Reviews (213)

2 thumbs down
I found John Hughes' 1985 movie The Breakfast Club to be an extremely generalized, heavy handed, piece of trite filmmaking that may or may not have been relevant to teenagers fifteen years ago, but is certainly nowhere near on target now.
Obviously it was by design that his five main characters were one-dimensional character sketches of so-called 'traditional' high school stereotypes. You have Andy the jock (Emilio Estevez), Claire the princess (Molly Ringwald, a John Hughes staple), Bender the criminal (Judd Nelson), Brian the nerd (Anthony Michael Hall), and Allison the basket case (Ally Sheedy). In my opinion, for Hughes to insinuate that these five people come from completely different backgrounds and had absolutely no contact with each other or anyone else from their particular 'type' during school is just plain silly. For example, it is quite likely that Claire and Andy, being popular people, would know each other, or at least that princesses and jocks would interact on a regular basis. Same thing goes for Bender and Allison as social outcasts. Only Brian, being the brain, would logically be shunned by all other classes.
For another thing, these categories have little relevance today because in today's modern society, and indeed this has always been true, teens simply cannot be categorized and labeled, even by their peers, in this manner. I myself saw elements of my personality in every one of the characters, and neither I nor anyone I know would fit neatly into these stereotypes.
The last thing I'm going to gripe about in this review is, logically enough, the ending. For a film that tried so hard to be edgy, the denouement was awfully hackneyed and predictable. Four out of the five characters hook up at the end? Gosh, I never saw that coming! Also, the treatment of Allison was laughable. This girl has serious psychological issues that have been with her all her life, but all she needs is a little makeup, a nice dress, and a clean-cut boyfriend to set her to rights? I don't think so, pal. Willful suspension of disbelief is all fine and good, but to trivialize Allison's pain and emotional trauma in this manner is irresponsible and does a disservice to those young people who do identify with her character. I think that's enough bashing for this film; while it had its moments, it certainly is by no means the 'classic' that it is reputed to be.

One for the ages
This movie is a classic and it will stand the test of time. This is the second "teen coming of age" installment from John Hues, and round 2 for Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall. The first installment, Sixteen Candles, was more of a sexual coming of age movie whereas The Breakfast Club is more of a coming of age for one's character and social awareness. Where they are "teetering" with; do they stay with the social allegiances of their perspective pack, or do they listen to that inner voice...the voice of reason, maturity and human compassion that's not bound to any "click". I also like the choice of actors here; I think they all fit like pieces in a puzzle and make their characters totally believable. I am in the same age range as almost the entire cast and I was a senior in High school when this film came out. Allot of reviews seem to put this film within the Junior High crowd but I feel it's much more mature than that. The very message that it's trying to get across isn't understood in real life until we get close to 18 or so. The story is simple; 5 kids have to come into school on a Saturday for detention. At first they try to segregate themselves according to their school social standings. Inevitably they find out that they are more alike than they ever thought. The movie, in my eyes, is broken into 3 parts; the first part is pure character development. This is where you (the viewer) get to know each person they way they are supposed to be seen with their everyday face. At first, they act the way they think they should act, and stand up for what they always had, with out question or defiance. They stay true to their cause never steering away for a second. The second part of the film is where the movie itself develops. These 5 separate entities realize that they are variations of the same person. They have the same desires and anguishes. Their pressures and stresses are the same even though it's generated from very different sources.
The jock (Emilio Estevez) has the pressure to be on top of his sport (wrestling). In return for this he gets attention from his dad, coaches and keeps his standing within his social group. This is his priority in life and he doesn't stray.
The Princess (Molly Ringwald) has to conform and obey the rules of her social group in order to be accepted and keep her standing within the group. She keeps her eyes closed; mouth shut and goes along for the ride.
The Metal Head/criminal (Judd Nelson) is an angry guy! He wears the physical and mental scars of growing up in an abusive house. He hates most people, like the ones Emilio and Molly play, because in his eyes, they have had a free ticket and earned nothing...things are handed to them because of their social and/or economical standings. On the other hand, he feels that he's on a whole other plain because his eyes have been beaten open and he was forced to grow up a little faster than he wanted too or was ready too. I feel that Judd Nelson's character is the most crucial to the movie. He is the key to this whole new self-awareness for everyone, including himself.
The nerd (Anthony Michael Hall) is the quintessential geek. His every woken moment is spent learning. He hides behind his grades and in fact, he wants to be more accepted by the "cooler" groups. He also is a little "cocky" about his better grades and academically superiority to the other people in the room.
The weirdo (Ally Sheedy) is a loner and an outcast. She doesn't have friends that we (the viewers) know of. Because her parents ignore her, She feels ugly and without a place in the world. She is starving for positive attention. I think her character was needed in this movie to balance off the cast. It would have left out a very critical part of teen angst!
Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason) is the "Villain" of the movie. To the kids, he represents the out of touch older generation and the mean spirited, high testosterone adult. For Richard Vernon, these kids are the source of his anger and agony. He has lost touch with the younger generation for 1 reason, he got older...and the older you get, the harder it is to relate to youth. Youth recycles right before your eyes, but you keep getting older. His character is the key that releases these kids. He helps them to strip away the blindfolds and to take a fresh look at every thing and everyone (including themselves).

This leads to the 3rd and final part of the movie. Where they cleanse themselves of all the pentad up anger and prejudices. When the kids realize that they all have the same goal, they were just taking different roads to reach it. I highly recommend The Breakfast Club and it should go down as one of the all time great teenage movie!

A little time - a little perspective
I first saw this movie at a cinema in Austin in March, 1985. Just a year out of high school, I thought this was a deep, moving motion picture with a quality cast that really showed the feelings of different groups of students in schools. I could relate to the characters.

Move forward more than 19 years. This movie has not aged well. I read on the IMDB that John Hughes wrote this script in two days. After watching this movie again, I find that very easy to believe. It is horrible! - and this coming from a man who loves all things 80's! Was Judd Nelson about 35 when he made that movie? He looks about 20 years older than Anthony Michael Hall. Unbelievable characters and dialogue. Then they tie it up nice and neat at the end - with 2 unlikely couples pairing off leading us to believe there's no social caste in high schools.

With the small cast and lack of location shots, I'm amazed that I've never read about some high school drama club doing a stage production of this disaster. In any case, I've got a Breakfast Club DVD I'll never watch again - I'll post it used "New & Used" above.

Still relevant after all these years
Some question the durability of "The Breakfast Club," saying that the themes and plotlines do not hold up in today's teen society. As a 15-year-old, I would like to say that that is thoroughly untrue. 19 years after its release, "The Breakfast Club" is still a truthful, relateable account of teenagers and their personalities, and the ways in which they interact with each other. Sure, the stereotypes of the characters may be a bit exaggerated -- but that's necessary in order to get the point across. Watching this movie, I feel as if I know these people, or at least I've run across them at one point in my high school career.

The plot, as most people know, involves five different kids being assigned Saturday detention together. Each kid represents a typical high school stereotype -- a princess (Molly Ringwald), a jock (Emilio Estevez), a brain (Anthony Michael Hall), a basket case (the excellent Ally Sheedy), and a criminal (Judd Nelson). At the beginning of the day, none of them know each other, except for the princess and the jock. Throughout the day, they learn more about each other and work at tearing down the stereotypes that pit them against each other. As for the reviewer who said this isn't realistic that they would open up so much to each other -- it absolutely is. Put five kids into a room without an adult for nine hours, and they will talk about anything.

The beauty of this movie is the depth of the characters beyond the stereotypes -- particularly the nerd, Brian, who as we find out in the movie has problems well beyond what people think of him. He is the one that I most relate to in the movie. Watch "The Breakfast Club," and see who you most relate to. It's a great experience. Beyond the social commentary aspect, it's also just a funny movie. The jokes come at breakneck speed, especially for the first half of the movie (before it gets somewhat serious). The actors are also very enjoyable in their roles, particularly Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall. Highly recommended.

Must have to any collection.
The quintessential John Hughes film. I remember in my English class my junior year (1987) we had to analyze this movie. Only 2 years after it's release it was had all the qualities needed for a class analysis. I will spare you the report that I did back then.

Since then I have watched this movie at least once a year (and contrary to popular believe it is not for the panty shot). The characters are very well done. There is something that anyone who went through high school can relate to, even if we fit more than just one character. The interactions between the teens towards each other and then towards the principal as a group is classic. It's got love, teen angst, popular kids, geeks, dweebs, outcasts and the ever popular kid that doesn't fit in but always tries to get the attention. Nothing like dumping out your bag for people to go through to get attention.

Of course you can't forget the star cast of strong 80's actors, Emilio Estevez (Andrew 'Andy') Anthony Michael Hall (Brian) Judd Nelson (John Bender) Molly Ringwald (Claire) Ally Sheedy (Allison) and Paul Gleason (Principal). Great acting, John's look at teenagers and a great script all make for a very enjoyable look at the interactions and 'attitude' typical of the high school years.

I truly could go on about this movie but I won't. I'll just say that this is a much have for any movie buff and if you haven't seen it you must. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

Best of the 'Brat Pack' Movies
"St. Elmo's Fire" is my favorite 'Brat Pack' movie. With an all-star cast, how can you go wrong? First you have Rob Lowe who is simply gorgeous as Billy, a guy who can't decide what he's going to do after graduating college. He plays the sax (quite well I might add) for fun and sometimes for money.

Then you have Julie (Demi Moore in a wonderful performance), who is very high-strung after learning about her father's marriage to another woman. Her life is basically like kettle with hot water that is about to boil. She's happy then she's sad, then she's manic...She's everything! But she does a wonderful job.

I loved seeing Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy together. After seeing "The Breakfast Club," I never thought I'd see them as a couple. They are cute together and the scenes they share are fun to watch.

Emilio Estevez's performance was just as wonderful as the others. He falls in love with a doctor (Andie McDowell) who is already involved with someone else, but he's determined to make things go his way. It doesn't work, but watching him try to make it work is just as much fun.

Andrew McCarthy is a lot of fun to watch. Everyone thinks he's gay because he doesn't have a girlfriend and doesn't date very much. It's a typical stereotype, but I got over that. The end of the movie proves that he is not gay. Mare Winningham gives a stunning performance as a girl who comes from a very wealthy family. She loves Billy but her father wants her to marry a successful businessman. Since she is 'daddy's girl,' she doesn't want to disappoint him.

Overall, this movie is just fun to watch and listening to the director's commentary is great. You get to learn about all these things that went on behind the scenes and what roles the actors were originally up for.

Boring Brat Pack Feature
1985's St. Elmo's Fire is the film that created the Brat Pack. The film is about yuppie angst instead of the usual teen angst depicted in like kind films of the era. The seven stars, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Mare Winningham and Judd Nelson are all appealing, but the film suffers from an overall malaise. All seven are friends from Georgetown University and they trying to cope with the problems facing them in the real world. There is a lot of unrequited love between several of the friends, drug use and emotional baggage. Mr. Lowe's character is supposed to the one character that, instead of getting to the wrong marriage or job, just follows his dreams. His speech to Ms. Moore, who is on the verge of a serious mental breakdown or worse, in which he lights hair spray on fire is truly cringe worthy. Overall, St. Elmo's Fire is more of a cultural document, showing what yuppie life was like in the mid-80's and the state of the young and upcoming stars of Hollywood at the time. It also features the famed number one theme song by one-hit wonder John Parr.

Talk about your loads of crap!
Like most others who grew up on the Brat Pack flicks, I couldn't wait for the next one. I loved the earlier flicks that had not only great writing and warm stories to tell, but characters you cared about and situations that we could ALL relate to, at least to some point. Pick your flick - 16 Candles, Breakfast Club - they had at least SOMETHING everyone could relate to. Not "St. Elmos's Fire." Talk about taking a red hot cast of actors and doing absolutely nothing with them. This movie wasted so much talent and threw unlikeable, pretentious morons at us with some of the corniest dialogue I have ever seen. There is not ONE likeable character in this movie. Rob Lowe's character is a moron - not in the directionless sense the movie tries to protray him sympathetically, but in everything he does throughout the film, particularly his acting. I actually laughed at the night club scene when Lowe and his band perform. His "sizzlin" sax performance with his band is one of the most contrived, directionless displays of music in movie history - ranks right up there with the final play scene in Travolta's pathetic sequal to "Saturday Night Fever" ("Staying Alive"). Even the extras in that bar scene are terrible actors who not only have no clue how to dance or even react to that "song" (I guess it was a song), but the scene's climax where Lowe and his wife embrace passionately to the adoring masses is contrived, soap opera worthy material. DeMI Moore... don't get me started on her character. And Ally Sheedy (a fave of mine up till this flick), Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy and all the rest of these stooges' over act so much they make Carrot Top seem like Orson Welles or Marlon Brando. Even the bit role players are hammy and cliched - the artistic gay neighbor of Moore's, the wealthy Japanese business man who for some reason trusts just out of college puds with his expensive pad. And the final scene when the gang all seems to come to grips with the reality of their situations while sending Lowe off is as corny as one of the epilogues from the "Charlies Angels" TV show in the 70s. It's sad when recent movies about the 80s seem more authentic than one like this that was made IN the 80s. The only thing I credit this movie with is instilling in me an insatiable appetite for Andie Mc Dowell, who I absolutely love to this day and give most of her movies at least a peak (though a lot of those come up short as well). I suppose I should a acknowledge the hypnotic theme song from the Soundtrack, which I'll admit is appealing, if only for the real life memories of the 80s it brings back. This movie was a lame attempt at using the Brat Pack we grew up with and trying to parallel their lives with where their legions of the fans who grew up loving them were now with their own lives. And in that it fails miserably. This movie is self indulgent and over the top, full of obtrusive characters. One thing I will admit - this is one of those movies that is so bad, you can't help but watch in when it comes on. Again, I thinks it's the way the theme song hooks you. Frankly, this movie sucks.

Brat Pack, here we come
The Real World of cinema I call this. Definitely influential to MTV starting that series. Seven best friends recently graduate from Georgetown Univ. Trying to find their way in life for the future. They all hang out at St. Elmos bar in downtown Washington DC. The characters are somewhat stereotyped the conservative, the artsy journalist, the rebel badboy, the party girl, the niave virgin etc... But that's true to life in a way we all can be put into some category sorry to say. They all have their own set of problems to deal with but end up helping each other out in their own way. Defining 80's coming of age film about relationships & hardships of facing an uncertain future after college. Entertaining script written by Joel Schumacher & an ensemble cast showcasing talent to come. One of my favorite brat pack films. Essential to anyone who grew up in 80's cinema.

Not one likeable character!
All right, let's take 'em one by one:

Emilio Estevez as Kirby: Obsessed with and stalking an older woman, who finally is forced to sic her fiance on his pathetic punk a**.

Judd Nelson as Alec: Pathologically cheats on his live-in girlfriend, then pressures her to marry him because he thinks marriage is the magic pill that will make him stop cheating. When she refuses, he beats her up.

Rob Lowe as Billy: Tortures us with his gratuitous sax-playing.

Andrew McCarthy as Kevin: Thinks that wearing sunglasses at night and chain-smoking makes him a cool existentialist instead of a dateless poseur. Consumed by lustful thoughts about his best friend's girlfriend.

Ally Sheedy as Leslie: Living with Judd Nelson. Need I say more?

Mare Winningham as Wendy: Passive doormat who is shocked and horrified to find, upon becoming a social worker, that not all welfare recipients are noble, misunderstood living saints.

Demi Moore as Jules: Parties with Arabs, maxes out her credit cards and barricades herself in her fabulous-yet-bare (the furniture's been repossessed) loft apartment, finally attempting suicide by opening all the windows and letting her floor-length curtains blow oh-so-artfully about in the cold winter wind as she rocks back and forth on the floor.

Now tell me...are these people you want to spend 110 minutes of your life with? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Some pundits called it a flawed, exploitative action film that glamorized drug dealing and the luxury of a lucrative criminal lifestyle, spawning a trend of films that attracted youth gangs and provoked violence in theaters. Others hailed it as a breakthrough movie that depicted drug dealers as ruthless, corrupt, and evil, leading dead-end lives that no rational youth would want to emulate. However you interpret it, New Jack City is still one of the first and best films of the 1990s to crack open the underworld of cocaine and peer inside with its eyes wide open.It's also the film that established Wesley Snipes as an actor to watch, with enough charisma to bring an insidious quality of seduction to his role as coke-lord Nino Brown, and enough intelligence to portray a character deluded by his own sense of indestructible power. Director Mario Van Peebles stretched his otherwise-limited talent to bring vivid authenticity and urgency to this crime story, and subplots involving a pair of tenacious cops (Ice-T, Judd Nelson) and a recovering coke addict (Chris Rock) provide additional dramatic tension. Although some critics may hesitate to admit it, New Jack City deserves mention in any serious discussion about African American filmmakers and influential films. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Violent movie, but worth watching
Great performances by Wesley Snipes as Nino Brown, drug lord, and Chris Rock as Pookie the crackhead...Ice-T wasn't very convincing to me as a cop, but I still liked the film. It had its humorous moments...plus some disturbingly violent ones as well. It put me in the mind of "Good Fellas", another crime-themed movie that is hard not to watch. The ending was somewhat predictable but all around worth checking out.

This move isnt nearly as great as people make it out to be..
I love hood movies and as far as acting, writing, characters and sheer believeability go, this movie ranks way below films such as Boyz n the Hood, Juice, Clockers, ect.

Besides Ice T's (Scotty) and Snipes (Nino), all the other characters seemed so false. Even though those are the two main characters, if all your other characters arent believeable, the whole movie falls apart. The chief of police is like someone out of a cartoon. Chris Rock (Pookie) isnt funny and does his part no justice. Mario Van Peebles is a joke

Apparently a drug syndicate is able to take over and entire apartment building in NYC...for years!! Its amazing isnt it. They can ride up in a drop top jeep and shoot people point blank in the head in broad daylight and not get caught. The story is just so hard to swallow.

Also the cinematography is really sub par. There is no artistry in any of the shots even in the dialogue. It also seems like the entire movie moves too fast for the events that are supposedly taking place. There are no subtle nuances at all in this film. I would say dont waste your time, the movie isnt really exciting at all, the performances are boring as is the plot. Go watch Juice.

Are you your brutha's keepa??
Fool, this film be the bomb, and I don't mean it bombed. Few movies touch me, but in New Jack City, the message was loud and clear, 'Keep it real and don't get caught'. Nino Brown had it all, and I mean he ruled the school. The problem was he got greedy. He makes deals with undercover cops, he wants to take down the mob, and his gang is falling apart. Plus he drops a decent looking ho for a real skanky looking ho.

It funny to see the size of cell phones back then, but the hair styles were pretty ridiculous too. Ice T is no Slash, but he can wear a top hat in the rain just as easily. Judd Nelson has a race problem in this movie, He can't tell the difference between himself, a white cop, and Pookie, a black crackhead. He finally settle the matter buy proclaiming he is 'Poor White Trash Pookie'.

In the end though, the message is clear. "If you've lost everything, you might as well cut loose and run. You never know, the libraian you shot may have a son coming to take you down." Or another moral of the story is "Avoid crazy old men on the stairs when you leave the courtroom."

Good movie
I know some people did not like this movie, but I loved it. The film had me hating some characters and loving others. Ice-T played his role well in this film. The scene that still gets me to this day is when he gets Pookie from that crack house. The other scene is when he is with the drug lord, and finds out HE is the man responsible for his mothers death. That scene was deep. The film has a good cast, Mario Van Peebles, Wesley Snipes, Bill Nunn, Allen Payne, Vanessa Williams, Micheal Michaels and some other folks. The film really hipped you to how bad the drug scene is in the inner city.

this is a good movie.
I like the pace at which the story in this movie was told. It's not blazing fast so you pick up on all the little things. The acting from all is done very well. Ice Tee is a beliable cop, I appericated how he wasn't shown as some perfect cop, but he wasn't bad either. He was human, which added to the realism. Westly Snipes delivers a stunning performance as Nino Brown. I think everyone should watch this movie and Sugar Hill back to back. Westly is great in both, and it's amazing how oppisite the drug king pin character he plays really are in those 2 movies. New Jack City is gritty and real. And much like Scarface, you'll be left with a feeling of just how crazy life can be. ... Read more

Reviews (66)

A must see (relatively) unknown movie
I saw this movie while I was in college and could totally relate...and it rates as one of my all time favorites. This is a guy movie, but most of the girls I know who have seen it like it as well. The soundtrack (although as far as I know, never been released) is awesome and fits the movie perfect. If you like the Pat Metheny songs in the movie, then definitely get the Pat Metheny and Lyle May's CD "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls". It includes 'September 15th' (parts of which are in the movie) and 'It's For You' (song during wedding). The Blind Faith track 'Finding My Home' helps complete one of the best endings of any movie. I enjoy telling people this is one of my favorite movies and getting a reply of, "Never heard of it" ah...perfect....keeps it a hidden treasure.

Seen it 20 times
This is it. The first real introduction to Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, Sam Robards, Suzi Amis, Elizabeth Daly, and of course the writer and director Kevin Reynolds. Although Costner and Reynolds didn't always see eye-to-eye on the rest of their collaborations, this one is the best. It is also my favorite movie period. Three particular scenes will leave your stomach hurting from laughter, they are: 'out of gas on the side of a dirt road', 'snake crawling up my pants leg', and 'skydiving with a stoner'. The last one has been rewound and played so many times on my copy that it was ruined during the last viewing. The story is a typical coming of age movie, but how can you have anything to write about in the plains of west Texas. You have to see it to understand and you will not be disappointed. Remember, 3 of Costner's best movies were filmed in 1985 (Fandango, Silverado, and American Flyers).

My Favorite
I have only one thing to say and that is this movie is my favorite. I've read all that true fans have to say about this movie and they all it home. I just have one thing to add, I have a VHS copy of this movie that I hardly EVER play or watch. Reason, it's reserved for SPECIAL OCCASIONS and die hard fans know what I mean. I wish to GOD that a DVD would come out of this movie. My wife had a hard time finding a copy of FANDANDO on VHS and I don't want to ruin my copy by playing it over and over again. If your from Texas you'll understand, the first time I saw this film was on AMC late at night drinking a cold SHINIR. I tell aeverone I know about this movie, to bad they can't rent it any more.

Please, the forces that be, release this CLASIC as a DVD, PLEASE!!!
Rusty

ONE FOR YOUR LIBRARY!
The makers of this movie owe ME money for the times I've been in a video store and said to friends looking for something to rent, "Have you ever seen Fandango? It's classic---you MUST have it!"
To say it is a 'coming of age movie' or a 'road trip movie' is kinda like saying, The Wizard of Oz is a 'homesick movie.' Fandango mixes hilarity with poignance seamlessly. The soundtrack is awesome and perfect, the capturing of Texas college boys making a road trip over the border. the dusty little towns using local folks, the conversations, Truman,......well, every last mooning bit of it is startlingly authenic to watch---ESPECIALLY for any of us graduating in the early 70's from UT or a Texas university in central or west Texas. I just can't imagine what it would be like to watch this without that lucky perspective. There are probably scores of Texan viewers who have seen this and said, "Oh my gosh, this is about US!" and for 'US' the nostalgia is thick.
My ONLY criticism would be an occasional attempt at a Texas accent not quite hitting the mark....(the majority of accents were fine, but when one is even a little off, a Texan can hear it as loud as a train wreck, and for just that blink it wavers the authenticity of the film. These were tiny in comparison to some) However, for me, the true test of a great movie is being able to view it countless times and STILL discover yet another facet to a character, see or hear something new, and never lose the "I-always-laugh-at-this" "I-always-cry-right here" moments. Fandango is like that. You rediscover it any time you see it. While appearing to be a tiny movie that slid past most, it is loaded with subtle dimension and truly a treasure. And if you are one of those who has said, "Oh yeah, I think I saw that once on cable" you need to try again, because you haven't really SEEN it....you would have remembered better than that!
Bravo Kevin Reynolds, bravo whoever put together that soundtrack---and the filming/editing was beautiful and smart. Kevin Costner's best movie hands down......I'll bet that if you ASKED Kevin Costner, he would not only say the same, but confess that Gardner Barnes WAS Kevin Costner at that time in his life.
DVD? Come on distributors---you're losing money here. We all want it, and buying the VHS version for graduation presents is getting pretty silly---VCRs are disappearing!

When will this be released on DVD?
Spectacular film! Complete disaster that they have not released this film on DVD. Does anyone know when it might be? ... Read more

Reviews (426)

Fans Only. Others Need Not Apply
Title: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Director: Kevin Smith

Cast: Jason Mewes ... Jay
Kevin Smith ... Silent Bob
Ben Affleck ... Holden McNeil/Himself
Jeff Anderson ... Randal Graves
Brian O'Halloran ... Dante Hicks
Shannon Elizabeth ... Justice
Eliza Dushku ... Sissy
Ali Larter ... Chrissy
Jennifer Schwalbach Smith ... Missy
Will Ferrell ... Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly
Jason Lee ... Brodie Bruce/Banky Edwards

Tagline: "Hollywood had it coming."

Plot Summary: Jay and Silent Bob must travel to Hollywood to stop production on the movie adaptation of Bluntman and Chronic.

Review and Comments: Don't ask why, just sit back and enjoy the ride. Or don't enjoy it. This movie is one huge "in joke" for people who enjoyed the movies Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma...particularly the first three. And it helps if you have a working knowledge of Hollywood inside jokes and United States Popular Culture. This isn't just a "Jay and Silent Bob" movie, it's a send-up of movies and filming in general.

Basically, what happened here was that Kevin Smith decided to make one long movie about the characters of Jay and Silent Bob, the annoying stoner and his usually silent sidekick that will be familiar to fans (and anti-fans) of Smith's films. If you've watched the movies and you know that the characters annoy you, it's a safe bet that this movie will annoy you even more. If you think the movie might be fun, watch it. Jay and Silent Bob aren't alone here. There's a long list of actors reprising their various roles from earlier Smith films, and they appear at different points throughout the journey.

Oh yeah...the journey...there is a story here, however slight. There's a movie being made about the Bluntman and Chronic comic. Jay and Silent Bob find out that people on the internet are bad mouthing the movie and the characters, so they travel to Hollywood to stop production on the movie before it can ruin their reputations. Or something like that. Along the way, they meet up with various side characters, including a group of girls traveling in a van fulfilling virtually every Charlie's Angel's joke you ever dreamed of. Jay falls in love with one of the girls. She loves him. There's an orangutan involved...

Listen. If you've read this far, you know what kind of movie it is. It's not pretending to be good (in fact, there's a running joke about just how bad this movie actually is that continues throughout the actual movie). It's one joke after another, a lot of them miss, but there's enough jokes to ensure that some of them will be funny. After watching several serious movies and immersing myself in Kevin Smith films for the past few weeks, I appreciated this movie. What else can I say?

The Bottom Line: Strictly for those who are fans of the characters.

The Tackier they get, the funnier they can be
I loved Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. From the actual DVD, to the outtakes and deleted scenes on the second disk. Our not so bright heros learn of a movie being based off of the comic book Bluntman and Chronic, and are talked into going after their cut of the royalties. With cameo performances by Jason Lee as both his prior characters Banky (Chasing Amy), and Brodie (Mallrats), Ben Affleck as Holden (Chasing Amy), Brian O'Halloran (Dante/Clerks), Jeff Anderson (Randall/Clerks), Mark Hamill as the 'movie villain' & of course, our overly reprised heros Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith).

The story is the trials and tribulations the dynamic duo go through to prevent the Bluntman and Chronic movie from being made due to reviews at a random internet site by people who are self styled movie critics. During the course of the film they duo are duped into breaking into an animal testing lab and stealing an orangutang, falling in love, going across country, and ultimately leading to redemptions.

If you're a Kevin Smith fan, you'll enjoy the comedy in the movie as it's run of the mill Kevin Smith humor, and of course his shots at general pop culture, along with influences of his in filmmaking are always a good reason to watch it.

An insult to Smith fans everywhere.
Prior to this movie, I was a huge Kevin Smith fan. I loved the pseudo-intellectual banter in "Clerks," and discovered a new religion in "Dogma" (no, not Catholicism). Then, this piece of trash came out, where Smith unabashedly mocks every loyal fan that's ever quoted Dante, frequented the Quick Stop, or glued a Buddy Christ figurine to their dashboard. I was so disappointed, I posted an inflammatory note on his website (www.viewaskew.com). I suggest you do the same.

1 of the greatest movies of all time... no joke!!
This is an awsome film where two best buddies Jay(Jason Mewes), and Silent Bob(Kevin Smith, who also wrote and directed this film), two stoners from jersey half to stop a film, that is based on the charictars they are in a comic book/tv show. They need to stop it because... there not making 1 penny on it. They get arrested, get in dangerous situations and its all just a fun and good movie. Unless you are sensitive, then dont watch this film because Jay says the f word 3 times in a sentance, and it has sexual humor that some may not like, but if you dont care about the content of the film (like me) and are just out there for good laughs get this and the film CLERKS.

worst movie ever
I was so dissapointed by this film. I am a big Kevin Smith fan - Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma all are great films but THIS MOVIE SUCKS! A half hearted effort at best, only retarded adolecents will find this movie engaging. Save your money for his other films - they merit your time. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Another great movie from Cloud Ten
Plot Summary: when a station that is searching for signs of intelligent life gets a signal, the owner of the facility, an engineer, a reporter, and a "new age" minister go to investigate. They find the site abandoned and signs of a violent struggle. Then, Colonel Garrett (Louis Gossett Jr.) shows up and demands a piece of the action. It is up to them to determine what happened and figure out what to do with the signal.

Random thought #1: Our new age minister, Reverend Fletcher (Jefferson Mappin), portrays a stereotypical "new ager". He "witnesses" to computer nerd Jack Jones (Judd Nelson) about the importance of accepting a "higher power" into his life. He has an interesting mix of theology. Once, he even refers to God as "he or she".

Random thought #2: Smitty Turner (Michelle Nolden) is the manager of the search project. She is a saved Christian. It is clear from the movie that she does not believe in intelligent life on other planets. I am rather curious why she chose this particular career path.

Random thought #3: Like most "sci fi" movies that take place in the present day, this movie seems to have been created by people with little understanding of computers. The computers were able to display a visual representation of the signal and were able to pipe it through headphones, but couldn't save it? Sorry .... but this just doesn't make sense.

Random thought #4: Why is it that Cloud Ten is convinced that psychic abilities will be present in the end times? Apocalypse III and IV both featured it and in this movie, there is a mysterious Lieutenant Vasquez (Ramona Milano) who is able to move things with her mind. I think there will be some people disappointed if, after the rapture, millions of people don't suddenly start bending spoons with their minds. ;)

Random thought #5: This movie is not particularly an "end times" work. There is a Bible verse at the very end from 2 Timothy 3, but this is the only mention of the end times. This movie does not take place during the tribulation. It does, however, feature a "WNN" network, as seen in the Apocalypse series.

Recommendation: I enjoyed this movie. It is certainly a good one to have in your library. It is also probably a good for witnessing to unsaved friends or family members who are into the occult or new age.

Christian sci-fi? You better believe it!!
Cloud Ten pictures try their hand at Sci-fi with "Deceived" and they don't do a bad job of it. It stars Judd Nelson, Louis Gossett Jnr and others.

A group of experts are called in to investigate a message of unknown origin thought to eminate from space. The writers give us an interesting and thought provoking story as well as making it quite thrilling.

SPOILER ALERT!! Compare it if you will to the movie "Contact" where "aliens" make contact with us. The question asked here is how do we know where these messages really come from and what happens if the "aliens" are in fact evil spirits.

All in all, an interesting film with good performances by it's lead actors. Watch this if you are interested in aliens and the like and if you like to think.

Thanks.

Totally Confusing
This movie is totally mixed-up and very confusing! It is supposed to have a Christian message with sci-fi included, but it sends very mixed messages. Hel-lo! This is supposed to be a Christian movie, but it includes witchcraft when the Lieutenant makes things happen because of her powers. That is not Christianity in any way, sort, or form. Plus, it is an insult to people in the military. Military members are supposed to help the community, not hurt the community! I find it creepy-very creepy. I felt something weird come over me in this movie. I also felt very defiled after I had watched it. However, I do appreciate that it expresses how God has power over satan (his name should not be capitalized.) This is the worst movie that I have seen Cloud Ten Pictures produce. However, Left Behind the Movie and Left Behind the Movie II: Tribulation Force and The Miracle of the Cards are great movies that are a must-see.

Poorly Done
Mixing themes is hard. This movie misses the mark entirely by trying to be the sort of "Christian Sci-Fi" fobbed off on the masses that one sees far too often lately, like the godawful Omega Code or Left Behind. In a word, garbage of the worst sort with horrible acting, writing, and directing - at least it is a triple threat of sorts. :)

Wonderful acting, intriguing characters, but convoluted plot
Gifted actors offered us interesting characters and thought-provoking dialogue. However, the story itself attempted to do too much. The effort to blend science fiction with the notion that E.T. may be a malevolent--even spiritual force proved difficult. The approach was subtle, yet some of the dialogue came accross as canned, or even thinly veiled speech-making. Additionally, the producers attempted to "plant" so many little spiritual messages, that the final product was a bit disjointed.

The bottom-line is that much talent went into this film, but it became more complicated than compelling. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Judd Rocks!
This was the film that proved Judd Nelson could really stand on his own. During the brat pack films he always seemed to dissolve in the background but From the Hip forces you to pay attention to Judd's comedic charm. Judd plays a lawyer a little over his head and too starved for attention. He illegally wins his first case only to turn around and find the hardest case of his life, a major murder. The first half of the film is straight comedy but the second turns dramatic and dark as John Hurt ( the film's murder suspect ) brings us into his disturbing world of being impotent and the fact that he may have killed a young woman. Judd shines in this like only he can and if there is one film any Judd Nelson fan should see at least once, it is From The Hip. I highly recommend it so enjoy!

surprizing twists and turns
This movie entranced me on the first viewing. You see, it begins with young,cocky lawyers trying to get ahead. Two of them work at a highly reguarded law-firm. In a trail that to say the least is comical we are led down a path thinking the movie will be light and funny. Suddenly, with the second trial the viewer is thrust deep into a murder trial! The defendent is a quirky, wierd scary type who seems smarter than the young lawers but also crazy at the same time. the movie gets more and more serious as we find out the killer is trying to force people to his will. The young lawyer is caught between a rock and a hard place. IF he gets the creep off he knows a killer got away with it. If he lets the truth come out he could lose his carreer. The swing of emotions from the comic trial to the serious ending is about a dramatic as any movie I have ever seen. I still havent had another film drag me to laughter and then fear. Highly recommened.

Where'd the 80s go?
David E. Kelley's magical scripting in Ally McBeal was predated by this early Judd Nelson star vehicle, somewhat fresh off his "Breakfast Club" fame. While it's completely preposterous that any lawyers would be able to bark at judges and defendants alike, you can't deny this is an entertaining movie.

It's a bit talky at times, and the ending is somewhat anti-climactic, but it's got a few things going for it; the script, a decent mix of comedy and drama, and John Hurt as the ambiguous Douglas Benoit--his best role since his turn as "Caligula" of "I, Claudius" fame.

Funniest Legal Film and John Hurt's most disturbing role
This is an odd film. It contains some of the most funny moments a courtroom has ever seen ("a hearing to decide the admissability of the word 'ass'? I love it!") combined with one of the most distrubing psycho portrayls I've seen. John Hurt is magnificently unnerving in his acting, while Judd manages to carry some of the most memorable courtroom antics ever. And I didn't even mention the DA's dildo....

The Reason I Went to Law School
This movie is the reason I went to law school. (No kidding, and I'm sure it influenced others my age to do the same but they'd never admit it). It's idealism, glory and sarcasm...and the movie is not too bad either. John Hurt probably should have recieved an Oscar nomination. - Liam ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Empty Headed Mis-fire.
Remember those innocuously awful Disney comedies of the 70's? That's what this mis-fire feels like even though you won't for a moment think it's a Disney film. A struggling group of friends who dream of being rock musicians hold a radio station hostage in order to get their demo-tape played.

It's kind of a Dog Day Afternoon meets Bill and Ted. They have an interesting premise and a cast that tries hard to be energetic and funny but the situations the writers invent quickly become like a bad situation comedy. The characters are all unrealistically dumb and there are very few funny lines. Worse it's all utterly predictable and lacks any kind of sharp satire or edges. It's not without some laughs thanks in large part to Michael McKean and Joe Mantegna but the comedy is often downright desperately unfunny at times. Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler , Michael Richards , Judd Nelson and Chris Farley play one note characters that wear out whatever welcome you are kind enough to give them way before the film is over. And it's one of those films that believes if it was funny the first time it will be funnier the second and third time.

There's a few laughs, but too few to waste your time on.

I'm wanna be a rockstar, but...on my own terms!
Finally I have my other favorite Rock and Roll comedy (the other being Spinal Tap, of course)! This movie is hilarious and depicts its characters, music genre, and attitudes in a hilarious but realistic way. Brendan Frasier, Steve Buscemi, and Adam Sandler are Chaz, Rex, and Pip aka "The Lone Rangers" (you can pluralize that?). Anyway they get fed up with never getting any airtime for their song "Degenerated", so they take the KPPX "Rebel Radio" station hostage with plastic uzis filled with hot sauce. I won't give away the rest but hilarity definitely ensues! The three stars are surrounded by hilarious co-stars like Chris Farley ("improvise"), Michael McKean (You can't smoke in here, babe.), Allen Covert (the guy in every Sandler movie!), Judd Nelson (we're making records), Ernie Hudson (a giant plastic baby bottle?), Joe Mantegna (Ian the Shark), Reg E. Cathey (Marcus with the wah wah pedal and afro!), Amy Locane (What the heck happened to my make-up?!), Nina Siemaszko (I like your hair), David Arquette (yall are like woo-hoo and ...), Michael Richards (I don't even have a home, I have a condo), Harold Ramis (Wrong, Lemmy is God!), Lemmy (Editor of the school magazine), Beavis & Butthead (voice only, ...)and others I may have missed!

The DVD is exceptional: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1), Theatrical Trailer, Featurette (made up of clips and fake news coverage), TV Spots, Music Videos for "Born to Raise Hell" by Motorhead (featuring ICE T & Whitfield Crane) and "Feed the Gods" by White Zombie (also performed at a night club in the movie! so Bonus!), 19 Chapter selections, English and French Audio, and English and Spanish subtitles, not to mention a disc with the three AIRHEADS pictured on it! Highly recommended, especially for fans of the cast and pretty much anybody who liked Spinal Tap! Even better than naked pictures of Bea Arthur (I'm just assuming here)!

Clearing something up...
I really enjoyed the review written about Airheads which happens to be one of my favorite movies. But I just wanted to clear something up. In the review it says Sandler (Pip) is the Lone Rangers' bassist and Buscemi (Rex) is the drummer. It's the other way around. Rex plays bass and Pip plays drums. I dunno if someone else already noticed this but I just wanted to point it out anyways.

how can u pluralize 'lone ranger'?!
i still remember the first time i saw this movie, it was a regular boring saturday afternoon, and i had nothing to do so i decided to see if FOX was running a saturday afternoon movie, after all, thats how i saw 'Predator', 'Aliens', and 'Terminator 2' for the first time. anyways, i saw that this movie was called 'Airheads' and i thought to myself "what a stupid title" but then i acknowledged the likes of brendan fraser and adam sandler so then decided to watch it. and im glad that i did. this movie is hella funny! its my favorite comedy ever! and on top of that, its entertaining especially to fans of rock music. adam sandler is at the top of his game in this one. the chemistry between fraser, buscemi, and sandler is hilarious! my fav scene is the one when they make pip(sandler) go outside when the cop is standing out there, pure comedy genious. most of the movie i find myself laughing out loud, even when i watch it alone. so if u get the chance, i strongly recommend u get this movie, steal it from a friend if you have to. laterz

Born to raise hell
AIRHEADS is a funny comedy about an aspiring rock band called "The Lone Rangers" (not actually pluralized, isn't it?) who unwittingingly hold a radio station hostage with... get this, water guns! The band "just wants to play their demo". Theyre' pretty dumb huh? Anyway the film does please the audience with a funny cast including Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, an early up and comer Adam Sandler, Chris Farley and "Spinal Tap" star Michael McKean. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It makes sorrowful sense that a 1999 revision (albeit unofficial) ofJohnHughes's The Breakfast Club would involve guns on a high schoolcampus, a children's crusade fought on the Internet, a handful of adolescentsimprisoned by their fight-or-flight reputations in the inner city, and... ohyes, Judd Nelson. Nelson, who played the heavy-metal lout from a violent homein The Breakfast Club, shows up here as a hip history instructor namedKnowles, so committed to his students in deplorable classroom circumstances that he leads them to friendlier digs off-campus and is suspended for hisefforts.

Already outraged about an earlier run-in with a high-strung security guard(Forest Whitaker)--who later pulls a gun on the most harmless kid atschool--young Lester (Usher Raymond) wounds the guard, leads a takeover ofthe building, and oversees authorship of an online manifesto explaining his actions. While supporters, detractors, and cops jockey for position outside,Lester and his fellow rebels, a perfect mix of teenage archetypes whonormally would have little to do with one another, unburden their souls. TheHughes Effect kicks in as Lester reveals that his decent father was killed byracist cops, that a Sal Mineo-type (Robert Richards) is beaten at home, thata pregnant girl (Sara Gilbert) wasn't even kissed by the creep she sleptwith, etc. Writer-director Craig Bolotin, unlike Hughes, can't persuade us tooverlook the convenient symmetries and complementary struggles among hisoutcasts. Everything begins to feel forced after awhile, heading toward aprefabricated finish, though Bolotin's good intentions are not without some emotional impact. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A good movie with a good message
Inner city schools usually aren't the nicest places in the world. But the condition here is terrible. The windows are broken, only half the students have books, and the teachers literary don't give a damn about the kids. The conditions are so terrible that when the only decent teacher gets fired and a student is attacked by a school cop it pushes six students over the edge. They take an ingured cop hostage and demand things that should be standared in schools, like books and windows. The problem is the people in the city aren't to keen on giving them what they want.

In my opinion this movie was great and it really opened up peoples eyes to poor conditions in schools and other serious issues like child abuse drugs and teen pregnency. I loved it myself. My only complaint is with the cussing. I realize that people swear a lot but I was watchign this thing with my parents!

One of the best movies ever!
Wow,I am in awe of this genious movie.I guess it's kinda controversial(they take a cop hostage and lock themselves in the school to prove their points) but that only adds to the brilliance of it.I thought Usher was just a talentless teen idol but this movie changed my mind about him.He really is amazing as an actor.It was also a nice suprise to see my favorite actress Sara Gilbert appear in it.As always,she is superb.This movie speaks a lot of truth.Its also full of hope.Hope that maybe someday people will understand that age is just a number.Maybe they'll realize that racism gets us nowhere.THAT'S what this movie is all about.As one of the characters said,"All we want is respect!".Thats what its all about.Standing up for your beliefs.I highly reccomend this fabulous movie to anyone.It changed my life.

not good
the acting was good and it started off kind of interesting, but it turned out to suck. this is the kind of movie where the cops have a bad habit of shooting innocent people and stupid kids who take a wounded cop hostage get a happy ending and are actually good kids and victums of racism or our capitalist system. also, the climax was way too melodramatic.

Wonderful Movie
I love this movie, it is a wonderful story acted out very well. Usher did a good job acting, and if he had a lead role in another movie, i would buy it right away also.

Review for Light It Up
I have watched hundreds of videos and read thousands of books, but this movie was special. I usually read or see something and then forget about it, but this movie was something that hits the heart like nothing else. Even though I cried at the ending (and who wouldn't) and no I'm not telling you what happens, I was enthralled. The story is so realistic it's frightening. It's about life in the ghetto, both in the classroom and on the streets. This could really happen and I'm glad that someone had the guts to open the rest of America's eyes at what is going on. Anyone who has not seen this needs to. It is definitely a good buy. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

most ghost ship movies stink!!!!!! THIS ONES PRETTY GOOD!!!!
before i saw this movie my opinion on ghost ship movies was lower than the low!!! i mean the actual movie named "GHOSTSHIP" was the best i had seen yet and that had a couple of good murder scenes but that was it the rest of it just flat out STUNK!!!!!!BUT!! this one(LOST VOYAGE) was a little unique it took off in many different directions to confuse you wich made for some good spooky/unsettled/goosepimpley scenes (kind of like"THE SHINNING")IT HAS SOME FLAWS BUT NOT ENOUGH TO RUIN IT!!!!!JUDD NELSON WAS GOOD!! everyone else did a decent acting job. at the end of the movie you may not completely understand what just happened but sometimes thats exactly what movies are supposed to do (CONFUSE YOU/ MAKE YOU FEEL UNSETTLED!!!!!)ANYWAY THIS MOVIE IS THE BEST GHOST SHIP MOVIE THAT IVE EVER SEEN(strait to video/tv or not!!)its more creative then any big budget crap like "GHOSTSHIP"./ TRUE HORROR SPOOK FANS WILL ENJOY "LOST VOYAGE" GO GET IT!!!!!!!!!

Voyage of unrealized potential
There's just something about ghost ship movies that I cannot resist, so when I spotted Lost Voyage, I had to watch it. The fact that the movie is a straight-to-video/DVD release I had never heard of before made no difference. Judd Nelson was a familiar name from the 1980s, and the presence of Lance Henriksen from TV's Millennium series seemed to bode well. It's quite an interesting movie, not necessarily in a good way. There are a few moments of decent suspense, and the acting really isn't all that bad, yet the movie seemed to pose questions it never intended to answer, and the special effects are just plain weird.

As the movie opens, we see the beginning and ignominious end of the final voyage of the cruise ship Corona Queen in 1972; somewhere in the vicinity of the Bermuda Triangle, the ship disappeared into an unexplained atmospheric phenomenon. No sign of the ship was ever found ' until now. After more than twenty-five years, the ship has suddenly been spotted by a fishing vessel off the coast of Bermuda. This news is particularly interesting for Aaron Brown (Judd Nelson), whose father and step-mother were among the passengers of the ill-fated cruise. He has obsessively studied the Bermuda Triangle ever since, and now he finds himself one of the first human beings to set foot on the mysterious ship in over a quarter of a century. With him are Dana Elway (Janet Gunn), the star of a paranormal based news show, and her crew, alongside a trio of salvage men led by David Shaw (Henriksen). They discover the ship to be in remarkably good condition, but no sign of crew or passengers is to be found. As you might expect, bad things start happening that try to be creepy but never really are, and the dwindling number of individuals on board find themselves in danger of heading back into whatever claimed the ship way back in 1972.

The visions that some of the characters see on board the ship supposedly represent their biggest fears or most disturbing memories, but they don't really play that well. We are treated to numerous flashbacks and mysterious new visitations by Aaron's long-dead father, but none of these personal stories seems at all important in the end. I do have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Scarlet Chorvat as the younger reporter scheming to take Dana Elway's job, and her storyline actually seemed to make a little bit of sense. The really weird thing about Lost Voyage, though, is its special effects. Things aren't really that bad until the closing scenes of the movie, when CGI animation suddenly runs amuck. Many of the climactic scenes look like the kinds of animation you would see in a computer or gaming console game; in a game, they would be impressive, but in a movie they are quite disappointingly fake; I can't recall ever seeing another movie wherein the animation suddenly took on such a peculiar look.

The real source of weakness in the movie, though, is the plot. Too many story elements are introduced for no apparent reason, almost nothing about the fate of the ghost liner is revealed, and the end of the movie is quite disappointing. To make matters worse, the two epilogue sequences make very little sense to me and only serve to reinforce the failed opportunities that seem to define Lost Voyage. Despite all of these problems, though, I cannot say I actually hated the film. It had enough potential to keep me interested, but a lot of that potential was wasted in the end.

DTV horror flick loses itself...
"Lost Voyage" spends so much time building up the audience that when we finally get the payoff, we're underwhelmed. Done by the folks at UFO and City Heat Productions, this film is sort of like "Event Horizon" in the ocean. However, it lacks the visceral scares and weird gore effects that "Horizon" so effortlessly pulled off. A cruise ship goes missing in the late 70s in the Burmuda Triangle and suddenly reappears present day. Judd Nelson and Lance Henrikson are among the people who get to investigate it. What ensues are a few minor scares, but mostly some confusing camera angles that suggests the director got squeamish and backed off on the gore. Big mistake. Instead, the movie is only mildly scary and the characters too undeveloped to care for. Rent it only if you're having a B-movie marathon.

Ghost Ship without the writing, acting, or special effects
What a horrible movie. No redeeming value whatsoever. This movie is what happens when all of the budget goes to CGI special effects (and they ain't that great) and none is spent on writing or editing.

Lost Voyage should stay lost
If I hadn't rented this movie myself, I would have thought I was watching a late-night, made-for-TV movie on USA Network. The main characters are all played by has-been TV actors, none of whom really did much to enhance their parts. Maybe it was just the terrible dialogue. Judd Nelson had better lines in "Suddenly Susan", which says something about how terrible this movie was. Normally, I would have said that 90 minutes was not long enough to develop the plot and let the audience get to know the characters, but in this case, I just kept looking at the clock to see how much sleep I was losing.
For a movie about a ship, you'd think they'd actually have real shots of a ship. Instead, it appears that they took footage from a video game. Even the helicopter that transported the characters to the ship was fake. And the scene inside the Chinook helicopter was very inaccurate. There is no way the characters could have heard each other over the roar of 2 rotor engines. They should have had headphones on. And the special effects of the Bermuda triangle and the ghosts in the final scene were not gripping at all. In fact, there was no suspense in this movie.
It is easy to see why this movie went straight to video. Save your money and go see "Ghost Ship" instead. Oh, by the way, there are no special features on the DVD and if you want captions, the only choice is Spanish. ... Read more

Reviews (213)

2 thumbs down
I found John Hughes' 1985 movie The Breakfast Club to be an extremely generalized, heavy handed, piece of trite filmmaking that may or may not have been relevant to teenagers fifteen years ago, but is certainly nowhere near on target now.
Obviously it was by design that his five main characters were one-dimensional character sketches of so-called 'traditional' high school stereotypes. You have Andy the jock (Emilio Estevez), Claire the princess (Molly Ringwald, a John Hughes staple), Bender the criminal (Judd Nelson), Brian the nerd (Anthony Michael Hall), and Allison the basket case (Ally Sheedy). In my opinion, for Hughes to insinuate that these five people come from completely different backgrounds and had absolutely no contact with each other or anyone else from their particular 'type' during school is just plain silly. For example, it is quite likely that Claire and Andy, being popular people, would know each other, or at least that princesses and jocks would interact on a regular basis. Same thing goes for Bender and Allison as social outcasts. Only Brian, being the brain, would logically be shunned by all other classes.
For another thing, these categories have little relevance today because in today's modern society, and indeed this has always been true, teens simply cannot be categorized and labeled, even by their peers, in this manner. I myself saw elements of my personality in every one of the characters, and neither I nor anyone I know would fit neatly into these stereotypes.
The last thing I'm going to gripe about in this review is, logically enough, the ending. For a film that tried so hard to be edgy, the denouement was awfully hackneyed and predictable. Four out of the five characters hook up at the end? Gosh, I never saw that coming! Also, the treatment of Allison was laughable. This girl has serious psychological issues that have been with her all her life, but all she needs is a little makeup, a nice dress, and a clean-cut boyfriend to set her to rights? I don't think so, pal. Willful suspension of disbelief is all fine and good, but to trivialize Allison's pain and emotional trauma in this manner is irresponsible and does a disservice to those young people who do identify with her character. I think that's enough bashing for this film; while it had its moments, it certainly is by no means the 'classic' that it is reputed to be.

One for the ages
This movie is a classic and it will stand the test of time. This is the second "teen coming of age" installment from John Hues, and round 2 for Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall. The first installment, Sixteen Candles, was more of a sexual coming of age movie whereas The Breakfast Club is more of a coming of age for one's character and social awareness. Where they are "teetering" with; do they stay with the social allegiances of their perspective pack, or do they listen to that inner voice...the voice of reason, maturity and human compassion that's not bound to any "click". I also like the choice of actors here; I think they all fit like pieces in a puzzle and make their characters totally believable. I am in the same age range as almost the entire cast and I was a senior in High school when this film came out. Allot of reviews seem to put this film within the Junior High crowd but I feel it's much more mature than that. The very message that it's trying to get across isn't understood in real life until we get close to 18 or so. The story is simple; 5 kids have to come into school on a Saturday for detention. At first they try to segregate themselves according to their school social standings. Inevitably they find out that they are more alike than they ever thought. The movie, in my eyes, is broken into 3 parts; the first part is pure character development. This is where you (the viewer) get to know each person they way they are supposed to be seen with their everyday face. At first, they act the way they think they should act, and stand up for what they always had, with out question or defiance. They stay true to their cause never steering away for a second. The second part of the film is where the movie itself develops. These 5 separate entities realize that they are variations of the same person. They have the same desires and anguishes. Their pressures and stresses are the same even though it's generated from very different sources.
The jock (Emilio Estevez) has the pressure to be on top of his sport (wrestling). In return for this he gets attention from his dad, coaches and keeps his standing within his social group. This is his priority in life and he doesn't stray.
The Princess (Molly Ringwald) has to conform and obey the rules of her social group in order to be accepted and keep her standing within the group. She keeps her eyes closed; mouth shut and goes along for the ride.
The Metal Head/criminal (Judd Nelson) is an angry guy! He wears the physical and mental scars of growing up in an abusive house. He hates most people, like the ones Emilio and Molly play, because in his eyes, they have had a free ticket and earned nothing...things are handed to them because of their social and/or economical standings. On the other hand, he feels that he's on a whole other plain because his eyes have been beaten open and he was forced to grow up a little faster than he wanted too or was ready too. I feel that Judd Nelson's character is the most crucial to the movie. He is the key to this whole new self-awareness for everyone, including himself.
The nerd (Anthony Michael Hall) is the quintessential geek. His every woken moment is spent learning. He hides behind his grades and in fact, he wants to be more accepted by the "cooler" groups. He also is a little "cocky" about his better grades and academically superiority to the other people in the room.
The weirdo (Ally Sheedy) is a loner and an outcast. She doesn't have friends that we (the viewers) know of. Because her parents ignore her, She feels ugly and without a place in the world. She is starving for positive attention. I think her character was needed in this movie to balance off the cast. It would have left out a very critical part of teen angst!
Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason) is the "Villain" of the movie. To the kids, he represents the out of touch older generation and the mean spirited, high testosterone adult. For Richard Vernon, these kids are the source of his anger and agony. He has lost touch with the younger generation for 1 reason, he got older...and the older you get, the harder it is to relate to youth. Youth recycles right before your eyes, but you keep getting older. His character is the key that releases these kids. He helps them to strip away the blindfolds and to take a fresh look at every thing and everyone (including themselves).

This leads to the 3rd and final part of the movie. Where they cleanse themselves of all the pentad up anger and prejudices. When the kids realize that they all have the same goal, they were just taking different roads to reach it. I highly recommend The Breakfast Club and it should go down as one of the all time great teenage movie!

A little time - a little perspective
I first saw this movie at a cinema in Austin in March, 1985. Just a year out of high school, I thought this was a deep, moving motion picture with a quality cast that really showed the feelings of different groups of students in schools. I could relate to the characters.

Move forward more than 19 years. This movie has not aged well. I read on the IMDB that John Hughes wrote this script in two days. After watching this movie again, I find that very easy to believe. It is horrible! - and this coming from a man who loves all things 80's! Was Judd Nelson about 35 when he made that movie? He looks about 20 years older than Anthony Michael Hall. Unbelievable characters and dialogue. Then they tie it up nice and neat at the end - with 2 unlikely couples pairing off leading us to believe there's no social caste in high schools.

With the small cast and lack of location shots, I'm amazed that I've never read about some high school drama club doing a stage production of this disaster. In any case, I've got a Breakfast Club DVD I'll never watch again - I'll post it used "New & Used" above.

Still relevant after all these years
Some question the durability of "The Breakfast Club," saying that the themes and plotlines do not hold up in today's teen society. As a 15-year-old, I would like to say that that is thoroughly untrue. 19 years after its release, "The Breakfast Club" is still a truthful, relateable account of teenagers and their personalities, and the ways in which they interact with each other. Sure, the stereotypes of the characters may be a bit exaggerated -- but that's necessary in order to get the point across. Watching this movie, I feel as if I know these people, or at least I've run across them at one point in my high school career.

The plot, as most people know, involves five different kids being assigned Saturday detention together. Each kid represents a typical high school stereotype -- a princess (Molly Ringwald), a jock (Emilio Estevez), a brain (Anthony Michael Hall), a basket case (the excellent Ally Sheedy), and a criminal (Judd Nelson). At the beginning of the day, none of them know each other, except for the princess and the jock. Throughout the day, they learn more about each other and work at tearing down the stereotypes that pit them against each other. As for the reviewer who said this isn't realistic that they would open up so much to each other -- it absolutely is. Put five kids into a room without an adult for nine hours, and they will talk about anything.

The beauty of this movie is the depth of the characters beyond the stereotypes -- particularly the nerd, Brian, who as we find out in the movie has problems well beyond what people think of him. He is the one that I most relate to in the movie. Watch "The Breakfast Club," and see who you most relate to. It's a great experience. Beyond the social commentary aspect, it's also just a funny movie. The jokes come at breakneck speed, especially for the first half of the movie (before it gets somewhat serious). The actors are also very enjoyable in their roles, particularly Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall. Highly recommended.

Must have to any collection.
The quintessential John Hughes film. I remember in my English class my junior year (1987) we had to analyze this movie. Only 2 years after it's release it was had all the qualities needed for a class analysis. I will spare you the report that I did back then.

Since then I have watched this movie at least once a year (and contrary to popular believe it is not for the panty shot). The characters are very well done. There is something that anyone who went through high school can relate to, even if we fit more than just one character. The interactions between the teens towards each other and then towards the principal as a group is classic. It's got love, teen angst, popular kids, geeks, dweebs, outcasts and the ever popular kid that doesn't fit in but always tries to get the attention. Nothing like dumping out your bag for people to go through to get attention.

Of course you can't forget the star cast of strong 80's actors, Emilio Estevez (Andrew 'Andy') Anthony Michael Hall (Brian) Judd Nelson (John Bender) Molly Ringwald (Claire) Ally Sheedy (Allison) and Paul Gleason (Principal). Great acting, John's look at teenagers and a great script all make for a very enjoyable look at the interactions and 'attitude' typical of the high school years.

I truly could go on about this movie but I won't. I'll just say that this is a much have for any movie buff and if you haven't seen it you must. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Not that bad
This movie was ok. The acting was a little off in parts, thats what bothered me. And, all the killings are off screen, so it's a little weak. It also gets a little boring and ridiculously unbeleivable.

dark asylum, but not that dark
one of the reviewers said not be able to sleep if you watch it alone? hahaha umm ok. i got the movie cause i figured it would have some suspenseful parts but there was none really to say the least, maybe a couple of small ones but nothin big. was a very predictable movie for the most part it seemed like but it was also pretty entertaining and fun to watch for the most part. think larry drake played the bad guy and he did a pretty good job of playing the mental patient, good acting all around for a half decent storyline. all in all it is worth checking out.

This was a great movie
This was an awesome movie. I rented it with a couple friends one night and we got blazed and watched this. It was a really freaky movie. Just thought I'd let you know that you should buy it.

A RARE GEM OF A THRILLER!!!
All I can say is... wow, this was a real find. I am a huge thriller fan and this movie has it all!!! If you liked Seven, Silence of the Lambs, and Halloween, then you will love DARK ASYLUM. The directing was solid, the acting was right on, and the pace was non-stop. This is a must-rent and a must-have for your video collection. I rented this movie with a new girlfriend and she was practically sitting in my lap within ten minutes!!! BE BUT WARNED: DON'T WATCH THIS MOVIE ALONE - YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SLEEP!!!

dont waste your time!!!
At first apperarance this move seemed pretty cool, psychological thriller, deranged killer, mental hospital. But what actually transpired was pure low budget, poorly acted, contrived drivel! The plot was so predictable (ever hear of plot twists guys? thats what most psycho thrillers have!) As for the deranged killer, i thought i was watching one of those old Frankenstein monster movies from the 40's! all this guy need was the bolts in the neck! Lets not even talk about quality of acting, even for a 'B' movie
Dont waste your time buy Memento instead ... Read more