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| 1. Caddyshack Director: Harold Ramis | |
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Reviews (172)
"It's in the hole!" One of the best scenes of the movie is where Chevy Chase drives the ball through Bill Murray's window, causing a great conversation between two comic greats of our time. Also, for anybody who has seen the new Tiger Woods' commercial where he's chasing the gopher and don't understand what in the world is going on- see this movie. ... Read more | |
| 2. National Lampoon's Vacation (Full Screen Edition) Director: Harold Ramis | |
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Amazon.com Reviews (114)
Unfortunately for him, that's the highpoint of his trip down the holiday road. Everything that can go wrong does so as the Griswold clan weathers hubcap theft, a sportscar-driving temptress, two deaths and an endless variety of indignities heaped upon Clark himself as the result of his obsessive need to be the perfect husband and father. Chase's wild-eyed expressions as he approaches the brink of insanity are hilarious. Harold Ramis directs a script by John Hughes (who would later team-up with costar Anthony Michael Hall for a few 80s teen comedies). Beverly D'Angelo tags along as Griswold's long-suffering wife. In-laws and outlaws sharing in the misfortune include Imogene Coca (as cranky Aunt Edna),a hilarious Randy Quaid (they had to bring him back for the last two sequels), a briefly seen Brian Doyle-Murray and swimsuit superstar Christie Brinkley. This is one of those classic American comedies you really need to have seen by now. It's worth owning inany format. Also watch for John Candy in a brief role near the end... and listen for Harold Ramis' distinct voice (he has one line).All that, and a nude D'Angelo, too; after all, this was the 80s.
Buy if you like movies this is pretty insane for you.
BASIC PLOT: FILM OPINIONS: Anyone who calls this film a comedy classic is right. It's very rare that a film this funny comes along. The acting (Chevy Chase's in particular) is great, and the simplistic storyline prevents things from getting confusing. As has been previously stated, this film predated the Motion Picture Industry of America's PG-13 rating, so even though it's an R rating, it's really not much worse that a modern PG-13 is. If you haven't seen this movie yet, and you're a fan of comedies, what are you waiting for? DVD: OVERALL:
Despite what you might think, "Vacation" is really not suited for little kids. The film is rated "R" because it has a fair amount of profanity, some of it quite strong, some nudity, and mature themes. ... Read more | |
| 3. Groundhog Day (Special Edition) Director: Harold Ramis | |
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Reviews (239)
This movie is straight out funny...it will make you crack up with every viewing. Watch out for Stephen Tobolowski in his bizarre role as Ned Ryerson, and a cameo appearance by the film's director (and Murray's costar in Ghostbusters) Harold Ramis. The features are well worth the money too.
Bill Murray and Andie McDowell are perfect in this film, Murray as the cynical, infinitely self-centered TV weather newscaster, and Andie McDowell as his radiant and relentlessly uplifting TV producer and love interest. The plot has been rehashed many times by others, so I won't repeat it again. The thing that makes this movie so memorable, and makes it stand out from all others is not the comedy, which is enjoyable, but the deeper themes behind it. What are these themes? In reading the other 226 reviews, people have mentioned everything from Buddhist karma and reincarnation, Nietzsche and existentialism, Kubler Ross, the Seven Sins, and Gurdjieff -Ouspensky and the Fourth Way. Comparisons have been made to themes from the Twilight Zone, and Frank Capra movies like "It's a Wonderful Life". Yes, I suppose all of these themes are present, and people will interpret this movie in the religious or philosophical context with which they are most familiar. Which is why it's a bit surprising that so far nobody has mentioned the main theme that stood out immediately for me in this movie. Above all the existentialism and New Age themes that might be found in this movie is a very old fashioned one - at its core, this movie is a moral tale of love, hope, and redemption. Bill Murray's character is stuck in time, stuck in purgatory, stuck in a perpetual rut of endless reincarnation and immortality, whatever you want to call it. His character, Phil Connors asks, "What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?" Connors first uses his recursive immortality to dive even deeper into the Seven Sins, and then sinks into despair, hopelessness, and attempted suicide. But gradually, he awakens to the possibility that his choices of action do matter, and discovers that through caring for the other people in this town, he is able to regain hope in his own life again. It is this genuine turn in becoming a better person that wins the heart of Andie McDowell's character and earns him redemption from this purgatory. Another reviewer had mentioned a link to the theme of making hard choices in the "Lord of the Rings". Thanks to "Groundhog Day", I came to understand one question from LOTR that had always bothered me - why would any immortal being (i.e., elves like Arwen and Haldir in LOTR) ever give up their immortality? The answer: maybe immortality becomes tiresome and meaningless if one cannot make a difference in this world, maybe leaving immortality to gain the love of another is truly more worthwhile. There was just one other aspect of this idea that came to mind - what if whoever or whatever had kept Phil Connors stuck in time had continued to keep him there even after his transformation? We like to think that love and hope always leads to redemption. What if it doesn't? That's one real-life possibility which is not explored in this movie, but nevertheless, it is still a terrific movie.
Imagine waking up every morning and it is the same day over and over again? Well, Murray has this happen to him. Every time he does his day becomes one disaster after another until he finally gives in and figures out he can use each day to improve himself and his life a little at a time. The message here is clear. We all have a life that is made up of the same day everyday, what we choose to do with that day is really up to us. Do we want to improve our lot in life or just go along with being ourselves in a boring unfulfilled endless life that is a cycle of recurring themes? This movie shows anyone, even though it is a comedy, that each day we have a choice to make the day what it can be. Murray plays Phil Connors, on Ground Hog Day when the ground hog's name is also Phil...go figure. Connors is as arrogant as they come and he just keeps trying so hard to impress people. He goes from egotisical and self serving to seeing himself to get the girl of his dreams, Rita. It would be nice to know how many days of Ground Hog Days he spent there. You can see him go from this to a renaissance man who really cares about people, loves life and takes each day and uses it to improve himself. Rita, although the same person and not being influenced or affected by being in Ground Hog day, comes to really like Phil. This movie makes us laugh at ourselves and our humanity. And by the end of the movie, he shows that he can have a positive effect on everyone he comes in contact with. So when you hear the song, "I've Got You Babe," and the announcers saying, "It's Ground Hog Day....." remember to use the day to its fullest.
I'm facinated each time watching the totally self centered Bill Murray caught in this marvelous time paradox, living the same day over and over. He goes through differing stages: fear and confusion; euphoria, when he realizes he can do ANYTHING without consequence; despair, when he realizes that life is meaningless if one pursues selfish pleasures without goals; and finally a peaceful self actualization when he dedicates himself toward self improvement and the humanitarian goals his situation gives him the opportunity to pursue. It gives one pause to consider what each of US would do in a similar circumstance. Oh, it's really funny, too.
Bill Murray plays Phil Connors a weatherman, who covers everything from weather to Ground Day. Phil isn't happy with his life, in fact he realizes that he is repeating the same routine over and over again. From work in the morning,to I use the term breakdown because well Phil isn't exactly a nice guy, he's arrogant and obnoxious. We hardly sympathize with this guy, much less that he is miserable. He drives reckless around the train tracks, gets arrested, steals a bagfull of money from a couple of dumb cops, charms his way into sleeping with a beautiful young girl and yet finds out that he still isn't happy. Until he puts the moves on Rita (Andy McDowell), his producer. McDowell is the few actresses that I know that has limited acting potential but her beautiful presence can convey some emotions making her sympathetic. However, in order to get close to Rita, Phil has to get info on her likes and dislikes from her friends. This angle in the movie, really made me a little sick, because even we are suppose to sympathize with Phil, he hasn't really changed all that much. Rita, eventually finds out Phil's motives and slaps him in the face, and telling him to get lost. LOL No surprise there, in fact Rita's action sums up my argument that Phil hasn't really changed all that much despite his aim to not repeat the same day, he is still repeating his same behavioral patterns. Phil though in order to impress her and to change himself, starts doing bizarre, yet unreal things that get him attention and he does start to become nicer. This is where the movie gets ridiculous, because even though this is a comedy, I found the rest of the movie to be predictable, superficial, yet enjoyable Yes Harold Ramis does go a bit over the top with this Phil guy, obviously a lot of the stuff he pulls of is almost impossible giving Phil's background, but Ramis is again trying to show the point (although laughingly bad) that Phil is changing. He now has a heart and will do anything to be with this nice woman and of course by Phil doing this he has filled that empty void that he had when he was repeating the same unfulling routine of covering that stupid Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania. Ramis is actually a buddy of Murray going back to the old days of their ''SCTV'' days, and ''Ghostbusters'' days, so these two talented comedian can pull the hijinks in the film with some realism. Still though Ramis does do a good job of making us think about the movie and Phil itself and gives us that scary thought that we perhaps might end up like Phil, a shriveled, ugly man who has been repeating the same stupid routine yet doesn't have the capacity to see that this misery is at his own doing. LOL ... Read more | |
| 4. National Lampoon's Vacation (20th Anniversary Special Edition) Director: Harold Ramis | |
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Unfortunately for him, that's the highpoint of his trip down the holiday road. Everything that can go wrong does so as the Griswold clan weathers hubcap theft, a sportscar-driving temptress, two deaths and an endless variety of indignities heaped upon Clark himself as the result of his obsessive need to be the perfect husband and father. Chase's wild-eyed expressions as he approaches the brink of insanity are hilarious. Harold Ramis directs a script by John Hughes (who would later team-up with costar Anthony Michael Hall for a few 80s teen comedies). Beverly D'Angelo tags along as Griswold's long-suffering wife. In-laws and outlaws sharing in the misfortune include Imogene Coca (as cranky Aunt Edna),a hilarious Randy Quaid (they had to bring him back for the last two sequels), a briefly seen Brian Doyle-Murray and swimsuit superstar Christie Brinkley. This is one of those classic American comedies you really need to have seen by now. It's worth owning inany format. Also watch for John Candy in a brief role near the end... and listen for Harold Ramis' distinct voice (he has one line).All that, and a nude D'Angelo, too; after all, this was the 80s.
Buy if you like movies this is pretty insane for you.
BASIC PLOT: FILM OPINIONS: Anyone who calls this film a comedy classic is right. It's very rare that a film this funny comes along. The acting (Chevy Chase's in particular) is great, and the simplistic storyline prevents things from getting confusing. As has been previously stated, this film predated the Motion Picture Industry of America's PG-13 rating, so even though it's an R rating, it's really not much worse that a modern PG-13 is. If you haven't seen this movie yet, and you're a fan of comedies, what are you waiting for? DVD: OVERALL:
Despite what you might think, "Vacation" is really not suited for little kids. The film is rated "R" because it has a fair amount of profanity, some of it quite strong, some nudity, and mature themes. ... Read more | |
| 5. Stuart Saves His Family Director: Harold Ramis | |
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Every detail of this film, from the opening montage to the marvelous acting, (these are TOP NOTCH actors in this film), to the hilarious comedy to the story to the music...everything is hysterical. I only wish they had chosen a different title. Stuart does not save his family, he can only try. The movie should have been called "Stuart Smalley." I was so astounded by how wonderful this movie was, yet practically no one saw it and Al Frankin calls it a disaster. I honestly, truely, unexagerratedly believe that this movie should have been up for several Oscars, including Best Director and for the supporting cast. The actor who plays the father was especially wonderful. I only hope that more people discover this movie. When the movie was over in the theater, (I have since seen it again on video several times), the two other people in the audience came up the aisle and also expressed how good the movie was. I wish I could have direct addresses for director Harold Ramis and Al Frankin so that I could write to them and tell them how proud they should be of this movie.
To describe the story line of this very funny movie would be to sell it short, because the premise doesn't sound like it would lend itself to such a delightful comedy. But the film grabs one's attention from the very beginning with its montage of 50s and 60s family photographs during the opening credits. Are these possibly family photos of the lead actors at an earlier stage of life? When Vincent d'Onofrio's name is on the screen, the guy in the photo looks an awful lot like him. And then we're off and running, with Stuart telling us on his television show that he has just received a sweater that one Melissa D. knitted for him. Melissa is a recovering sex addict and knitting the sweater "gave her something to do with her hands." From that point on, the pace only rarely slackens, as we are introduced to Stuart's various friends and nemeses, beginning with Roz Weinstock, very possibly the meanest and most sadistic boss since Captain Bligh, and deliciously played by Camille Saviola. Roz has fired Stuart for maligning her on the air, and she is only the first of a series of people Stuart manages to annoy as he lives out his affirmation of "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and, doggone it, people like me." Perhaps not everyone likes him, certainly not the customer in the restaurant (an unbilled role, possibly director Harold Ramis?) who has to wait while Stuart explains his latest predicament to his best friend and Al-Anon sponsor Julia, wonderfully played by Laura San Giacomo. From there, it is a constant back-and-forth for Stuart between Chicago, where he lives, and Minneapolis, ironically one of the chief centers of recovery programs, and the home of his very dysfunctional family. Stuart's beloved Aunt Paula has died, setting in motion an ever-muddier chain of events that eventually teach Stuart in a big way that the only one he really has the power to change is himself. Nevertheless, the ever-optimistic Stuart continues to offer his gifts to others, some of which are eventually picked up and appreciated. Just as the setting goes back and forth from Chicago to Minneapolis, so the time frame goes back and forth from the present to the past through black-and-white flashbacks, some happy, some less so. These give us some idea of how Stuart has come to be the way he is today, and of the ghosts that he has to grapple with while living out his affirmation. The film does take a rather serious turn near the end, but Al Franken as Stuart Smalley helps to keep the tone somewhat light during this section. And, as in real life, not all the loose ends ever get neatly tied up, but Stuart has nevertheless made his impact, as we see in a very heartwarming ending. While most of the actors in the film are not household names, a number of them are quite experienced and turn in some memorable performances. Harris Yulin, Shirley Knight, Lesley Boone and Vincent d'Onofrio are all good as Stuart's family members, the men in particular. There are also a number of memorable cameos, particularly Julia Sweeney as the constantly apologizing Mea C., and Walter Olkewicz and Jeremy Roberts as the Skoag brothers who try to force the teetotaling Stuart to drink beer at a bar. The music is fun also, beginning with the codependent song that is played during the opening credits. And it was great to hear Ethel Merman blasting her way through "Everything's Coming Up Roses," during one of the scenes where Stuart is trying to pull himself up by his bootstraps. This picture has some of the funniest lines I have ever heard in any film. My particular favorite is Stuart's brother Donnie's attempt to define for him what an "easement" is, despite the fact that he obviously doesn't have the slightest notion. But many will like even better Stuart's comment to his sister about the pound cake. While there is plenty here for audiences in general to laugh at, there are also a number of jokes that are targeted toward members of 12-step programs, and especially those programs geared toward helping friends and family members of those addicted to alcohol and drugs. It's obvious from the writing that these are topics near and dear to screenwriter Franken's heart. So, I recommend this movie with just the caveat that you will find it funnier and closer to home if you have some familiarity with the programs that the film gently pokes fun at. And even if you don't, after seeing the film you may still wind up with a new approach to life.
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| 6. Multiplicity Director: Harold Ramis | |
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Aren't comedies supposed to be funny?
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| 7. Analyze This Director: Harold Ramis | |
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Amazon.com essential video Reviews (136)
As for "Anylyze This", if it weren't for De Niro I would have given it 1 star. Billy Crystal is his usual incompetent self; Harold Ramis fails miserably. Don't waste your time on this one.
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| 8. Bedazzled Director: Harold Ramis | |
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What more pathetic character could we ask for in Elliott, the computer technician with no life? Elliott has no friends, but that doesn't stop him from conversing with his coworkers whom he thinks are actually listening. When his attention becomes snagged by fellow coworker Allison, her rejection brings him to the attention of a mysterious woman in red who reveals herself to be the Princess of Darkness. Her plan: to offer him seven wishes in return for his soul, and while he remains skeptical, the thought of being with Allison (with the help of Satan's television screens) drives him to accept the offer. This is where the movie gets good, as we follow him on his many adventures accompanying each of his wishes. His first wish, to be rich and have Allison for his wife, lands him as a Spanish cocaine dealer whose wife is cheating on him with her English teacher, followed by his second wish to be emotionally sensitive, which drives Allison into the arms of a shallow man ("I just want someone who wants to get in my pants"). Elliott soon catches on to Satan's tricks, yet still keeps taking his wishes, with hilarious results. First and foremost, the performances from Hurley and Fraser are what make the movie worthwhile. Brendan Fraser looks like he's having so much fun playing his role, segueing from a fast-talking Mexican who speaks multiple languages, to the overtly sensitive red-haired boy who bursts into tears at the glance of the sunset. Hurley gives a smashing performance as a female Satan, her accent adding wit and charisma to a role that is being dealt with in a new way. In watching "Bedazzled," I could see how much fun the two actors were having in playing their roles, which made the movie more enjoyable and the comedy more comfortable. That comedy arises from many different things: first, there's the relationship between the two characters. Satan knows that she's not going to live up to her promises entirely without flaw, which leads to some very funny results as Elliott discovers each wish's put-off. I also found a great many laughs during the opening sequence, which singles people out in the frantic pace of life and labels them with a certain flaw. Add a bit of witty dialogue and a goofy character on his way to his dreams, and what you've got is a reasonably successful film which delivers what it was intended to: laughs. Which is why the ending, for me, doesn't quite live up to the rest of the material. The laughs seem to fizzle out a bit: they're still a couple of chuckle-worthy moments at hand, but not on par with the hysterics of the first two thirds of the movie. I originally intended to dispute the way in which the movie "cops out" by taking the approach it does in the end, but once I thought about it (and you'll understand me when you watch it yourself), there really was no other way for it to end and still retain a certain lightheartedness. On a slightly off-the-subject opinion, I also felt that the film had a good advertising plan going for it. The preview trailers don't give away all the laughs, and the movie takes certain turns that we don't get to see in the ads. All-in-all, "Bedazzled" is a regular comedy made just a touch better by the bright and vivacious performances of its leads. The fun they have in creating their characters' body and verbal language is laugh-out-loud funny, while the situations they find themselves in aren't original, but still have comedic charm.
Read someone elses reveiw for the plot, I'm sure it's been explained a thousand times already. The most annoying thing about the film was Liz Hurly. Her constand bobbing around as she walked was irratating, I dunno what she was thinking, but that was one of the worst performance's i've ever seen by anyone. ... I suppose if your one of her loyal fans who would go to see her do anything for a perv on her, you probably will be distracted by somthing else other then your mind to come to the conclusion shes is doing a terrible job of acting.. I hoep they didnt pay her for that role... and probably the fans of Brendan Frasier are giving out good reveiws because theyd give there right arms to watch him on screen... but for me, sex images dont sell a movie at all. Therefor, the thought that having 2 actors both men and women would go to see for some kind of attraction thing going on, just dosent cut if, espeiclly when it's not funny, the acting is terrible, and again, that annoying bobbing up and down as Liz Hurly walks... what is that??? was it supposed to be funny? well, underline "supposed to be" then. Horrible film, only fans of these actors, or people looking at the movie for the wrong reasons will absolutly love this film. Horrible acting
Elliot Richards(Fraser) is the love desperate nerd that everybody hates. He is to nice and gets annoyinig from the simple fact that he trys to hard. He has the hots for a woman at work Allison(O'Connor) who barely even knows he's there. He wants her desperately so he says to God he'd do almost anything for her. The next thing you know The Devil(Hurley) is there offering Elliot a chance to get Allison. The deal is simple. Elliot will get the Devil his soul in exchange for seven wishes. Elliot is reluctant at first to the proposition but after some clever temptations by the devil he buckles in and says yes to her. The next thing you know he is making wishes and the devil is fulfilling them with some nasty and quite devilish tricks. Now Elliot must decide if this is really the path he wants to take and if these wishes are all that they are cracked up to be. Brendan Fraser is good in this movie. This guys movies are usually hit or miss and this one is a hit. I don't like it as much as say the Mummy series or Blast from the Past, but this is a good movie. Fraser is fantastic when he acts out the wishes. He's so funny when he's the Colombian drug lord speaking his Spanish. He's great in the movie and you can tell he really had some fun making this movie. Elizabeth Hurley is breath taking in the film. This is one of the most gorgeous and flawless woman in the world and in ways she carries this movie. She is very tempting and I like how they casted her as the devil instead of some sweet talking con artist man. She's so hot in the film and she's just awesome. If you like Elizabeth Hurley you have to go and watch this film. Harold Ramis has given himself another good film. This guy is a clever writer and it shows in the film. The movie was also clever in the way that he includes all of Elliots co-wokers from the beginning of the film in the wishes. He's a smart director and really is underrated in the business. He needs to make more movies because most of the ones he's made are great. Bedazzled is a good movie and it's easy to find cheap. If your looking for a good pop corn movie this one is it. It has a good moral ending that I don't think will offend anybody. Go see Bedazzled and be prepared for a devilish good time.
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| 9. Analyze That (Full Screen) Director: Harold Ramis | |
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Description Reviews (60)
Paul (Robert DeNiro) is in prison and Ben (Billy Crystal) has settled down into a routine life in suburbia with wife Laura (Lisa Kudrow) and his son. Someone is gunning for Paul in the big house, and Ben's father dies. Paul has a complete nervous breakdown, singing the score to "West Side Story," and he is released into Ben's care (after some very funny psychoanalytic tests). Of course, Paul was faking and of course, the FBI knows, trailing the men as Paul must suddenly go out into the world and get a real job. After several employment mishaps, Paul is hired on as a consultant on the mob TV series "Little Caesar." There, he reunites with his old gang and they begin planning a huge heist. Meanwhile, Ben is still trying to grieve for the father he sometimes hated, popping pills and trying desperately to keep Paul in line. In the end, we find out who was trying to kill Paul, who may be redeemable after all. Like its predecessor, "Analyze That" is merely okay. The focus here is definitely on DeNiro, as he is featured in almost every scene. Ben takes a backseat in the film when in fact his situation dealing with his father's death (running gag: "He's grieving, it's a process") is more interesting than Paul's heist and double crossing cronies. The film takes an almost angry look at "The Sopranos" in the form of its fictional show "Little Caesar." Naturally, I felt a little hypocrisy at this stage. A fake movie about mobsters poking fun at a fake TV show about mobsters. While no laugh riot, there are some bright spots. DeNiro has the funny psycho tests scenes, and Crystal is very natural while watching his life unravel. If you thought Kudrow's role in the first one was overpraised, then you will completely think the same here. Her lines seem hurried, like she did this over lunch hours during "Friends," and she is once again completely wasted in an underwritten role. Joe Viterelli is always good as Jelly, Paul's henchman, and Cathy Moriarty is fine as a rival crime boss. "Analyze That" is a ninety five minute foul mouthed sitcom, complete with end credits outtakes, that has its likable characters and not much else. The initial "mobster/shrink" gimmick wore off long ago, and a third movie does not seem likely.
Crystal and De Niro reprise their roles as a therapist and mob-boss patient, and of course they are the main reason why this movie has funny moments, Crystal plays the funny guy and De Niro plays the though guy, only this time he turns -apparently- into an old softy singing guy. De Niro isn't the typical comedian, we are used to see him as a mobster, but not as a singing mobster, so when he sings, we laugh. "Analyze That" offers some laughs, not too many, but this sequel still can be considered as an amusing comedy, of course, we get the sensation that could have been even better, but if you liked the first one, you'll like "Analyze That".
The story however is helter skelter where De Nero's mob boss character seems to shift gears too much from amusing fool to hard ass mob boss and all points in between. This can be more annoying than funny although there are some cute moments. However, there is little variation from the Jelly's character gives the film a light hearted touch. Therefore, this movie stands in the middle of the pack. ... Read more | |
| 10. Analyze That (Widescreen) Director: Harold Ramis | |
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Description Reviews (60)
Paul (Robert DeNiro) is in prison and Ben (Billy Crystal) has settled down into a routine life in suburbia with wife Laura (Lisa Kudrow) and his son. Someone is gunning for Paul in the big house, and Ben's father dies. Paul has a complete nervous breakdown, singing the score to "West Side Story," and he is released into Ben's care (after some very funny psychoanalytic tests). Of course, Paul was faking and of course, the FBI knows, trailing the men as Paul must suddenly go out into the world and get a real job. After several employment mishaps, Paul is hired on as a consultant on the mob TV series "Little Caesar." There, he reunites with his old gang and they begin planning a huge heist. Meanwhile, Ben is still trying to grieve for the father he sometimes hated, popping pills and trying desperately to keep Paul in line. In the end, we find out who was trying to kill Paul, who may be redeemable after all. Like its predecessor, "Analyze That" is merely okay. The focus here is definitely on DeNiro, as he is featured in almost every scene. Ben takes a backseat in the film when in fact his situation dealing with his father's death (running gag: "He's grieving, it's a process") is more interesting than Paul's heist and double crossing cronies. The film takes an almost angry look at "The Sopranos" in the form of its fictional show "Little Caesar." Naturally, I felt a little hypocrisy at this stage. A fake movie about mobsters poking fun at a fake TV show about mobsters. While no laugh riot, there are some bright spots. DeNiro has the funny psycho tests scenes, and Crystal is very natural while watching his life unravel. If you thought Kudrow's role in the first one was overpraised, then you will completely think the same here. Her lines seem hurried, like she did this over lunch hours during "Friends," and she is once again completely wasted in an underwritten role. Joe Viterelli is always good as Jelly, Paul's henchman, and Cathy Moriarty is fine as a rival crime boss. "Analyze That" is a ninety five minute foul mouthed sitcom, complete with end credits outtakes, that has its likable characters and not much else. The initial "mobster/shrink" gimmick wore off long ago, and a third movie does not seem likely.
Crystal and De Niro reprise their roles as a therapist and mob-boss patient, and of course they are the main reason why this movie has funny moments, Crystal plays the funny guy and De Niro plays the though guy, only this time he turns -apparently- into an old softy singing guy. De Niro isn't the typical comedian, we are used to see him as a mobster, but not as a singing mobster, so when he sings, we laugh. "Analyze That" offers some laughs, not too many, but this sequel still can be considered as an amusing comedy, of course, we get the sensation that could have been even better, but if you liked the first one, you'll like "Analyze That".
The story however is helter skelter where De Nero's mob boss character seems to shift gears too much from amusing fool to hard ass mob boss and all points in between. This can be more annoying than funny although there are some cute moments. However, there is little variation from the Jelly's character gives the film a light hearted touch. Therefore, this movie stands in the middle of the pack. ... Read more | |
| 11. Groundhog Day Director: Harold Ramis | |
 | list price: $19.95
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Amazon.com Reviews (239)
This movie is straight out funny...it will make you crack up with every viewing. Watch out for Stephen Tobolowski in his bizarre role as Ned Ryerson, and a cameo appearance by the film's director (and Murray's costar in Ghostbusters) Harold Ramis. The features are well worth the money too.
Bill Murray and Andie McDowell are perfect in this film, Murray as the cynical, infinitely self-centered TV weather newscaster, and Andie McDowell as his radiant and relentlessly uplifting TV producer and love interest. The plot has been rehashed many times by others, so I won't repeat it again. The thing that makes this movie so memorable, and makes it stand out from all others is not the comedy, which is enjoyable, but the deeper themes behind it. What are these themes? In reading the other 226 reviews, people have mentioned everything from Buddhist karma and reincarnation, Nietzsche and existentialism, Kubler Ross, the Seven Sins, and Gurdjieff -Ouspensky and the Fourth Way. Comparisons have been made to themes from the Twilight Zone, and Frank Capra movies like "It's a Wonderful Life". Yes, I suppose all of these themes are present, and people will interpret this movie in the religious or philosophical context with which they are most familiar. Which is why it's a bit surprising that so far nobody has mentioned the main theme that stood out immediately for me in this movie. Above all the existentialism and New Age themes that might be found in this movie is a very old fashioned one - at its core, this movie is a moral tale of love, hope, and redemption. Bill Murray's character is stuck in time, stuck in purgatory, stuck in a perpetual rut of endless reincarnation and immortality, whatever you want to call it. His character, Phil Connors asks, "What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?" Connors first uses his recursive immortality to dive even deeper into the Seven Sins, and then sinks into despair, hopelessness, and attempted suicide. But gradually, he awakens to the possibility that his choices of action do matter, and discovers that through caring for the other people in this town, he is able to regain hope in his own life again. It is this genuine turn in becoming a better person that wins the heart of Andie McDowell's character and earns him redemption from this purgatory. Another reviewer had mentioned a link to the theme of making hard choices in the "Lord of the Rings". Thanks to "Groundhog Day", I came to understand one question from LOTR that had always bothered me - why would any immortal being (i.e., elves like Arwen and Haldir in LOTR) ever give up their immortality? The answer: maybe immortality becomes tiresome and meaningless if one cannot make a difference in this world, maybe leaving immortality to gain the love of another is truly more worthwhile. There was just one other aspect of this idea that came to mind - what if whoever or whatever had kept Phil Connors stuck in time had continued to keep him there even after his transformation? We like to think that love and hope always leads to redemption. What if it doesn't? That's one real-life possibility which is not explored in this movie, but nevertheless, it is still a terrific movie.
Imagine waking up every morning and it is the same day over and over again? Well, Murray has this happen to him. Every time he does his day becomes one disaster after another until he finally gives in and figures out he can use each day to improve himself and his life a little at a time. The message here is clear. We all have a life that is made up of the same day everyday, what we choose to do with that day is really up to us. Do we want to improve our lot in life or just go along with being ourselves in a boring unfulfilled endless life that is a cycle of recurring themes? This movie shows anyone, even though it is a comedy, that each day we have a choice to make the day what it can be. Murray plays Phil Connors, on Ground Hog Day when the ground hog's name is also Phil...go figure. Connors is as arrogant as they come and he just keeps trying so hard to impress people. He goes from egotisical and self serving to seeing himself to get the girl of his dreams, Rita. It would be nice to know how many days of Ground Hog Days he spent there. You can see him go from this to a renaissance man who really cares about people, loves life and takes each day and uses it to improve himself. Rita, although the same person and not being influenced or affected by being in Ground Hog day, comes to really like Phil. This movie makes us laugh at ourselves and our humanity. And by the end of the movie, he shows that he can have a positive effect on everyone he comes in contact with. So when you hear the song, "I've Got You Babe," and the announcers saying, "It's Ground Hog Day....." remember to use the day to its fullest.
I'm facinated each time watching the totally self centered Bill Murray caught in this marvelous time paradox, living the same day over and over. He goes through differing stages: fear and confusion; euphoria, when he realizes he can do ANYTHING without consequence; despair, when he realizes that life is meaningless if one pursues selfish pleasures without goals; and finally a peaceful self actualization when he dedicates himself toward self improvement and the humanitarian goals his situation gives him the opportunity to pursue. It gives one pause to consider what each of US would do in a similar circumstance. Oh, it's really funny, too.
Bill Murray plays Phil Connors a weatherman, who covers everything from weather to Ground Day. Phil isn't happy with his life, in fact he realizes that he is repeating the same routine over and over again. From work in the morning,to I use the term breakdown because well Phil isn't exactly a nice guy, he's arrogant and obnoxious. We hardly sympathize with this guy, much less that he is miserable. He drives reckless around the train tracks, gets arrested, steals a bagfull of money from a couple of dumb cops, charms his way into sleeping with a beautiful young girl and yet finds out that he still isn't happy. Until he puts the moves on Rita (Andy McDowell), his producer. McDowell is the few actresses that I know that has limited acting potential but her beautiful presence can convey some emotions making her sympathetic. However, in order to get close to Rita, Phil has to get info on her likes and dislikes from her friends. This angle in the movie, really made me a little sick, because even we are suppose to sympathize with Phil, he hasn't really changed all that much. Rita, eventually finds out Phil's motives and slaps him in the face, and telling him to get lost. LOL No surprise there, in fact Rita's action sums up my argument that Phil hasn't really changed all that much despite his aim to not repeat the same day, he is still repeating his same behavioral patterns. Phil though in order to impress her and to change himself, starts doing bizarre, yet unreal things that get him attention and he does start to become nicer. This is where the movie gets ridiculous, because even though this is a comedy, I found the rest of the movie to be predictable, superficial, yet enjoyable Yes Harold Ramis does go a bit over the top with this Phil guy, obviously a lot of the stuff he pulls of is almost impossible giving Phil's background, but Ramis is again trying to show the point (although laughingly bad) that Phil is changing. He now has a heart and will do anything to be with this nice woman and of course by Phil doing this he has filled that empty void that he had when he was repeating the same unfulling routine of covering that stupid Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania. Ramis is actually a buddy of Murray going back to the old days of their ''SCTV'' days, and ''Ghostbusters'' days, so these two talented comedian can pull the hijinks in the film with some realism. Still though Ramis does do a good job of making us think about the movie and Phil itself and gives us that scary thought that we perhaps might end up like Phil, a shriveled, ugly man who has been repeating the same stupid routine yet doesn't have the capacity to see that this misery is at his own doing. LOL ... Read more | |
| 12. Analyze This / Analyze That Director: Harold Ramis | |
 | list price: $29.82
our price: $26.84 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: B00008NJFT Catlog: DVD Sales Rank: 5305 Average Customer Review:
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Amazon.com Analyze That | |
Grab your bag
The movie is great but the DVD falls short
Stinker