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John Lasseter and his gang of high-tech creators at Pixar create another entertainment for the ages. Like the few great movie sequels, Toy Story 2 comments on why the first one was so wonderful while finding a fresh angle worthy of a new film. The craze of toy collecting becomes the focus here, as we find out Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is not only a beloved toy to Andy but also a rare doll from a popular '60s children's show. When a greedy collector takes Woody, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) launches a rescue mission with Andy's other toys. To say more would be a crime because this is one of the most creative and smile-inducing films since, well, the first Toy Story.

Although the toys look the same as in the 1994 feature, Pixar shows how much technology has advanced: the human characters look more human, backgrounds are superior, and two action sequences that book-end the film are dazzling. And it's a hoot for kids and adults. The film is packed with spoofs, easily accessible in-jokes, and inspired voice casting (with newcomer Joan Cusack especially a delight as Cowgirl Jessie). But as the Pixar canon of films illustrates, the filmmakers are storytellers first. Woody's heart-tugging predicament can easily be translated into the eternal debate of living a good life versus livingforever. Toy Story 2 also achieved something in the U.S. two other outstanding 1999 animated features (The Iron Giant, Princess Mononoke) could not: it became a huge box-office hit. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (453)

Toy Story 2 Is Better Then the Original!
I had expected a dull child's cartoon with a meaningless plot and dull characters...wow was I ever wrong! Toy Story 2 is funny, exciting, dramatic, and very entertaining! This time around, Woody is stolen by a greedy toy collector...why? Because it turns out that Woody is a valuable doll from the 1950's when he had his own popular TV show! As Buzz and the rest of the toys frantically try to find a way to rescue Woody, our cow-boy hero meets other toys just like him---Jesse the cow-girl, the Prospector, and Woody's hillarious horse. And all this time Woody starts to wonder if maybe he's found his rightful home...or has he? The animation is tops, the plot is engrossing, and the movie is excellent! If you think an animated feauture is just a bunch of interesting graphics then you're wrong! This is a heart-warming and wonderful family film.

Toys
Toy Story (1995, 80 minutes, Dolby Digital Surround; Audio Commentary, Interviews) As 6-year-old Andy's favorite toy, Woody (Tom Hanks), a take-charge, pull-string cowboy, is confident in his role as room leader. But after Andy's birthday party, newcomer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a flashy space ranger with laser action and pop-out wings, crash-lands into Woody's world.

Buzz instantly wins the admiration of Andy's other toys, igniting a rivalry that lands the duo inside the home of Sid - the toy-torturing boy next door. To escape Sid's evil plans, Woody and Buzz must work together and realize they've got the perfect friend...in each other!

Toy Story 2 (1999, 94 minutes, Dolby Digital 5.l Surround EX; Audio Commentary, Sep. Film Score Audio Track, Outakes) Andy goes to summer camp and the toys face a new crisis: Woody turns out to be a valuable collectible, and is kidnapped by an evil toy collector. It's now up to Buzz and the gang to find a way to save him.

Five stars for the movies, one star for Disney
Why must they stick to this archaic way of releasing their movies on video/DVD? I could understand discontinuing collector's or limited editions, but why discontinue entire movies? Well we all know the answer, I just hate to be jerked around like this. Disney is the largest movie company in the world but our enjoyment of their films is based around their idiotic release/discontinue schedule.
Well, with that unpleasantness out of the way, I must say Toy Story 2 is my favorite animated movie of all time and the Toy Story series is my favorite animated series (if you think about it, though, that's not saying a lot). Let's just do this in the order they came out.
Toy Story blew my mind, because the things they did in that movie (the first in particular) were so like me when I was a kid (at that age). Toy Story is sure enough my second favorite animated movie ever. It's funny, and colorful, and touching. I think all good kid's movies should have a sense of wonder, or delight, and it shouldn't be in either a cynical or naive way. They should show wonder in a way that can be found in the real world, which is a balance hard to find. The original Toy Story has all kinds of wonder and awe, both in positive and negative ways (some kids could be afraid of Sid but I bet they won't be able to stop looking at him). It's about finding your place in life, and what to do with what you've got. When Buzz happens upon a commercial for himself and then tries to fly through the window-well that is one of the most touching scenes in any movie I've seen. And the whole ending sequence is beautiful, from Buzz and Woody on the RC car going through traffic, or them being blasted from a rocket through the air. Not to mention it's filled with all kinds of toy-related jokes that any kid can relate to. I think it's safe to say it'll be looked back on like the very first full-length animated movie (it was Snow White, wasn't it?).
Toy Story 2 is nearly flawless. It has one of the craziest openings for a movie ever, and I love the way it can find a way to have characters with all kinds of motives. Al is driven by his greed, the Prospector is jaded but just wants to be loved, Jessie hasn't given up hope yet so is overjoyed when she can find a way to confirm her hopefulness. The movie uses the toys as a metaphor for growing up and moving on: or not. You can aspire for your dreams or you can realize you're happy with what you've got. Toy Story 2 is/was the last movie Disney made with Pixar before they got too smug and self-indulgent. They realized they had the power to stir emotions and awe (they also realized they could make a ton of money), but instead of giving us a sweet movie like Toy Story, we got the self-congragulatory Monsters Inc, with its obvious conflicted main character, and instead of a great secondary character like the Prospector, we got Boo. Finding Nemo was a step in the right direction, but in my opinion doesn't have the heart of the Toy Story movies.
I can actually think of one thing wrong with Toy Story 2, and that's that lame Sarah Mclachlan song. I'm not one of those people with a weird Randy Newman fascination, but his songs were so much better than that one Mclachlan song. I guess it's because the scene in which it's used is already so emotional, instead of Newman's weird but effective delivery we got Mclachlan hammering the point home with her yodeling. But I love that scene because it shows how the little girl grew up. Other than that, Toy Story 2 is great: funny and vibrant, even on my crusty old VHS tape.
I wish I had these movies on DVD. They spark wonder in me at my age just like they did when I first saw them. They have plenty of in-jokes and such but also have a timeless quality (and a strong sense of innocence). Five stars for the both of them, the best animated series of all time.

It's Different.
It's different from your average animated film. So was Toy Story part 1 but this one is better. The movie plotting is a lot better in this part. I give it five stars(I'd give it six if it was in my hands!)

The secret lives of toys
Woody (Tom Hanks), who turns out to be a rare collectible, is stolen by an unscrupulous toy store owner and slated to be sold to a toy museum in Japan. Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and friends embark on a dangerous cross-town rescue mission. This is a very entertaining and perceptive film that remembers the guilt that a child can feel over outgrowing a favorite toy. Sammy the bear was my own constant companion when I was a young child. As I grew older, I sometimes felt a pang of shame when I would encounter him lying unloved and unplayed-with in the bottom of my old toy chest. I hope he's as philosophical and understanding about it as Woody is. As cheerful as this film is, it takes on an added dimension by honoring that first melancholy that a child feels upon outgrowing a formerly cherished plaything. The animation and voice talent are also top-notch. ... Read more

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It's not Blazing Saddles, but there are some chuckles to be found in Mel Brooks's 1993 spoof of the Robin Hood legend. Cary Elwes is Robin (with a lighthearted jab at Kevin Costner's bad English accent in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), while Richard Lewis plays an angst-ridden King John, and Roger Rees a snotty Sheriff of Nottingham. Comic David Chappelle has some good moments as the only black member of Robins's noble thieves, and Brooks does his own spin on Friar Tuck: Rabbi Tuchman. The song-and-dance sequences featuring a chorus line of the Merry Men ("We're men / men in tights") is vintage Brooks, but otherwise the film can't get any traction. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (115)

A spoof for people who hate spoofs.
If you're sick and tired of spoofs, especially the dumb ones of today, like "Mafia!" or "Scary Movie", this is the spoof for you. This movie has all kinds of crazy humor that doesn't offend anyone or go over the top, and has a mess of celebrities in it, like the main star, Cary Elwes, and a great supporting cast consisting of Amy Yasbeck, Dave Chappelle, Isaac Hayes, Megan Cavanaugh, and even Patrick Stewart, under the direction of comedy legend Mel Brooks, who also appears in the movie. This movie has all kinds of humor, from humor spoofing modern times, to "secret" humor, to metaphorical humor, and to simply wacky humor anyone can laugh at. Like the Monty Python movies and the Naked Gun trilogy, you'd have to be dead not to find this movie funny.

So in short, see this movie! You'll laugh till your sides hurt!

It is not one of Mel Brook's best but there are some laughs
I read that Mel Brook's made this movie because he is facinated with the Robin Hood legend (In particular the Errol Flynn version) Remember "When things were rotten" back in the seventies. He did this movie to poke fun at the Kevin Costner version "Prince of thieves". Apparently Kevin Costner refused to wear tights and as far as Mel Brooks was concern Robin Hood wore tights. I remember one line in which Rabbi Tuckman said to Robin Hood. Robin Hood you just won the heart of the princess YOU PRINCE OF THIEVES YOU!"

Robin Hood is played the versitile actor Cary Elwese, who has done both comedy and drama. One of his most memorable lines in this movie was "Unlike other Robin Hoods, I have a British accent."

My main complaint his that many of the Jokes are recycled from previous Mel Brook's movies. The scene with Dom De Louis as a Godfather like character was funny. It was a pretty good immitation of Marlon Brando.

The actor who played hangman in this movie was also the Hangman in Blazing Saddles.

Of course Mel Brook's always played a character in his movies. He played Rabbi Tuckman who made money by going to differevt villages performing circumcisions.

Funny?
I saw this when it was released in theaters. I had hopes for quite a few laughs. Instead there were just a few. Very few. Ever see a "comedy" where you keep waiting for the funny stuff to happen, but it never does? That's what happens with "Robin Hood-Men In Tights".

A Classic Brooks Adventure!
"Robin Hood: Men in Tights" was the first of Mel's movies that I saw. It was also one of the movies that sealed me as a Brook's fan! Cary Elwes was the classic Robin, with fun pokes at all the various others who had been in the role. The merry men were the funniest group gathered on one screen and the raps that began and ended the movie were a different idea, but still really cool. This movie should be given more credit as a hilarious comedy. In fact, when my school did the musical "Brigadoon' (which takes place in Scotland), a bunch of the guy actors did a parody of "Robin Hood" as a school broadcast commerial. They changed the words of the famous song "We're men in tights!" to "We're men in Kilts". It was classic! If you are looking for a good film, this is it!

Where is the DVD?
This is one of the funniest movies ever made. If Dracula: Dead and Loving It can make it to DVD, then why not this? Not only that, but it is available in Europe and Australia but not in the US. What are they waiting for? ... Read more

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This cute movie by William Dear stars John Lithgow as a family man who befriends a Sasquatch (a.k.a. Bigfoot) and brings the friendly monster's oversized, hairy self into his Seattle home. Mayhem and comedy ensue, but things take a heavier turn when a hunter (David Suchet) gets on the creature's trail. Everything hinges on the relationship between Lithgow's character and Harry (the Sasquatch), and that relationship is really quite effective and touching. Don Ameche is a hoot as an old guy who has dreamed of meeting Bigfoot all his life and finally gets the glorious chance. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (16)

This is a Cute Movie! It Should Be on DVD!
I saw Harry and The Hendersons in a movie theater and I thought it was a cute movie. John Lithgow and the rest of the cast were really good and I think this a nice movie for the whole family. It is about a family who discovers and befriends a sasquatch (Bigfoot) who they name Harry. Lookout for David Suchet (Poirot) as a unscrupulous hunter out to bag Bigfoot. I saw this movie long before I started watching Poirot and I didn't know who David Suchet was back then but he did a good job playing the villain. I recommend this movie and I think it should be put out on DVD (Widescreen).

"Harry" stands tall among most other family-oriented movies!
Hilarious, genuinely touching and perfectly acted entertainment! John Lithgow once again shows just how talented he is in his portrayal of George Henderson, the poor beleagured "owner" of this huge creature that he mistakenly believes that he has killed by accident. Lithgow can, of course, portray a wide range of emotions very well, and his many talents are greatly used in this wonderful story. Melinda Dillon as wife Nancy is the perfect match for George, and does a fabulous job, as always. Watch for a hilarious turn by Lainie Kazan as the goofy, nosey next-door neighbor--what a hoot! Don Ameche brings his usual excellence to the roll of a non-believing believer who has searched his whole life for what poor George has stumbled upon quite by accident. The dinner table scene when he comes face-to-face with the real thing will put a lump in your throat every time you watch it! And if you aren't familiar with David Suchet away from the outstanding "Poirot" series on PBS, wait until you see his turn as the sleazy, nasty hunter determined to bag the ultimate trophy--Harry! Additionally, it's no surprise that awards were won by the individuals responsible for the incredible make-up job that was necessary to convincingly portray the huge, massive Sasquatch. He's incredibly real and absolutely believable. Can't recommend this movie enough--buy it, rent it or borrow it today and watch this one with your family around you. You won't be sorry!

Funny funny movie!
I love this film. Its part of the magic "trio" of cult classic films: including "Kazaam" and "Ghost dad."

This movie is about a family who is visited by big foot. The acting in this movie is amazing! The charcters responded so realisticly.

I know this is supposed to be a comedy, but the actors responded so realistcly to having a big foot living in their house. Thats the way I would have acted if it was really happening to me.

Well, not much can be said about this movie. It basicly speakes for it itself.

ENJOY

Let's Get Harry
Awful "What-If?" movie about bigfoot and a family who takes it in after accidentally running it over with their car. HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS was produced by Spielberg's production company during a period when quite a few movies were being produced in the vain of Disney-esque family fare. The costume/special effects of bigfoot (played by Kevin Peter Hall) are impressive. However, when bigfoot has that smiling,dumb grin on its/his? face (especially in close-ups with teeth showing and all) it is sickening beyond reproach. John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon(A CHRISTMAS STORY), and Don Ameche (COCOON),hold the cast together in this harmless, emotionally light, shallow kiddie movie, but it doesn't go anywhere. Pro-Wrestler and part-time actor "Andre the Giant" (THE PRINCESS BRIDE) played bigfoot on an episode of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and it was much more satisfying,entertaining and inventive than this forgettable film.

"It's A Major Discovery. We Have To Take It Home!"
HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS is a cross between a cryptozoologist's, X-FILESs, dream film and a Hallmark special off Lifetime. It is THE FAMILY MAN meets THE MOTHMAN. And, if you like big, harry sasquatches and functional, happy families that take them in, well this is the flick for you.

This family film has E.T. written all over it. You've got cute, loveable kids and a furry, caring, mythical creature. The parents just don't know what to do when they slam into the sasquatch while driving through the forest on vacation and apparently kill him in his Bigfoot tracks. However, when they strap the creature to the car-roof to drive him to a local fairy-tale vet's office, he turns out to be not only fictitious, but also very much alive. The rollicking tale and fun that follows can only be stopped by, you guessed it, a Bigfoot hunter with the wrong motivation in mind.

All kidding aside, I loved this flick when I was a kid. We had a VHS copy of the film, and my brothers and I wore it out something nuts. HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS is a family film. It's great for children and people who have yet to accept the fact that unicorns, Bigfeet and the Loch Ness Monster are "pretend." Meanwhile, you and your friends might enjoy picking this monster up from video stores on a rainy night when you just feeling like laughing at extreme silliness. I mean, c'mon guys, we're talking about some folks that run over a sasquatch and take it back to suburbia where it becomes a part of the family. If that won't make you laugh, I just don't know what will. I'm laughing just thinking about it. The part when Harry gets into the car and his head makes the roof bulge up, because he's so tall and big and strong..... golly that's just the best!

Well, John Lithgow (FOOTLOSE; SHREK) may be one of the best banjo players this side of Uranus, but all that fingerpicking sure doesn't get in the way of his fathering/acting skills. He's constantly caught between doing what he thinks would be best for his family and his compassion for imaginary, Harries. However, when Jacques LaFleur (David Suchet - GREYSTOKE; A PERFECT MURDER), a hunter out for Bigfoot blood, starts sniffing the sasquatch trail, Harry and co. are forced to recruit Dr. Wallace Wrightwood (Don Ameche - TRADING PLACES; COCOON), a Bigfoot enthusiast, and flee to the hills to save Harry. Isn't that a unique tail?

While the film is a winner in many ways, one can't escape the fact that Bigfoot is not a real creature! This staggering statement can't be ignored. Throughout the film, you just can't help but laugh and comment, "Hang on just a darn second! Now, that's not real. There's no such thing as Bigfoot." And, then you'd laugh out loud and smack yourself on the knee.

Overall, HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS is a must-own rental for anyone with a flare for cheesy movies about nonsensically impossible creatures and the families they love. ... Read more

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British actress Pauline Collins repeats her stage success as the character Shirley Valentine, a married woman who decides in her middle years that she wants more out of life. Leaving her spouse behind, she heads to Greece, where she grows close to a low-key, local bloke (Tom Conti). Collins and director Lewis Gilbert (Educating Rita) choose to let the character, as she did in the play, speak directly to the audience at times, and the gamble works in terms of creating a gentle, intimate atmosphere. Conti is a bonus, a warm presence and funny to boot. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (57)

A MUST for any video/dvd library!
One of the best films ever made that explores the human heart, "Shirley Valentine" begins with a bored British housewife who aches for "the girl who used to be me." Shirley Valentine was the rebel, the smart-mouth, the girl who would dare to do what other girls only dreamed of having the nerve to try. Now she's Shirley Bradshaw, a 42-year-old housewife with 2 grown kids and a husband she feels doesn't love her anymore. This movie is about how a fortnight's holiday alone (more or less - she arrives with a friend who promptly ditches her) in Greece enables her to find Shirley Valentine again. Funny, witty, heartwarming, inspiring, sentimental without being syrupy, "Shirley Valentine" is for all of us who've ever wondered if we made the right choices in life -- and if it's too late to take some of them back. Pauline Collins deserved the Oscar she was nominated for (too bad she didn't get it), with one of the best performances by an actor ever put onto film. The perfect movie to watch WHENEVER you are "down in the dumps," this film will cheer you up and give you hope, each and every time.

Flowers and some baklava for Shirley Valentine
Delicious movie with Pauline Collins repeating her star role as the lead character in this wonderful, touching, hilarious movie of a woman who makes an emphatic statement for expecting and demanding more out of life. She takes off for Greece for a vacation, then just decides not to go home. Her little asides to the audience, looking straight into the camera, are priceless. And who will forget her feeding the vegetarian neighbor's dog her husband's steak - and the husband shoving the substitute eggs across the table and into her lap (the defining moment when she decided Greece was in her future). [...]
Well.
Anyway, don't miss it! And recommend it to all your friends.

here's to my best friend - shirley valentine
I've lost count of how many times I've seen "Shirley Valentine", but I love it more with each viewing. It lifts my spirit, makes me laugh and motivates me to never give up. When I auditioned for a play several years ago I did some dialogue from SV ("...that was the sweetest kiss...") and I got the part! For me it was an added bonus to this wonderfully sweet and brilliant film about life and love. Pauline Collins is the best!

For some of us guys, too.
The play was wonderful - a monologue - that has been fleshed out for the movie by the appearance of the characters that Shirley only described onstage. As usually happens, things get lost from stage to screen. (Shirley's hilarious description of her son's performance in the Christmas play is sorely missed!) But there is a moment in the play and the film when Shirley is reflecting on Joe's (her husband) boredom and disenchantment with her. In the play, however, she doesn't hold Joe entirely responsible. "It's the same for him" Shirley admits. Many of us find in middle age that we have lost something. When Joe arrives in Greece, buttoned up and formal, Shirley Bradshaw asks Joe to "have a drink with Shirley Valentine". The olive branch - and a hand up - is being extended. I suppose you could say that this film has a feminist message but it touched me as a man and I think that it will any person who has gotten lost on their way through life.

Every womens journey to ones self
Pauline Collins carries this film, all the strength, weariness and insecurity with such a reality you feel you are a voyeur looking in on Shirley Valentine's life. We should all have such an adventure. I could watch this movie hundreds of times and still laugh. An incredible supporting cast as well.

With such a wickedly creative and funny movie I only wonder what's taking them so long making it in to a DVD?

See this movie over and over. There are few stories in life so well told.

And there's a little Shirley Valentine in all of us...if we're lucky. ... Read more

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Light years before political correctness--1983 to be exact--or his comeback in tame Disney comedies, Eddie Murphy was a charismatic, wonderfully offensive, egocentric 22-year-old black comedian known for crude celebrity impersonations and often shockingly frank diatribes on racial and sexual politics. Dressed in a skin-tight red leather suit and delivering endless streams of obscenities faster than Richard Pryor ever did, Murphy is captured in this raunchy HBO special (a filmed document of his Grammy-winning album, Eddie Murphy, Comedian) at his confident, swaggering, comedic peak--a posture that soon disappeared after a string of bland Hollywood comedies. Here, however, his energy and sheer virtuosity command complete control over the audience for 107 minutes, whether he's mocking personalities like Elvis, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder, or spinning long, gag-filled personal anecdotes about the ice-cream man or dysfunctional family barbecues. There's no apologizing for the immature stereotyping, blatant homophobia, and sexism (though Murphy did so several years later) that surface during the routine. But, then again, unlike his much nastier, one-sided concert film, Raw, no topic here is safe from Murphy's uproarious tongue-lashings--including the comedian himself. --Dave McCoy ... Read more

Reviews (76)

"And then he said, 'Gooney Google'!"
That's a line from this stand-up act, when Eddie described a person who tries to recite one of his jokes but messes it up. So I won't try to do that, okay? Now, although "Raw" is my favorite one, "Delirious" is a completely flawless stand-up act from Ed. His impressions of Clint Eastwood and Mr. T are very funny, and I loved his portrayal of his mom with the "boomerang" shoe. The most outrageous moments came when he described his dysfunctional family barbecue and the joy of hearing the ice cream truck coming as a kid. Not only is Ed's delivery good and his jokes hilarious, but he even has fun with the audience as he borrows a member's camera to take pictures of the theatre. That shows that he has good showmanship. Get this film now, and while you're at it, get "Raw" also. Both are hard to find, this one being the hardest.

ICE CREAM MAN!!!!!
My dad used to recite lines from this a LONG time ago, when I was about 10. He said once I was 14 he'd let me watch it. I LOVE MY DAD! I watched it and now...umpteen years later...I'm still reciting the lines. My whole family gets in on it. "Now that's a fire!" I recommend this to EVERYONE! I wish it was available more at video rental places so these people can see just how hilarious Eddie really is! This is the best stand-up I've ever seen...or heard. Nothing is more memorable than this! Trust me...you'll be reciting it for years!

EDDIE OH EDDIE MURPHY ONLY IF YOUR KIDS COULD SEE THIS
EXCELLENT, AWSOME,HYSTERICAL THIS IS DA BEST FORGET RICHARD PRYOR,CHRIS ROCK,JAMMIE FOX,ETC.EDDIE IS DA MAN AND THIS STAND UP SHOW IS DA BEST.YOU KNOW WHY THIS WONT MAKE IT ON DVD OR IT HASN,T BEEN RE RELEASED ON VHS FOR SOMETIME IS BECAUSE EDDIE IS DA PRODUCER OF DELIRIOUS AND HOLDS THE RIGHTS TO THIS PRODUCT AND THE LAST THING HE WANTS IS HIS NEW KID FANS OF HIS CHILDREN MOVIES HE HAS BEEN DOING LATLEY IS TO SEE WHO HE REALLY IS OR WAS AND BE SHOCKED.BUT DONT WORRY EDDIE THEY WILL GET OLD SOON AND WATCH THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND LAUGH THERE ASS OFF LIKE I STILL DO TODAY.

CLASSIC EDDIE!!!!
I LOVE THIS VIDEO IT IS EXCEPTIONAL I LOVE IT IT'S SO GOOD I REMEMBER WHEN THIS SPECIAL HAD CAME ON CABLE TV BUT I WAS TO YOUNG TO VIEW IT. BUT I OWN IT NOW. I LOVE THIS VIDEO THIS IS CLASSIC EDDIE MURPHY AND THEREFORE IF YOU ENJOYED EDDIE DURING THE EARLY 80'S THEN YOU WOULD DEFINITELY ENJOY THIS VIDEO IT WILL HAVE YOU CRYING!!!!

I AGREE WITH FIRST PERSON
yes we must belong to a secret club, my mate was like u, until he got a bunch of us we searched a number of video rentals until we struck it lucky and found delirious and rented it, i agree this is the best stand up ive ever ever seen, iknow how u feel when say u laugh just thinkin about, its a must must msut must must see film i cant begin to explain how funny it is ... Read more

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The Bloopers are Funnier than the Movie
Dustin Hoffman comes off as a flake who is perhaps mildly retarded and Babs is a lecherous (...).Yeeach!DeNiro's character is a complete psychopath.I think his Taxi-driver persona was more sane than Jack Burns.They try to recycle the same old shtick for the sequel, but it falls flat because Ben Stiller comes off as the most normal person in the bunch.Even more so than his wife-to-be who deserts him at every turn.But that football scene - man that was funny though ... not.The Manson family needs to pay a visit to both these families. ... Read more

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If you concentrate on the fact that Howard the Duck was a notorious box office dud (still brought up today) and considered one of the worst films of the '80s, it's entirely possible to enjoy this special effects piffle. Howard, played by a special effect puppet, lives on a planet where ducks evolved instead of apes, but one day he's sucked into a vortex and deposited on Earth. There he befriends Beverly Switzler (Lea Thompson), lead singer for the Cherry Bombs, becomes their manager, and, oh yeah, saves the Earth from the Dark Overlords. Jeffrey Jones is the villain and Tim Robbins (!) is there for comic relief. And who can resist the culmination of synthesizer pop, the Howard the Duck theme song, as realized by the Cherry Bombs? A midnight movie that your kids might watch more than you. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (96)

All Hail Howard the Duck!!!
(...)Howard the Duck is all of this and more. I first saw this movie in theaters and loved it. Lea Thompson and the rest of her band The Cheery Bombs are sexy, and the theme song is real catchy!

The special effects are up to par with the technology at the time, and the comedy is right on the nose. I mean c'mon those Dark Overlords were pretty cool looking. Anyone who claims to hate this movie is obviously an 80's hater. (...) This film defines great 80's cinema and I could never understand the backlash. Many great movies have bombed at the theaters only to become favorite classics (the original Blues Brothers and It's a Wonderful Life come to mind).

(...)I will defend this movie until my dying day. Howard the Duck is a great movie from the greatest decade of the 20th Century. Hail Howard!!!

An ILM Late 80's Audition Reel!!
Momma always said, "you learn more from your failures, than you do from your successes." I think Momma has a point. Sometimes failures can point the way to the future. The 80's were a good barometer for that, and no other movie has blazed the trail of failure quite like Willard Huyck colossal miscalculation HOWARD THE DUCK. A movie that is inept and pointless, and yet so full of innovative and yes even breathtaking special effects.

HOWARD THE DUCK tells the story of a duck named Howard (voiced by Chip Zein, and played by a bunch of little people in a duck suit) who lives on a planet much like earth, except Duck's are the top of the food chain. He's a failed rock musician who's finally given up that dream and has settled into the mundane life of an advertising copywriter. On one particular day, he's just gets home from another day of the daily grind, when he's sucked into a giant laser beam and transported to Cleveland, Ohio on our earth. Let the comic hijinks begin...well okay let the less than stellar puns begin.

Howard meets Beverly (Lean Thompson) a struggling rock musician and takes up "roost" in her apartment. After a day or so they fall in love. There's also a young Lab Assistant named Phil (Tim Robbins in a star-making performance) and Dr. Jennings (Jefferey Jones) whom want to help Howard get home, via the giant laser beam that brought him to earth in the first place.

I stop there because the second half of the movie has to do with this wild alien and I'm not quite sure I can do that part of the story any real justice. Suffice to say there's an alien threat and Howard is here to stop it. Actually he kind of runs away from it as the alien menace and the cops try to stop him.

HOWARD THE DUCK is based on a far more interesting and inventive comic book series created by Steve Gerber. This movie and that series have absolutely nothing in common but the name. In fact the movie ruined the comic book series that poor Steve Gerber sued Universal and George Lucas, and then killed off his Duck for a long time. How's that for fair.

Wait a second you say, go back just a minute, did you just say George Lucas? Yes ladies and gentlemen. George Lucas was the executive producer of this film and it shows. His fingerprint is on everything and more importantly Industrial, Lights, and Magic have designed this film as their audition reel. They throw everything into the pot, creature effects, stop motion, animation effects, makeup effects, an elaborate chase sequence (that I'm convinced was shot for shot re-created for the freeway chase in the MATRIX RELOADED, well not really but It's nice to speculate.) involving a small personal aircraft, and all of it is breath taking.

But why? Why did ILM and George Lucas waste all that time and energy? The only thing I can think is that they were doing tests for Lucas's next big project WILLOW.

You're probably now asking why doesn't the film work? The biggest problem is there is absoulty no screenplay. The first 20 minutes of the film fly by, barely allowing the viewer to breathe. The characters have time to meet, time to fight, time to get back together, all before the story begins to take shape. By the time it does it shifts radically into a completely different movie involving giant space creatures.

They started out with a promising idea; it's ET in the city. How does this duck adapt to his surroundings? That should have been the movie. But there's no room for special effects that way. So on comes Act 2, and so many effects shots you shake your head.

I was also a little disgusted by the Human/Duck love scene of course you see nothing, but the implied relationship makes even less sense then the rest of the movie and is really there just to make a silly joke anyway.

This is the key to why this film fails. It doesn't set its tone properly. Every other line is some comic zinger that falls flat because the movie doesn't know whether it's a comedy, or an action picture. There satire, and drama all thrown out there but it goes nowhere.

This effects all the acting as well. The human characters are robbed of any humanity because the script is so disjointed. They overreact to everything and poor Tim Robbins is forced to mug for laughs when the audience already knows that there are none.

The script by director Huyck and his writing partner Gloria Katz is so bad you forget that these are the people who hit just the right beats in their more successful film AMERICAN GRAFFITTI.

The films biggest flaw is that it has no audience. It a tad bit vulgar for little kids, and if you reach the age of 8 you'll be far smarter than this movie is. As for adults there is nothing of substance in the movie for people to grab onto.

But I guess in the end could HOWARD THE DUCK been a good picture? Maybe! There were definitely moments of light in the picture. Moments that seemed unforced. I especially loved the early scenes involving Howard and Beverly. An interesting story could have unfolded. But the films exciting visuals were more important to the bottom line. In fact the bulk of the film contains this huge chase scene involving airplanes, cars, 18-Wheelers and lots of destruction. Sure the scene is cool to look at but it's not worth the Journey.

Stay away from Howard the Duck.

** Out of 5

Love this movie
I am 25 years old. I loved this movie as a kid. I watched it over and over again. I just ordered it for my 7 year old son with the hopes that he will like it as much as I did. I is a funny and stupid movie, but well worth it for the kids to watch. I highly recommend this movie for anyone between the ages of 5-13 years old.

Cult Classic
Lea Thompson, Tim Robbins, and the always entertaining Jeffrey Jones star in this tale of a duck from an alternate universe
who finds himself transported to Earth and is now trying to get home. Lea Thompson plays the young woman who looks after him,
Tim Robbins plays the janitor who pretends to be a scientist,
and Jeffrey Jones plays a scientist who goes a little crazy.

The funny thing about movies that are ambitious and
flop, Is nobody copies that formula. Sure Die Hard has been copied over and over. Under Siege etc. But Movies that don't make the big money are often forgotten. And that is what makes them better now then when they were released. Buackaroo Banzai is another example of a box office flop that has gained alot of
success through video and dvd.

And I know alot of people will think I am crazy. But this is my
favorite George Lucas film. There is something about Howard the
Duck that I gravitated towards as a kid. Maybe it was him being small in a strange foreign world he is yet to understand. Isn't that what childhood is about. The best movies are the ones where
the movie never changes but as you watch it at a different age
and a different point in your life you notice so much more.
I can't explain much further my fondness for Howard the Duck.
But I really love this movie.

I know there are alot of people who can't stand this movie,
But for those who get it, There is nothing quite like it
and probally never will be again.

An insult to a classic comic book
Steve Gerber's original Howard the Duck comics were a classic mockery of the '70s, from jabs at religious cults to Howard's run for president in 1976 and even an issue almost entirely in text because of deadlines. However, Gerber left Howard and Marvel Comics at the end of the decade due to his struggle to gain control of his signature character.

Coming in 1986, at a time when Gerber's dispute with Marvel had exploded into a full-blown legal battle (and the comic publisher had practically destroyed Howard with numerous changes in appearance and origin), the Howard the Duck movie was heavly hyped and awarded a huge budget-largely due to the involvement of one George Lucas. What emerged was the worst movie of 1986, and one of the 1980s many candidates for "worst movie ever". For those ignorant of the original comic book, the reputation is well-earned, with an unlikeable lead and an incredibly stupid plot. For those of us familiar with Steve Gerber's work, this film is nothing short of an abomination. However, years of repeated (and downright excessive) reruns on cable have created a number of apologists for this drivel. Do yourself a favor and avoid this wreck (and pray that George Lucas is able to keep it from appearing on DVD), while tracking down the Howard the Duck comics written by Steve Gerber, which are superior to this travesty in every way. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Toy Story
1995's "Toy Story" was the first feature length film generated entirely by computers, and Pixar's first dive into theatrical films. The movie opens as young Andy turns 7. The undisputed leader of Andy's toys, a 50's cowboy doll named Woody (Tom Hanks), finds himself challenged by the new toy on the block, "space ranger" Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). When Woody's plan to get rid of Buzz backfires, the two find themselves lost in the suburbs. Woody and Buzz relize they have to work together to get back to Andy's, and they eventually become the best of friends. The humor and animation is terrific, and a great start for Pixar. This lead to several other successes, such as A Bug's Life and Finding Nemo.

Now on to "the vaults". Disney is trying to squeeze every last penny out of the cash cow, and have the two Toy Story films under lock and key, no doubt so they can sell millions of "Special Editions" in five years. Once again, Disney appalls me with their unmatched corperate greed. In conclusion, Toy Story is an excellent film and a true must-see.

The Secret Lives of Toys Revealed
"Toy Story" is a modern fairy tale created with appropriately modern computer animation. Its snappy dialougue will appeal to adult viewers, the spectacle of fantastic toys coming to life will appeal to children, and adults may wax nostalgic about the toys they enjoyed as children, several of which are featured in this movie.
The story revolves around a cowboy doll named Woody, and his imminent replacement as the favorite toy of his owner, Andy, by Andy's new Buzz Lightyear doll, a multigadgeted gift that Andy receives for his birthday.
Tom Hanks'personality shines through in the persona of Woody, and Tim Allen's voice lends the right amount of charisma to Buzz.
In the process of forming an eventual friendship, the characters go through a lot of antagonism and a lot of other real human emotions. As they prepare for life in a new home, they are imperiled by the sadistic kid next door named Sid, into whose clutches they fall by accident.
It's entertaining to watch the toys interact with each other.
Buzz gradually learns that he is simply a child's plaything and not the noble space crusader he fancied himself to be in the beginning, and Woody learns to share his special place in Andy's heart. A great supporting cast including Annie Potts as Woody's sweetheart, Bo Peep, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Jim Varney as Slinky, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenburger as Ham, and Laurie Metcalfe as Andy's mother help fuel this tale.
Seeing this innovative film made me want to buy dolls of Woody and Buzz as collector's items. But I am content with just a copy of this movie. The second installment of the "Toy Story" saga is an enhancement of the first one, and just like the first, nothing short of delightful.

Original and fun for the whole family!
This movie took me by storm when I saw it back in the summer of 1995 at the theatres and let me tell you, this movie is still one of the best computer animated movies of all time. In fact this movie shattered new grounds back in 1995 by not using drawing cel animation and instead this movie is the first of an unbroken chain of computer generated animated movies that has continued to date with "Finding Nemo".

The plot is absolutely joyful and stunningly original. The story revolves around the quiet family home of a quiet town where a boy owns numerous toys with his toddler sister. The toys however, are almost like beings of their own and are 'living' as well but stop 'moving' when the boy comes back into his room. However, a cowboy named Tim is the most popular 'toy' in the boys bedroom and is kept by the pillow almost every night until on his birthday, he gets a fancy astronaut toy named Buzz Lightyear who has many 'gizmos' and in time takes over the toy cowboys place as the most popular toy and Tim gets enormously jealous of this. However, after a botched attempt to remove Buzz, the cowboy himself along with Buzz end up in the hands of a punk teenager who takes joy in blowing up toys with firecrackers and or other means like burning, breaking, or smashing them and/or even taking them apart and re-assembling their parts to create 'mutant' toys and now the clock is ticking for Tim and Buzz to escape from the boys house before they end up being blown to molecules.

This movie is absolutely fun and original even by 1995 standards. The computer generated special effects are innovative and unbelievable especially considereing the fact that this movie came out nearly a whole decade ago. The whole tone of the movie is just fun and charming and is for the entire family. Not only that but this was what put the then newcomers Pixas right into the front seat of movie animation and would be the start of an unbroken streak of excellent movies from this dynamite team.

Computer animation wow. 16th april 2004.
The toys are great, the graphics and scenery is too. The collectables are boys mostly but the film is ace for anyone. The 3D toys look real, the colors are excellent[like finding nemo]. The talking toys are all friends, and they live with their owner andy.

Hit Me With Another One!
Give me another Toy Story and while your at it lets go for a 5th. Wow lets see...Tom Hanks and Tim Alan...Pixar and Disney...Go get it or miss out! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This lovely, 1991 adaptation of Elizabeth Von Arnim's novel has a superb cast and a tone so mellow you can feel your pulse get slower. Josie Lawrence and Miranda Richardson play a pair of unhappily married women who rent an Italian villa for a month, sharing the rent with a crusty Englishwoman (Joan Plowright) and a lonely aristocrat (Polly Walker). Sun, rest, sinking into the green grass for long naps--they all have a soulful effect on the quartet, and then on the men in their lives who make a surprise visit. Mike Newell (Into the West) directs with seeming effortlessness, and it is impossible not to be swayed by the promise of restoration for these burdened characters--or for anyone alive. Wonderful performances all around, including a particularly sensitive one by Alfred Molina and a very funny one by Jim Broadbent. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (77)

A Rare Gem
This is the kind of movie that American studios loathe to make. It has too much charm. It was made on a shoestring budget and the major American studios seem to salivate at only the big budget type films. It's a story about women. It's a love story with no sex. It's a remarkable movie, deftly directed by Mike Newell, with no major stars, yet it shines.

Each of the actors, from Alfred Molina to Joan Plowright to the little known but charming Josie Lawrence, give fine performances. Based on the Elizabeth von Arnim novel, two repressed English women seek adventure and find it when they vacation in an Italian villa. The villa seems to change everyone's mood and outlook in life. It's similar in theme to "A Room With A View".

Shot on what had to be a shoestring production, the story, the actors and the camerawork more than make up for any limitations of budget. The film tops off with a satisfying ending that will leave you in a mood quite the opposite of what most films do today. When was the last time that happened?

Wisteria and Sunshine
Enchanted April is simply a wonderful film, filled with quiet romance and the mystery of life, and love. Watching this film is like watching a beautiful flower bloom from the most miniscule bud, wet with the dew of love. There is a charm and warmth found here that is sadly missing in film today.

When an ad is placed in the paper offering a vacation of wisteria and sunshine at a castle by the sea in Italy, two Englishwomen, Lottie (josie Lawrence) and Rose (Miranda Richardson), who are friends from church, leave their mates behind to join two other women for an April to remember. Hesitant at first, everything changes on their first morning there when Lottie opens her bedroom shutters upon the most beautiful vista she has ever seen. She is flooded with love and seems to have a deeper understanding of the human heart than ever before.

Sharing the villa and its enchantment are an older woman with quite a past, and a stunning socialite tired of being pawed at by men. Joan Plowright is delightful as the elderly Mrs. Fisher, who begins to live again under the spell of wisteria and sunshine. But it is beautiful Polly Walker's portrayel of Caroline Hester, with her magic eyes and Louise Brooks look, that nearly steals the show.

The internal musings of Lottie and Rose prompt both women to do the unthinkable and send for their husbands, bringing humorous and unexpected events to this April on the Riviera. Each will begin to find inner happiness and a rebirth of love. Even Caroline, who wanted to be alone, will discover love and beauty beyond her appearance.

Few films have the depth to sooth the soul and leave you feeling good about life like this magical film. Take your own enchanted holiday by picking this up as soon as you can.

The most unusual
While some may say this is a "chick flick" I couldn't disagree more. The form, casting, story, and, well, everything is just so unusual. The cast is superb with Polly Walker and Joan Plowright coming out on top. And the photography and settings are the best. But what I liked most about it was the lack of a formulaic approach. The movie starts out with dissonances and then does nothing but resolve itself slowly so that by the time you're at the end, you feel like YOU'VE been on vacation. This isn't a movie; it's a work of art.

For Rent: Peace of Mind
This is a great movie, it is more of a "Chick Flick" so to speak, but if you are in the mood for a chick flick that you don't really need kleenex for, this is the one. An unhappily married woman is running her errands on a blustery rainy day when on the back of someones news paper she sees an add for a castle in Italy for rent for the month of April. She tells her friend about it, they pool their money, find 2 other women to go in on the expenses with them, and life unfolds before their very eyes. They make realizations about themselves, their lives, and the men in their lives. At some point in everyones life, they need to find this kind of an add... It is heart warming, life affirming, and just a really great movie.

I was enchanted AND I laughed
There's a lot of humor in this film, much of the humor is subtle, and some of it is obvious. For example, some intellectual humor where the simple-minded but endearing Lottie asks the stuffy old woman if she knew Keats, a poet who had been dead for over a hundred years! Or the scene where she's trying to get permission from her husband to go to Italy with her friend.. that whole scene is priceless, very funny. As far as obvious humor, one example would be her husband having a rather... explosive... accident while he's taking a bath!... and then he comes out half-naked and charred only to be met by the old woman!! You'll laugh :)

AS you can imagine, this film is a satire or lampoon of the attitudes and mores of the 1930s which is when this story takes place. But don't worry, it's not a stuffy old boring period piece--far from it! This is an immensely enjoyable and accessible film that will really delight you. Very easy to follow and enjoy, very amusing and funny.

David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness" ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

John Waters's goofy, 1990 comedy about a Baltimore girl (Amy Locane) who can't decide if she should remain "good" in her 1954 world or hang out with the motorcycle boys is funny in a scene-by-scene way, but doesn't quite gel into the grand piece the director was hoping for. The cast is exceptionally likable, however, including Johnny Depp as an Elvis type and Iggy Pop as a chattering loony. The best material is set in a fringe world of bikers and losers on the outskirts of town, and Waters writes some hilarious sardonic dialogue for the characters. Cry-Baby is the last of Waters's more undisciplined features; he followed it with the glossier but no less perverse Serial Mom. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (107)

Extremely silly, stupid and bad. It's great!
This movie is so bad it hurts. It's incredibly campy and silly, a wonderful parody. I'd say a definate must for Johnny Depp fans (and I can't say I'm one of them) and for anyone who enjoys a good laugh at stupidly silly films. No smart comedy hear, no deep message or meaning, just a hilarious spoof filled with catchy songs and dance moves. A good rainy day film, or for cheering you up, though I think if you were really in a bad mood this movie would just seem stupid and make you want to scream. Still, not bad when you want a laugh. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone looking for witty comedy or a serious or engaging film, just someone ready for a silly and over-the-top movie filled with song and dance and tons of unbelievabley stereotyped fun characters.

4-stars for a quirky and silly movie. Nothing extrodinary, but still fun!

Cry-Baby Walker Rules
I had seen this movie in the movie theatre as a teenager and it Rocked!! That started my enjoyment of Johnny Depp films. I never watched 21 Jump Street until this movie. The cast is so funny. The TV version I seen added parts that I had not seen in the theatre but cut out parts that were extremely funny. Now I have a copy of the TV version plus the video version which was what I seen in at the movies. It would be really great to get on DVD with both versions together (played together or both on one disc). To this day I can sing every song (I had the soundtrack before the videos) and say most of the words with everyone. It is a funny movie that just won't get old watching over and over!! In fact I watched it today. I just can't say enough about how hilarious this movie. It is the "bad boy" falling in love with the "good girl" just like "Grease" and other great movies like that. I think they did a great job at making it look like the 50s in the movie. It has been my favorite movie since I seen it.

Cry Baby........
I wouldn't recommend this film. I think I got bored. It was so long ago, but I believe I was bored.

He's so hott!
I have been watching this movie ever since I was 6, and now I'm 15. It's great and the best part is that Johnny Depp is in it. I think he's incredibly hott no matter what he wears. This movie should definately be on dvd. What I don't get is why does Johnny and (Amy) make out in the movie when she is still dating the other guy, lol. But, it's a very cute movie. I think everybody who hasn't seen it yet, should!

why on EARTH is this not on dvd?!?!
I thought that this film was great and fantastic for cheering you up. The songs were really catchy and cheesy (in a good way) and Johnny Depp looked incredible. A must for ALL fans. It just makes me wonder what is going through the directors head by not putting this on dvd, it is mazing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Doris Day, the perky, chaste adult star of an odd collection of winking 1960s sex comedies, takes the Irene Dunne role in this remake of the comedy classic My Favorite Wife. As the survivor of a five-year ordeal on a desert island, she returns home the very day her husband has remarried. James Garner, trading his Maverick impish humor and con man cool for a mugging performance of double takes and pratfalls, is her overjoyed husband who is too cowardly to tell his neurotic bride (Polly Bergen). All of this, naturally, leads to a ridiculously complicated plot that combines door-slamming sex farce with mistaken identities (Day poses as a Swedish masseuse) and a goofy sped-up car chase. Chuck Connors, who costars as Day's hunky, he-man island mate "Adam," leads a topnotch supporting cast that includes sassy Thelma Ritter as Garner's no-nonsense mother, Don Knotts as a nervous shoe salesman enlisted by Day to impersonate Adam, Fred Clark at his indignant best, and John Astin and Pat Harrington in early roles. Edgar Buchanan practically steals the film as a gruff, irascible judge who growls through the legal circus that forms the film's chaotic climax. The cast for the most part rises above the tepid script and bland direction and Day sings two songs. Interestingly, this remake was originally developed for Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin as the never completed Something's Got to Give. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Move Over Darling--the
Classic Doris Day comedy with a supporting cast of the best character actors in the business in the 1960'. These include Thelma Ritter, Edgar Buchanan, John Astin, and Don Knotts. Minor stars Chuck Connors and Polly Bergin also put in great performances as a himbo and and bimbo who have attached themselves to Doris Day and James Garner, respectively. The original movie, Something's Got to Give, was supposed to star Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe, also with a great supporting cast which included Wally Cox in the Don Knotts role. Fox has restored most of the remaining footage of the original film and this can be seen on Fox's DVD about the last days of Marilyn Monroe, available in a multidisc Marilyn Monroe set. It is very interesting to compare these two films, expecially the different styles of playing the female lead between Doris and Marilyn. Marilyn was clearly not doing well at the time of the filming, but Doris is in top form as she portrays Ellen Wagstaff Arden, the wife and mother who is presumed drown at sea but returns to discover her husband has just remarried and she turns everyone's life upside down.

This Gem Needs a Widescreen DVD Release!
Move Over Darling starring Doris Day and James Garner is a very good movie, it is a remake of the classic 1940's comedy My Favorite wife, starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne and though I slightly prefer the original I still think Move Over Darling is a very good movie that definitely should get a widescreen DVD release. Doris Day plays Ellen Wagstaff Arden a woman presumed drowned at sea in an accident, her husband Nicholas Arden played by James Garner has her declared legally dead after seven years and gets married to this woman named Bianca on the same day he has Ellen declared dead and it becomes very clear that Bianca is a spoiled, high-strung, neurotic woman prone to temper tantrums if she doesn't get her way and boy is she in for a shock! Ellen it turns out isn't really dead but has been living on an island with a a man who also surrived the accident and they have been rescued from the island and on the same day she is declared legally dead and Nick marries Bianca, Ellen arrives at the house where she lived with Nick, sees their children who were very young when she disappeared so they don't know who she is, and she sees Nick's mother, who after recovering from the shock of seeing her tells her Nick has just remarried and you can tell she isn't too fond of her son's new wife, but since Ellen isn't really dead and she is sure Nick has never gotten over Ellen they come up with a plan for Ellen to reunite with Nick. This movie is hilarious, the combination of romantic-comedy and slapstick is perfect! Doris Day and James Garner are both wonderful as Ellen and Nick and Thelma Ritter is wonderful as Nick's mother Grace, and Polly Bergen who plays tempermental Bianca is also wonderful. I highly recommend this movie and I hope it gets on DVD and I also hope My Favorite Wife gets released on DVD!

Doris Day in former Marilyn Monroe part.
In 1962, Dean Martin, Cyd Charisse and Marilyn Monroe were filming "Something's Got To Give". It was going to be a comedy hit. The most memorable scenes were of Marilyn Monroe swimming completly naked. All were happy and swell on the set. Then all of a sudden, Marilyn became ill and either showed up late on the set or called in sick too often. This cost the production to much expense. Ultimatly, Marilyn Monroe was fired and production of the film was shut down. They were going to hire Lee Remick. In a surprise turn of events, the frustrated Dean Martin had a change of heart and said that he would finish the film and then agreed he would do it only if Marilyn returned. All agreed to return to the project. But as bad fate would have it, Marilyn Monroe passed away from an accidental overdose. Only 37 minutes of footage was useful. The project was over.
However, in 2001, American Movie Classics cable network aired a documentary, "Marilyn Monore: The Final Days" for the first time ever. The 37 minutes of footage was professionally put together to make a mini-movie. It was broadcast for the first time on American Movie Classics and it included the nude swimming scenes so beautifully and tastfully done.
Now this "Something's Got To Give" film was brought back together again, but with a new cast and a new title, Move Over, Darling (1963). Some of the original sets were used.
The cast chosen: Doris Day, James Garner, Polly Bergen, Thelma Ritter, Fred Clark, Don Knotts with John Astin, Pat Harington Jr and Chuck Connors. Doris Day plays the former marilyn Monroe part.
James must go to court to declare his wife legally dead. it has been five years since she has been missing. They assumed she drowned in the ocean. Granted so, Jamesalso gets married the same day to Polly bergen. But on this day, the military brings in a woman. It is Doris day his first wife and she is very much alive. With the help of Thelma Ritter, she surprises her husband at his new honeymoon.

Great Movie
I have always loved this movie and was so happy when it was released for the first time 3 years ago on Video.

Ellen Wagstaff Arden (Doris Day) has been trapped on an Island for years with Chuck Connors. She is rescued and brought home to her home in sunny California! When she gets to her home she finds out that her Nick (James Garner) Has gotten married again from her sweet mother in law Eve Ardern (Thelma Ritter) she also finds out that he took his new wife to their hotel that they went to when they were married! Well she gets mad about this and tells him to get rid of his new wife or else she goes but no matter hard he tries he can't tell his new wife this! So they go on with a charade! To go back home Nick fakes breaking his back and when they go back to his home Ellen is faking to be a Sweedish Masseur and she tries to strangle his new wife! Well this movie ends well as do all of Miss Day's Movie! All and all a great movie for the whole family!

I Want This on DVD!!!!
I just voted for this movie to be released out to DVD. I hope the studio will put it on DVD.

Doris Day is at her best and James Garner is good too.

Highly recommended but please vote for this movie to get on DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

How Will It Compare to Perfection?
"Shall We Dance?" (2004) is a remake of the superb Japanese musical dance comedy which was released in the U.S. in 1997. This new version stars Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci. There's not a chance in the universe that this new version will be better than the Japanese classic, which was just about as perfect as any film has ever been, ever. But I'll definitely go to see the new one, only because it probably will be very enjoyable to compare the two versions, and any dance film is better than none. Plus I think I'll really enjoy the new one--it's just that I KNOW it could never approach the Japanese original, for many reasons. Sure, they'll try to adapt the screenplay to American customs and vernaculars, but many charming nuances of the original will be lost because it will not take place in Japan, and the original was really about how the Japanese are relating to something very Western and alien, ballroom dance. If you want, you can go to Hollywood.com and watch the preview to the new version. Just type in Shall We Dance? in the Search field. The preview is pretty good. I will enjoy the film, but I strongly urge you to buy a copy of the original "Shall We Dance?" here on Amazon, and also go to the "Shall We Dance?"(Japan) Amazon DVD page and vote to have it released on DVD. It's a crime this hasn't happened yet! (I gave this American version 4 stars, because I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt, also based on the preview I saw).

Potentially A Great Movie!!
This is a potentially a great movie about a bored Chicagolawyer(Richard Gere)who takes ballroom dancing lessons with his instructor (Jennifer Lopez), whose wife (Susan Sarandon)suspects him cheating on her.This movie's plot is similar to the superb original Japanese version made a few years ago.It should be very well watching,when it's released!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Success in that newfangled television business prompted Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to bring their slapstick chemistry to the big screen, courtesy of a 28-foot monster of a trailer home. The Long, Long Trailer is one of those domestic nightmare movies, in which an ordinary couple has their existence upended by a new contraption:in this case, a lemon-yellow motor home. They make the mistake of towing said behemoth to Colorado, a honeymoon journey fraught with tilted axles and Lucy's ill-advised collection of large souvenir rocks. One disaster follows another, with the action rarely rising above the level of a sitcom (MGM's top director of musicals, Vincente Minnelli, is overqualified here). One notable exception:the climactic sequence, a funny-nervous crawl up an 8,000-foot mountain pass. The film was a box-office hit, proving that moviegoers would go to theaters to see a TV star's hair in its natural red color. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (69)

Better than the series
Because fans stayed away from this film in droves, Lucy and Desi never made another movie together. Too bad, because the film is far superior to the series. Credit should go to veteran director Vincente Minelli and his sure hand in balancing the material. Against all odds: Ball's slapstick is drained of usual shrillness, Desi's star is allowed to shine, situation is raised above personality, and peripheral crowd scenes are heightened to hilarious commentary on busybody middle America. In fact, this is one of few 50's movies to capture spirit of a rising middle class: the buoyant optimism, the credit card dependency, the aping of upper class tastes. All is accomplished, nevertheless, with an underlying sweetness that might not be expected from two overaged stars then in the process of subduing the tigers of TV land. Moreover, the choice of a trailer gimmick for the comedy setting was an inspired one. A true little gem and document of its time.

Marvelous!
First, I'd like to clear something up. The reviewer who said Lucy and Desi never made another movie together after this, is wrong. The made one more film, which was 1957's Forever Darling.

In this 1954 comedy, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz light up the screen as newlyweds Tacy and Nicky Collini. Tacy's dream house is a mobile home, although Nicky would rather have a real house. Before their wedding, they decide to purchase a 28-foot long trailer and as soon as they say "I Do," the happy couple hits the road on a cross-country honeymoon. But there are some bumps up ahead.

Lucy and Desi were truly a fantastic duo and it shows in the Long, Long Trailer. This was a wonderful, laugh-out-loud comedy that all fans of I Love Lucy will love!

One of the Best Movies Ever!!
When you need a genuinely good laugh, slip "The Long, Long Trailer" into your VCR. It's sort of an extension of "I Love Lucy" except the characters are Nicky & Tacy Callini instead of Ricky & Lucy Ricardo and it's filmed in glorious AnscoColor instead of boring black and white. This hilarious movie is given the full MGM treatment, with the studio's premiere director at the time, Vincente Minnelli, directing. Starring as well are some of Hollywood's greatest character actors, particularly the fabulous Marjorie Main. Also featured are some beautiful scenes of Yosemite National Park and the mountains of California. And that yellow 1953 Mercury Monterey convertible is one of my personal favorites of the film. Another amusing highlight is hearing Lucy and Desi sing "Breezing Along With the Breeze", accompanied by the lush, 100-piece MGM symphony orchestra. This is one classy motion picture! "The Long, Long Trailer" was one of 1954's top box office hits and was MGM's most successful comedy in the studio's then 30-year history. That's quite impressive considering people could stay home and watch Lucy and Desi for free on television. So DO get this video. You'll watch it- and laugh- over and over again. In fact, I'm gonna go watch it right now. HEY, Warner Home Video -- hurry up with the DVD version of this 1954 MGM sensation. (Warner owns the entire pre-1986 MGM library.)

The trailer called "Nightmare"

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Format: Color
Studio: Warner Studios

Cast:

Lucille Ball ...
Desi Arnaz ... Nicholas 'Nicky' Collini
Marjorie Main ... Mrs. Hittaway
Keenan Wynn ... Policeman
Gladys Hurlbut ... Mrs. Bolton
Moroni Olsen ... Mr. Tewitt
Bert Freed ... Foreman
Madge Blake ... Aunt Anastacia
Walter Baldwin ... Uncle Edgar
Oliver Blake ... Mr. Sudloy
Perry Sheehan ... Bridesmaid
Edgar Dearing ... Trailer Park Manager
Robert Anderson ... Carl Barrett

Frank Gerstle ... Gas Station Attendant
Charles Herbert ... Little Boy
Donald Kerr ... Flagstone Station Attendant
Jack Kruschen ... Mechanic
Norman Leavitt ... Driver
Alan Lee ... Mr. Elliott
Peter Leeds ... Garage Manager
Karl Lukas ... Inspector
Howard McNear ... Joe Hittaway
Bert Moorhouse ... Car Salesman
Christopher Olsen ... Tommy
Emory Parnell ... Policeman
Phil Rich ... Mr. Dudley
Fay Roope ... Judge
Dennis Ross ... Jody
Herb Vigran ... Trailer Salesman

Emmett Vogan ... Mr. Bolton
Wilson Wood ... Garage Owner
Howard Wright ... Uncle Bill
Dallas Boyd ... Minister
John Call ... Shorty
Richard Alexander ... Bald Shopper in Bungalette Trailer
Ruth Lee ... Mrs. Tewitt
Ruth McDevitt ... Mrs. Vagabond
Ida Moore ... Candy Store Clerk
Dorothy Neumann ... Aunt Ellen
Janet Sackett ... Kay
Judy Sackett ... Dotty
Edna Skinner ... Maude Barrett
Sarah Spencer ... Tacy's Girl Friend
Connie Van ... Grace
Ruth Warren ... Mrs. Dudley
Geraldine Carr ... Tacy's Girl Friend
Juney Ellis ... Waitress

If you are one of the millions who loved Lucy, you'll love the Long, Long Trailer!

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were one of the great comedy teams, and The Long, Long Trailer was one of their most successful films.

Before their marriage Tacy Bolton and Nicky Collini decide (well, Tacy decides and Nicky goes along, reluctantly) to buy a trailer so that she can follow him and make a home for him while he travels to construction sites. Unfortunately, he has never pulled a long trailer and it proves almost too much for him, not to mention that it is a "budget buster."

This is a typical situation comedy of the type that Lucy and Desi did so well. A laugh a minute is guaranteed!

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Lucy and Desi at their best!
This is one of my favorite films of all time. If you have the chance to see it, make sure you do! Gotta love that 8,000 foot mountain! I love Lucy....and I always will! ... Read more