Reviews (35)

True to the Show.
Unlike the 1963 film of the same name, this 1995 made-for-television movie of the classic musical stays true to the source. The film contains just about everything from the stage musical plus three new songs. The acting is great, the songs are a blast, and the settings/scenery capture the town of Sweet Apple, Ohio perfectly.

Tyne Daly as Mae Peterson, George Wendt as Mr. McAfee, and Vanessa Williams as Rose Alvarez are perfect.Jason Alexander is a delight as Albert Peterson, but seemed to have trouble with some of the songs and I therefore liked Dick Van Dyke's Albert from the original film better. Chynna Philips, on the other hand, just doesn't seem believable as Kim: she appeared way too old and just couldn't hit the right notes of her songs. Ann-Margaret was by far the better Kim. Also, I didn't like the fact that Hugo carried a guitar around (too Conrad Birdie wannabee, which Hugo definitely is not) and the scene at the end of the play where Kim announces her engagement to Hugo was cut. Other than that, the film really has no flaws.

This version of BYE BYE BIRDIE is far superior to the original. At just around two hours, it's just like watching the play, but in your own home.

Funny and Entertaining
This 1995 made for TV movie is millions of miles away from the tacky propaganda-filled 1963 film. This version follows the real story and doesn't leave out any key parts or songs. The casting was done well, especially Tyne Daly as Mae Peterson (hilarious) and the actor who plays Conrad Birdie--an amazing voice! George Wendt plays the role of Mr. MacAfee and not only can he sing but is a riot in the Ed Sullivan scene. However, Chynna Phillips is not a great choice for Kim--she looks too old, her singing voice is only so-so (Kim's songs have all been lowered an octave) and the way she interpreted the role made Kim seem snotty. One of the best scenes is when Ursula and co. are doing "Bye Bye Birdie" at the malt shop--their voices and enthusiasm are unbelievable. All in all, it's a great show, excellent viewing for anyone wanting to produce or direct the musical.

Fabulous!
I actually saw this version before I saw the 1963 version, and so I was used to the 1995 one. That said, when I saw the 1963 version, I was appalled. That scrawny teenager for the role of sex-symbol Birdie? Ann-Margaret, on the other hand, actually looked the part of a fifteen year old, as oppesed to Chynna Phillips. Tyne Daly, Vanessa Williams, George Wendt, the man who played Conrad, and the girl who played Ursula far outstripped their predecessors. Jason Alexander was a delight in playing up Albert's neurosis, but he just wasn't as delightful as Dick Van Dyke (but who is, really?). Speaking of delightful, I was pleasantly surprised to see Uncle Arthur from "Bewitched" in the first film. The story line of the 1995 version was also more coherently flowing than that of 1963. I absolutely loved the new songs, especially the one just coming into Sweet Apple, where Rosie and Albert were giving the press the "true" story of where Conrad came from. The big dance numbers were also so much better choreographed and filmed in 1995, particularly the "Goin' Steady" and "Sincere" numbers. To tell the truth, I could not watch all of the 1963 version, where I have seen the 1995 version at least 10 times.

Outstanding
Vanessa Williams and Jason Alexander sparkle! The music is great, particularly Tyne Daly's rendition of "Mothers Aren't Important Anymore." The movie stays with the original story line, which means you get some real depth in terms of the relationship between William's and Alexander's characters. It is funny and clever. My whole family has enjoyed it for years, and still does (my children currently range in age from 14 to 24). IT SHOULD BE ON DVD!!!!!!!!

Bye Bye Bad Movie
Ugh! I know I shouldn't compare this to the 1963 movie, but [this] "Bye Bye Birdie" is inferior to the 1963 "Bye Bye Birdie" of the same name. The older movie has more spunk, character and better singing (Van Dyke, Margret, Rydell and yes, Paul Lynde & Pearson). The actors projected more fun on the screen in the older movie than this one. Arrrgh - Chynna Phillips singing. ... Read more

Description

Neil Simon's beloved story about two divorced men who decide to share a New York apartment. Felix is fussy and fastidious to a fault. He proves that cleanliness is next to insanity. Oscar wreaks havoc on a tidy room with the speed and thoroughness of a tornado. An enduring and endearing picture with the intelligence one usually misses in comedies. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The Original And Still The Best, With An Exception or Two
The story is a classic. Poor neat Felix is going through a divorce, and old, sloppy friend Oscar takes him in. Both go through mid-life crises, and we get to meet some great character actors along the way.. besides Matthau and Lemmon, of course! John Fielder is magnificent. We all know the film by its countless viewings on TV ... and of course the TV series. It's FINALLY nice, through the magic of wide-screen, to see the ENTIRE poker game. To see the ENTIRE messy apartment ... and those classic New York street scenes. What's not so nice are the color and sound. Neither has held up that well, though Paramount must have made their best efforts to put together something out of bad '60's negatives and/or prints. The color is so muted, and so is a lot of the sound for whatever reason. Still, the DVD version is much better than the pan-and-scan VHS version currently offered. Can't do too much about that '60's color.

Odd Men Out Are Still In Style
Perhaps prolific playwright Neil Simon's best known work, the 1968 film adaptation of The Odd Couple, helped to give birth to one of cinema's best comedy teams. It is clear from the begining that Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon were a match made in heaven.

Recently divorced fussbudget and neatfreak Felix Unger (Lemmon) is down on his luck. With nowhere else to turn, he finds himself, reluctantly, on the doorstep of pal Oscar Madison (Matthau), who is himself divorced. Oscar is a total slob and proud of it. The film is all about how these total opposites, can live with each other, without losing their sanity.

While I never saw the play, (save for a High School produced short version) the filmmakers didn't mess with the formula. Adapting stage plays on film, can at times, seem quite limiting . Not here though. Director Gene Saks has great sense of what works. The chemistry between Lemmon and Matthau is undeniable. The performances are pitch perfect--even from the supporting players. Simon's story and script is timeless and holds up very well...The movie may have been made over 30 years ago and yet...I always liked watching the TV series, still, nothing beats the film version.

It's great to finally be able to see the movie in the widescreen format, though, a cleaner print is called for. The only bonus material on the DVD is the film's theatrical trailer. Both of these great actors are sadly no longer with us, but thankfully their work will live on, in the films they left behind. Recommended with a **** and 1 quarter rating.

A Perfect Comedy Team in the Perfect Comedy
Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy? This movie proves that the answer is no. Oscar is a sloppy New York sports writer. Felix is a fussy neat freak who writes the news for television. Both are divorced and share an apartment together. Felix complains about a pickle on the floor, and Oscar complains about Felix washing Oscar's poker cards. Yes, they get on each other's nerves endlessly, that is, until Oscar throws Felix out. This movie is one of my all-time favorites, and unlike other movies I've seen, it doesn't get stale with repeated viewings. All in all, a classic comedy by Neil Simon.

Enjoyable comedy
This is a very funny movie with two excellent comic performances from Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Lemmon makes Felix a sympathetic and three-dimensional character, melancholy and depressive as well as fussy and compulsively neat. What's frustrating for me is that I love Lemmon's Felix, while for Oscar I prefer Jack Klugman, who played the role in the TV show THE ODD COUPLE. My ideal pairing would be Lemmon and Klugman, with the rest of the supporting cast (including the wonderful John Fiedler). Oh, well...

For me, the best part of this movie is the SUPERB theme music by Neal Hefti, which I think should have won an award. In the theme we hear a musical "portrait" of Oscar and Felix, before we even hear either of them speak. Enjoy it!

THE ODD COUPLE: The Movie
Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE has been a hit in three different incarnations. First, in 1965, there was the Broadway production starring Art Carney and Walter Matthau as Felix Unger and Oscar Madison. The play was filmed in 1968 with Matthau and Jack Lemmon, then turned into the TV series featuring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. Though the movie opens up the one-set original to include scenes in restaurants, streets, a motel, a ballpark, and a bowling alley, the sequences set in Oscar's Riverside Drive apartment form the heart of the play; director Gene Saks keeps these intact for the movie. Matthau's deadpan Oscar is the perfect foil for Lemmon's melancholy yet funny Felix. The scenes involving the two are alternately riotous - as when Oscar becomes fed up with Felix's constant fussing - and touching - as when Felix cries in front of the Pigeon sisters, his and Oscar's dinner dates. John Fiedler shines as one of Oscar's four poker-playing buddies. THE ODD COUPLE, in whatever version, is ultimately a comedy about friendship enduring despite differences, and this theme is communicated superbly by the team of Lemmon, Matthau, and Saks. ... Read more

Description

Walter Matthau stars as Julian Winston, an easy-going bachelor dentist whose delicately balanced scheme crumbles under some unexpected circumstances. Winston is stringing along his dizzy blonde mistress, Toni (Goldie Hawn), by telling her he has a wife and children. When he learns that Toni has tried to commit suicide over him, however, he promises to marry her. Toni, refusing to be a homewrecker, insists on meeting Winston's wife. He convinces Stephanie (Bergman)--his starched, no-nonsense receptionist--to pose as his wife, and there are unforeseen twists and surprises for everyone. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Racey topics aside
This is rated PG 13 but I would advise against having your 12/13 year old daughter watch it. There is much talk of male masturbation. If you let her watch be prepared for a LONG talk afterwards! :-)

Aside from that, it is a great movie that exudes love, desire and real life. The acting is superb. This is one of the best Neal Simon movies ever, I think.

From Stag to Screen
If this was the first time I had ever seen "Brighton Beach Memoirs" I might be impressed, but it's not so I'm not. I saw the play on stag and I have to say that is so much better in real life. The movie really wasn't that bad, but the stag will always be my first love.

so good to see this back!
I have seen BOTH vhs and dvd versions of this classic and i pick the vhs version hands down. the audio on the dvd is pathetic! I bought the dvd and the color is sepia-like. Tell universal to keep vhs alive. It IS superior.

Threre's no choice better than jon silverman for eugene.
He really made it a COMEDY.

A Comedy-Drama Masterpiece
Five stars for the story; four stars for the DVD only because I cannot fathom why - with all the advancing technology and options available - any DVD theatrical release would not be offered in a wide-screen format. Otherwise this has to be the best Neil Simon work I have ever seen. Although I am from a much newer generation, I could identify easily with many of the characters, both from similar personal experiences, and from the culture within which I was raised. I would highly recommend this film, but only to true drama fans (of any age) and to older generations who have lived the times portrayed in this delightful romp. There is mild adult content, so be wary if you allow your young teens to watch. This is one of those rare classics that never received the publicity it deserved on the big screen; but then it can only appeal to a certain audience. If you feel like going out on a limb and watching something different or you want to conjure up old memories of yester-year, then by all means watch this film and enjoy! ... Read more

Description

In LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS, balding restaurateur Barney Cashman (Arkin) thinks he can cure his raging mid-life crisis with extra-marital trysts carried out at his mother’s apartment.Unfortunately, his clumsy attempts at seducing three women in succession – a fiery, demanding Italian woman, a weird but attractive actress and the repressed wife of a friend - all end catastrophically.Finding that being a ‘player’ is much more complicated and difficult than he could have imagined, Barney resolves that his boring married existence maybe wasn’t so tedious after all. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Film-Version of Neil Simon Stage Classic
The fast-paced, witty script follows Neil Simon's stage play almost verbatim. Countless funny lines and come-backs make this a very entertaining comedy. Mid-life crisis seems to hit almost every character. Having an affair was the "in" thing, portrayed as a survival necessity. The "loverboy" is quite nervous about cheating on his wife of 22 years (with whom he has 3 children). Opportunities seem plentiful. Saying prayers for guidance is like a fettish to this man.

Somehow the production of ths 1970s NYC setting and action feel like a French or Italian comedy. There definitely is a European flavor (of the 70s). The cover of the DVD promises a letterbox format, yet delivers only a VERY squeezed TV version. There are no added features whatsoever. Those are the only disappointments in an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable comedy. Fans of Neil Simon's work will have a great time.****

Very funny film
I'm not going to summarize the film because others already have. But I do want to rescue Last of the Red Hot Lovers (LRHL) from previous comment about this being a tepid, so-so movie. My wife and I have watched this movie on VHS off and on for years and it never fails to get us rolling. I love Neil Simon and this is one my favorite movies of his plays. Neil Simon is wonderful at drawing out the rediculous in common, real-life experiences, and the New York City sacastic Jewish humor is priceless.

Who can forget Barney Cashman's mid-life crisis prayers: "....I look today older than yesterday. A few years and it'll all be over. Please God, don't let it be over. Let something terrific happen today. Anything, just as long as it's something, Amen!" Or when cynical, sated, chains-smoking Elaine Navazio (Sally Kellerman) arrives in Cashman's mother's squeeky-clean, paper-thin walls, nothing-can-appear-out-of-place-when-we're-done apartment for a secret liason with Barney. Elaine: Cough...hack...hew...cough......cough....hew..hew....cough...hack...cough....Do you have a cigarette? Barney: A cigarette? My God, wouldn't you rather have some water? Elaine: I can't smoke water.

The scene when Barney smokes pot with the Paula Pentiss character made me choke laughing. "I can't feel my heart. What the hell happen to my heart!"

And fish-restaurant owner Cashman habitually smelling and trying to douse the fish smell from his fingers: Elaine: Again with the fingers. That's the second time you smelled you fingers since I been here. Barney: No, no, I was just cheking my watch. Elaine: Oh, is it time to smell your fingers?

Forget that the movie may not be a perfect adaptation of the play. Most people who see movies never read the written material they're based on anyway. This movie is funny and has more hilarious, memorable one-liners than any other movie I can think of (The Princess Bride is right up there). I've owned LRHL in VHS for years and look forward to getting it on DVD.

tepid
This film based on Neil Simon's Broadway hit has a terrible reputation, but I've seen worse adaptations of stage plays. Its structure is similar to Simon's Plaza Suite where 1 actor encounters 3 different women. This time the actor is Alan Arkin, who is experiencing a middle age crisis and has an adolescent desire to have sex with a woman other than his wife. Simon is best at observing the ridiculousness of people in stressful situations, so we don't have high hopes for Arkin's chances. In the first encounter, Arkin is overshadowed by Sally Kellerman, here using unexpected (for her) Jewish intonation. She is dressed to recall Barbra Streisand's Doris from The Owl and the Pussycat, with large sunglasses and a fur coat. Kellerman gives the best performance of the three women, since her role is probably the better written, and allows her to keep her dignity. Simon also gives her character all the jokes about how Arkin is using his mother's apartment as a meeting place, a joke which extends to the second encounter where Arkin reacts to the woman's careless use of the contents. Simon wants us to see Arkin's fantasy as arrested development, but I think he also thinks we should still empathise with the man. As the second woman, Paula Prentiss sings well but overdoes her kooky manic act, though ironically it allows Arkin to be his best. He is very funny when he smokes pot with Prentiss, though Simon doesn't know how to end the scene. In the third encounter, Renee Taylor begins well with her brand of stylised hysteria and Arkin has an experienced agenda. But soon her depression becomes tiresome, and he chasing her around the room unfunny. The film opens each episode with a subjective camera with Arkin narration and the preamble before the encounters is self-consciously theatre. Also the woman are all strangely dressed unflatteringly - Kellerman's dress emphasises her bosom, Prentiss' hotpants her long legs, and Taylor's hairstyle prefigures her Ma on The Nanny. The film also presents Arkin's wife in a party scene that pre-empts the Taylor encounter, which throws the tone since the humour relies upon her being an abstraction. Once the wife becomes real, the intended comedy becomes drama, but thankfully Simon caps Arkin's predicament with a tart epilogue.

THE GENIUS OF ALAN ARKIN
NOT FOR EVERYONE, BUT A MUST FOR ALAN ARKIN ENTHUSIASTS AND THOSE WITH A LUST FOR DRY HUMOR AND WIT. ALAN ARKIN GOING THROUGH A MID LIFE CRISIS IS AS FUNNY AS IT GETS. A SCENE WITH HIM AND PAULA PRENTIS SMOKING POT IS LTERALLY LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY.

Laugh out loud funny!
I think Alan Arkin is a master at what seems to be unintentional humor. He is very funny in this movie ... Read more

Description

15-year-old Eugene Jerome is desperately trying to uncover life's mysteries, but his family keeps hiding the clues. Even so, he manages to keep his priorities--baseball and girls--firmly in order throughout Neil Simon's hilarious adaptation of his Broadway hit about growing up in Brooklyn during the late 1930's. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Racey topics aside
This is rated PG 13 but I would advise against having your 12/13 year old daughter watch it. There is much talk of male masturbation. If you let her watch be prepared for a LONG talk afterwards! :-)

Aside from that, it is a great movie that exudes love, desire and real life. The acting is superb. This is one of the best Neal Simon movies ever, I think.

From Stag to Screen
If this was the first time I had ever seen "Brighton Beach Memoirs" I might be impressed, but it's not so I'm not. I saw the play on stag and I have to say that is so much better in real life. The movie really wasn't that bad, but the stag will always be my first love.

so good to see this back!
I have seen BOTH vhs and dvd versions of this classic and i pick the vhs version hands down. the audio on the dvd is pathetic! I bought the dvd and the color is sepia-like. Tell universal to keep vhs alive. It IS superior.

Threre's no choice better than jon silverman for eugene.
He really made it a COMEDY.

A Comedy-Drama Masterpiece
Five stars for the story; four stars for the DVD only because I cannot fathom why - with all the advancing technology and options available - any DVD theatrical release would not be offered in a wide-screen format. Otherwise this has to be the best Neil Simon work I have ever seen. Although I am from a much newer generation, I could identify easily with many of the characters, both from similar personal experiences, and from the culture within which I was raised. I would highly recommend this film, but only to true drama fans (of any age) and to older generations who have lived the times portrayed in this delightful romp. There is mild adult content, so be wary if you allow your young teens to watch. This is one of those rare classics that never received the publicity it deserved on the big screen; but then it can only appeal to a certain audience. If you feel like going out on a limb and watching something different or you want to conjure up old memories of yester-year, then by all means watch this film and enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The 1974 film version of Mame stars legendary Lucille Ball and isbased on the 1966 hit Broadwaymusical, not the 1958 movie. When 10-year-old Patrick Dennis's father dies,he is sent to live with his eccentric Auntie Mame. Mame may know nothing aboutbeing a parent, but she's got love and spontaneity in spades, and Patrick bloomsin the time spent with her. Though Miss Ball seems sadly miscast whenMame begins (she's too old and can't sing), by the time the movie reachesthe famous foxhunt scene when Mame accidentally wins the hunt, and in turn theheart of gallant Beauregard Burnside, you start to believe Lucy is Mame.

Reprising her Broadway role (for which she won a Tony), Bea Arthur plays Mame'sboozy pal Vera Charles. Songs include the now-classic "We Need a LittleChristmas" and "Bosom Buddies" plus "Loving You," sung by Robert Preston's Beauand written for this movie. --Dana Van Nest ... Read more

Reviews (116)

Cheesy and a waste of time
After reading the book "Auntie Mame" by the real Patrick Dennis I decided to watch both of the movies to see how they treated the story.

I was very pleased with the Rosalind Russell version.She does an excellent job playing the part of Auntie Mame.The entire 1958 version is hilarious, and with the exception of the hydraulic furniture scene, stays true to the book.

However, this Lucille version is a bomb if I've ever seen one.Since when is Agnes Gooch Patrick's nanny?She was Mame's first secretary until her pregnancy.Pegeen was changed completely.Lucille Ball was far past her prime to star in this part.To top it off, the cheesiness of turning a story like this into a musical was beyond description!

I don't recommend spending your hard-earned money on this one.Purchase the Rosalind Russell version instead.You won't regret choosing that one over this one!

Another FABULOUS film not yet on DVD!
I have loved this film for 30 years.Why has it not been released on DVD?The bitchy but amiable relationship between Lucille Ball and Bea Arthur is still one of my favourite comedy bits!This film also shows Lucille Ball's tender, vulnerable side in counterbalance to the zaniness she usually brings to mind.

Beautiful Movie
I bought this movie for the holidays, and it came in the mail today and I sat down and watched it and I loved it. I am glad I finally bought it. Lucille Ball is beautiful as Mame, and the whole story line is beautiful and makes you want to cry. I cried throughout almost the whole movie it was so beautiful. Some of the events in this movie arn't exactly suitable for children. But all and all this is one of the best movies ever made I think. Mame goes through so much sorrow and heartbreak throughout the whole movie, but she always is able to go through every trial that comes her way with a smile and a song. And joy in everything. You weep for her when she looses everything in the Stock Market Crash of 1929. And when her own freind gets so mad at her, because Mame just accidentally ruined her show. And then you are so happy when she meets Robert Preston at the store she is working for and when she marries him. Then you weep once again when he dies when the Avalanche occurs. Then you are so heartbroken when Patrick is so mean to her, and tries to run her life for her. And then you rejoice again when Peter,Patrick and his Wifes little boy goes with Mame on one of her trips. This movie is a grand film to be enjoyed by one and all. I highly suggest it to everyone.

Lucy gets in the show
Yea, yea, yea, Lucy's singing is not the greatest. As Lucy once said:"A Barbra Streisand I'm not". But isn't that part of what endeared her to us as Lucy Ricardo? Didn't we always route for her to get in the show, despite mean old Ricky? Well, he she is folks..she finally got in the show! So, don't knock her. The movie is darn funny, the songs are great, the cast is excellant, especially the chemistry between Lucy and Bea Arthur.
Watch it, and remember Lucy Ricardo fondly. be happy our Lucy is in the show.

I Love Lucy, But Not "Mame"
Admirers of Rosalind Russell's "Auntie Mame" (1958) should avoid this disastrous 1974 musical, which only succeeded in ending Lucille Ball's film career. Lucy tries but is badly miscast in the title role. The only bright spot is Bea Arthur. You're better off watching a "I Love Lucy" rerun. ... Read more