Amazon.com

Structured as a star vehicle for country singer turned actor Kenny Rogers, Six Pack is an amiable little film that aims low but showcases the pleasant and easygoing charm of its star. Rogers (The Gambler) plays a down on his luck race car driver saddled with a half dozen delinquents. As he tries to resurrect his fledgling career, he bonds with the little waifs and they form a sort of family, even as they are pursued by a corrupt sheriff who wants to send the kids to an orphanage and ruin Rogers' comeback. A blatant knockoff of films like Smokey and the Bandit, this family-oriented movie works best as a breezy comedy of errors, with the hapless racer contending with his unruly brood as they stay one step ahead of the law. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Enjoyable and Entertaining!
I remember watching Six Pack with my mother who is a Kenny Rogers fan and I thought it was a very cute movie and Kenny Roger's is just as good an actor as he is a singer! Roger's plays former racecar driver who is attempting to make a comeback and one day he catches six orphans who are trying to strip his car and after that rough first meeting the kids latch on to him and they all develop a warm relationship but a crooked sherrif and his thugs are out to make troube for all. Not only was Kenny Rogers good but so was Erin Grey (Silver Spoons) as the love interest and the kids especially Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club) and (Diane Lane (Under the Tuscan Sun) and I recommend this movie and I hope they put it out on DVD (Widescreen).

Six Pack
This was one of my favorite movies growing up . I just recently purchased a copy of this movie for my family and now my kids love it as well . Kenny Rogers was terrific in this simple role and who doesn't love Erin Gray . Some how we all were able to relate to these kids in some way . I give this movie 4 stars for plain simple enjoyable fun .

Six Packed with Fun
The only objection I have heard to this movie, that was halfway objective, was that the attitude of the kids and language could be improved. Now I understand that judgement, but either you need to get eye surgery or or be realistic about your outlook. When I first saw this movie when it was released I fell in love with it. I'm no kid either, in fact I'm now 52. This movie is realistic and has some great acting and comedy. So if you're concerned about how it will affect kids, why don't you sit down and watch it with them. Everyone should have a laugh.

It is sad to me that funny family movies like this have not come out on DVD when there is so much junk that has come out on DVD. I don't know who is keeping this from coming out on DVD but I for one will buy it when it does. I went ahead and ordered this on VHS because there is no indication that it will be on DVD anytime soon.

This movie is bad, but it was filmed in my hometown.
Once upon a time in the '80s, when I was in elementary school, a film crew and Kenny Rogers invaded Buford, filming scenes of SIX PACK. I thought it was cool at the time, for I watched Erin Gray, the love interest in the film, on "Silver Spoons" and "Buck Rogers." (Little did I realize that the coolest person in the film would turn out to be Diane Lane, who would go on to get an Oscar nomination in 2003. Of course, her biggest claim-to-fame then was "A Little Romance.")

When it came out months later, everyone crowded the theater to see how the whole thing came out. And it was bad. To give you an example of how bad the film was, it has a character in it named Breezy, and it's about unruly children and NASCAR racing.

But the town was recognizable, so that's something interesting. I can say I've walked past the same Western Auto that Diane Lane did in that rain scene.

(To see more films made in my hometown, rent Steve Martin's A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE, which was a modern version of "Silas Marner." It bombed at the box office like this one, though the reason it bombed is because "Silas Marner" is awful.)

Anyway, SIX PACK is bad.

Six Pack rules.
When I was a boy I loved this movie. I would watch it everyday. Play, rewind. Play rewind. My friend Alisa would come over to my house and we would hold hands and watch the movie. We loved being together to watch the cinematic masterpiece that is Six Pack! Diane Lane is fantastic as the innocent looking vixen. See her in 'Unfaithful'. Good movie with a lot of explict adult situations. Schwing! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Kevin Costner might have had a hammerlock on baseball movies in the late 1980s with Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, but this 1987 HBO film with a few mid-level stars was (and still is) very good in its own way. William L. Petersen (Manhunter) is a player-manager for a 1950s minor-league team whose fortunes and hopes turn around during their battle for a championship. As with Bull Durham, this comedy has the feeling of taking place in a world larger than that of baseball, and thus provides useful perspective into why the game is so central in people's lives each spring. Another similarity is the farm-team milieu, a life of abridged hopes and stardom outside the Show--the thematic implication being that most of us have some kind of Show we can only admire from a distance. (Underscoring the point is a nice performance by Virginia Madsen as a small-town beauty queen.) But hope does come in Long Gone, and because of its sharp dialogue and enjoyable acting (by Dermot Mulroney, Larry Riley, Henry Gibson, Katy Boyer, and Teller) this film deserves to be included in anyone's collection of baseball features. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Best ever? Tough call
My goodness, Bull Durham or Long Gone? Both have their moments...Bull Durham has better athletes that make the movie seem more realistic, but Long Gone isn't too shabby, except for a couple scenes where Dermot Mulroney can't quite pull it off. However, William Peterson does a great job, and the storyline is great. For true baseball movie fans that can spot poor baseball, this movie will not disappoint. I'm not ready to label it the best baseball movie of all time, but it is definitely in my top 3, and I am very discriminant. You cannot claim to be a TRUE baseball movie fan without watching this one.

Way Gone
I feel this is the best baseball movie I have ever watched and it is a shame that not too many folks have ever seen it. Stud Cantrell is one of my favorite characters and the setting is great. This film gets you itching to get back on the diamond even if you've never played before. Minor league ball is about growing into the game and cuting a youngsters teeth with the help of a seasoned coach/player. In that sense it has the same chacteristics as Bull Durham except it has a lot more feeling. Besides you can almost smell the dust in Weeks' uniform and the perfume that Madsen is wearing. Rent it if you can find it, but definately buy it before spring for someone who loves the game of baseball.

Second Best Baseball Movie Ever
The first, of course, was The Natural, for pure 'love of the game' beauty and drama. But, hot diggedy DAWG, this is the best good time baseball movie ever! You can tell it was crafted with love and reverence by BASEBALL guys. The characters are loud and larger than life, while the Florida panhandle of the 50's swelters away, in all it's heavy, backroads charm. Petersen as Studs Cantrell is tour de force performance, Virginia Madsen glows with all the longin' of a small town girl just lookin' for a way out, and the rest of the cast is just as fabulous. The baseball sequences are first rate, alive with all the intrigue of the good ol' boy bush leagues of the time. And what do you mean, they couldn't play after being in a bar all afternoon? A guy named Babe Ruth made a career of it! We've been watching a grainy old VHS we taped the night it first aired on HBO, and can't wait for a DVD to finally be available.

THIS MOVIE SUCKS!
This movie was the worst baseball movie i had ever seen. It had a very predictable plot line and not very good acting (except for william peterson). The ending is the most fake ever. There is no way two guys can play a baseball game after sitting in a bar for half a day!!!! So i would not recomend this movie at all. If you want a baseball movie similar to this, that is a lot better and more realistic, get Bull Durham.

William Petersen
I couldn't believe that this was the same man you see on CSI where he's so low-key-soft-spoken & mellow-- in this he's rowdy-nasty- loud & obnoxious-curses-swears & drinks Jack Daniels- but what an exciting character!! looks great in tight jeans- this movie, shows his versatality as an actor- love him--he's delicious!!! ... Read more

Reviews (114)

A League Of Their Own (1992)
What an amazing movie! This has to be my favorite Madonna movie, other than Body Of Evidence. It features an all star cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O'Donnell, Jon Lovitz, Garry Marshall, and Bill Pullman.

Geena Davis stars as Dottie Hinson and Lori Petty stars as Kit Keller, two adult sisters who play baseball on a minor team in Oregon of 1943. Dottie is a married woman, whose husband, Bob Hinson (played by Bill Pullman) is overseas fighting in the war that was going on at the time. Dottie is an excellent ball player. Kit is a bitter person who is always being treated like crap. After a game, the two are in their barn milking cows, where a scout by the name of Ernie Capadino (played by Jon Lovitz) walks in and offers them a to try out for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (A.A.G.P.B.L.). Dottie wants nothing to do with it, but Kit knows that this could be big chance for the both of them, so Kit talks Dottie into going. While on the way to Chicago for the try outs, they pick up Marla Hooch, who is an excellent batter. The three finally make it to Chicago. While getting ready to try out, they meet gal pals Doris Murphy (played by Rosie O'Donnell) and Mae Mordabito (played by Madonna). They all are chose to a team: The Rockford Peaches.

Tom Hanks is in the role of Jimmy Dugan, who is a washed up ball player, who is called by Walter Harvey (played by Garry Marshall) to coach the Rockford Peaches.

The Peaches become a smash, winning every game there ever is, all because of their most popular play, Dottie. Kit is angered at this and is traded to another team: The Racine Belles.

The Peaches finally make to the last game of the season. Their opponents: The Racine Belles. Dottie and Kit are up against each other for one final time. Who will win the championship? The Peaches? Or The Belles? Watch this amazing movie, based on the actual events of the A.A.G.P.B.L. This is a movie that is guaranteed to make you watch it over and over again.

My Absolute Favorite
This has alway been my all time favorite movie! I remember my mom and I were in Blockbuster Video store when I was nine, and she and I couldn't find anything. Then, she saw "A League of Their Own," she told me that I would love this movie. And boy was she right. I have seen this movie over 50 times, I know the entire dialogue, the songs, every moment, I can rehash line for line right now if I wanted to. I think this movie had the most well-rounded cast in over a decade. Geena Davis was amazing as Dottie Henson; a person who loved the game very much, although she tried to pull off that she didn't. Lorri Petty's best role to date, as Kit Keller, Dottie's younger sister, whom is always stuck in Dottie's shadow. The chemistry between Petty and Davis is amazing, they work so well together, they were extremely believable. Tom Hanks was fantastic as the alcoholic, ex-baseball star Jimmy Dugan, which of course, his classic urinating seen is a total laugh. Madonna and Rosie had made the laughs of the film, they were wise cracking and hilarious.

I can go on and on about this film, and the problem is, I can't quite articulate how much I love this film, and why I love it so much. I've cried many times, especially the scene with Betty "Spighetti" and at the end of the World Series. I love this film, Penny Marshall is a Goddess. She chose the perfect actors, and the perfect score, especially Madonna's "Playground" which still makes me cry at the ending sequences. This movie observes a part of history that is ignored. Many to this day, have no idea about the professional baseball league, grant it, this movie "idealized" what really happened, but it made you proud. I think this is still a must-see of a movie, it is still my all-time favorite movie, and it has been for 11 years.

Brilliant film!!
This is one of my favourite films, it made me want to watch it again and again. With an all star cast including Geena Davis, Lotti perri and Tom Hanks, who give brilliant and funny performances. This film is funny,tear jerking and an all round good film. The storyline is brilliant and what more can i say....its definately worth buying!

Good movie but......
Who in the world in Tom Hanks supposed to be. I know he wasnt a real baseball player b/c he said he hit 487 homeruns for Mr Harvys ball team, i have never heard of the guy. Was his name chaged or something? Oh yeah and Harvy Field????? Can u say Wrigley Field. But besides the little things that only people who love baseball would find it is over all a good movie.

I think this is a great movie!
Well I'm biased because my cusin is in this movie. He dances with madonna in the bar sceen.. But I still think that it's a good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A STEP UP FROM THE LAST ONE
THIS TIME, PORKY AND HIS NIGHTCLUB [WHICH IS NOW ON A BOAT] RETURNS. THE BASKETBALL COACH OWES MONEY TO PORKY, TO CLEAR HIS DEBT, HE AGREES TO PURPOSELY LOSE THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. THIS ONE IS A LITTLE SOFTER IN TERMS OF THE NUDITY THAT THE FIRST TWO. THIS WAS A BIG IMPROVEMENT OVER PORKY'S 2 AND IT'S UP THERE WITH PORKY'S 1. FOR A GOOD FUN TIME, CHECK THIS SEQUEL OUT.

Much better than Porky's 2!
Porky's Revenge marks the return of Porky and his establishment.This time Porky has a casino on a riverboat and the basketball coach owes a great debt to Porky.To clear his debt the coach has agreed to throw the State Championship game.Tommy,Pee Wee,and Meat are back as well as the rest of their buddies.Much more entertaining than Porky's 2.The graduation part is great too.If you liked the first Porky's movie check this one out.

Come celebrate the Year of the Pig
Most of the gang from Angel Beach High is back, and they're preparing for graduation. Trouble abounds when their basketball coach gets in hock with Porky over gambling debts, and is ordered to throw the state championship game-or else. In between tangling with their old nemesis, the boys "help" Meat pass his biology exam by blackmailing the teacher, Pee-Wee becomes enamored of Inga, the attractive exchange student from Sweden, and they're still locking horns with the diabolical Ms. Balbricker. Lots of fun for fans of the series. I've heard rumors about a fourth movie but nothing definite yet. Veteran TV director James Komack took over direction from Bob Clark and does a good job, adding a different kind of look for this sequel. Recommended.

FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY, CLOSE TO BEING AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL
So we're put back in the pit of teenage disregard, and Pee Wee is just as funny as he ever was, and we find that the boys get thier real revenge on the man that started it all.Its funny and fun. Its good ol' sit back and enjoy it while you can fun.

A must see for all contemptables
Anyone considering blackmail as a means of getting even, needs to see this one for sure. As if these teenagers hadn't had enough to deal with, they find themselves in a bind only to find creative ways of getting out of them. They include blackmailing the school chaplain and one biology teacher with photographs, backstabbing Porky, and countless other tactics to take back what is righfully theirs(their dignity), and let's not forget about Kong and Tommy Turner butting heads for the last time at the Motel room. This is a must see for those who have already seen the first two Porkys movies. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Slam Dunk
Space Jam teams up His Airness, Michael Jordan, with His Hareness, Bugs Bunny, for a fun, and funny, family film.

Michael Jordan has retired from basketball, and currently playing baseball, when Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals ask for his help in playing a b-ball game against diminuative aliens from Moron Mountain. These aliens have stolen the talent of 5 NBA players, including Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, and are now larger than life. Since this is Looney Tunes Land, this game is NOT your average basketball game. If it was, it wouldn't be any fun.

Though not an actor of any kind in anyone's book, Michael Jordan does a very good job of interacting with his cartoon co-stars. Most of the jokes are well done and the basketball game itself is a lot of fun. In addition, it is quite funny to watch the 5 NBA players that had their "games" stolen trying to cope with their newfound ordinaryness.

This movie is not groundbreaking by any means and most all of the original Looney Tunes cartoons are better. But this movie never tries to be more than it is: a good time. And at that, it succeeds very well.

Jordan and the Tunes score a slam dunk
Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and the rest of the Looney Tunes call on Michael Jordan to help them win a basketball contest after they're kidnapped by a group of aliens. Jordan agrees and if they lose the basketball game, he agrees to be the aliens' star attraction.

"Space Jam" isn't like you might expect it to be. It's not just a movie showcasing Jordan's talents as a basketball player. It is more of a great comedy movie, particularly with the Looney Tunes. Some of the funniest parts are when Sylvester gets shot and Tweety flies through him and says "Holey Putty Tat." Another good one is when one of the men from "Seinfeld" gets blown up like a hot air balloon and then deflates, stinking up the basketball court. Bill Murray also makes an appearance to give Jordan and the Tunes some extra help.

If you're a fan of Michael Jordan or if you used to like watching Looney Tunes, this is one movie you've got to see. It'll keep you entertained and laughing throughout the whole movie.

Warner Bros. has finally flipped
Three stars is high praise for a show like this, it DID have it's great parts, but on the whole, it shows little indication that the directors or the voice artists even WATCHED payed attention to the characters they were basing it off of!
The characters are unlike the originals. Case in point:

DAFFY DUCK -- One of the worst voices for Daffy I've ever heard! He has his funny lines, but when making a movie with Daffy Duck in it how CAN you even AVOID funny lines? This classic character (created by Fred Avery) is my favorite cartoon character. Why did they have to spoil him like this?

BUGS BUNNY-- Bugs Bunny's voice is bad, too. But aside from that, Bugs is OK (one of the few characters who is).

ELMER FUDD-- Yeechh! I could do a better Elmer voice than THAT! And the scene where Elmer Fudd makes a slam dunk is about as uncharacteristic as it gets.

PORKY PIG-- His voice is bad too. His lines aren't funny. He doesn't act like Porky...but besides that...

LOLA BUNNY-- Where in the heck did SHE come from? She isn't in any of the Looney Tune cartoons, so why is she in Looney Tune Land? Her voice is fine (just because she isn't in anything else, so I have nothing to go by), but if she had any personality to start with, she lost it halfway through the film. And when the giant alien is about to jump on Lola, she just stands there. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HER??? At least Wile E. Coyote TRIES to run (he doesn't ever get anywhere, but his legs move). Did she WANT Bugs to get crushed (as in flattened.) Bugs loves himself too much to do that, anyway.

THE TASMANIAN DEVIL-- After you watch the picture, you forget he was even in it. His voice is OK, though.

TWEETY-- Awful! Terrible! Horrible! Embarrassing! Tweety's voice is the worst I've ever heard, Tweety isn't innocent like he is on the cartoons, he's MEAN (and he's not even FUNNY mean, like Clampett made him).

SYLVESTER-- Call me crazy, but he's the highlight of the movie. He doesn't do anything, but his voice is great, his lines are funny and his personality is "spot on". I don't like what he does with the fishing pole, but hey! I'm sure he was looking for fish!

WILE E. AND THE ROAD RUNNER -- Funny, but they don't do much.

For much (...) better results, watch Looney Tunes: Back in Action!

Big Macs for life
How any critic can call Looney Tunes: Back in Action an exercise in franchise promotion but not puke at the 80-minute commercial that is Space Jam is beyond me.

Our plot has Danny Devito play the voice of an evil, monster type businessman who's theme park is failing. In desperation he sends 5 little creatures to capture the Looney Tunes and bring them back as the new attraction.

So...where is Looney Tune land? Apparently it's underground. And digging up any golf ball hole will eventually lead to it. When the Looney Tunes challenge the would-be kidnappers to a basketball game they kidnap Michael Jordan to be on their team.

The quality of the film nosedives from here on. Jordan's acting is so wooden it's mahogany. He expresses no confusion, joy or surprise at being yanked into Looney Tune land and confronted by all the toons. 'Bugs Bunny you're a cartoon you're not real', he says in the most flat, boring and dullest way (missing commas intended as he doesn't use them).

And then the big game follows. Once it's over, and there's no reason left to continue watching, the film goes on for another 10 minutes (to beef the running time up 'feature length') with the basketball/Jordan story. It's rubbish.

It's no surprise that the film is directed by Joe Pytka (he's NOT Joe Dante that's for sure), a man who has never done any other features but over a 1000 TV ads, or something. Space Jam is nowt but 100% proof Warner like to whore out their most famous creation to make a few quick, and cheap, bucks. It's heartbreaking, heinous stuff.

Casting Michael Jordan alongside the Looney Tunes is not inspired and imaginative. It's crass and desperate. Now they can attract sports fans AND kiddies. And Michael Jordan of all people! He's not a good actor and his fame outside of the U.S. is minimal to say the least. Moreso today.

The only part of the film that comes (very, very remotely) close to the true spirit of the Looney Tunes is the score. James Newton Howard (a truly bizarre choice, how about Jerry Goldsmith, Bruce Broughton or even Danny Elfman) recognizes the classic Looney Tunes themes and uses them appropriately in certain moments but the rest of the score is generic and uninspired.

Back in Action was intelligent, witty and satirical. Space Jam is corny, cheap and classless. It's an absolute travesty. How can we honestly take seriously a movie that has every cast member awe at Michael Jordan, has not too subtle product placement for McDonalds and has the Looney Tunes (one of the most ingenious creations in history) exploited in the most shameless and guilt free manner. With Space Jam, Warner showed that they'd cash in the Looney Tunes at a pawn shop for $5 if they could. A total lack of respect for Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson.

And they don't even act Looney. The only laughs come from Bugs and Daffy. And it's sporadic and inconsistent. Producer Ivan Reitman (who has no experience and no business with this franchise) managed to convince Bill Murray to appear in this drek (for about 10 minutes) so the trailer could boast an ACTUAL star other than Jordan. Murray's performance is the bare minimum and has a let's-get-this-over-with feel (though Murray working below-par is still miles ahead of many other actors at the top of their game). His appearance in the film is massively oversold.

It's just not fair that THIS is a big hit while Back In Action flopped horribly. I consider it the biggest miscarriage in justice ever. I still blame the marketing for Back in Action. It was bad, REAL bad. But still has some sort of quiet dignity about it when compared to the McDonalds promoted, in your face junk that was Space Jam's marketing. Is it any wonder Joe Dante had Back In Action nicknamed 'The Anti-Space Jam movie'?

And just what the hell is a Space Jam anyway? It's not even set in Space!!!

It took Warner 3 tries but the finally released the movie in its original aspect ratio. The DVD presents the film is 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with pretty active Dolby 5.1 sound. There are loads of features but they are all fluff. Some 80's Looney Tunes shorts are included too.

A funny film
If you're a fan of the Warner Bros. cartoons,basketball,or golf,this film is for you. Basketball great Michael Jordan stars in this half-animated feature. At a basketball game,we see Bugs Bunny,Porky Pig,Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd in the audience. To the best of my recollection,Bill Murray and Danny DeVito have cameos in the golf scene(s). We also see Pepe Le Pew,Wile E. Coyote,Road Runner and Speedy Gonzales in this film. The featured song in this film is R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly",which was on hit parade in the fall of 1996 when this film was released. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

And this ain't no bull
Often mentioned as 'one of the best sports movies ever.' I'm gonna go farther and say one of the finest movies of the past 30 years. Ron Shelton directs from his own screenplay. And that screenplay makes modern poets out of baseball players, clever words consistently spewing from the mouths of wanna be Babe Ruths. At its core, the story focuses on the love triangle involving Annie Savoy (Brilliant Susan Sarandon), Crash Davis (Kevin Costner in an unpretentious performance) and Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins). And minor league ball is the backdrop which allows for grand slam of well executed comedy and just a touch of pathos. Robert Wuhl's assistant coach is so finely tuned, he can bring you to hysterical tears. The ultimate 'chick flick for guys', Bull Durham is filmmaking at its greatest. The DVD has an informative commentary by Director/writer Ron Shelton (Tin Cup).

the carnival that is baseball
Bull Durham is a near-perfect baseball film. Although I feel it lacks some of the wonder of Costner's field of dreams, there are few films that can match Bull Durham's honest, sometimes gritty but always hilarious look into the carnival that surrounds the national pastime.

What particularly special about Bull Durham are the excellent performances given by the lead actors as well as the supporting cast.

Director Ron Shelton couldn't have asked for better performances from his three lead actors. This movie was made back when Costner could still carry a film. He is in the height of his "everyman" powers here. His portrayal of aging minor league slugger Crash Davis is one for the ages. Susan Sarandon smolders yet somehow manages to retain a certain kind of innocence as the groupie-slash-mentor Annie Savoy. Tim Robbins is outstanding as the hotheaded and somewhat mentally challenged rookie pitcher Nuke Laloosh.

The highlights of the supporting cast are Trey Wilson and Robert Wuhl. They play the manager and pitching coach. Wilson is a pure scene stealer in this movie. He provides some of the movie's greatest lines and tenderest moments. Wuhl is the master of the obvious in his cool, almost straight-man delivery.

Bull Durham, like baseball, is about so much more than baseball. Along the way we are invited to think about both the inane and the deeper issues of life. Annie struggles for meaning, Nuke come of age and even Crash's cynical heart softens a bit.

All of the things listed above, as well as the fact that it is a darn good movie earn Bull Durham my hearty recommendation.

Minor League Baseball Masterpiece
Ron Shelton spent some time in the minor leagues represented in his screenplay for Bull Durham, so he knows about the baseball things represented. But he also clearly has a gifted ear for the tempo of real life, and he knows about hopes and desires and the things that make human beings tick. The setting for this film with the minor league Durham Bulls works, and works perfectly, but the characters, especially among the central love triangle, could just as easily have been traveling salesmen or race drivers or con artists or gangsters.

Susan Sarandon plays Annie Savoy, a slightly older woman who is a Durham Bulls groupie of sorts: once a season she picks out a promising young player and begins an affair with them. During that season the promising young player has the year of his life and gets called up to the big leagues, leaving Annie to look for next year's promising young player.

The Bulls also have a million-dollar prospect of a pitcher with a right arm who the gods reached down and turned into a thunderbolt. He also has less control than a seven year old with hyperactive attention deficit disorder without his Ritalin. He's as likely to throw it over the backstop as throw a strike, although his "stuff" is like Nolan Ryan or Randy Johnson. Tim Robbins brings "Nuke" LaLoosh to life in his best comic performance.

Kevin Costner, in the best of his many baseball-movie appearances, plays "Crash" Davis, a power-hitting catcher with enough talent to be a leader on minor league teams, but only 21 days in "The Show" in years of minor league work. Crash is not only a competent minor league catcher though - he also knows the history of the game, and he knows how to get into the heads of players who have mental blocks preventing them from achieving all they can as baseball players.

Crash, meet Nuke. Both of you - meet Annie.

The dialogue is so witty and sparkling that more than a decade after the film's release, it still shows up frequently in discussions about baseball movies and on ESPN. Crash envies Nuke's god-given talent, and by degrees the clueless Nuke begins to appreciate Crash's baseball wisdom. Annie has the hots for both of them, and they for her, and the way this triangle evolves and resolves makes for a very satisfying baseball movie watching experience.

The movie would be worth watching if only for the hilarious little scenes that happen out on the playing field between catcher Costner and pitcher Robbins. Nuke has the million-dollar arm and the ten-cent head. Crash knows his job (and everyone elses as well) like the back of his hand. Whenever Nuke starts trying to think for himself, he quickly gets into trouble, frequently with active assistance from Crash.

Crash "calls" the game - signalling to the pitcher which pitches to throw. When Nuke listens things go well. When Nuke doesn't listen, Crash whispers to the hitter what pitch is coming so that the batter can tee off on the pitch. Then as the batter circles the bases after his home run Crash goes out to the mound to remind Nuke not to try thinking for himself. "Boy, the last thing I saw fly out of here like that had a stewardess and passengers on it!"

Supporting parts are performed to hilarious perfection as well, with particular kudos to Trey Wilson as the manager and Robert Wuhl as a team coach. They have many entertaining scenes, including the one following Nuke's minor-league debut - when he struck out 18..... but also walked 18 - both league records! A must for grown-up baseball fans.

I hate Susan Sarandon
Not one of the best comedies that would be Mr.Adam Sandler are someone this was average at best and she sucks very badly watch other movies this is just alright nothing to special.
Acting 8/10 Story 7/10 Direction 3/10 Action 3/10 Entertained 3
Overall 24/50 A little Predictable 3 stars

A fantastic script in a dated film.
4.5 stars. Time passes, and what was once a sparkling 5-star film in the year 1987, shows its age. However, the script is still spectacular! There is so much quotable dialogue here as to seem ridiculous. But there is also a fine cast of excellent actors who bring the words and characters to life, even though they have eighties haircuts and wardrobe. This is a charming film about baseball, romance, (...) baseball, breathing through you eyelids, and baseball. This is smart filmmaking in every respect. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

This likable 1976 comedy gently skewers the whole post- Rocky mania for movies about losers who find their mettle or salvation or purpose in life in competitive sport. Walter Matthau stars as a drunk who becomes manager of a pathetic little-league baseball team. When he brings in a talented girl pitcher (Tatum O'Neal), the crew have an actual chance at winning some games and maybe a championship. But director Michael Ritchie(Downhill Racer) undercuts the romance of it all with the team's foul-mouthed tendencies and Matthau's own decadent spin on mentor-coachdom. Similarly to Ritchie's wicked comedySmile --which lampooned the fervor surrounding beauty pageants--The Bad News Bears pokes fun at another American institution.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A Matthau Gem... Shall We Say "Diamond?"
The great Walter Matthau (all saggy jowls) plays Buttermaker, an ex-pitcher turned pool cleaner who tools around all day on his jobs in a chop-top station wagon with a cooler of beer in the backseat. A local businessman talks (with money) Buttermaker into coaching a youth-league team of castaways. Seems this is one community that takes its youth league baseball seriously. A little too seriously.

What follows is the familiar plot of a bunch of underdog kids coming together as the "Team Nobody Believed In" and contending for the championship against a team that represents everything that's wrong when parents spoil simple pleasures for their children (the Yankees, coached by Vic Morrow, in a neatly-observed performance). Look, I don't know if "Bears" even did it first, but this movie certainly does it best, and without the labored sentimentality of its progeny.

"Bears" never turns cartoonish. It captures just the right atmosphere- slanting, late afternoon sunlight during the games, the bikes parked behind the dugouts, the post-game chants. The kids, led by Tatum O'Neal and Jackie Earle Haley all perform well, and each has a sharply defined personality. Even Morrow, as Buttermaker's antagonist, isn't portrayed as bad or evil- just a guy with misplaced priorities that make him act like a jerk.

But Matthau makes this movie, conning kids into making martinis for him and cleaning pools while he regales them with increasingly drunken stories of his baseball glory days... until he passes out on the mound in a litter of beer cans. Matthau plays Buttermaker as a modern day loser who discovers (eventually) he still has a better nature.

Bright, smart and funny, "The Bad News Bears" is a joy to watch, full of quick-witted exchanges and even heartbreak. If you've seen one too many "Mighty Ducks" flicks, do yourself a favor and watch this one. It goes down as smooth as one of Buttermaker's ice cold ones on a hot afternoon.

And look for that kid who played Eddie in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" as Morrow's son and the Yankees' star pitcher. He has a ballpark epiphany that's true and heartbreaking. Just another aspect of this marvelous little movie.

Good News for the Bad News Bears
A great movie that hits it mark..unfortunately sprung two terrible sequels. THE BAD NEWS BEARS is a social commentary about when kids are taken out of the sandlot (which is more fun when kids are left to play among themselves) and organized by adults to play little league baseball and the result is chaos. Walter Matthau in one of his signature roles as coach Buttermaker (he even reprised the role in a parody of the film on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, in the now classic and hilarious BAD NEWS BEES sketch). Matthau is hilarious as the drunken, ex-big league ballplayer/pool cleaner hired by one of the parents to coach a bunch of losers in a competetive and elite Los Angeles little league organization. The kids are innocent, but honestly brutal in their depiction. Standout performances from Jackie Earl Haley (BREAKING AWAY)as Kelly Leak, the motorcycle riding punk who is also a great athlete, Chris Barnes as tough little Tanner Boyle (who supposedly takes on the whole seventh grade when he is humilated in the embarrassing first game loss), and of course Tatum O'Neal as the tough girl pitcher whose curve ball breaks 2 feet. All this works on a level of a family movie, but some situations are adult oriented. Watch the film on network television and it is butchered beyond recognition. On DVD and cable, it it way better because you see why some of the situations occur. One example is the scene when pitcher Joey Turner (Brandon Cruz -tv's COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER) throws at the head of batter Engelberg (Gary Lee Cavagnaro) and you'll know why. Actor Vic Morrow continues his string of bad guy roles even in this film as Coach Roy Turner and even the Yankees (a metaphor for elitistism) is used as a name of one of the teams as the arch rival of the Bears. Overall, entertaining and authentic with great casting.

Dear Luper
Dear Luper Ronsogni makes me sick, he cant even pitch nobody thinks we can win, ps I saw a good movie the other night, youd like it. Your friend, tanner boyle

I Loved This Movie!
I remember my mother taking me to see The Bad News Bears when it was playing in movie theaters, I was about 10 1/2 years old and I loved the movie and thought it was a lot of fun to watch and I thought that the cast was great, Tatum O'Neal, Walter Matthau, Vic Morrow, Jackie Earle Haley, etc and when HBO started showing The Bad News Bears I watched it to many times to count. I see some reviewers have complained about bad language but honestly I have heard much worse langague in movies that are being made these days and I still have to highly recommend The Bad News Bears.

Classic, realistic, non-syrupy story of Little League
Don't listen to other reviewers who impose today's political correctness on a movie that came out in 1976. My parents took me to see this film when it came out (I was nine) and it was a good film. It has lessons about winning, losing and sportsmanship. It touches upon characters we all know: the winning coach (played wonderfully by the late Vic Morrow) who values winning above all else - even his own son. A realistic film from the 1970s, reflecting divorced parents, precocious kids, bullies, all of it is in here. Above all, it is a positive statement about self-respect and accomplishment. While Matthau's ways of coaching would probably be protested today (i.e., giving the kids beer after the final game of the season) it was seen as true to his character and one of the funny touches. Some of the material is mature but it may spark some positive conversations in a family. It isn't watered down, squeaky-clean family fare that people expect today, but it does have a good message and is fun. Excellent performances by a great cast, realistic baseball playing (sometimes painful) and great moments. A classic 1970s film that is often overlooked. ... Read more

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As far as ice-skating movies go (or those that prominently feature the cold-bladed sport), this romantic movie is one of the best, thanks to utterly charming performances by underrated actors D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly. The couple play, respectively, a washed-up hockey player and a prima-donna skater who end up in doubles figure skating together at the Winter Olympics. Of course, the mismatched pair fall in love. In between, there's a lot of verbal sparring, talk of toe picks, and surprisingly skillful directing by Paul Michael Glaser (Kazaam, The Air Up There). Direction here is critical--unlike in Flashdance, where the dancing was done in the shadows, face and feet obviously shot separately--and credibly highlights the actors and their professional stand-ins. This is such a fun, sweet story that the facts the film takes liberties with--including the alacrity with which a hockey player takes to Olympic-level figure skating--are easily forgivable. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (117)

One Of My Very Favorite Movies!
I LOVE this movie. It was the first vdeo I ever bought for myself and is one of the sweetest, most romantic, and funniest movies I've seen. DB Sweeney is gorgeous as the loveable, girl chasing,less than brilliant ex-hockey god, and Moira Kelly plays an excellent, evil, spoiled typical rich primadonna figure skater from Connecticut. Techncally, it is hard to believe a hockey player could be transformed into a figure skater, but view it with an open mind and you will fall in love with this movie too!

Entertainment at its finest
Kate Mosley, a tempermental figure skater without a partner, and Doug Dorsey, a former hockey player knocked out of the game after taking a bad shot to the head, team up to become a pair of figure skaters with hopes of going to the olympics. That, in a nut shell is the basic premise behind this movie, but the journey of getting there is the real heart of this movie.

The romance which develops between the two lead characters adds nothing new to the genre and follows the standard formula almost to the letter. The initial hostility they shared towards one another at the beginning, the byplay that develops as they get to know one another, the leading towards romance, the inevitable misunderstanding, and then finally getting together. However, the two leads are both attractive people, and they have a strong onscreen chemistry together which makes their romance seem believable, and a joy to watch.

The figure skating in the movie is highly enjoyable to watch, even for someone like me who isn't into figure skating as a general rule. I do have to wonder whether the finishing move they use at the end of the movie is really possible to pull off though. It might have just been me, but I couldn't see how they could have pulled off enough momentum to really do the move, because it didn't really look like it could have worked to me. However, that's only a minor complaint, and the move did look good, so whether or not it's physically possible isn't only a secondary concern.

So, if you enjoy romance movies, and have some liking for figure skating, I recommend you check this movie out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

LOVABLE COMEDY
The movie was so great for.. it make me inlove specially to KATE(D.B. SWEENEY. She is so beautiful on that movie.. It is the movie that touch me a lot, the soundtracks of a movie and the story. the couple which they fall inlove with each other are mostly common in the movie, but this movie is such thing that u will touch ur heart.. "TOE PICKS".....!

A Disappointment
Having done figure skating for many years of my life, I was looking forward to seeing a movie about the sport, but this one definitely failed to deliver. When it origianlly premiered in the movie theaters back in 1992, I was 12 and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, so about 10 years later I decided to buy it on DVD. That was definitely a mistake! This movie lacks a lot of the sophistication that an adult viewer may appreciate. After seeing it again as an adult I realize how unrealistic, over dramatic and predictable this film is. I mean to start with, how and why did an Olympic level pairs skater become partners with an injured hockey player to begin with? In real life that would obviously never happen. The movie has a few funny moments, however it's very cheezy. Truly a disappointment. If you insist on seeing this movie, I would highly recommend renting it first.

Funny and not too saccharine
This movie has the best of intentions, and I'm glad to see a little grit and sexiness thrown into the mix. There are not many movies on figure skating, or good ones, so I'm glad to have run across this. Some of the verbal exchanges and put-downs will crack you up: 'Why don't you just chuck it all and open up a think tank?' Very funny. And a little something for both sexes. I don't know how the average female feels about D.B. Sweeney, but Moira Kelly definitely gives the guys something to think about. This movie clips along at a brisk pace and while the drift of the plot is pretty conventional, it has a couple surprises and is a pleasure to watch. ... Read more

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Before she became America's sweetheart in Felicity, Keri Russell adopted an Irish brogue and starred as a willowy, wealthy lass with a passion for dancing in this coming-of-age romantic comedy. She's the object of affection for working-class William Ash, a football-loving lad who signs up for classes, hoping to acquire a little of the Latin flair of a Brazilian soccer superstar with moves like Fred Astaire. "We don't run with the ball, we dance," and so does Ash when he falls for snooty class star Russell. Imagine an adolescent mix of Strictly Ballroom and Shall We Dance dropped into 1980s Belfast amid the Troubles, complete with "the big dance contest," romantic complications, and a splashy happy ending.

The charismatic Russell is a fine dancer and shows moxie between icy stares and swoony looks. Unfortunately Ash is never more than a generic, spunky street kid with a heart of gold. Writer-director John Forte injects the working-class edge of British comedies with his off-handed inclusion of political tensions and prickly classist remarks. Nothing too surprising ever complicates the romance as the gritty world melts into an unlikely fairy tale in a silly but rousing climax. The film's not really credible, but Russell's charms and the sheer energy and color of the dancing give it the innocence of an old-fashioned musical amid the tense realities of real life. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A "WOW" Movie
I just finished seeing "Mad About Mambo" on television this morning - this movie was delightful, funny, and overall, an excellent show. I especially enjoyed the scenes where Keri Russell and William Ash were dancing - Keri was elegant and graceful, and William wasn't too shabby either. Overall, this movie was one of the best "Strictly Ballroom" -esque movies that I have ever seen.

"Now THAT girl would like great in chiffon!"
"Mad About Mambo" is a slight but fun film starring Keri Russell and William Ash as Lucy and Danny, two mismatched dance partners in modern day Belfast. Russell is a spoiled princess, Ash is a working class football (or soccer, depending on what side of the pond you're on) player, and together they overcome many obstacles, some of which pretty silly, before finally making their dreams come true.

Russell displays a surprising talent for dancing (and accents), holding herself like a dancer and managing the steps with ease. Ash is not as good; but then, he's not supposed to be. The supporting cast is great, with the standout being Danny's fashion-obsessed best friend. The dance sequences are decent but not stellar, with the real reason to see the film being the sweet portrait of Irish life.

For dance-film lovers, I would say this film is well-below "Strictly Ballroom" but well-above "Save the Last Dance". You may also enjoy it if you like romantic comedies or films about Ireland. Enjoy!

Grade: B/B-

Great movie and music!
I love to watch this movie over and over again. It has great music. I was very sad to find there is no soundtrack to this movie but I have found a couple of the artists names that have songs on this movie if anyone is wondering. One of the songs "One Night" is from The Corrs and another song that is played at the end of the movie is called "Digge Dime" is from Burlap to Cashmere. You can find those songs on CD's here on Amazon. Check them out! Otherwise enjoy watching the movie over and over again like do. Wish they would release this on DVD at some point.

there's no Sound track of this movie??
this is quite amazing movie. really COOL!! not only actors but also the music in this movie!! but i never can find the sound track of this movie! i really want to know all of the music in this movie "Mad about Mambo"!!

If you like soccer....
I'd say this is more of a movie for teens and soccer fans. The plot isnt terrible but what made me like it is the soccer action. "Danny" is definatly a good player and his skills are impressive. So if you like soccer and maybe wanna pick up a few new moves, watch the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (84)

Perhaps the funniest sports comedy of all time
This is simply a hilarious movie about a hockey team fighting for its very survival in Charlestown, West Virginia. The style of hockey portrayed in the movie is Don Cherry-style "Old Time Hockey" - Sweethearts who don't like violence in sports should check out another video.
Although Paul Newman stars, it is the no-name actors (minor league hockey players in real life) who play the Hanson brothers who steal the show.
Life eventually imitated art: A couple of years after this movie came out, the Boston Bruins went into the stands to beat up fans in New York's Madison Square Garden, and, a few years later, the Montreal Canadians and Philadelphia Flyers had a huge brawl before the game even started - just like in this movie.

One of the funniest films ever!
Like USED CARS, this movie is bawdy, rude, over the top, politically incorrect, profane, gratuitous, and loving every minute of it! Newman plays the captain of a bush-league hockey team that's going down the tubes. For most of the players, it's either hockey or an assembly-line job, so Newman decides to bring in the fans with violence. He succeeds, thanks to some brilliant manipulation and a trio of hockey-playing idiot savants (mostly idiot) named the Hanson Brothers. This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. The first scene where the Hanson's get off the bench (heck, EVERY scene with the Hansons) is a classic and will make you laugh until you need surgery! The DVD isn't much better than the VHS, unfortunately, as far as picture quality or features go. There are some alternate language tracks (if you're a big fan of Newman in French), but no director's commentary, etc. SEE THIS MOVIE! Every performance is hilarious and perfectly-cast. George Roy Hill (who also directed Newman in the classics BUTCH CASSIDY and THE STING) seems to just bring out Newman's best no matter what the genre. Also Strother Martin (of COOL HAND LUKE, "failure to communicate") fame, is in this and is totally hilarious!

HAT TRICK.
Many were amazed that SLAP SHOT was written by a woman when it was released in 1977. More amazing was that Nancy Dowd's original screenplay was robbed of an Oscar nomination in 1977. Dowd got the feel of the game and the players as perfect as the paint on the blue lines (her brother Ned Dowd plays the infamous Oggie Ogelthorpe in a nano-second cameo that has reverbs throughout the film). George Roy Hill works his A-list players, Newman, Strother Martin and the now heralded Hanson Brothers, into sports (not just sports films) legends. SLAP SHOT is a winner.

Baldwin needs to be a little more observant!
Um, did you perhaps fail to notice that this is an R rated movie? That usually means that there is a fair amount of coarse language, expletives, violence, nudity, etc. Just what made you think that this was a movie for children? Anyway, it's a great movie and being a *huge* Paul Newman fan, I really enjoyed seeing him in this very amusing comedy role.

Baldwin you are clueless
As a hockey player and hockey coach I can tell you one thing, you are not a hockey dad. This movie is definately one of the most hilarious sports movies ever. Don't even bother with any other hockey movie, except maybe Youngblood, because those other movies, especially Mighty Ducks (puke) is not hockey, flying V my behind (did we forget about offsides?).
The Hanson brothers were everyone's heroes. While we all wished to be Gretzky or Orr, we all wanted to be the Hansons. They are some of the best caricatures of hockey players in the 1970s. Hockey was a brutal, lawless game that while some had skating skills, most had fighting skills. It was fun growing up in the 70's and early 80's playing hockey as a kid. While playing high school and college was not quite like this movie, go see a junior game or a USHL game and this is what you'll see, albeit a bit more toned down.
Mighty Ducks - please. Give me Reg Dunlop, Killer Carlson and the Hansons - which being from Minnesota gives me pleasure seeing some hometown skaters. Enjoy the movie, enjoy the hits and the humor. ... Read more

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Director Robert Aldrich had a knack for depicting outsiders with originality and authenticity. Much like The Dirty Dozen, The Longest Yard is a popular fable about integrity and group unity. It possesses a requisite toughness along with the loneliness that accompanies the outsider status. Compromise is never easy in an Aldrich film. There's always a bitter price to pay.

Burt Reynolds, in peak form, plays a former pro quarterback ostracized for shaving points. After beating up his girlfriend and resisting arrest, Reynolds winds up in prison, where he's taunted by warden Eddie Albert to help his semiprofessional team of guardsmen win a championship. Naturally, the inmates despise Reynolds, and naturally he redeems himself in one of the great movie football matches of all time. --Bill Desowitz ... Read more

Reviews (19)

One of the best sports movie of all time!
What a great movie this is. It has football, comedy, a little drama and great acting all thrown in together. You may have heard of great football rivalries such as Oklahoma-Nebraska, USC-Notre Dame, Auburn-Alabama, Raiders-Broncos-Chiefs, HOWEVER NOTHING comes close as between the Convicts-vs-the Guards at Citrus State Prison.

Burt Reynolds plays Paul "Wrecking" Crue, a one time NFL great who sold out his team mates and trashed his girlfriends car and is now serving time at Citrus State Prison. Eddie Albert portrays the Warden you Love to Hate, and other great actors and NFL Football Players are in the movie. Plus the sexy Bernadette Peters plays the warden's secretary.

The plot is great. From the time Reynolds enters the prison to the last down of the Football game, it is "The Longest Yard". I will not get into the details of the movie. However, you will find yourself laughing, cheering and be a bit sad at a certain point. This is a movie to watch over and over again.

Sometimes I wish they would make a sequel to this great movie, however, I am glad they didn't. Sequels 98% aren't as good as the original and a sequel might spoil what a great movie this is.

Highly recommended!

One of a Kind-Prison Film with a Unique Blend of Comedy.
When a former and Pro Football player named Paul Crewe (Burt Reynolds), who actually steals his girlfriend's car and ended up going to Prison. When a sadistic Warden (Eddie Albert), who ends up, double crossing him to teach, train and play-Football against the Prison Guards. With not much of a Chance, Paul rediscover for the love of the game and his chance to redeem himself.

Directed by Robert Aldrich (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Dirty Dozen, The Killing of Sister George) made a clever funny sport drama film with a different attitude and feel also. Reynolds also shines is his Lead Performance, which seems to be his Best Role ever. This has a likable supporting cast also. James Hampton (Sling Blade, Teen Wolf) is terrific as Reynolds's Prison Buddy. The film's split image and cinematography has dated a bit. The Spirit of the flick is still intact. It's a expectional flick with a heart and soul. Written by Tracy Keenan Wynn (Who also wrote a Remake of British Version of the Longest Yard) from a Story by Albert S. Ruddy (Bad Girls). Grade:A-.

Sonny Shroyer did TOO appear in this movie!
To the second reviewer, Sonny Shroyer, or "Enos" of Dukes of Hazzard fame, was indeed in this movie! And if you really want another piece of trivia, James Hampton, who played Caretaker, served for one episode as Enos' boss on Dukes. Hampton played Sheriff Buster Moon, who subbed for James' Best Rosco character for an episode in the second season.

Shroyer plays "Sonny," who is the retarted player on "Mean Machine." You may remember it is a cheap shot that the guards give "Sonny" that leads Paul Crewe to his decision to re-enter the game.

By the way, this is probably the best football movie ever made. And certainly I would hope it would inspire any of you to attend or support your local minor league football team- and every community has one.

The players who play minor league football come from incredible backgrounds- everything from heroic concentration camp survivors (yes, as recently as last year Steve Moser, an Eastern European immigrant, was playing minor league football as a kicker at the age of 69) to college stars looking for a second chance to out and out thugs who realize now they should have worked harder academically are out there. The sacrifices these players make just to appear in a game are great, as is their expenses.

But who knows? David Dinkins of the NY Giants was playing minor league football just year. The talent can be there.

If you're one of these guys who long for players who play for the love of the game, then no place, not even high school football, can compete with minor league football.

"Semi-pro's a joke"
An ex-football star (Reynolds) gets in a fight with a girlfriend, takes off with her car, dumps it in the lake and gets in an altercation with two cops who try to arrest him in a bar. This ends up getting Paul Crew (Reynolds) some hard time in prison. Eddie Albert is the warden and is very proud of his semi-pro football team, who's players consist of prison guards. He suggests that Crew ("the wrecking Crew") gets a team of prison inmates to play the guards. Crew just wants to "do his time and get out of here". But he may be doing more time than he thought if he refuses to come up with a team to play the guards. Crew puts his team together with some difficulty. He's not worried about winning, just surviving, but this is the prisoners chance to feel equal to the guards, to feel like real men again. They're taking this game very seriously and before it's over, so does Crew. You will recognize many of the actors in this show, all play good supporting roles.

Where is "Saturday Night Special"?
Perhaps Burt Reynolds best movie. However, at least one scene has been cut and some of the original music soundtrack has also been edited or cut. Enough to make me turn to my wife and say...."I think they cut the @&*%ing song!". She looked at me and replied "I think they cut the @&*%ing song!" Aside from the obvious editing faux pas, this is a great football film. Eddie Albert is masterful as the evil warden, and quite frankly steels the show from Reynolds. Try to overlook the fact that the guards are portrayed as "heavies", (because in real life these are the people that put their lives on the line daily), and focus on the football portion of the movie. Great slow motion sequence and action. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

black and white, not technicolor
This movie was not redone in technicolor. The Black and white takes some time to get used to.

ENGAGING LITTLE MUSICAL.
Boxer Victor Mature lands a role in a Broadway play and quickly makes a move on dancer Betty Grable, who is secretly married to another of the actors. John Payne plays the elusive husband, and he isn't content with watching his wife be fawned over. As fate would have it, the play calls for both the lead male characters - as played by Payne and Mature - to get into a rousing brawl...The cinematography by Lee Garmes is striking, but the score is unfortunately a bit lacklustre. The supporting cast is terrific, though: Jane Wyman, James Gleason, Phil Silvers, June Lang and Irving Bacon. The 7 songs include such classics (just kidding!) as ARE YOU KIDDING? - no pun intended - LIVING HIGH & I'M STEPPING OUT WITH A MEMORY TONIGHT. The latter actually made a minor dent on the Hit Parade back in 1942.

Grable is a knockout in musical boxing story
Very authentic backstage feel about this showbiz story of two young chorines, Grable and Jane Wyman, trying to reach the big time. Story concerns show-off boxing champ, Victor Mature who is about to star in his own show on Broadway.Grable gets work as a chorus girl. Mature takes a shine to her, but she is already in love with John Payne. Complicated? A little, but it all works out in the end. This b/w musical was just crying out for Technicolor. And studio head Zanuck vowed, on viewing the rushes, that Grable would only be featured in Technicolor in future, even though it added a third to the production costs. Thus she became the first-ever star to have a "colour clause" in her contract. Great musical numbers with Grable partnered by Hermes Pan. And her solo, 'I Heard the Birdies Sing' in which she boxes with her shadow is - if you'll pardon the expression - a knockout! Trivia note: In one scene, a despondent Grable asks Jane Wyman if she would ever become a star. Consulting the cards, Jane replies: "You have as much chance of that as I have of being first lady." ... which is what Miss Wyman would have become had she stayed married to Ronald Reagan! Phil Silvers is very good in an early comedy role. ... Read more

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Two events force Kate (Jill Clayburgh) to confront the dissatisfactionsof her life: her father's impending wedding and a job offer that would take herfrom Chicago to New York. Her relationship with Homer (Charles Grodin) ispleasant but shallow. When she meets Ben (Michael Douglas) at the wedding'srehearsal dinner--he's her future stepbrother--there's an immediate spark. Theyflirt on the way home, finding themselves in an arcade where they both prove tobe intensely competitive. Their first encounter gets a little prickly, but soonthey find their relationship taking a deeper and more complicated turn. It'sMy Turn would never be made now; too many scenes of people talking, too manyunresolved questions. But the movie's attention to the details of humaninteraction, particularly the negotiations around a sexual encounter, make itrichly rewarding. Douglas gives a strong performance and Clayburgh is superb;it's delightful to rediscover how smart and sexy she could be. There's a generalimpression that dozens of women-centered movies were made in the late 1970s, butin fact movies that explore life from a woman's point of view are rare. Moreimpressive, though, It's My Turn was written and directed by women, andthe male characters are as fully developed and multidimensional as the women.It's a small movie--it covers a weekend in Kate's life and no tumultuousdecisions are made--but within that short span, a lot of life takes place.--Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A rating of MDA: Mawkish, Dopey, and Awful
The whole film, "It's my Turn", from beginning to end, is jive.

The characters portrayed in this film seem about as real as the two-dimensional cardboard likenesses of film stars that one might see in the lobby of a theatre. In contrast, Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie do a better job of appealing to greater intellect and provide more entertainment value, for sure.

The whole concept behind the movie is laughable. It's full of campy 70's feminist rhetoric, and about as deep as Barbie and Ken. Not much to think about here.

The dialogue sounds more like a set of mindless jokes. Did people really talk like that back in 1979?

Charles Grodin and Mike Douglas portray a couple of Archie and Jughead-types on the make. Jill Clayburg's performance is particularly laughable as a seventies version of everywoman who struggles with the mundane problems of life in Chicago and New York. A meaningless sub plot: Her father fails to comply with her beatific ideas of perfection!

I saw this film at the local cineplex over twenty years ago, and since then, I've never forgotten my feelings upon the conclusion of the film: I had just wasted two hours of my life on this piece of drivel.

At the time, I seriously considered breaking into the projection room, and taking the film from the projector outside to the parking lot, where I could then pour gasoline over it and burn it!

Watching this film was a truly hateful experience.

Surprisingly good
This is an engaging, thoughtful, funny film. Jill Clayburgh seems at ease with being ill-at-ease and it's fun to watch her struggle as the Michael Douglas character enters her life. Douglas, as usual, adds his own brand of male energy as the baseball star whose injuries have forced his retirement. Also, Charles Grodin is wonderful as the rejected lover.

A very sweet film
Jill Clayburgh is this film. It has a wonderful clamness to it and you can sit down and really enjoy watching it. Michael Douglas is great as the love interest. Those who are Yankee fans will love the shots of Yankee Stadium. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very Pleasant , Light Football Comedy!!
Fred MacMurray stars as Football Coach dealing with the trials and tribulations of both football and family life also co-starring Maureen O'Hara and Jim Backus.It's a very pleasant,light football comedy that's well worth watching!! ... Read more

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A baseball comedy and slob comedy rolled into one, this one actually works as entertainment, if not as a piece of cinematic mastery. James Gammon is the has-been manager hired to lead the last-place Cleveland Indians whose owner wants them to lose so she can sell them. But the team of has-beens and never-wases that he assembles (including Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, and Wesley Snipes) develops a sense of pride and turns the team around. There's plenty of rowdy humor about sex, race, and whatever else they can make fun of. Look for Rene Russo (in her first film role) as Berenger's romantic interest; Snipes also had his first showy role as Willie Mays Hayes, the team's base-stealing ace. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (45)

My favorite movie!
It's not a deep drama and it won't make you ask you any tough questions of yourself, but Major League is pure entertainment from beginning to end. As such, it's my all-time favorite movie. It's easy to invest in the story (a Cleveland team made up of spare parts tries to overcome their owner's plot to move the franchise) even if it's been dated by the Indians' '90s success. The comedy doesn't pull any punches but still stays pretty tasteful, and I still find it laugh-out-loud funny even after 30+ viewings. The comedy is equal parts outstanding writing by David S. Ward and brilliant characterizations by the actors. James Gammon is dead-on as grizzled manager Lou Brown and Tom Berenger is actually sympathetic as journeyman catcher Jake Taylor. Dennis Haysbert and Corbin Bernsen give great performances, and Charlie Sheen is inimitable as Wild Thing Vaughn. I think any baseball fan will enjoy this movie, but fans of good comedy will probably like it, too.

The DVD has no special features (what else do you expect from Paramount?), but the picture and sound are good.

Movie: 6/5
DVD: 4/5
Overall: 5/5

Major Fun
No, you're not going to walk away from this movie thinking about how to achieve world peace or end poverty, but you will be walking away with a smile. MAJOR LEAGUE is a lighthearted, entertaining film that also happens to be hysterically funny. Throw the great sport of baseball into the mix and MAJOR LEAGUE is a win/win for those who love the game and those who just want to have a good laugh.

There's nothing complicated about the plot. When an aggressive femme fatale (Margaret Whitton) inherits the Cleveland Indians from her late husband, her plan is to put together a team so bad it will lose its fan base and allow her to relocate. And so a band of misfits is put together: washed-up players, inexperienced players, headcases. Of course, predictably, her plan goes awry, but it's still good fun watching the antics of the Indians as they misfire and then come together over a long, long season.

Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Rene Russo, Corbin Bernsen, and Wesley Snipes headline a great cast. Bob Uecker is absolutely hysterical. My favorite character is manager Lou Brown (James Gammon) who delivers the film's funniest line, but one I dare not repeat here (it would never get past the editors)! Grab a hot dog and a beer, pull up a chair, and let MAJOR LEAGUE put a wide grin on your face.

Just a fun movie and I'm in it
This is more a nostalgia note than a review, but most of this movie was filmed over one summer in Milwaukee (maybe Cleveland wasn't blue-collar enough). All the baseball action scenes were filmed in County Stadium, which is now a big parking lot for Miller Park. The crew invited locals to the filming at the Stadium and other locations about town, so it has a lot of local flavor. I went to the filming of the big finale to be part of the "rabid" crowd so I'm in this move, kind of. It's fun to see Uecker do his stuff, and Pete Vukovich, a former Brewer pitcher, is perfect as Heywood, the Yankee nemesis.

People from out of town said County Stadium was a dog of a ballyard, but look for the scene when Berenger sneaks onto the field at night alone and pretends to hit one out. It sure looks pretty, and I miss it.

Cinema's gift to shower singing
Its always amazing to me how people take movies like this so seriously that they think their "astute" observations about plot predictability pass for intelligent bashing. It's a simple movie and it deserves a simple review.

As far as baseball comedies go, this is by far the best ever.

As far as baseball movies go, this is near the top of the list.

As far as Charlie Sheen appearances go, this was his one shot at Oscar gold.

As far as opening songs go, this is the best one of all time, in any movie about any city or any sport or anything.

There's a red moon rising
On the Cuyahoga River
Rolling into Cleveland to the lake (x2)

There's an oil barge winding
Down the Cuyahoga River
Rolling into Cleveland to the lake (x2)

Cleveland, city of light, city of magic
Cleveland, city of light, you're calling me
Cleveland, even now I can remember
'Cause the Cuyahoga River
Goes smokin' through my dreams

Burn on, big river, burn on
Burn on, big river, burn on

Now the Lord can make you tumble
The Lord can make you turn
The Lord can make you overflow
And the Lord can make you burn

Burn on, big river, burn on
Burn on, big river, burn on

Life Imititates Art
Years after this movie's release the Oakland A's defeat