Amazon.com

After I Spy and before The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby left his own inimitable mark on the arena of stand-up comedy in this live concert showcasing his down-to-earth observations on the rigors and joys of family life. Cosby, using only a microphone and a chair, discusses his take on raising kids and the illogical nature of children and the futility of trying to argue with a child that in the end may be smarter than you. Notable highlights include Cosby's ruminations on the meaning of the all-purpose phrase "I don't know" to kids, and Cosby describing the effect raising children has on his wife Camille's mental state and the pitch of her voice. Containing the basis for the humor of his long-running situation comedy, Bill Cosby: Himself is a polished, occasionally insightful, and frequently hilarious night of comedy from one of the longtime masters of the form. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Priceless!
Bill Cosby is wonderfully funny. His humor is timeless, and this show is a sparkling example of a brilliant stand-up comedian at work. I've watched this on tape MANY times over the years, and, like wine, it just gets better with age -- I've realized that the more life experiences I gain, the more I laugh when I see "Himself". I loved the performance when I was in my 20s,and 30s, and now my 40s. My husband I have commented that while all the routines have always been very funny, they take on an entirely new dimension for us now that we're parents (literally making us laugh until we cry in parts). Mr. Bill Cosby is a comic genius and a national treasure. Here's hoping the studio will put this out on DVD soon!! If you haven't seen this show, or haven't watched it in a while, by all means treat yourself and WATCH IT! Bill Cosby "Himself" will make your day.

Hilarious!
I finally broke down and purchsed this tape after a lull of 20 years since I heard it last. Bill Cosby is hilarious and CLEAN (99% of the time), somewhat of an oddity in today's stand-up world. The content of the tape will have you rolling for days, as Bill creates excellent archetypes to which we can all relate. His "I don't know!" portion is especially entertaining!

The only complaint I have is the tape quality. Perhaps someone at 20th Century Fox could step up to the plate and get this presentation cleaned up and digitized onto DVD to help out. My copy is brand new, but the sound and video still suffers somewhat (original recording in 1981 I think). Other than that, this is tape is a GREAT gift idea; highly recommended.

Unintentionally Funny
While the main goal is making the viewer laugh, some parts are eerily funny and cryptic. The film starts out with an hilariously bad song called "It Was A Good Idea At The Time" then the comedy gets underway. At one point Bill jokes on his now-dead son, Ennis. Ennis was being naughty so Bill jokes that Camille wants Bill to "kill the boy...hehehe, kill the boy." Then Bill adds, "...so I go upstairs to kill my son." Morbid, given what would occur nearly 20 years later.

Cool Cos
A classic. While I'm very conservative about buying VHS/DVD's, this one is worth it. If you like Bill Cosby, this is a performance you can watch again and again.

His humor regarding raising his children is especially entertaining.

Bill Cosby, Himself
I saw this tape years ago, when I rented it to show to my sister, who was visiting. She is rather prim, but laughed until she cried.
This is a request to the powers-that-be to get this brilliant comedian on DVD before the tapes degenerate into oblivion. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The plotline may sound familiar: Two mismatched cops are assigned as reluctant partners to solve a crime. Culturally they are complete opposites, and they quickly realize they can't stand each other. One (Jackie Chan) believes in doing things by the book. He is a man with integrity and nerves of steel. The other (Chris Tucker) is an amiable rebel who can't stand authority figures. He's a man who has to do everything on his own, much to the displeasure of his superior officer, who in turn thinks this cop is a loose cannon but tolerates him because he gets the job done. Directed by Brett Ratner, Rush Hour doesn't break any new ground in terms of story, stunts, or direction. It rehashes just about every "buddy" movie ever made--in fact, it makes films such as Tango and Cash seem utterly original and clever by comparison. So, why did this uninspired movie make over $120 million at the box office? Was the whole world suffering from temporary insanity? Hardly. The explanation for the success of Rush Hour is quite simple: chemistry. The casting of veteran action maestro Jackie Chan with the charming and often hilarious Chris Tucker was a serendipitous stroke of genius. Fans of Jackie Chan may be slightly disappointed by the lack of action set pieces that emphasize his kung-fu craft. On the other hand, those who know the history of this seasoned Hong Kong actor will be able to appreciate that Rush Hour was the mainstream breakthrough that Chan had deserved for years. Coupled with the charismatic scene-stealer Tucker, Chan gets to flex his comic muscles to great effect. From their first scenes together to the trademark Chan outtakes during the end credits, their ability to play off of one another is a joy to behold, and this mischievous interaction is what saves the film from slipping into the depths of pitiful mediocrity. --Jeremy Storey ... Read more

Reviews (265)

An excellent DVD.
The Movie:

Chris Tucker is the funniest man in the world, in my opinion. It's too bad that the movies he acts in are always running to try and hopelessly catch up with him. One of the funniest things in cinema and some of the most enjoyable comic moments in the past few years have come from watching Tucker's performances. You can almost see his mind working in overtime trying to think up what to say next; and you never know what he'll say next. He takes the best of what Eddie Murphy used to be and just speeds it up a few hundred....thousand notches. It's just his looks of mock anger that always make me laugh. Never has anger been so funny.

He's joined by action star Jackie Chan in this film, which, although it's very funny at times, never really moves above the level of average, forgetable entertainment. Chan has done better "stunt-orientated" films like "Supercop" and "Rumble In The Bronx". In those films, he really shined with his mix of good humor and quick action. Here he's made to be more in the shape of the plot's need for humor and dialogue over stunts...not to say that there aren't any stunts; there are. It's just that they are a little few and far between.

The story revolves around a Chinese Console member who's daughter is kidnapped. Chan is brought in by the console member. The only problem is that the FBI wants to solve this case itself, and Chan's detective is not welcome. Some of the funniest scenes in the movie are watching Tucker's detective come to the realization that all he's called on to do is babysit Chan's detective. So, we start into the age old buddy cop flick.

Thankfully, this one isn't too bad. A nice script, some very good moments also from Chris Tucker when he's allowed to just improv his performance. Thank god Tucker and Chan liven up the proceedings; Chan has his usual array of incredible stunts, running up and down the sides of everything, kicking, doing it all; Tucker's mouth and Chan's quick feet make a nice balance of opposites. It's unfortunate that the direction is average, the plot is something you've seen all before, but it's through the performances of Tucker and Chan who make "Rush Hour" worth watching. It's nothing new, but when it works, "Rush Hour" is a whole lot of fun.

The DVD: Picture Quality: New Line has done a phenomenal job with the transfer of "Rush Hour". The colors of Los Angeles are incredibly vivid and just pop on this disc. Look at the reds in the Chinatown scenes or the colors of the neon at night. The color saturation is wonderful and there is no bleeding in the colors; the light from a neon sign looks perfectly sharp and clear. Speaking of sharpness, the images themselves are perfectly clear and sharp throughout the disc. There are a few instances where there is a small shimmering problem, but compared to a lot of the other discs I've seen lately, the shimmering in this disc isn't worth mentioning. Again, images are razor sharp throughout, there aren't any other problems at all with this disc. There are a lot more pros to talk about, though. Skin tones are 100% perfect. There is definitely no pixelization in the disc whatsoever, even in the low-light scenes or in the backgrounds. Black level in the picture is fantastic and contrast is wonderful. Shadow level is excellent and overall, this is a nice continuation of the New Line tradition of replicating the theatrical experience at home. There's occasionally a problem with otherwise great discs such as shimmering or what not and it takes you out of the experience. There's nothing on this disc that's problematic enough to take the viewer out of the experience of the movie and that's a sign of the very best DVDs. The 2.35:1 image is excellent. Excellent job, New Line.

Audio Quality: Impressive sound quality on this disc, emphasizing the sounds that added to the tone of fun on this disc and that's Lalo Schifrin's fun, urban and light score melding old R&B hits and current rap along with other wonderful bits and pieces of fun music to make an enjoyable score. The score fills the room and sounds full and clear. Dialogue also has that "same room" impression, recorded with clarity. There's a lot of impressive sound on this disc like the gunfire(director Ratner talks on the commentary about how he wanted to make the gunfire loud and emphasize it to make it "exciting"), which sounds great. The explosions also fill the room with great impact and force.

Extras:Now here's where this disc really shines: Commentary: There's an outstanding commentary with director Brett Ratner(who sounds at times sort of like Quentin Tarantino), who talks in depth wonderfully about the details of the production and working with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. It goes into the detail of working with the screenplay and building the stunt scenes. This is a commentary that really is exactly what I want to hear in a commentary: it tells the story of exactly what it took to get the story to screen, not just what's happening on the screen. This is a fascinating commentary and I recommend it as one of the best commentaries out there. There is also an isolated score(and it's a fantastic score) with commentary by the great composer Lalo Schifrin.

Documentary: Again, it's what I want to see in a documentary. The box calls it a "featurette", but "A Piece Of The Action: Behind The Scenes Of Rush Hour" is something I would consider a full documentary. There's a lot of fun going on in the interviews with the cast and crew, and it doesn't seem like a usual studio promotional documentary. A lot of the camera work is hand-held and it just seems like it was all done in fun and the fun that the cast and crew has carries over to the viewer. The documentary runs about 40 minutes and the last chapter is more in the way of the hilarious outtakes that ended the film.

Deleted Scenes: A short reel of deleted scenes that at the most, are about 1 minute. Nothing earth-shaking, but interesting to see. The reel is a few minutes in length.

Short film: Director Brett Ratner's very strange short film from when he was a student at NYU, "What Ever Happened To Mason Reese?". The film starts off with an intro from the director and commentary from the director is also available. The film itself....well, it's just strange, but it's nice to have on the disc.

Trailer: Of course, the trailer.(letterboxed at 2.35:1)

Cast/Crew: Very nice biographies of the cast/crew.

Music Videos: 2 music videos.

DVD-ROM: The screenplay, an interactive game and web links(available only to Windows DVD-ROM computer users)

MENUS: Sharp animated menus that start with a very funny piece of dialogue from Chris Tucker.

Grades: The Movie:A- Picture Quality:A- Sound Quality:A- Extras:A Menus:A Overall:A
This review was originally posted at the website "A Guide To Current Film/DVD".

Lots of laughs in oddball 'buddy' movie
Jackie Chan, the great Chinese action star, plays a Hong Kong detective at the time of China's taking control of the city. A friend of his is dispatched to Los Angeles in a consulate position, and Chan is summoned soon thereafter when his buddy's daughter is kidnapped by gangsters. The FBI, not wanting any interference in the case, arranges to pair him with one of the wildest cops in LA history. As played by Chris Tucker, he is also the loudest. This ploy to get Chan away from the investigation doesn't work, of course. As always, the FBI agents are made to look like they are sharing a brain. You've already guess that the two policemen get along at first like cats and dogs, but by the end of the picture, they are best buddies. Along the way, they solve the case.

As a comedy team, Chan and Tucker work well together. The quiet, low-keyed Chan plays straight man to the brash, outrageous Tucker. There are the usual ongoing jokes about cultural differences, but at least in this case, pairing a Chinese character with an Afro-American does create a lot of opportunity for humor. Opposing tastes in food is a good topic, as is the language barrier. There is also a running joke about our obsession with hand guns. Jackie Chan is hard not to like, while Chris Tucker has much in common with W. C. Fields, Jerry Lewis and Jim Carrey. People either love him or hate him.

As is the rule in action comedy, the plot makes no sense. What carries the movie is the teaming of two actors whose personalities work well together. The special effects don't hurt either. There's an explosion every three minutes.

Lalo Schifin delivers a fine musical score. The set design is appropriately garish. A special thanks goes to Rush Hour's editors, who made sure it was short and to the point.

While Rush Hour is often entertaining, it does not measure up to a couple of similarly themed comedies - 48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop - that were big hits when I was younger. Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

Jackie Chan needs to retire
This is not bad considering that most of Jackie Chan's movies are pretty much the same. That aside, story wasn't bad and there was some decent action scenes. Chris Tucker, however, does nothing but gets on your nerves with his irritating voice, bad acting and an IQ of a chimpanzee. In the outtakes, they show a scene that requires Chris Tucker to say two words in Chinese and he would blow it every single time. Talk about a dimwit

Rush Hour has great combos!
The idea of combining Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in one movie was a great idea! Jackie Chan does the main action while Chris Tuckers does the main comedy. Together they did a good job! The plot was good and the movie was so funny. I give it 5 stars for awesome action and nonstop laughs!

Great Entertainment - Funny & Exciting.
Rush Hour revitalized the buddy action flicks of the 80's and has become a modern classic. It is a movie in the tradition of 48 Hrs and Lethal Weapon, and like those two movies, it has perfect casting. Chris Tucker is hysterical in his best performance since Friday, Jackie Chan is in top form, complete with incredible stunts, cool martial arts and hilarious broken English.

The story is well-written and full of funny situations for both Tucker and Chan. Look for the scenes where Chan is in a predominantly black pool hall and Tucker buys some Chinese food from a cart. The chemistry between the two leads is probably what makes this movie so great. Great individually, but even better together. All this makes Rush Hour a guaranteed good time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Friday is the rarest specimen of African American cinema: a 'hood movie refreshingly free of the semiseriousness and moralism of shoot 'em up soaps such as Boyz N the Hood, yet still true to the inner-city experience.

Scripted by rapper Ice Cube, Friday is a no-frills tale of a typical day in the life of a pair of African American youth in South Central. Cube plays Craig, a frustrated teen who endures the ultimate humiliation: getting fired on his day off. Then unknown Chris Tucker plays Smokey, a marijuana-worshipping homeboy whose love for the green stuff lands him in predicament after predicament.

Sitting on the stoop of Craig's rundown home, the two hilariously confront a kaleidoscopic array of gangbangers, weed dealers, crack heads, prostitutes, scheming girlfriends, and neighborhood bullies--all of whom, it should be noted, come off as sympathetic even as they are being caricatured, a true achievement in the crass, "booty call" environment of '90s African American comedy. --Ethan Brown ... Read more

Reviews (173)

A Weekend Classic (5 Stars)
You can't go wrong with this movie. While there wasn't much of a plot, the action and the humor made you forget about all that. The cast alone makes this the best out of the entire series of movies, but what really makes this movie stand out from the other three was the impact it had. Ice Cube was brilliant as Craig, Chris Tucker stole the show as Smokey, and Tiny Lister became America's favorite bully (and in some places, his name is slang for bully now) as Deebo. And the rest of the lineup was perfect too. You had John Witherspoon (Mr. Jones), Bernie Mac (The Reverend), Faizon Love (Big Perm, I mean, Big Worm), and who could forget the hilarious A.J. Johnson (Ezell)? You can sift through the entire movie and find one liners and dialogue that people STILL use today. You can't say that about the other two movies. Even though Next Friday and Friday After Next are funny in their own way, they will never come close to the original. When I first saw it, I laughed so hard that I started crying. Even the opening scene was hilarious (when the Jehovah's Witnesses get the door slammed in their faces). I can watch this movie everyday for a week and still find it just as funny as the first time I saw it. If you haven't seen it by now, then you must not want to see it. Go out and get it, you'll love it. Trust me.

Classic Ghetto Comedy
Ice Cube pulls off a great performance as Craig, who is the straight-laced guy who recently got fired from his job and he has a lot of crazy friends, his best friend 'Smokey' (Chris Tucker) is a pothead who is smoking the weed that he was suppose to be selling for 'Big Worm'. Later we meet the street thug Deebo who is a huge guy and he's the kind of guy who'll mess with you if you ever step in his way and the situations that Craig and Smokey get into are hilarious, Meanwhile Big Worm is getting fed up with Smokey playing with his money and he tells Smokey that if he doesn't have his money by 10:00, he's killing to kill him and Craig and together they try to come up with ideas on how to come up with the money, later on we get to the highlight of the movie when Craig beats the living ... out of Deebo.

If you love gangster comedies, then you'll love Friday, also recommended are Don't Be a Menace and Friday After Next.

Best of Three
If you want to laugh your ass off buy this movie. It stars Ice Cube as Greg, and Chris Tucker as Smokey. Chris Tucker makes this movie good with his winny girly voice and always smokin weed. Ice cube delivers a good performance as Greg the guy who gets fired on his day off for stealing boxes and gets high for the first time. There are other great charecters like Debo the tall bully of the hood, Disel the crack head who will doing anything for two dollars, and daddy Gregs bog catching father who has to use the bathroom constantly. Over all this movie is hilarious just like the second and third one.

Hey Craig...Lemme borrow yo VCR right quick!
"Ain't nobody out here man I don't even know why I'm trippin, Don't nobody wanna mess wit da Smoke Dog Rooo Rooo, roooo rooo, Roooo Roooo!....who dat?!?"

"It ain't dem niccas that act hard...."

"Oh SHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Man this movie is hands down the greatest comedy I have ever seen. Even when it turns serious and they are about to get smoked it is still funny. And when Craig was finna get beat up by Deebo, the classic line that makes me laugh everytime comes up "yeah put that gun down Craig and get knocked out like ya father used to!"
There are so many memorable lines and scenes that it would be useless to try and go through them all cause I would end up reciting the whole movie. My favorite parts however are when REd gets knocked out by Deebo and the father gets out the car.
"YOu want some of this too old man huh!"
"NO!!!!!!!get yo a$$ up boy and get in this car, I told you bout messing around with these people!"

My other favorite part is when Craig is high and he's talking to Debbie on the couch, and he turns and sees little puppie dogs staring at him and he goes "What the FHFG! man i'm trippin"

Another part when it's getting dark and Smokey and craig are trying to come up with a plan and Smokey says:
"Alright here's what we gon do, I'ma give you the gun, then I'ma go to my house and chill, you sit here on the porch and wait for dem niccas and later on you call me and tell me what happened!"

THis movie is funny from beginning (Jehovah's Witnesses and No Milk) to end ("I don't wanna die...Hey craig I love you man") and is very memorable. The performances were excellent, the cast was excellent. Even the concept of letting the plot come to them as they sit on the porch all day and do nothing is excellent. The music and soundtrack was also excellent. The movie is excellent. A Must have.

ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME!
Hilarious!!! This movie cheers me up everytime I pop it in to my DVD player. Chris Tucker and Ice Cube are brilliant together. Smokey(Tucker) is my favorite character. He's just plain hilarious in this movie and alls he does is smoke weed..."That's alright, dont worry about what the F*** I be doin" LOL. My fav line is..."I know you dont smoke weed, I know this, but its friday, you aint got no job, and you aint got S*** to do". I love watchin this on a hot summer day, sippin on lemonade and chillin. BUY THIS DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Perhaps only Spike Lee could make a dignified yet extremely funny comedy-drama about phone sex. Theresa Randle (Bad Boys) is the title character, a hard-working actress who becomes addicted to this peculiar form of safe sex (the movie is verbal, not physical, in that department) at a high-class New York agency. Throughout the film, Girl 6 (she's unnamed beyond this) sports a dazzling array of new looks, hairstyles, and clothes. Randle radiates every step of the way. Lee even delivers on fantasy elements when Girl 6 finds herself in a send-up of blaxploitation films and a keen lampoon of The Jeffersons (the three-minute sequence is better than any planned TV-to-movie film that may come along). Revelations about Girl 6's life are brought out through her ex-husband (Isaiah Washington), who, in his very flawed but honest way, plans to reunite with her. Better yet are conversations with the next-door neighbor (Spike Lee, doing some of his best work). Solitary, experimental, with plenty of delicious cameos (including Madonna), Girl 6 is playwright Suzan-Lori Parks's first screenplay. Similar in tone to Lee's debut, She's Gotta Have It, Girl 6 also boasts an energetic mix of old and new songs by Prince and, as always with Lee, colorful camerawork. An alleyway kiss near the end is a great romantic image. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (15)

One of my favorite films
I really liked this movie so much that I want to buy my own copy. I'd heard about the film when it first came out in 1996, but like so many smaller films, if you don't see it right away you miss your chance. Right away, the Prince soundtrack is wonderful and sets the tone and you hear so many great songs throughout the film. This movie has great dialogue and is very well written. If that isn't what you like, you will be bored and should go see some mindless action flick. I can't imagine how anyone would not like this film. It is my favorite Spike Lee film without a doubt. There is definitely an ethereal and dreamy quality to the film that I liked very much. The main character, Lovely or Girl 6, played by Theresa Randle, is stressed and and overworked from too many part time jobs. The movie is set in and around Manhattan. Lovely is working all the jobs so that she can be free to go on acting auditions. Her agent gets her a great audition for a film and she believes she is doing fine until the director says he needs her to take off her top so he can look at her breasts. She is so disgusted by this treatment that she walks out on the audition and she becomes increasingly frustrated at what it seems it will take for her to get a break in the acting field. While looking at want ads while riding the subway (we see her sick, coughing and exhausted from overwork and stress) she sees an ad that promises great money doing phone sex and she interviews for the job. The whole process of her inquiring about the job, training for the job and the people she encounters, not to mention the whole "business" of phone sex is so entertaining. There are some great cameos in this film, including Madonna (who is terrific), Naomi Campbell, Richard Belzer and Quentin Tarantino. Debi Mazor is another phone girl who warns Lovely (Theresa) not to take it all too seriously. Spike Lee is wonderful as Lovely's neighbor- a dreamer just like her. He chastises her for doing the "phone bone" when she ought to be pursing her acting career, but as Lovely points out, her job actually is acting on a certain level. There are some touching moments, too such as when Lovely hopes to meet one of her clients in Coney Island and she's waiting for hours and looking for him. There is also a very frightening scene when a sicko (snuff fantasy) client finds out where Lovely lives and wants to make his fantasy a reality. There is a funny side plot about Lovely's ex-husband who steals from local merchants such as fruit vendors. This ex-husband wants Lovely back and never stops trying. I won't give the rest of the plot away, but if any of this sounds remotely interesting, check out this film. I think that this film was well done in all aspects and I consider it one of my all time favorite films.

A Serious Comedy From Spike Lee
1996: Spike Lee directed this movie believe it or not. He wrote the screenplay and performed in the role of the wise, comforting and dreamer neighboor in Lovely's apartment. Theresa Randle of the Bad Boys film, stars as Lovely, or the eponymous Girl 6. When I saw this film, I could not believe it was a Spike Lee film, but his presence in the movie and his signature urban themes are distinctly marked in this movie. The film deals with an aspiring actress who is coaxed into working as a phone sex operator. Despite the good money it pays, it becomes messy and dangerous for her after a client becomes insanely obscessed with her. Her relationship with her (boyfriend ? husband ?) is in jeopardy due to her choice of work. Although clearly this movie attempts to be serious, there are many comic features written into many of the scenes, particularily the sordid, bizarre and outrageous sexual fantasies of the clients. The phone sex scenes that play out between the operators and their clients are hilarious! The "fantasy sequences" in which Lovely acts out various roles from television and film are also hilarious. These roles are: Lovely as Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones, as the daughter in the old sitcom The Jeffersons, as Pam Grier's Foxy Brown in 70's exploitation movies and as a 30's or 40's Hollywood Golden Age diva towards the end of the film shot in black and white.Guest stars abound in this witty urban comic drama. Among them Madonna, as a phone sex operator instructor who is giving the girls tips and advice via a monitor, Halle Barry in a brief interview scene, and even Quentin Terentino shows up in the film. I don't know whether to laugh non stop at one of the silliest films ever made by Spike Lee or to wonder at the subtle signficance of its theme. Spike Lee seems to be portraying a strong black woman who undergoes terrible misfortune in a dark and risky business only to give it up in a beautiful scene towards the end when she and her boyfriend/husband kiss and telephones start falling from the sky in slow motion. In Hollywood, she does not give up her morals or dignity and refuses to do a nude sex scene that might be featured in pornpgraphy. It's really a look at Hollywood's love for sex, its classless tastes and its exploitation of women. It might be Spike Lee's greatest film. Just try to look beyond the comedy.

This is in my top 10
One of my favourite films of all time. There's something about Spike Lee's *Girl 6* that's particularly stuck with me. In short, it's about a phone-sex agency and the people that work there. Theresa Randle plays Girl 6 brilliantly as a woman of great strength and tenderness. Like the film itself, very funny, yet painfully gritty. A surprisingly good performance from Naomi Campbell as Girl 75. An excellent cameo from Madonna playing the aging scarlet-woman with too much makeup spouting sexual profanitys - typecast or what! And the cherry-moon on the cake is the ace use of Prince music running through the film... *How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore* (which was a rare track back then), *HouseQuake*, *17 Days* and *Hot Thing* (which plays during Madge's monologue) being the musical highlights, for me. Oh, and Mr Lee himself is pretty good in it too... I really hope he gets around to releasing this on DVD... soon?!

A Spike Lee Surprise
Spike Lee's "Girl6" proves to be a fantastic exploration into the urban american dream. Although it took me more than one viewing, i find this movie to be on the same level as "Do the Right Thing" and "Crooklyn." What does it take to strike out on your own? What is the difference between reality and imagined reality? These are questions that Theresa Randle encounters as she executes a steller performance as an aspiring actress new to the Big Apple in "Girl6". Lee's unique use of composition and setting create tangible texture with potent imagery. Originally a play, "Girl6" maintains theatrical dialogue and pacing. At first, subtleties are difficult to tap into, but through a more aware viewing "Girl6" blooms into a cinematic gem.

Uneven and Inaccurate
The film had uneven humor throughout and little accuracy in it's portrayal of the phone sex industry. I am in the phone fantasy business and "Girl 6" is largely fantasy. While callers do indeed have a racial bias and many quirks; offices never are even half that nice and working from home isn't scary. Although I suppose there are girls who give their personal number out to callers and obsess over their work; most of us are well adjusted educated women with normal homes and families in suburbia who keep a safe distance from our clientel. ... Read more

Description

The record-setting number one concert film, EDDIE MURPHY: RAW shows Eddie Murphy doing what he does best: making people laugh.Filmed live at New York's Felt Forum, Murphy delights, shocks, and entertains with celebrity impersonations, observations on 'love, sex and marriage in the 80's, a remembrance of Mom's hamburgers and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Stand-Up Comedy At Its' Best
In the same tradition of raunchy stand up comedy kings such as Richard Pryor and Red Foxx, Eddie Murphy's comedy pokes fun at many groups and celebrities. Filmed at the height of Eddie's status as the world's biggest film star (while on contract with Paramount), "Raw" is an hour and a half of hysterical impersonations and skits.

Written by comedy star/director Keenan Ivory Wayans ("Scary Movie"; "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka"; television's "In Living Color") and directed by Robert Townsend ("Meteor Man"; "Hollywood Shuffle"), Raw's highlights include Eddie's trip to San Francisco (where he is greeted at the aiport by flamboyant gay men), his trouble with women, and celebrity put downs.

The most memorable skit in this film probably has to be Eddie's imaginary wedding to an African tribal woman who gets corrupted by American women upon her arrival to the U.S. "Unfoofoo" (his African wife's name) and Eddie's discussion of how he met her made me laugh out loud. Truly, only a comedy genius could have thought of such a funny skit.

Although not a film for young kids due to its' use of foul language and discussion of sexual situations, the film showcased Murphy at his best, long before his string of family oriented films ("Dr. Doolittle" "Nutty Professor"). While there is a new king when it comes to raunchy comedy nowadays (Chris Rock) Eddie still remains one of the best. "Raw" is a showcase of great comedic writing and performance.

Four -and-a-"HALF!" stars
The year was 1987 and after been widely known for his classic "Delirious" stand-up act and Beverly Hills Cop movies, Eddie Murphy comes to New York City to perform his latest act in this feature called "Raw". If you were laughing at the jokes from "Delirious", then chances are that you were rolling on floor in laughter when you watched this.

Before the performance is a Keenan Ivory Wayans-produced sketch where it shows Eddie as a kid (played by Deion Richmond [Kenny on "The Cosby Show"]) telling a nasty joke in front of his family, which sets the tone of what his act will be: funny but in bad taste. If you look closer, his family members consist of other people who weren't famous yet like Tatyana Ali ("The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air") and Samuel L. Jackson.

Now, on to the act (directed by Robert Townsend, I might add). Though he does less impressions of stars than he did in "Delirious", it is still hilarious to see him do a fed-up Michael Jackson, a scolding Bill Cosby, and a dead-on impression of Richard Pryor, his idol. The audience is noticeably having a good time and even catches Eddie cracking himself up when he talks about getting arrested by a certain type of police.

In this day and age when African-American comedians' whole routine is usually about how black folks are different from white folks, you wonder if they ever studied Eddie Murphy's monologues, because Murphy had a LOT more to speak on. See the discussion on prenuptial agreement: if you (the man) don't get one with your wife, when it's time for your divorce, she'll ask for "HALF!" of your money. Of course that comes off as misogynistic and derogatory, but it's just comedy, not necessarily commentary.

You'll bust a gut laughing at Oomfufu, Eddie's pretend wife; his mama's hamburger that's "better than McDonald's"; and his reenactment of a fight that happened in a club. His funniest jokes, however, revolve around how the audience members' reactions might be: for example, when he suggests that women would rather be alone with her man instead of seeing this show, a woman would say, "That's true! [Eddie's] funny, but he ain't that funny!"

I knocked off a half-a-star because the bit about his drunk father, first introduced in "Delirious", ran too long. But that doesn't make "Raw" any less of a classic. If you've been living under a rock up until now, see this film today.

Eddie Murphay At His Best
This is one the all time greatest Stand up performances ever. The Title "Raw" says it all. This is Eddie Murphy at his best, raw and uncut. From his jokes about TV shows and its characters to childhood, cheating, divorce, Italians, and his belligerant father, you'll be laughing from start to finish. Its been 17 years and I still enjoy it as much as the first time I saw it. I could go on for days about this film, but it's far better than words can describe. Seeing is definately believing. From the Richard Pryors and Red Foxxes to The Chris Rock's, Bernie Mac's and Dave Chapelle's ... "Eddie Murphy Raw" is the undisputed King of Comedy!!!

he gets away with it!!!!
This has got to be the most unbearably crude, politically incorrect comedy routine ever - and he pulls it off, with real style!!! OK, it is somewhat dated, coming from the 80s, but this man has got to be one of the funniest comedians since Bill Cosby. They are both geniuses. But Murphy takes being black head on (head first?), as well as men-women, gays, you name. If you can stop laughing, there is something to offend EVERYONE. He is also a first rate actor/impersonator. Best I've seen in a long time = I am getting ready to return to the states, and this is the PERFECT preparation in the age of Bush II.

PAINFULLY FUNNY!!!!!
THIS IS ONE OF EDDIE'S BEST STAND UP MOVIES EVER I LOVE THIS I LOVE THE WHOLE VIDEO I LOVE IT. I LOVE EDDIE HE IS SO FUNNY IN THIS MOVIE HE WILL HAVE YOU CRYING HE IS SO FUNNY. EVERY SINGLE JOKE HE TELLS IN THIS MOVIE IS VERY FUNNY AND I LOVE IT THEREFORE, IF YOU ARE A FAN OF EDDIE MURPHY THEN YOU WOULD DEFINITELY ENJOY THIS MOVIE!!!! ... Read more

Description

Play throws Kid the 'mutha' of bachelor parties when the high-haired one decides to get married. Starring Kid 'n Play, TLC and Bernie Mac. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Hip-Hop Love Boat
This movie has a revolving door with LOTS of "characters" who are fun to watch. They must have known the franchise was at an end, and threw in everything but the kitchen sink. No real story to get in the way. But it's fun and can be played (and sort of watched while you read or something) over and over. Why only 4 stars? Because I've been conditioned by The Man who says Citizen Kane is a classic. Yawn. HP 3 is as fun as 1 and 2, if not as "good" by conventional standards of story and character development, or even good laughs. But TLC and Immature and Chris Rock, Bernie Mac and the old guy who says his wife is "MY ho" to Mac, etc... make this one fun. Kick It!

IT'S GETTIN OLD NOW
THIS TIME, KID GETS ENGAGED, AND HE THROWS A BACHELOR PARTY AT HIS HOUSE. MY QUESTION IS WHO CARES? KID N PLAY HAD GOTTEN PLAYED OUT AS RAPPERS BY THE TIME THIS MOVIE CAME OUT. THE ONLY FUNNY MOMENTS COME FROM BERNIE MAC AND REYNALDO REY. I WAS GONNA GIVE THIS ONE JUST 1 STAR, BUT AFTER SEEING HOUSE PARTY 4, I DECIDED TO CHANGE IT TO 2 STARS. BUT STILL, AVOID THIS TRASHY SEQUEL.

It just keeps getting worse and worse
I first said that this movie was better than House Party 2, but boy, was I wrong. The only saving grace to this movie was Bernie Mac. Immature had some okay moments in here too, but the whole House Party movie theme was becoming stale by the time 1994 rolled around. And the jokes were just awful.

Better than the second, a lot
[...] i saw the good in the series when I saw house party 3. there are cool groups like immature, kid n play, TLC, R.a.s posse. This is a movie to top all movies, I mean with actors like Bernie Mac, Chris Tucker. This movie all fits together after immature [mixing] up orders and telling everybody that the bachelor party is their house. the characters are good too. Kid n play, plays fiancee vita, marques, romeo, Ldb, sex as a weapon, and many others. The only problem this movie has is IT LACKS [...]!!!!! Other than that, the movie is good. catch this movie on starz next time it comes on, word out.

A return
this is a Return to the classic status of the first House Party. this is also By far the funniest movie of the three by far. Bernie Mac was an excellent choice to play Kid's uncle Vester. he looks and acts like the Late Robin Harris. Bernie adds the needed punch that House Party 2 lacked. Anthony Johnson as the caterer puts in some hilarious moments. Michael Colyar as Showboat has the return of the "villain" that House Party 2 lacked. The groups Immature( at the time) and TLC add the charisma and catchy tunes that made the first one classic and the music that House Party 2 lacked( no disrespect to Raphaal Saadiq). An Excellent Movie that you can watch over and over and not get tired of it. This along with the first one will never go out of style. Even Cidney makes an appearance in this film. Lets not forget Reynaldo Rey's performance as Vita's father.......Hilarious as well as Aunt Lucy who must have alzheimers or something as she sometimes spews out mindless lines that have nothing to do with the conversation. Chris Tucker makes one of his first Movie appearances also. A Must See. they definitely went out and left a huge impression as one of the greatest trilogies ever. Again A Must See. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Watching Pryor go from imitating a drinking deer to a woman debating about going in the woods gives just a hint of the comedic genius of the man. Crude, foul, and real, this is the first and best of his concert films. Pryor does dead-on impersonations of the respective races, cussing, trying to act tough, getting kicked in personal spots. But it's his imagination that elevates him to a different level. He gives his impressions of what animals think, from his own animals (a monkey, a Doberman) to police dogs, and it seems so exact, so prescient. Not to mention the fact that he is self-deprecating in the extreme, and has as much fun skewering himself as any other subject. Still vibrant, still funny.--Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Material 5 stars; Mastering no stars
One can't say enough about how really funny this concert is. This concert shows Richard Pryor at his very best. There are so many bits, including "The Heart Attack," "Shooting the car," "The Pet Monkey," that it's unfair to begin to list the laugh-so-hard-that-you're-crying material. Now, to the bad news. The mastering of this tape is the worst I've ever seen. Period, bar none. While the picture is acceptable (obviously no time or expense to improve on the VHS product), it is the sound that is really disconcerting. A good half of the DVD, the sound is out of sync with the picture (I know this because I returned my first copy as being defective and got a new one that was exactly the same). It is unforgivable to see the lack of care that was put into this product. No extra features of notable mention. It is trully a shockingly poor representation of one of the all-time great comedians at his comic best.

I Couldn't Stop Laughing!
This is by far Richard Pryor's best taped concert. I saw it with my college roommate for the first time. He had already seen it, and he was laughing at me because I was laughing so hard that it literally brought tears to my eyes!

Then I bought the tape a few years later and watched it with my wife. She was laughing so hard that she missed most of the dialogue the first time around. She had to watch it again to catch what she had missed.

It's Richard Pryor at his rudest, crudest best-talking about his squirrel monkeys, run-ins with the police, heart attacks, drug use, sex, hunting and being an amateur boxer.

If you want to laugh your ... off, get this tape! It's hilarious!

There has never been a better performance!
It's clear that NO other comedian in a live stand-up show can equal to "Richard Pryor Live in Concert". This was a rare magical night when everything went right. Amazingly, he put 100% plus into this comedy act and it shows!

Known for his observational humor, he takes on his family with respect, like the bit with his grandmother's funeral. In his act, he seems to show little more respect for women than some comedians do. Pryor pokes a lot of fun at himself, his wife and the law. While he has a huge stage to himself, he uses it for some very funny physical routines that warrant its use.

He brilliantly takes on the voices of many characters and furthermore, he interjects the voice and thoughts of his dogs, and monkeys and he even takes on the voice of internal pain if you are not in shape. He also becomes the voice of body parts, such as the hilarious words from his heart (the organ while experiencing a heart attack.) It is funny to hear him when, vocally, he imitates the "white person."

He doesn't display the angst many of black comedians do, that is why his humor works for many! Yes, there is profanity, but he is NOT as disgusting or crude as so many others. Like most comedians of his type, there are always the sex routines.

To say this is funny is an understatement. It is hysterical with nonstop laughter throughout. Some routines are his fear of swimming, running to be in shape, the Chinese stutterer, in the woods, boxing, and his role as a parent, that classic bit when he finds his kid in a lie.

This 1979 90-minute performance is a classic! It's easy to see why Pryor is a major influence on the best comedians around....(...)

Pryor is great, DVD sucks
This DVD is a travesty. This is one of the great stand up comic shows of the last 50 years and yet the DVD sound track is off by so much that it is distracting. Stay away. Perhaps the VHS tape is better.

DO NOT BUY!!!!!
This is the funniest 90 minutes of my life!

However, the audio syncing on the DVD is SO BAD that it is extremely distracting. Buy the VHS version. ... Read more

Description

When Kid's college money is stolen by a crooked music promoter, Play's solution is to stage the 'mutha' of all pajama parties. Starring Kid 'n Play and Martin Lawrence. Produced and directed by Doug McHenry and George Jackson. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Another case of a disappointing sequel
This movie was disappointing, although not a total washout. Martin Lawrence as Bilal still made me laugh, but some of the scenes had recycled jokes and even preachy tones. The scenes where Kamron (of Young Black Teenagers) as Jamal, a white kid who talks black, shows up were so gimmicky it was scary. But one funny scene was when the party was hopping from apartment to apartment while Boyz II Men's "Motownphilly" was playing in the background. Still, all of the best jokes were given away in the trailers, and they weren't even all that funny. The following two sequels are even worse, so just stick with the first House Party.

A anytime movie when you just want to kick back and chill.
This movie is funny and relaxing. It really puts you bcak in the day when everything was just alright. Watch this movie and "roll" with Kid 'n' Play! And if you love Martin Lawrence then you will love this movie. House Party 1 and 3 are also recommended.

Boom,Shaka-laka-laka!!!
This is one of the most funniest films that would really want to make you laugh harder and harder and completely HARDER!!!No other comedy film is as good as House Party 2!Peace,everybody!!!

THIS SEQUEL IS A BIT TOO MORALISTIC AT TIMES
IN THE 1ST SEQUEL, KID GOES TO COLLEGE BUT, REALIZES THAT HE LEFT HIS COLLEGE MONEY WITH PLAY WHO'S GIVEN THE MONEY AWAY TO A CON ARTIST CLAIMING TO BE A RECORD COMPANY EXECUTIVE. MOST OF THE FUNNIEST MOMENTS COME FROM MARTIN LAWRENCE, WHO RETURNS AS BILAL. THIS SEQUEL IS A LITTLE BIT MORALISTIC AT TIMES, WHICH IS NOT WHAT THE HOUSE PARTY TRADITION IS ABOUT. ESCAPES A TWO STAR RATING ONLY BECAUSE IT IS THAT MUCH BETTER THAN THE NEXT TWO HOUSE PARTIES THAT WOULD FOLLOW.

JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST!!!
House Party 2 proved to be just as good as the first. The characters were better and the dialouge and plot made more sense but the lack of his foul mouthed father really crippled it's rating.

This movie delivers a better message than the first but the lack of Robin Harris really sucks (he died shortly after the House Party movie) However Jamal can be funny yet utterly offensive (he is a white guy who thinks he is black).

Lots of messages and innuendos in this movie to convince the viewers to stay in school. Recoomended to troubled youths. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Kid spelled backwards describes ya best
This is one of my all time favorite movies. The plot is simple but executed oh so well. Kid sneaks out his house to go to a party his dad told him not to go to after fighting in school. A tale of running from "hoods" and gettin in more trouble than planned. Without this all star acast this movie would be wack. Martin Lawrence, Robin Harris put in memorable performances. And it also has one the best scenes ever in a movie. The Dance scene where kid n play face off against sidney and charane is one of the most memorable scenes ive ever seen. That alone makes this movie a must have. The battle between Kid n Play is also entertaining. Pick it up.

This is one party 2 you won't forget.....
House Party is heavy!!! The cast are great and the storyline is actually real, something teens can relate to aswell as parents. Kid's dad makes me laugh! I loved when he said "it was so hot in here last night I swear I saw the devil in here!" Full Force play the school bullies and they played it heavy!! There is one line you won't forget, "I'm gonna kick your f****** ass!" Kid and Play's rhyme battle was really good and Bilal....he's great! There is another line you won't forget, "shut the f*** up Bilal!!!" That's repeatedly said by Kid and Play cos Bilal doesn't know when to shutup!!! I like the music and the whole atmosphere of teens wanting to have fun. But the best part is the dance battle between KidnPlay and Sharane and Sidney. It's HEAVY!!! You'll watch that part over and over trust me!!! The whole movie is just great and you'll laugh a lot. It's also great for memories for those who grew up in the 90's, especially the music and dancing. Trust me when I say GET THIS!!! By the way I aint seen house party 3+4 but I've seen the 2nd one. It's not as good but it's good to watch at least once or twice still. But the 1st one...a DEFINITE MUST HAVE!!!

Hip Hop ready to start!
House party 1,2 and 3 are the best parts to ever be a complete sucess after Kid'n'Play finally done all three movies of House party and had made so many soundtracks for the motion picture.I will always remember how Kid'n'Play made this a no.1 movie of the year so everyone can see how it was back in those days.However,House Party 4 tried the best they could do in order to bring new laughter into the sequel.Unfortunaly,it was considered to be known as a dismal failure.

HIIP!!!!
This is a great video I loved this movie when it had came out and I still love it today it is one of my favorite comedies Martin Lawrence, Kid'N' Play, Tisha Campbell, Full Force , and others I enjoyed this movie and I still do today it is a funny scene in every part of this movie I liked the part when the cop called "KID" eraser head that was so funny I like the whole movie!!!! Anyone who likes parties or Kid 'N Play then I would recommend that you buy this album it is great and you will definitely enjoy it!!!

THE CLASSIC HIP HOP COMEDY
IN THIS SLEEPER HIT, A TEENAGER PLANS TO GO TO A PARTY BEING THROWN AT HIS FRIEND'S HOUSE. BUT, JUST HOURS BEFORE THE PARTY, HE GETS IN TROUBLE AT SCHOOL WITH SOME TOUGH GUYS AND HIS FATHER FINDS OUT ABOUT IT AND GROUNDS HIM. VERY GOOD AND VERY FUNNY. THIS MOVIE IS A TRIP BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF HIP HOP WHEN IT WASN'T ABOUT GUNS, DRUGS, HOODS, OR COLORS. THIS MOVIE SHOWS HOW RAP USED TO BE ALL ABOUT PARTYING, WHICH IS WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT SO MUCH. AND THE RHYME BATTLE BETWEEN KID AND PLAY IS ENTERTAINING TO WATCH TOO. FOLLOWED BY 3 SEQUELS [THE LAST ONE WENT DIRECT TO VIDEO]. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Robert Townsend has managed to build an entire career on the basis of one funny movie (The Hollywood Shuffle)--even though he hasn't had one that was anywhere near as funny since. Case in point: This would-be comedy about an unwilling black superhero. Townsend plays a schoolteacher in a bad Washington, D.C., neighborhood that is controlled by a vicious drug gang (recognizable by their blonde-dyed hair). Then he is hit by a meteor and suddenly finds that he has super strength and can fly (and can read the minds of dogs). But Townsend's writing is surprisingly weak and, despite a cast that includes a mugging Bill Cosby, Eddie Griffin, Robert Guillaume, and sadly miscast James Earl Jones, this movie is never able to get off the ground. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great movie, great fun
... sure it's not the best movie ever, but great if you like this type of comedy...
It's been years since I last saw this movie though, but I might buy it next month (Depends on if I get enough money to buy it)

Good ideas. poor execution. Meteor Man is very very rocky.
Robert Townsend's the Meteor Man was supposed to be a satire of Comic books and Superheroes. Unfortunately, it's a poor copy of the Batman TV show of the 60's without any of the humor. Townsend makes a ton of mistakes here and all of them make the movie one of the worst you'll ever see.
Meteor Man could have been a lot of fun to watch; a black superhero satire film is really an interesting premise. While Townsend is very good at satire he doesn't know that the method of acting in this type of satire is actually "Camp." In order to make fun of Comic books and Superheroes you must understand the mechanics of comedy and what style works best to tell the jokes in. Superheroes are already farfetched and the only way to poke fun at them in their world is for the characters to take themselves seriously. Unfortunately, Townsend tells to cast to take their roles for a joke and that's a big mistake. "Camp" only works when the actors play their roles seriously. The serious performances working in tandem with the satiric jokes pokes fun at the ridiculousness of the situations the hero involves himself in as opposed to how it's seen in the real world and that's what makes it funny. When the actors are aware of the joke we can't laugh with them or at them. Contrast MM to the Batman TV show, Wild Wild West, or Sam Raimi's Hercules, Xena, or even the Tick TV series. In each of these shows the actors take their roles so seriously that we laugh at how absurd the situations are as opposed to the real world. We know about the jokes that the characters don't.
Townsend's second mistake was casting big name stars in the film. To make Camp work you need to cast unknown actors in the roles so they blend into the characters. People Like Bill Cosby, Luther Vandross and James Earl Jones stand out like sore thumbs in this film and look so ridiculous that we can't laugh at the jokes they tell. The use of then rapper Big Daddy Kane, commedian Sinbad and the group Another Bad creation wearing bad blond fades just look cartoonish. Smaller actors taking their roles seriously would have made this work.
Townsend's third and final mistake in this film was the script. It's not serious. It makes comic books look cartoonish. On top of that it's preachy and shallow; it's clear that he didn't research comic books or superheroes at all before writing it. The origin and the powers of the meteor man come together so poorly that we can't suspend our disbelief at his superhuman abilities. A meteor slamming into a man would kill him, not give him powers. Him toching a meteor rock and getting powers would make sense. On top of that his powers are inconsistent. Flight and Super Strength make sense but the ability to read any book by touching it had me scratching my head.
I don't see this film as a creative failure for Robert Townsend. I'm glad he tried to do something different and original with a Black film. Meteor Man had the potential to be something great, however, Townsend didn't do the necessary research to make this type of comedy work. He might have watched the old Batman show for reference, but didn't take the time to dissect the jokes to understand what made them funny like he did in his great first film Hollywood Shuffle. I'm hoping someone tries another film like this because I think someone who understands the style of humor that camp is could make a truly great film.

Worst movie I have seen in a long time.
There are dozens of clever, offbeat films worth watching, but this isn't one of them. Makes Pootie Tang look like an Oscar winner.

One of my Favs.
I Thought this movie was good maybe not the best but i thought it was good. many cameo appearances many celebs. Even though some people thought the movie wasnt that funny i thought it was. Especially the last scene. I cant wait til it comes out on dvd february 18th. Im definetly getting it and i think you should too.

What can you say?
Even though actors like Bill Cosby appear in this movie, Robert Townsend's acting and directing of humor is sadly unfocused and becomes little more then sad at trying to be funny, when it is not. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Do I look Like a F***in Lady our WHAT!
This video had me ROLLIN!!! Hosted by Martin Lawrence: AdeleGivens (Do I look like a ...... Lady OUR WHAT!! She's Crazy! Some of the stuff that comes out of this Lady's mouth had me on the floor! She talks about how You don't need a man! All you need is your Gynocologist! Then D.L Hughley was too funny! This Video is 55min of non stop laughter! hosted by Martin Lawrence.

:) so funny your stomach will ache :)
Hosted by Martin Lawrence, This tape woll make you laugh, and laugh, and laugh. You can watch it over and over again and still laugh every time. :) ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Spike Lee's semiautobiographical, 1994 film about the good and bad times for a Brooklyn family in the '70s has passion and nostalgic good feeling, but it is also a mess of random reflections and arbitrary storytelling. The centerpiece of the movie is a little girl (Zelda Harris) who views the ups and downs of her parents' experiences (mom and dad are played by Delroy Lindo and Alfre Woodard), and who navigates the life of her neighborhood. Lee tosses in a lot of '70s detail (watching The Partridge Family) and other diversions (Harris's journey through suburbia), but he has no master sensibility controlling the flow of it all. The film is more wearying than anything, although bright spots include Lindo's fine performance as a talented man suffering from irrelevance. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (31)

A Great movie about Family
"Crooklyn" is a nostalgic story of the ups and downs of an African-American family living in 1970's Brooklyn . It is probably the second best movie that director, Spike Lee has ever made. Lee's best was the classic 80's flick "Do the Right Thing".But while "Do the Right Thing" was about ethnic tensions, racism and strife, "Crooklyn" is a film about love.In the movie we meet the Carmichael family. They yell, scream, call each names, even get into physical fights.But it is very evident, that love is very strong among this large brood.Dad (well played by Delroy Lindo) is a musician who is trying to create some honest music thats important to him. Mom (fabulously played by Alfre Woodard) is pulling her hair out, trying to keep this inner city family's finances above water, while trying to stop the kids from killing each other.But the film really centers on 9 year old Troy (Zelda Harris) who shows us the ins and outs of her family life and the close Brooklyn neighborhood that she is growing up in. Juvenile actress, Zelda Harris gives us an amazing starring performance that is totally believable. The movie is pretty much autobiographical (Lee wrote it with his sister Joie)and it richly lays on the 1970s nostalgia with cultural references among other things to "Soul Train", the "Patridge Family", Walt Fraiser, and baseball stategamatic.The film also has a wonderful soundtrack which is packed with '70s R&B and pop music from groups like the Jackson 5, the Spinners, Curtis Mayfield, the Staple Singers and Sly and the Family Stone.In fact, my favorite part of this movie is the opening credit sequence, where you hear Marc Dorsey's "People Make the World Go Round", while the film shows us the neighborhood's children playing various sidewalk, kids games.Between Soccer practice and video games, do kids even do this anymore? I just love this movie and I highly recommend it!

LOVE,LOVE,LOVE this movie !!!!!!!
This movie will take you "Back Down Memory Lane."
I grew up during the 70's and this movie hit home to me 100%. The sound track alone will sell you on the movie. Spike Lee as well as ALL the characters in this movie will allow those who did NOT grow up in the seventies to know what the experience was like. The young girl in the movie is a STRONG actress and carries her role as the "MISS KNOW IT ALL" sister in the family while each of the brothers give her a hard time. It is up to the sister to keep the family together in the time of crisis.

Much love SPIKE for bringing this time period in the lives of African Americans to the big screen for those to enjoy!

This film's a mess, but still enjoyable.
I think Spike Lee was trying to make an African American version of the wonderful book "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" -- but all of the Gershwin-esque music and fabulous camerawork can't hide a story severely lacking in purpose and that wastes too much time on irrelevancies. When it suddenly turns to serious drama, the performances warrant it but the tone and direction of the film do not. The most glaring shortcoming of the film is the attempt to pull of the various "characters" of the neighborhood -- with very little to no success. It's a shame because this was one of the great things in "Do The Right Thing." Still, he has such fabulous style and such an ear for dialogue that this film is a rich pleasure to watch. If it weren't for Lee's masterful talents this film would be quite poor -- maybe even a one-star review. That's quite a complement to him I think.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES
THIS MOVIE IS GOOD AND SEMI-REALISTIC....ALL THE ACTORS WERE GREAT(ESPECIALLY ZELDA HARRIS AS LADYBUG)I JUST HATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE END(IT'S REALLY SAD)BUT OVERALL IT'S A GOOD MOVIE

Superb !!!!!!
This is a great film about some kids it is about the oldest child being a girl and living with her litle brothers and how they got on her last nerve and how she had stood up for them and living with her mother and father and growing up in the 1970's . This film also showed how it is living in New York the terms and the conditons, and challenges tht you have to face growing up I really enjoy this film!!! I would reccommend anyone to buy this movie!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This wants desperately to be an Airplane-like parody of inner-city African American gangsta movies. Instead, it offers us more turkey than we would find at any Thanksgiving spread. Unfunny, stereotypical, stupid, and crass, it was cowritten by Marlon and Shawn Wayans, both of whom should have known better. The two fare better as actors than writers, as they are almost amusing as hardened, dimwitted homeboys. As Ashtray, Shawn returns to his 'hood and hooks up with his best buddy (Marlon) before the two embark on a series of oh-so-wacky adventures. Siblings Keenen Ivory, Kim, and Craig Wayans also make appearances. If you really want a laugh, watch Booty Call. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (118)

One of the best comedies EVER!
Never did a movie make me laugh so hard as this did, but first of all you need to know about the black lifestyle in the ghetto which is common sense to most. If you don't like gang movies though I wouldn't suggest watching this, but I could be wrong. A brother named Ashtray learns is learning how to live in the hood from homeboys, he meets a black beauty, Dashikee, I don't know how to spell that but close enough. He wants to move out of the ghetto with her and start a new life, a new child but alot of things get in his way, mostly Toothpicks gang. There are so many funny parts in this film, I'd say the funniest are when Toothpick was at the party and was talking about being in the shower with men, the MC Hammer dream, the convient store incident and in the movies begining when the two guys get shot. I demand that you watch this film, but as I said only if your into this type of thing. Great movie! If you've seen Baby Boy then you might see some similarities.

FUNNIEST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN
This is absolutly hillarious! The Wayans bros have hit the jackpot with this movie. It's a spoof of earlier hood' movies such as menace 2 society and boyz in the hood. Marlon and Shawn Wayans play Loc Dog and Ash Trey, two homeys growing up in South Central Los Angeles. They get into all kinds of hillarious situations such as a run in with toothpicks gang where Loc dog and toothpick keep pulling bigger weapons on each other. This movie is funny from start to finish. I have watched it with friends many times and it never fails to crack me up. Anybody who does not like this movie or does not think its funny should be checked out by a doctor. Well done to the Wayans brothers!!!

"What's up O.G."
extremely funny movie with the best grandma ever. Some ofd the parts are random but that makes the movie better.
However, i didnt respect them trying to make funn-of BOYZ 'N' THE HOOD by trying to do the scene where he starts swinging punches and ends up knocking out the kids.. Don't diss the greatest drama ever again,PLEEEEEEZ!

I feel sorry for your mother........
This movie is hilarious. But in order to understand most of the parts you have to see Menace II Society.

funny as hell
after watching all those hood movies throughout the years, this movie had me rolling as it made fun of every single thing those movies talked about. this is a must see. ... Read more

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Perhaps one of the greatest lights ever to shine on late-night television, Eddie Murphy has gone on to well-deserved international superstardom.Check out his earliest television work on Saturday Night Live: The Best of Eddie Murphy, a collection of his greatest roles, from Gumby to Stevie Wonder to Buckwheat.Of course, some would argue that his best role was as himself, and there is plenty of evidence for that--many of the skits feature Murphy au naturel and the opening sequence is taken from his monologue when he returned to the show triumphantly after leaving for Hollywood.Exploring the world around him and finding laughs everywhere, Murphy can take a simple idea (such as the "James Brown Hot Tub Party") and run wild with it, leaving the audience hysterically begging for more.You don't have to be a fan to enjoy this collection, but odds are you'll be one by the time you're finished.--Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (22)

"Clean" Eddie Murphy!
It is extremely rare to use the words "Eddie Murphy" and "clean" in the same sentence, which ring true in "Saturday Night Live-The Best Of Eddie Murphy". After watching Murphy convey such a unique and endearing comical warmth in which he brings to many of his SNL characters, especially in this video, it makes you wonder why Murphy resorts to using rather obscene language and risque adult themes prevalent in many of his stand-up comedy videos, such as "Eddie Murphy:Raw" and "Delirious", which are highly recommended for laughs, even though these are not satisfactory for young audiences to view. If Mr. Murphy cleaned up his act in the language department, he'd still be just as hilarious. On the other hand, if the adult themes and language were excluded entirely, the routines wouldn't be as interesting and much of their viewer appeal would be lost. No need to worry with "The Best Of Eddie Murphy-Saturday Night Live". It's "G" rating means that it's a video the whole family can watch together, although there is a slight possibility that the ethnicity present in certain skits may offend certain people, so it's best to watch this with an open mind and just laugh out loud! The only thing I dislike about this version is due to the fact there are two different skits, one that replaced the jazz skit where Murphy portrays a "Thelonius Monk"-type musician, sporting a clear plastic mask, which I found quite hilarious! Instead there's a drone skit with Eddie dressed up as Gumby, saying the oft-used phrase "I'm Gumby, Dammit!" Somebody please gag me with a spoon! Another skit featured here that wasn't in the original video was a different second skit of "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood" featuring Mr. T. Even though I don't remember the original second skit that was in the original video, I would say the Mr. T skit is/was as equally as funny. The most hilarious skit of the bunch here is definitely the "Jesse Jackson" skit. You'll have to check that one out for yourself! You rarely see any clean, wholesome and comical productions starring Eddie Murphy that are out there, which is why it is necessary to include "The Best Of Eddie Murphy-Saturday Night Live" in your comedy video library. Purchase this rare gem before it is taken out of print!

Funny, yes, but the VHS version from late 80s was better
This DVD has collected most of the best moments compiled on the VHS best-of Eddie Murphy version that came out circa the late 80s, but is missing a few moments that could have easily been fit in.

1) The Eddie Murphy "Ronald Reagan is my father" skit, which has Murphy pleading for his father to return, talking about how the last time he saw him was when he asked him to get some cereal, and he never came back.

2) Where Eddie Murphy interviews Ron Howard about his new movie, but Murphy can't get over that Ron Howard once played Opie on The Andy Griffiths Show, frustrating Howard.

3) Where Eddie Murphy and Stevie Wonder do a commercial for something called similar to Plantation Land, where people can go and pick cotton, being treated like slaves.

4) A talent show at a veterans post, with Tyrone and his Reggae Band, where Eddie Murphy plays the lead singer singing some hilarious lines I probably can't mention here, so I won't, but it would also ruin the humor. but let's just say the crowd is mad, and starts to leave. Murphy manages to both show the honesty in reggae music, and also make fun of reggae itself.

5) Popeil's Galactic Prophylactic, a superstrong condom that can last decades and be passed down generation to generation. ultra-hilarious.

So the DVD version is funny, but it's too bad they couldn't find room for these. rather disappointing. The DVD is still worth getting, but try finding a copy of the videotape.

Comedy At Its Best
After 5 years of classic comedy, "Saturday Night Live" entered a cold streak in 1980. Heavyhitters like John Belushi and Gilda Radner were replacd with Gail Matthius and Charles Rocket, and Jean Domanian (and later Dick Ebersol) replaced the show's guiding force, exceutive porducer Lorne Michaels. The results: bad reviews and the show's worst ratings. The show needed someone to revive the show's magic. Someone who could elicit guffaws in even the worst sketch. They found that in 19 - year old comedian Eddie Murphy.

Murphy's best moments in his 3 - year stint on the show are all on this 28 - sketch set. Whether you enjoy "Buckwheat", "Gumby", or "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood", there'll never be a more comprehensive Eddie Murphy/"SNL" retrospectie. Also, a lot of less popular sketches are here. "Buckwheat Shot" and "Buckwheat Dead" (one of the few 2- part "SNL" skecthes) is among the show's greatest staircal news parodies. Eddie does the Little Rascal flawlessly, while Joe Piscopo does a dead - on Ted Koppell. (Piscopo is actually in most of the sketches, probably because he brough out the best in Murphy). Also, a variety pf his classxci impressions are here: Desmond Tutu, James Brown, Stevie Wonder (the real wonder pops up in the final sketch), Jesse Jackson and others. I wish they'd included his Michael Jackson impression, though. Another plus: Eddie's hilarious Little Richard Simmons, a sidesplitting amalgam of Little Richard and Richard Simmons that most likely inspired Dana Carvey's Carsenio. And the classic short film "White Like Me" is here. The makeup artists did a great job of making Eddie look white.

This dvd is also special because it's Eddie's cleanest material aside from "Shrek" and "Doctor Dolittle". Aside from a few curses, everything here is tame compared to his movies and