada. The camp counselors have sex, but no slasher comes out of the lake to chop them up. Instead, Bill Murray takes Chris Makepeace (that kid from "My Bodyguard") under his wing and teaches him how to belch and talk at the same time, which brings the little guy out of his shell and makes him the most popular camper in Camp Northstar history.

There are some obligatory heart-string tugs, but mostly this is just amiable, low-brow fun for the whole family. You'll find yourself chanting "Spaz! Spaz! Spaz!" anytime you watch someone attempt something moderately difficult. Try it on a friend, or your spouse- it's fun!

Classic Murray
I think there are two types of people in the world -- those who get Bill Murray and those who don't. For those of us who intrinsically get him, he simply has no peer when it comes to pulling off the kinds of comedic characters that he portrays. It's not so much about what he does, but who he is and how he presents the character that matters. As the head camp counselor "Tripper", Murray is funny but he is also so much more than funny: He gives the movie it's heart and humanity, without which, it would be nothing more than a series of sophomoric pranks. In my opinion, that is why this movie works when all of the others in the series are deplorable.

To be sure, this is one of the definitive "summer camp" movies of all time; just as Caddyshack is one of the greatest golf movies ever made. But for those who somehow just don't get Murray, there is little that can be said that will convince them to like either movie. Even with as much commercial success as he has had, I believe his comic genius is still way underrated. I have given this movie four stars because I reserve five star ratings exclussively for movies which I believe are exceptional, and because the transfer of this movie to DVD should have been handled with greater care. Otherwise, it's a solid movie with plenty of laughs and some tender moments as well.

Classic Murray
Bill Murray puts in a hilarious performance, reminiscent of Carl in Caddyshack, as a camp counsellor in this coming of age film. It takes place at a kids camp in Ontario and has all the ingrediants for hilarity, heartbreak, and friendship. There were many copies, but this was the original. If you haven't seen it I recommend you do.

Miss movies like these
These comedies are great. Great and fun humor. Yes, there was some toliet humor mixed in, but its so tame by today standards you don't even raise an eyebrow when you hear it. Bill Murray is one of my favorite comedians. When I was younger I saw this movie and then every movie after when I saw Murray I would say "Hey, its the guy from Meatballs." Even to this day I when I see him I remember Meatballs.

I with this movie would get a better treatment with the DVD. Its one of the best comedies ever. Actually, its a family comedy that you can watch with any age group. The adults will get the minor sex jokes, and the teenagers will too, but enjoy the rest. Kids will enjoy the fun of Bill Murray father like figure to one of the kids.

This is a must see comedy. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Billy Wilder cowrote and directed this brilliant 1957 mystery based on Agatha Christie's celebrated play about an aging London barrister (Charles Laughton) who's preparing to retire when he takes the defense in the most vexing murder case of his distinguished career. In his final completed film (he died of a heart attack less than a year later), Tyrone Power plays the prime suspect in the murder of a wealthy widow, and Marlene Dietrich plays the wife of the accused, whose testimony--and true identity--holds the key to solving the case. A classic of courtroom suspense, Witness for the Prosecution is one of those movies with enough double-crossing twists to keep the viewer guessing right up to the very end, when yet another surprise is deftly revealed. This being a Billy Wilder film, the dialogue is first-rate and the acting superb, with both Laughton and his offscreen wife Elsa Lanchester (playing the barrister's pesty nurse) winning Academy Awards for their performances. Although later films would concoct even more complicated courtroom scenarios, this remains one of the best films of its kind and a model for all those films that followed its lead. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (46)

The perfect courtroom drama...
Quite simply, this film is brilliant. In addition to being one of Billy Wilder's best films, this is one of the best courtroom dramas ever made! It is cleverly directed, has a compelling plot, features great performances (especially by Marlene Dietrich), and is all in all very exciting and entertaining. This is a film you won't forget.

This plot of this film, which was based on a play by Agatha Christie, is your basic courtroom drama: a series of witnesses testify about the murder of a wealthy widow. Tyrone Power plays the young man accused of the murder, Marlene Dietrich gives an amazing performance as the key witness in the case, and Charles Laughton plays the lawyer determined to unravel the mystery. This film has some terrific, very surprising, twists and turns, so to say any more about the plot would give too much away!

Anyhow, this film is really suspenseful, captivating, and memorable. It's a true classic by the brilliant director Billy Wilder, and has been imitated countless times since its release. But no imitation has come close to the original, which is why this film is a must-see. Highly recommended!

Billy Wilder's ultimate best!!!!!
Director Billy Wilder has crafted the most energetic adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel entitled "Witness for the Prosecution" An aging bannister named Wilfrid Robards (played brilliantly by Charles Laughton) can't resist taking an intriguing murder case involving Leonard Vole (played by Tyrone Power in his final film). A seemingly open and shut case becomes more and complicated as the case gains momentum. Splendid acting by all including Marlene Dietrich as Leonard's wife Christine and Elsa Lanchester as Miss Plimsoll (Robard's pesky nurse) Full of surprises from beginning to end. A classic for all time!!

Witness for the Prosecution
I first saw this movie as I was walking out the door, and continued to stand mezmirized by the twists and turns. To see these two great actors, not playing their normal roles but so opposite of what I normally see them as.
I was 2 hours late for an appointment, because I was literally glued to the TV

"It's not the jury's judgment that worries me. It's mine."
"No more murder cases," is the doctor's strict prohibition upon reluctantly releasing renowned barrister and recent heart attack survivor Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton) from hospital. (Although even the word "release" seems to be a matter of some dispute here, because according to Sir Wilfrid's nurse Miss Plimsoll [Elsa Lanchester], he was "expelled for conduct unbecoming a cardiac patient." But let's leave that aside for now.) And following the doctor's orders, Sir Wilfrid's staff have lined up an array of civil cases: a divorce, a tax appeal, and a marine insurance claim - surely those will satisfy their hard-to-please employer's demands?

Err ... not likely.

So, try as he might to be a good patient, Sir Wilfrid needs only little encouragement to accept the case of handsome drifter and small-time inventor Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power), accused of murdering his rich benefactress Emily French (Norma Varden). Of course, the very circumstances that most disturb the famous barrister's colleagues Mayhew and Brogan-Moore (Henry Daniell and John Williams) - Mrs. French's infatuation with Vole, his visit to her on the night of the murder, the lack of an alternative suspect and his inheritance under her new will - just make the matter more interesting in Sir Wilfrid's eyes. Most problematic, however, is Vole's alibi, which depends entirely on the testimony of his German wife Christine (Marlene Dietrich), an actress he had met when stationed with the RAF in WWII-ravaged Hamburg. Troubling, insofar, isn't only that Christine is her husband's sole alibi witness and that - Sir Wilfrid explains - a devoted wife's testimony doesn't carry much weight anyway. The real problem is that Christine isn't the loving, desperate wife one might expect: far from that, she is cool, calculating and surprisingly self-controlled; so much so that, worried because he cannot figure out her game, Sir Wilfrid decides not let her testify at all, rather than risk damaging his case. That, however, seems to have been one of his illustrious career's few major miscalculations - because now he and his client suddenly have to face Christine as a witness for the prosecution. And her testimony on the stand is only one of several surprises she has in store.

"Witness for the Prosecution" is based on a concept Agatha Christie first realized as a four-person short story (published in the 1933 collection "The Hound of Death") and subsequently adapted into what she herself would later call her best play, which opened in London in 1953 and in 1954 on Broadway, where it won the N.Y. Drama Critics' Circle citation as Best Foreign Play. Throughout the adaptations the storyline was fleshed out more and more, the focus shifted from the work of solicitor Mayherne (whose name changed to Mayhew) to that of QC Sir Wilfrid Robarts, and the screenplay ingeniously added Miss Plimsoll's character, utilizing the proven on-screen chemistry of real-life spouses Laughton and Lanchester, for whom this was an astonishing eleventh collaboration, and whose banter bristles with director/co-screenwriter Billy Wilder's dry wit and the fireworks of the couple's pricelessly deadpan delivery, timing and genuine joy in performing together.

Perhaps most importantly, the story's ending changed: not entirely, but enough to give it a different and, albeit very dramatic, less cynical slant than the short story's original conclusion. - To those of us who have grown up with Christie's works, those of her idol Conan Doyle and on a steady diet of Perry Mason, Rumpole of the Bailey and the many subsequent other fictional attorneys, the plot twists of "Witness for the Prosecution" (including its ending) may not come as a major surprise. At the moment of the movie's release, however, the ending was a much-guarded secret; viewers were encouraged not to reveal it both in the movie's trailer and at the beginning of the film itself; and even the Royal Family was sworn to silence before a private showing. Similarly, features such as the skillful, methodical unveiling of a seemingly upstanding, disinterested witness's hidden bias in cross-examination have long become standard fare in both real and fictional courtrooms, and any mystery fan worth their salt has heard more than one celluloid attorney yell at a cornered witness: "Were you lying then or are you lying now?" (Not recommended in real-life trial practice, incidentally.) Yet, in these and other respects it was "Witness for the Prosecution" which laid the groundwork for many a courtroom drama to come; and herein lies much of its ongoing importance.

Moreover, this is simply an outstandingly-acted film; not only by Laughton, Lanchester and a perfectly-cast Marlene Dietrich but by every single actor, also including Torin Thatcher (prosecutor Mr. Myers), Francis Compton (the presiding Judge) and, most noteably, Una O'Connor (Mrs. French's disgruntled housekeeper). This is true even if Tyrone Power's emotional outbursts in court may be bewildering to today's viewers - and even if one wonders why an American-born star was acceptable for an Englishman's role without even having to bother trying to put on an English accent in the first place, whereas Dietrich and other non-native English speakers of the period, like Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman, were routinely cast as foreigners. (Yes, yes, I know. Redford and "Out of Africa" come to mind more recently, too, but that's a can of worms I won't open here.)

"Witness for the Prosecution" won a Golden Globe for Elsa Lanchester, but unfortunately none of its six Oscar nominations (which undeservedly didn't even include Marlene Dietrich), taking second seat to the year's big winner "Bridge on the River Kwai" in the Best Picture, Best Director (David Lean), Best Actor (Alec Guinness) and Best Editing categories, and to "Sayonara" for Best Supporting Acress (Miyoshi Umeki) and Best Sound. No matter: with the noirish note resulting from its use of multiple levels of ambiguity - in noticeable contrast to Christie's Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries - it fits seamlessly next to such Billy Wilder masterpieces as "Sunset Boulevard" and "Double Indemnity;" and it has long since become a true courtroom classic.

The first time I saw this...
...six unblinking, spellbound eyes took every moment in--that is to say, my parents and I (eye!) were thoroughly riveted. The plot was deliciously unpredictable, and Marlene was so unflinching in her role. Perhaps it's not the most feel-good movie in the world, but it's well worth watching anyhow. You're a witness... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fans of Woody Allen's earlier, more purely comic movies will enjoy Don't Drink the Water, a film of his successful stage play about a hapless diplomat during the cold war. Michael J. Fox plays Axel McGee, the son of an ambassador to an unnamed Communist country. Though forced by family pressure to enter diplomacy, McGee has no talent for it whatsoever and has been kicked out of cities, countries, and even entire continents. Whenhis father goes back to Washington to seek a higher position, he reluctantlyleaves Axel in charge. For a few days, all goes well. But then the Hollandersarrive (Julie Kavner, Mayim Bialik, and Allen himself), a Jewish family from NewJersey who accidentally took pictures of a sensitive intersection. Accused ofbeing spies, they seek asylum at the embassy--and immediately send everythingout of whack by insulting the chef, tying up the phones with long distancecalls, and almost starting an international incident by squabbling with a MiddleEastern emir. Eccentric characters abound, including a priest who's been inasylum at the embassy for so long he's taken up magic tricks to pass the time(Dom DeLuise) and a snooty bureaucrat who thinks McGee is an idiot (EdwardHerrmann). It was funnier when the cold war was still going on, but it's stillan entertaining farce, directed by Allen. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (8)

An Allen throwback to the good old days
What kind of Woody Allen fan are you? Do you favor his heavy, drama-laden homages to Bergman? His film noir? His zany early comedies?

If you love the latter, you'll probably like this "lost" gem. A bit like "Manhattan Murder Mystery" which was resurrected years after it was written, "Don't Drink the Water" conjures the early days of Allen's career with zany comedy full of larger than life characters and over-the-top performances.

The cast is great, the script is too, the plot moves along nicely and in general I had great fun. Yes, it seems a bit claustrophobic at times and a bit stagey, but many of Allen's recent work has a similar feel regardless of the genre.

All in all it is an enjoyable farce that harkens back to the golden days of Allen's comic genius.

Should be given 6 Oscars
Woody Allen's audiovisual version of an early play which was originally staged on a premiere during a military parade for the Egyptian president Anwar Al Sadat, who was carnaged with his cabinet in the early eighties by his own air force.
The embarassment of the jewish author, who strangely didn't attend the staging due to pregnancy (and started the well known gossip story of a love affair with the dignatary), made him start a re write, which lead him to just leave the title and change everything else (including his famous B&W credit card to the more festive Filemón Pacheco, which sadly didn't make it to the final cut).
If you wanna see Michael J. Fox not traveling to the future (or the past) this is the movie you want to steal from a relative who already owns it and is not that aware of the things he has bought.
If you're tripping in acid maybe you'll discover how this is the prequel to Star Wars' Episode I (if you do, please post a message).
Let's just enjoy our beloved hypocondriac, always funny, always being analyzed in New York!!!!!!

DO buy this movie!
Don't Drink the Water is hysterical! I am a huge Woody Allen Fan and have seen nearly all of his movies. There are some movies by Woody that even I'm not that fond of BUT.....this is not one of them. This movie is entertaining and well cast. There is a lot going on and everytime I watch it I find something different that gets me going! Buy this movie and keep an eye on the subtleties. You won't be disappointed!

DO buy this movie!
This movie is hysterical! I am a huge Woody Allen Fan and have seen nearly all of his movies. There are some movies by Woody that even I'm not that fond of BUT.....this is not one of them. This movie is entertaining and well cast. There is a lot going on and everytime I watch it I find something different that gets me going! Buy this movie and keep an eye on the subtleties.....you won't be disappointed!

Don't Drink the Water...and don't watch this movie!
OK, so I didn't actually watch the whole thing, and maybe (just maybe) it got better at the end... but I just couldn't take it anymore! If what Woody was going for was a chaotic mess then he succeeded. It was filmed partially as a docu-comedy with a narrator and hand held camera (reminiscent of "Take the Money and Run), but without the character interviews. This shaky camera technique is difficult to watch, limits the possible shots, and detracts from your ability to "suspend disbelief." Am I supposed to think there's a guy there with a camera filming reality? If so, why don't the people notice it or talk to it? It would have been better filmed as the Broadway play it was written to be.

But that's just the start of the problems...

This movie lacked any sense of comedic timing! It was almost as if there had been no rehearsals at all (more of the docu-comedy technique?). Woody overpowered everyone in every scene he was in. Michael J. Fox looked like he didn't know what he was supposed to do or say next, but struggled along like a trooper trying not to do an impersonation of Woody Allen. Unlike Miyam Bialack, who showed she could stretch from playing "Blossom" by playing a female version of Woody. By the way, she also looked far too young for the role. Julie Kavner is always good, but there really wasn't anything for her to do but talk on the phone. And I was just embarrassed for Dom DeLouise who appeared to be adlibbing over the top while everyone around him tried to ignore him. ... 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

Amazon.com essential video

Mel Brooks's directorial debut remains both a career high point and a classic show business farce. Hinging on a crafty plot premise, which in turn unleashes a joyously insane onstage spoof, The Producers is powered by a clutch of over-the-top performances, capped by the odd couple pairing of the late Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, making his screen debut.

Mostel is Max Bialystock, a gone-to-seed Broadway producer who spends his days wheedling checks from his "investors," elderly women for whom Bialystock is only too willing to provide company.When wide-eyed auditor Leo Bloom (Wilder) comes to check the books, he unwittingly inspires the wild-eyed Max to hatch a sure-fire plan: sell 25,000 percent of his next show, produce a deliberate flop, then abscond with the proceeds. Unfortunately for the producers (but fortunately for us), their candidate for failure is Springtime for Hitler, a Brooksian conceit that envisions what Goebbels might have accomplished with a little help from Busby Berkeley.

Truly startling during its original 1968 release, The Producers does show signs of age in some peripheral scenes that make merry at the expense of gays and women. But the show's nifty cast (notably including the late Dick Shawn as LSD, the space cadet that snags the musical's title role, and Kenneth Mars as the helmeted playwright) clicks throughout, and the sight of Mostel fleecing his marks is irresistibly funny. Add Wilder's literally hysterical Bloom, and it's easy to understand the film's exalted status among late-'60s comedies. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (163)

A comedy classic
Whether or not you've caught the hot Broadway remake of Mel Brooks' 1968 classic - 'The Producers,' anyone who appreciates satire along with Brooks' zany style of humour will find great enjoyment in this 90 minute ode to show business, hucksterism, broadway musicals and nazism. While the humour is somewhat dated at times, no one can deny the sheer comedic energy given off by the likes of Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, etc that will leave you laughing out loud every 6 mintues or so. Also of note is the craziness in the musical numbers themself that border on the fine line between absurd and offensive yet always manages to pull itself out brilliantly in the end.

For those planning on purchasing the DVD make sure that you get the 2002 released 'Special Edition' version. This edition includes over one hour of documentaries that actually manage to be viewable. Aside from the numerous other extras on this disc the video transfer is great (for an older movie) and a remastered 5.1 surround mix is included as well.

Zero is Hero - One of the great comedies
Zero Mostel glides and sparkles like a medal-winning ice dancer in Mel Brook's irreverent masterpiece. A terrifcally tasteless script is rewarded with some of the most outrageous performances ever grouped for one sitting. Mostel plays a down-at-heel producer looking for an easy return to the big time who stumbles on a cert thanks to Leo bloom (played by Gene Wilder). Leo realises you can make more with a sure-fire flop than with a smash, and so they herd together failsafe flops (Kenneth Mars as the Nazi playwight, Dick Shawn as the hippie Hitler and, unforgettably, Christopher Hewitt as director of "dopey dancers in gooey gowns," Roger Debris). Moments of unadulterated joy pepper this movie; Dick Shawn as LSD gives an otherworldly audition for Hitler, the opening scene of "Springtime for Hitler" is a jaw dropper and Zero dancing in the bar at the interval is priceless (even the way he gets from the bar to the jukebox and puts in the coin is poetry). If you haven't seen this gem a dozen times, don't rent it, buy it. It's one you'll never tire of.

DOOZY PREMISE WITH *SOME* GOOFY GAGS, BUT..
The theme held so much promise -- a couple of spent-out producers setting out to create the worst play ever to exploit an accounting glitch with finances. But something happened on the way to the execution.

The comic timing is good, and Zero and Gene have an engaging chemistry which dangles a promise in the first 30 minutes. There was even an occasional giggle here and there, but soon the clock was ticking and I had only found the film annoying, overacted and frequently just downright silly.

It's basically two guys fumbling around like a couple of idiots for a farcical hour and thirty minutes. "Springtime for Hitler" could've been hilarious, but even that fell flat. Come on, a drug-induced sixties, flower-power stoner playing Hitler is supposed to be funny?

There's a whole bunch of weird bits of comedy that are definitely original. But that's all they are. That originality sports very little zest or appeal. Did I have to be born in the late sixties to get the humor? Is this a dated comedy?

Maybe I missed something. Perhaps a rental if you have a particularly open evening.

Still Funny After All These Years
I saw this movie at the cinema when I was in high school...many moons ago...and I laughed until I cried that evening...this movie holds up well with time and it is still hysterically funny...especially the wonderful performance by the Dick Shawn, as "LSD".

Where Did I Go Right?
The Producers is the best of Mel Brooks' trio of masterpieces, which includes Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. Who knows if this is one of the funniest movies of all time? It's on my list of the funniest, though. You either love Mel's work, or you think he's inane and over-the-top; or both. Gene Wilder's best work may be found in Mel's movies; and Zero Mostel would certainly have been a mainstay in Mel Brooks movies if not for his unfortunate demise. The Producers is full of funny one-liners, and outrageous sight gags. Even the aspects that seem "dated" are still funny, because they were played over-the-top ridiculous in the first place; their datedness just plays into their over-the-topness now. ... Read more

Reviews (176)

COLD RECEPTION FOR A HOT WILDER CLASSIC
MGM continues to insult the intelligence of the DVD consumer with this 'special edition' of one of Billy Wilder's all time great romantic comedies. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are witnesses to the Valentine's Day Massacre. To stay alive the boys shave their legs, dress in drag and join an all-girl's band fronted by sulty singing sensation, Sugar Cane (Marilyn Monroe). Featuring Monroe's inimitable renditions of "Running Wild" and "I Wanna Be Loved By You" this is a keeper in every respect.
Unfortunately MGM Home Entertainment has done a terrible job of remastering the print. Though the black and white picture exhibits exceptional contrast and clarity, the obtrusive inclusion of edge enhancement, artifacting, aliasing, fine detail shimmering and digital grit make for a really unattractive visual presentation. The sound has been remixed to 5.1, but the dated fidelity shines through. Still, the audio is presented at an acceptable listening level and without much distortion or echo.
Extras included a trip down memory lane with Tony Curtis that is overly long and really dragged down by Curtis' flamboyant hamming it up for the cameras. Oh well, I can't imagine too many people are asking him to shave his legs these days. Bottom line: If you absolutely must have the film I guess you could waste your money on this version. My hope is that someone at MGM will want to revisit this classic at a later date and with a more reputable transfer. Here's to hoping. Besides - nobody's perfect!

Still A Gem
"Some Like It Hot" is one of those great classics that has as much comedy in it as well as it does romance. It is the story of two musicians, Joe and Terry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), who intenvertidly stumble upon a mob squad hit (The St. Valentine's Day Massacre) and must flee from Chicago to Florida in hopes of getting away from the mobsters. Realizing that two female musicians are needed, Joe and Terry decide to dress in drag, board a bus filled with female musicians, and head to Florida. Of course, one of the leading ladies on board the bus, is the sexy Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), who has guy problems and represents the rebel.

The film has such balance between the comic exploits of Curtis and Lemmon looking out for their backs and trying to pull off this whole female identity without getting caught, and the romantic parts, which involve Curtis' character trying to woo Sugar Kane. While Curtis is trying to make the moves on Sugar Kane, Lemmon's character is trying to escape the advances of a multi-millionare who continally attempts to make the moves on him/her.

There is plenty of double-meaning humor, slapstick humor and fun romance in this movie. It has a little of everything, and it is understandable why most still refer to this movie as a gem.

Transvestites, yipes!
This one shows up on Turner Classics every once in a while, but I hadn't focused till the other night. There's something creepy about dressing like a woman. Some burly men may have no qualms, but I find transvestites, ahh, uncomfortable. I know. It's me and there's nothing wrong with that. In Some Like It Hot, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are cross-dressing to escape some killers. They're not very attractive as women, which allowed me to enjoy the sex identity farce. Farce in America means screwball comedy. If Monroe crawled into my Pullman berth to sleep, hmm -- Lemmon pops one no doubt, and I'm not sure it was in the script if you know what I mean. Then he's swarmed by bunches of scantily clad ladies and the fun escalates. Monroe wears two dresses that give an interesting illusion. What a bod.

No pastry, no butter and no sugar

Director: Billy Wilder
Format: Black & White
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios
Video Release Date: May 1, 2001

Cast:

Marilyn Monroe ... Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Tony Curtis ... Joe (Josephine)/Junior
Jack Lemmon ... Jerry (Daphne)
George Raft ... Spats Colombo
Pat O'Brien ... Mulligan
Joe E. Brown ... Osgood Fielding III
Nehemiah Persoff ... Little Bonaparte
Joan Shawlee ... Sweet Sue
Billy Gray ... Sig Poliakoff
George E. Stone ... Toothpick Charlie
Dave Barry ... Beinstock
Mike Mazurki ... Spats' Henchman
Harry Wilson ... Spats' Henchman
Beverly Wills ... Dolores
Barbara Drew ... Nellie
Edward G. Robinson Jr. ... Johnny Paradise
Paul Frees ... Funeral Director/Josephine
Joe Gray ... Mobster at banquet
Harold 'Tommy' Hart ... Second Official
Ted Hook
John Indrisano ... Waiter
Tom Kennedy ... Bouncer
Fred Sherman ... Drunk
Tito Vuolo ... Mozzarella
Al Breneman ... Bellhop
Pat Comiskey ... Spats' henchman
Penny McGuiggan ... Band Member
Laurie Mitchell ... Mary Lou, Trumpet Player
Helen Perry ... Rosella
Sandra Warner ... Emily, Band Member
Grace Lee Whitney ... Band Member
Marian Collier ... Olga, Clarinet Player
Joan Fields ... Band Member
Mary Foley ... Band Member

The cops bust a "funeral" with a casket full of booze--and nothing else. Joe/Josephine (Tony Curtis) and Jerry/Daphne (Jack Lemmon),