Reviews (29)

...a bachelor party! With chicks, and guns, and firetrucks
"Let's have a bachelor party! With chicks, and guns,
and fire trucks, and hookers, and drugs, and boose!" This is one of the myriad of unforgettable quotes from, in my opinion, the best comedy ever made. To be fair, I should say it's tied for Number 1 with Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I was 14 when this movie came on the Movie Channel. Many people don't know that Tom Hanks really got his start in comedy and the tv show Bosom Buddies. The characters in this movie will live forever. Even a young Tawny Kittaen, from Whitesnake videos, is in this movie.

You'll never forget the one liners-I still use some today. "Where's the grooom?" "He's in the bedroooom." And, "Is that a foot-long?" "And then some." Buy this NOW!

Chicks and Guns and Firetrucks and Hookers !!
Man they sure don't make comedies like this anymore. This was when Tom Hanks was at the top of his game and not some bigshot Hollywood sellout actor. This flick has all you need in a movie, strippers, hookers, a donkey, a school bus crashing into a movie theatre, fist fights, drunkeness, a guy shooting a crossbow, a naked dude falling out of a hotel window, drug usage, attempted suicide, car theft, a pimp from India, a Lesbian scene, Tawny Katean (pre implants), a woman that pees standing up and not to mention one hell'uva a big Bachelor party. Buy this movie or "Milt will come for you !"

Lame rip-off comes up for air
This also-ran 80's sex comedy is getting trotted out again simply because Tom Hanks is in it.

Don't waste your time -- the National Lampoon's franchise did it earlier and better. Hanks at best can affect a half-baked Bill Murray imitation.

Yes, there are plenty of T&A shots and potty jokes, but many other movies before or since have done it much better. Try the American Pie series if you want to see authentic teenagers in adolescent hijinks. Try Animal House if you want a far funnier party movie.

Avoid this at all costs...

Tom Hanks' best work
I'm not big on hyperbole, but Bachelor Party is Tom Hank's best movie. It's all been downhill for him since 1984. Sure, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, and Apollo 13 are good, but none of them merit watching a few hundred times like Bachelor Party (most viewings took place during the wee hours of the morning while I was in college).

Unless you're an imbecile, HIV-positive lawyer, or astronaut, there's not much you can learn from Hank's more acclaimed movies. The same can not be said for Bachelor Party, however. At some point, most guys will have a bachelor party and this movie serves as a great guide to planning one:

"Let's have a bachelor party with chicks and guns and firetrucks and hookers and drugs and booze!"
"Yeah! Yeah yeah! All the things that make life worth living for!"

There's a lot more you can learn from this movie too. For example, guys, if your in-laws are pressuring you to have kids, just respond as Hank's Rick does:

"Well, there's this 17-year-old Oriental girl I have my eye on. But don't worry, you'll have some American grand kids in no time - I know this pup's fertile."

Buy this movie (and if you do and can figure out exactly what Rick's going to do with that egg beater, please e-mail me).

The best bad comedy
"Bachelor Party" is not a great movie, but when you compare it to some lackluster attempts at sex comedies made today it's definately a stand-alone classic.

You probably have to be in the right mood to watch this, but don't take it as an excuse to throw naked bodies around (in fact, there's only one real scene of nudity). I was surprised at how funny this film was, and I was laughing more times than I was offended. A lot of the sex jokes are funny too ("So are you named Rob or...Mister Dick.") while some may be a little too vulgar to be thought funny by rational minds (yeah...donkies...).

Overall, it's a good movie. Give it a shot. Or not...whatever you want. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Made at the height of the pint-sized Ninja comedy craze, this fast-paced adolescent adventure stars teenage black belt Ernie Reyes Jr. as a California beach boy with a royal legacy. One minute he's a smart-mouth surfer and high-school jester, the next he's battling Ninja assassins, romancing a teenage princess (former Miss Teen USA Kelly Hu), and leading his subjects in a rebellion against a vicious metal-clad colonel (Leslie Nielsen). At least it gets him out of class. Real life karate kid and former Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stuntman Reyes has a winning (if somewhat loud) screen presence and Rob Schneider offers a few laughs as Reyes's clueless buddy. Nielsen, however, mugs his way painfully through a glorified cameo. More frantic than funny, with slapstick liberally sprinkled through the many bloodless martial arts battles, this one is strictly for the kids. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Silly but fun!
I love this movie, but it is silly. Moto-surfing, Patusan aka. Port-a-san "eww, I'd give up the throne," and Rob Shnider playing their "scottish uncle" in a wheelchair always makes me laugh. True many people think it's stupid, and that's because the humor is. Trust me, if you like "Dude, Where's my Car?" and "Baseketball" then you'll love this movie like I do. If not, your loss. For those who hate movies like this, go watch a foreign film and leave the great silly movies to those who can appreciate them.

Great for the kids...ho-hum for the adults who love them.
Well, if for no other reason, buy this DVD because I play drums on the song that covers the opening credits. Yes, that was over 10 years ago, and I still get to point at the screen and say "That's me on drums!" whenever I watch it. (Which is about every 3 years or so.)

It's a fun movie for kids, but the adults will find it rather dull, especially in comparison to today's kid's movies that are loaded with well-concealed adult humor and references. Not to mention the gaping holes in the plot. (You could drive a Hummer through these babies.)

But heck, you'll enjoy the opening song.

Flexin' With The Best Of Them
Another Ernie Reyes Jr. vehicle with a mediocre plot & limitedacting skills throughout but hey my main man's in it & that usually means a bit of struttin' & dizzying displays of fleshalong the line. And so here we get the 'cut & chiseled' beyond belief-ripped to the max look from Ernie with a pair of pipes'bulgin' to beat the band.' You'd think a cat this young wouldbe carrying 'round some baby fat but there's nary an ounce visable to the naked eye. Choosing to be a 'tease' thru most of the movie, Mr. Reyes doesn't treat viewers to his 'muscles on top of muscles' bod 'til near's end. Tho not shirtless, hemight as well be with those half inch criss-crossed pieces ofbraided leather huggin' his classicly carved chest. His gorgeous pecs & washboard abs are deliciously displayed. The flick itself has an intentional comedic air about it-'specially at it's close during the 'fight scenes' which come off quite realistic. Leslie Nielson is on-board here to addto the fun. Naturally, it's an absolute joy watchin' Ernie'smuscles 'flex up a storm' in these sequences. This is a MUSTBUY if you're into martial arts, fitness, body building orsimply body watching. Reyes is definetly into three out of four & for that this fan would like to thank him from head to toe. The picture zoom on my player gets a 'real workout' on this one. YOU THE BOMB ERNIEJR. but dad isn't exactly chopped liver!

once watching, you will find the purpose of life.
This movie is one of the most hillarious movies I have seen in years. The thing of it is, its sooooooo bad, its great!!!

Buy it damn it! Buy it!!!! Or I will!
Buy it!! It's simple, really really simple, buy it! If you have never seen the movie, don't worry, just buy it. You'll love it, I guarantee it, or you love nothing. At least go to some video store and rent it, then buy it. And if you're not gonna buy it, then send me your money and I'll buy it for you and keep it for myself! If you see or hear anyone with a negative of this movie, it's really simple, they're wrong!!! WRONG! WRONG! WRONGGG!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wake up, everyone!
Why haven't you commented much on these Lizzie DVDs recently? This is good stuff! If you have the time to write a review on these DVDs, then y'all better get busy!

Lizzie McGuire: Totally Crushed
This DVD features the episodes:

01. First Kiss - where Lizzie goes out with her paper boy

02. The Greatest Crush of All - where Lizzie has a crush on her substitute English teacher

03. Just Friends - where Lizzie tries to become Ethan Craft's perfect girl

04. Scarlett Larry - where Lizzie and Larry Tudgeman are an item

05. The Courtship of Miranda Sanchez - where Miranda has a crush on a guy in her drama class and Lizzie tries to get them together, but eventually leads to the guy thinks that Lizzie likes him and not Miranda ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Exellent show for teens, good messages, and morals
this show is as close to reality as possible in Jr. High. Hilary is a great role model for young girls, and msot girls went thru or are going thru what Lizzie does in these shows. And of course girls will love this, but so will boys becaue Duff is SO CUTE and Lalaine is SMOKIN' HOT, I mean she sizzles in the screen, magandang Pinay!!! So buy thsi dvd it is great and full of life's lessons and great family values.

Lizzie McGuire sends a bad message to young people...
This show is just plain-out pathetic! Not only does it teach girls to be stuck up little b**ches, but it also sends a bad message to every young individual overall. The show mostly tells us that you should try and be better than everyone else and act snobby and stupid. (When really you should be ORIGINAL and be YOU! Not some other little punk!) And now, after many of those viewers (who are probably around 8-12 years old) watch this dribble, it will only send them the wrong idea and our next generation will be a COMPLETE major pain in the arse! Believe me, I'm 18 years old and can easily tell from this stuff. I'm SO glad they stopped the show a long time ago before it warped more young minds. Sorry, Hilary.

Wack, except for Haylie's cameo
This DVD is kinda wack because the episodes are lame and pathetic, I guess the Erik Estrada one is funny in a way, but still wack. I should give it 0 stars, but I give it one star because of Haylie Duff's cameo in "Xtreme Xmas" she has like a couple lines in it. Haylie rules!

Lizzie McGuire: Star Struck
This DVD features the episodes:

01. Here Comes Aaron Carter - when Aaron Carter does a video shoot for "I Want Candy" and Lizzie and the gang sneak in

02. Lizzie in the Middle - where Frankie Muniz comes to town and hangs with Lizzie

03. Xtreme Xmas - where Steven Tyler helps make Lizzie's Christmas parade float by singing "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town"

04. Grand Ole Grandma - where Doris Roberts plays Gordo's grandma and stays with Gordo while his parents are away

05. El Oro De Montezuma - where Lizzie and the gang go on a spanish game show ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Lizzie McGuire rules
i watch lizzie mcguire everyday and this dvd would be a great gift for a girl whose growing up. (between ages 10-14) it's great because it's really funny and teaches you stuff at the same time. i also recommend the lizzie mcguire movie dvd with this item. It's a classic!

Lizzie McGuire Rocks!
This DVD features the episodes:

Misadventures in Babysitting

Between a Rock and a Bra Place

Rated Aargh

Party Over Here

Lizzie Mcguire is fine!
I just want to say that some people think that Lizzie Mcguire isn't for people under thirteen, and that's not true! It is mostly for those pre-teen girls. It's not really for guys, or girls under the age of ten, but not because there's something bad about it, it's just that there's this episode about Lizzie getting a bra, and about five or six episodes where she has a crush on somebody. I don't recommend it for boys of any age though.

Not what it could have been--but far better than nothing.
I suppose one should start out with the 'bad' here.

Cons:

1. Merely adequate visual and audio. While certainly serviceable, the overall quality of the presentation isn't what one has come to expect from the DVD format.

2. No continuity of episodes. It's bad enough that the episodes are being parceled out like this, but it's as though the episodes chosen were purely at random. The episodes have nothing to do with one another. They're not even from the same season!

3. Severe editing. The credits for each episode have been expunged here. All one gets is one credit crawl at the very end of all the episodes only covering one of the episodes shown! Very poor choice there (and one would think it would violate SAG bylaws...). Also, one doesn't get to view the opening credits before each episode; it too is only shown once for all four.

The only 'extra' consists of a new music video featuring Hilary Duff's first single, "I Can't Wait".

Pros:

It's "Lizzie McGuire" on DVD! :-)

At the end of the day, one gets the feeling that Disney rushed this project in order to cash in on the current "Lizzie-Mania" that has swept the land. But they've had so much time to get all their ducks in a row, one should (and does) expect better from the product. Disney knows that the fans will eat up anything "Lizzie" related right now--sub par or not.

However, barring an expanded version at some point, this is all we've got, and as such is worth buying. A flawed "Lizzie" DVD is better than no "Lizzie" DVD.

HILLARY IS "SO YESTERDAY"!
save your self money and your child's sanity! don't buy this DVD! as a teenager myself i strongly oppose of hillary duff/lizzie mcguire. her shows are very perdicatible! her parents are very liberal. how does lizze and ethan always get together as friends? they hardly ever talk to each other. isn't there one tv show on earth where the guy is cute and smart. and the main lead is NOT a blond. u gotta be blond and blue eyed to get a guy and that is exactly what hillary does. don't buy hillary duff products. it is a waste of money!!! ... Read more

Description

Their licenses suspended, their vehicles impounded, a hapless band of misfits, malcontents and dreamers meet in traffic school.As it turns out, this isn't your ordinary run of the mill traffic school.The crew find themselves in the clutches of two over zealous police officers lead by the Judge to running the school so that the students are forever without licenses and cars.What ensues is a side splitting, tire screeching battle of wits.Who will be king of the road? ... Read more

Reviews (12)

THIS IS A FIVE THOUSAND STARSDYNAMO OF A MOVIE
I purchased a 30 inch HIGH DEFINITION tv and I had the to almost run out and buy depends by the case. I saw it on tv in HIGH DEFINITION with all the four letter words etc intact.When it comes out on DVD they are going to have a hard time keeping it in stock.To SUM IT up BUY BUY and you will laugh your BUNS OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

an underrated class
If you like slapstick comedy this movie is a must see, I'm thrilled that the DVD is finaly coming.

beyond hilarious
this movie is classic, it will make you lliterly make you laugh your rear end off, I am very excited about this film finally being on DVD, maybe all the demands and requests to 20th century fox from the fans such as myself, its great that theyre releasing it.

ALL AROUND GREAT COMEDY!
Lot's of laughs with this one. Can't believe it's still not available on DVD. I've had to use my DVD recorder and literally make one myself from the original VHS.

Absolute best part of this film is the casting of Nedra Volz as Mrs. Hoch.You'll remember Nedra as Adelaide on Different Strokes, and countless 70's and 80's TV shows.You just have to say to people "the little old lady with the bun" and they knew who she was right away.

Nedra was just fantastic in this movie. Tons of funny lines and scenes.Her bit with Clara "Where's the Beef" Peller at LAX still ranks as one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a movie.There's also her classic line "Why is my back all wet?" which is uttered while she is sitting on a men's urinal in a failed attempt to go to the bathroom.

We sadly lost Nedra at the age of 94 on 1/20/03.I knew her for over the last decade of her life and she was a truly delightful person to spend time with.This film is a great legacy for her. She loved it too!!Only thing she didn't like was having to curse. Flat out didn't want to do it. Director made her in the end. Of note, when they air the movie on TV, Nedra's curse scene is actually an entirely different version, which Nedra had come up with as the "clean" way to get a laugh.Rest in peace Nedra. Lot's of Hugs!

A classic cheeze-fest of gigantic proportions!!!!!
I cannot believe that this vintage eighties flick is not on DVD.Bill Murray's brother gets it on with Jennifer Tilly in an anti-gravity room at a space center.What more could you ask for?Launching a guard dog from the hood of an impounded car.Very funny!!!If you can find it...then get it.You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Lizzie McGuire, played by Teen Choice award-winning Hilary Duff, is a winsome eighth grader with a unique sense of style and burning desire to be popular--a condition that resonates with pre-teens everywhere.This quartet of episodes from the television series (which inspired the feature film) finds Lizzie climbing to a new pinnacle of popularity.When Lizzie signs a modeling contract with Teen Attitude Magazine, she gains instant popularity at the expense of true friendship.In the second episode, desperation over an upcoming vote for "best dressed" tempts Lizzie to lie and outspend her budget in the quest for notoriety.Meanwhile, Lizzie's brother Matt becomes a prisoner of his own instant fame.Lizzie takes being a role model a bit too far in the third episode and almost winds up losing her uniqueness while Matt's Dad takes a beating trying to help Matt earn a wilderness badge.When Lizzie sets a new school record for the "Presidential Fitness Challenge" in the fourth episode, she quickly gains a reputation as a "dude"--a reputation that just might end her chances of ever getting a date.Matt, on the other hand, suddenly finds himself praised for a newfound academic prowess--too bad the praise really belongs to a mischievous monkey. (Ages 6 to 12) --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Cant Help It
Im in love with Hilary Duff. Only 16 years old and she is a superstar, how I wish I were her so much! Kind of depresses me...

Lizzie McGuire DVD's
even though i am a great fan of Lizzie McGuire and have been since the show came out in 2000, when i purchased volumes 1 and 2 of the series, i was annnoyed that it only came with four episodes on each dvd. each episode is only about 25 minutes long, so i was really suprised when disney chose to only put four episodes on each dvd, why not 6 or 8 episodes as it is worth it for the price that you are paying. overall this is a great show for all kids, and you can never get bored of rewatching these for episodes!

I love this show
I always loved the TV series Lizzie McGuire, my fiends all say I am a brunette version of Hialry Duff lol! This dvd is exellent, fans of the show or of Duff wil lenjoy this and Duff is a good roll model for a girl my age(I'm 14). This is a perfect DVD for any teen, boy or girl(I think all guys are in love with Hilaey Duff)!

Best Kids Show On Television these Days!
If you asked me what the best show on television for kids is, I would have no, and I mean absolutely no hesitation, in saying that it is the Lizzie McGuire show. It features a young girl having to deal with the issues of Middle School and how she manages through her struggles, by choosing to do what is right in the end. Sometimes, she temporarily masses up and ends up getting the consequences of her actions, and does what is right in the end.
Eight episodes were released on DVD on December 9th. They are bundled as "Fashionable Lizzie" and "Growing Up Lizzie." These DVDs make great Christmas presents and if you buy both of them, you might consider buying another Disney DVD title (such as the Lizzie McGuire Movie), because Disney will give you another DVD for free. This offer expires at the end of December though. Again, these are great DVDs.

Why only four episodes?
I was excited to hear Disney was going to release some of the best episodes of Lizzie McGuire on dvd, but I am upset about how they are going about it. The first thing that made me mad was the fact that there are only four episodes on each volume. In England, theres six. Also, The UK versions are in the order the episodes were filmed. In the UK, Disney will have eventually released the entire series on dvd. All 65 episodes. I hope Disney releases all the episodes on dvd in the U.S. And I expect more than just four episodes on volumes 3 and 4. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

another awesome brady bunch
I don't know what everybody else is saying about this movie but it is actually really good!!! i didn't really care for the new and improved characters because they did a fine job!!!!! i tthink every single brady bunch fan should buy this dvd!!!

The Brady Worst
The only reason I bought this DVD is b/c it was a Brady Bunch film and...came as a set with Growing Up which is an awesome movie.
Well,let me tell you this movie is just awful! I mean the actors couldn't been worst casted, Greg looks gay, Peter is fat, I think Bobby somewhat fits the original (Lookinland)
Marcia and Jan act so fake and Cindy looks like she is either a midget or she is four years younger than Bobby.
Alice is freaky, she doesn't resemble either Ann B. or the one from the 2 brady movies and her acting is just horrible, she is not cheesy...she is stupid
Mike and Carol are the dearest Gary Cole and Shelly Long, these two actors are good, they do resemble the original actors, I don't have any objections about them
The producers better think of making a new Brady movie b/c if they expect to have this film as the last one....The Bradys are dead!!
Don't buy it!!! for your own sake!!!!!!

skip it
Wow, this one was really bad. I didn't get to see it when it aired on TV and just got the DVD. I watched about three quarters of it and gave up. It is no where near as good as the two theatrical versions. Missing are actual Brady Bunch sub-plots that are written or reffered to throughout the movie. None of the kids really looked like any of the actual Bradys in either the two movies or the show- execpt for Marica, but she doesn't seem as genuine as Christine Taylor's version.

Gary Cole and Shelley Long are back, and that was the only reason I bought this movie. But the whole story about them in the white house is an unbelievably bad idea. The producers didn't even get the actress who played Alice to return, and her replacement isn't that great either.

A Very Brady Disappointment
There are some things in this world that refuse to die. Things that will stand the test of time. If the world was to end tomorrow, three things would still be here. Cockroaches, Cher, and the brood from Clinton Way. The Brady's. Our favorite ployester pests return in this made for TV movie that aired during Thanksgiving of 2002. The tele-film followed in the steps of the two recent big screen adventures, but the fun and hilariousness that made those two films, especially the first one, hysterical and endearing, did not cross over this hodepodge of a film. Bobby Brady finds a lottery ticket and takes it home. The ticket turns out to be the winning one with a grand prize of $67 million. But Mike, being Mike, refuses to keep it and tries to find the rightful owner. Because of his good deed, he is to meet the President. Through some situations, Mike becomes the President Of The United States himself and the first family of TV become the first family of the country. There were many chances here to do something, but the writers play it safe and the situation never rises to what it could of been. Speaking of writing, you know it is not going to be much when it is written by a Schwartz. Lloyd, that is. He tries to mimic the writing and feel of the spoofy big screen adaptions, but he never aces it. The writers of those films wrote it with a sure hand, but he just comes across as an old fashioned "Brady' writer trying to be hip and self aware. The only good thing this missfire has going for it is the return of Shelley Long and Gary Cole as Carol and Mike Brady. Their association with the project bring that level of hilarity and spark to the proceedings. The kids are not good. The kids are all new, and not that impressive. Jan and Marcia do okay, but the rest leave a lot to be desired. The actress playing Marcia has the uppity up persona of Marcia down pretty well, and has the right kind of 'tease' to her performance like Christine Taylor did in the movies, but she is still no equal. Jan had the mannerisms right, but it seemed too forced. The actor playing Greg isn't playing Greg. He's playing Christopher Daniel Barnes playing Greg Brady. And Alice. I don't know what they were thinking when they cast this actress to play Alice. You will know what I mean when you get a look at her. Veteran actor Saul Rubineck appears in the film as a White House aid with plans of his own, and why he agreed to do this film I have no idea. But most of all, it didn't feel right to be out of the Brady home. But that's just me. All in all, a very weak and disappointing effort in the Brady cannon. If this is the way it is now, then those good 'ol "Sunshine Days" may just be over for good. ... Read more

Description

A committee investigating TV’s first uncensored network examines a typical day’s programming. This outrageous and irreverent send up of television launched the careers of top comics Chevy Chase, John Candy, Howard Hesseman, Larraine Newman, PhilProctor, Rich Hurst, Roger Bowen,Bill Saluga, Joe Flaherty, Al Franken and Tom Davis! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Tunnelvision the (unofficial) sequel to The Groove Tube
A step below Groove Tube, Tunnelvision is still pretty funny. The best parts are of course Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman in Ramon & Sonja, a hilarious sketch, the game show, John Candy's spot in Get Head, as well as many of the many commercial parodies. Only a few problems exist.
1: no inside booklet
2: too jumpy, there are 12 chapter selections and, like... thirty chapters
3: no cast bio's (other cool features, but, no bio's!)
Still it's worth a few laughs and the money, should be intended for those who have seen the Groove Tube & want more.
Great cast though: Chevy Chase (Caddyshack), John Candy (Great Outdoors), Laraine Newman, Al Franken, Tom Davis, Betty Thomas, Howard Hessman, Neal Irael (Bachelor Party).

A blast from the past but Chase and Candy are not the stars
Tunnel Vision is the name of a fictional TV Network similar to S.C.T.V. The premise is that in the not too distant future (1985) Tunnel Vision will have knocked out the other three big networks and left the entire population a mass of vegetating slackers. I'm not sure if Howard Hesseman is all that believable as a Senator, but it's fun to see him in action. This upstart network is on trial and we are led to the courtroom where the "evidence" is put on display. One of the first items that date the video right away is when they run through a brief visual history of the US presidents. The list pauses briefly on Lincoln and Kennedy and makes its way up to Ford before it shows us the subsequent "future" ones.
Now of course the political commentary is not as sharp as the best of Saturday Night Live, there is nowhere near the polish, but it does have its charm. I was reminded of the similar vintage Woody Allen movies like "Take the Money and Run" with the voice-overs and exteriors.
Essentially it looks as though this tape was packaged to cash in on Chevy Chase's and John Candy's faces but they have very little to do on screen. Chase's bit is less than a minute and Candy's is not even a speaking role.
And the low spots are in the skits. There is one Hispanic Bunker-like skit that has Laraine Newman using the F-word and is generally just unfunny mostly due to the quantity of racial slurs which neither seem to comment on or inform any particular world view.

However, the commentary on the Middle East is fun and probably gives a present-day viewer more to laugh about. What the contemporary audience might have seen as grim extrapolations on current 1970's affairs (but not likely), can now be openly praised for its insight (even though their predictions are still clearly farcical).
But the true value of this video is not for its biting social commentary or wit or insight (most half-hour Simpsons episodes have more of these qualities), it is in the nostalgia or even the historical value. We get to see what was important to a group of young writers and commentators in the mid 70's (the boomers were older now and took their protests out of the streets and into the airwaves). In its day it might have been pretty edgy stuff, and much of it would not have cleared the censors for SNL (then or now). These were young people who were just beginning to practice the skills that would lead to the true ironic detachment that we have today. Their goal no doubt was to entertain and inform, but there is the additional energy that is present when someone is doing something they believe might have a real impact. This is what is now missing in the new SNL crew and what is starting to go missing even in the Simpsons.
If you think you are going to see Chevy Chase and John Candy in some kind lost classic that has an eternal entertainment value, your hopes are set too high and you should look for "The Best of SNL" or some early Simpsons instead. But, if you want to get a good look at the unpolished beginnings of the modern history of popular social commentary, this is a fine video, but nothing more.

No DVD extras / 70s comedy, love it or hate it
Tunnelvision accurately mocks -- or perhaps it just reflects -- tasteless mid-Seventies TV programming. A disclaimer suggests that the film parodies the era's rampant on-screen sexism and assorted prejudices, but the script lacks the edginess needed to accomplish this successfully.

Mid-Seventies television was, let's face it, even schlockier than Fox is today. The writers and comedians behind Tunnelvision -- fresh from Second City Television (SCTV) and not yet honed through SNL -- knew TV was tasteless. But regrettably, their early effort at parody is often more cynicism than wit. We're supposed to laugh when a "Spy TV" victim kills himself, giggle every time a male news anchor tries to shack up with compliant "weather girl," roar with delight when a nearly naked Betty Thomas must pass gas to win a game show, and gasp at unexpected racial profanities.

The political vision behind Tunnelvision is much funnier: The film takes sharp, well-executed jabs at Israel, Exxon, air pollution, phone companies, political mudslinging, and a sporty new national anthem punctuated by nuclear missiles. These "news" items are well worth seeing, and the DVD format lets the viewer skip the stuff in between.

Ultimately, Tunnelvision's theme -- TV on trial -- is a well-crafted excuse to string together 70 minutes of SCTV skits and SNL-style fake commercials. Tunnelvision offers us a worthwhile glimpse at countless great comedians' humble beginnings, and it reminds us of an era that was coarser, more troubled, more cynical, and less hip than the fantasy depicted in "That 70s Show."

DVD buyers please note: While it lets you skip to the good skits, the DVD format also exposes Tunnelvision's low-budget video and audio production quality.

Tunnel Vision is Dated and Crude
Poor production values, but that's not the worst. It tries desparately to be funny but it's not very often anyway. This stuff is soooo dated. Perhaps, it was interesting and funny in the 70s, but I got bored watching it. I thought I had seen it at a drive-in years ago, but I realize now that what I really saw was The Groove Tube. Pretty bad when you watch something for nostalgia's sake and it ends up making you depressed. Save your time and money. SNL on even a bad night( which is frequent) is much funnier.

The Best of the Parodies
Following "Groove Tube" and before "Kentucky Fried Movie" came this gem of a spoof of Television in the future, well at future of 1985 anyway. The story involves a Televsion network president at a hearing in front of the Senate for putting on "obscene" programming (WKRP's Howard Hesseman is great as a senator). You are then taken thru a typical day at Tunnelvision from the sign on (a presidential montage with David Eisenhower and a black female president named Washington) to sign off (the news featuring the selling of New York to a Japanese businessman). In between are alot of hilarious spoofs of TV shows and commericals. There's "Mary Tucker Talent" (gues who this is?) and "Ramon and Sonia" (with Laraine Newman) about a gypsy family where family values means sonething else. You can catch a glimpse of John Candy in "Get Head" and Betty Thomas (from "Hill Street Blues") in a game show. Chevy Chase gets a minute of screen time too. I am sure I am forgetting some names because it has been a while since I have seen it, but the fact that I can remember this much shows you how much of this movie stays with you.

I have always laughed hard at this movie because it is funny and in incredibly bad taste (but not as bad as the "Groove Tube"). Some of it seems rather dated now when you look at what we can get on cable, but for its day, it certainly took a few risks. There is even a bit of social commentary about inept people trying to catch an assasin.

You can watch "The Groove Tube" or "Kentucky Fried Movie" or "Amazon Women on the Moon". But defintely watch Tunnelvision. There is a difference! (See the movie to find out what that means) ... Read more