Reviews (17)

"Napoleon" Is Simply Dynamite
The delightfully original film "Napoleon Dynamite" follows the life of a geeky teenager of the same name, and through his misadventures at his high school and at home in Preston, Idaho. This film first began to delight audiences at the Sundance Film Festival, and now that it has been nationally released across the country, I finally got the chance to see why. It is a movie that doesn't seem to bother with an intricate storyline, but is simply tales from Napoleon's everyday life, small events to an outsider but from his perspective, his whole world. This, in a sense, makes the picture a more realistic depiction of teenage life.

The character of Napoleon, brought to life by Jon Heder, is a caricature of a high school teenager. With a tuft of brownish hair, glasses, and a permanent look of confusion, getting pushed against lockers by popular jocks are regular occurrences for Napoleon, and strange behaviors as talking about hunting werewolves or saving tatertots in his pants pockets for later seem normal to him. He is delightfully quirky, and it makes the audience root for him as the unlikely hero. From his adventures at school with his friends Deb (Tina Majorino) and Pedro (Efren Ramirez), to his life at home with his geeky 31-year-old brother Kip (Aaron Ruell), his football crazed Uncle Rico (Jon Gries), and his llama Tina, Napoleon brings a unique charm to the screen that is only enhanced by the crazy characters around him.

"Napoleon Dynamite" is certainly one of the most original and strangely hilarious films of the year, and thanks to the brilliant script co-written by Jared and Jerusha Hess, the direction by Jared Hess, and the performances by all members of the cast, it is sure to win over any audience member, as quickly as it won me over.

I wish I could give it six stars
This is truly the feel-good movie of this year; there's not a curse word to be heard, no more violence than a few noogies, and no sex at all. Still, I defy you not to want to cheer at the end of this. The story of misfit Napoleon Dynamite and his miniscule circle of friends in rural Idaho, this movie manages to present the total nerd characters with their nerdiness intact, as well as their inherent dignity and humanity. I'm not going to tell you one plot point, because I want you to have the total pleasure of discovering them for yourself.

The friend of mine who saw this at Sundance told me that a jaded audience of Hollywood types 2000 strong cheered, stomped their feet and clapped their hands raw at this movie. You will too.

No log off and go see this right now.

The Prince of Preston
This is a small film, a very good one, told large. The director, Jared Hess, is a 24 year old wunderkind from the barrens of Preston, Idaho, and he has created a gem; a cousin to the Coens. This is a comedy that will sneak up on you, the stuff of belly laughs. Last year he did a 9-minute short film, PELUCA, starring Jon Heder, and it seems to have been the outline for this feature film. Hess is from Preston, and he filmed it as only a resident could; full of empty landscapes, lonely roads, farmers, ranchers, and rednecks. A scene where Napoleon gets a job for the day on a chicken ranch is worth the price of admission.

There have been numerous comparisons for this movie to WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, and RUSHMORE. But for me, this film stands firmly on its own. It plays out like an absurdist straight drama that also happens to be funny. It is reminescent of some of the best moments in the Coen Brother's RAISING ARIZONA.

The film was a big hit at Sundance, and it has been distributed well; a lucky break for Hess. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more of the youth of our country could rally behind this tiny epic, and create it as a cult film; that for a moment they step away from the commedia del raunchy that they mostly immerse themselves in; that they actually laugh at themselves, the way they really are, just kids struggling to grow up? The 13-30 year old demographic dictates our art, our music, and our movies. This little film could go a long ways in restoring the missing heart, the naivete and grace to the comedic genre.

One real plus for me was the odd wholesomeness of this movie. There was zero profanity. Most of the time when a script deletes realistic high school vernacular, and changes the language to a lot of goshs, dangs, hecks, frigging, and freaking, it usually morphs quickly into the landscape of the lame. But somehow, Hess makes the lack of profanity work, and we don't miss it.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called Jon Heder," geek deadpan perfection." He loved the film, and directs us," to laugh until it hurts." Heder is a lanky beanpole with a red Afro, all Adam's apple and oversized glasses, and overbite. At first glance one sees a young Yahoo Serious, or a Scott "Carrot Top" Thompson. But no, Heder is more natural, more believable, more absurd, and wonderfully unselfconscious. He is less the over-the-top screamer. In his best moments, like when he played tetherball with himself, or practiced his killer dance moves in his room, he reminded me of some of the great clowns; like a young Jerry Lewis, and even the precursory shadings of the great ones like Jackie Gleason in GIGOT, or Jacques Tati. Heder is Napoleon Dynamite, a prince of Preston, a nerdish Conan out to slay demons, or maybe just to get laid.

The setting for the film seems to be the early 1990's. Napoleon, and his older brother, Kip, live with their grandmother, played by Sandy Martin, who does a great turn as a biker grandma, who still dates, eats entirely too much steak, and loves her llama.
Aaron Ruell, as the brother Kip, a 32 year old who has been a nerd for so long he is oblivious to it, does a fine job with the role. He lives in front of his computer, logging countless hours in chatrooms, searching for cyber-love, running up huge internet bills. Tina Mjorino, as girlfriend Deb, was wonderfully wacky, off-center, and loveable. A former child star, from films like WATERWORLD, she is 19 years old now, and she is good enough to be slugging it out with the likes of Thora Birch, Jena Malone, and Christina Ricci for those Odd Girl parts. She found the sweet quirkiness and heartfelt honesty of her character. Jon Gries, an actor since 1968, son of famed film director Tom Gries, was very good as the arrogant deluded ignorant Uncle Ricco; a man stuck in the past, reliving a fake fantasy that when he played high school football he might have been a great star, even turned pro...if his stupid coach had not left him on the bench so much. Efrem Ramirez, as Napoleon's best friend, Pedro, is a veteran actor from 10 films. His babyface, and deadpan delivery served him well. He did an excellent job. When he decided to run for class president, against a popular cheerleader, the tempo begins to shift, and we begin to see that this sad and funny drama was going to bend into a kind of fantasy tale; with underdogs rising to the occasion, taking on overwhelming odds, and of course, emerging victorious.

In smaller roles we first find Diedrich Baker as the karate teacher Rex, and he is the most seasoned veteran of the cast, having appeared in 33 films. He had a lot of fun with this part, prancing around in his American flag "bad-boy" pants, and pushing around the local kids while taking their money. Then there is Shondrella Avery appearing as Kip's cyberlove La Fawnduh. She is one hot mama, and she seems to like short skinny white dudes. When Kip boards the bus with her, bandana on his head, glasses in his pocket, suitcases in his hands, leaving home for the first time, we realize the film has come full circle, and now is a fairy tale.

I had approached this film skeptically, not being sure how I would react or relate to it...but it won me over. It was not just another dumb comedy that would disentegrate two points off my intelligence quotient just by sitting through it. Rather, it was a fine little film, large on ambition, that I came to care about. I recommend it highly.

Soooo FUNNY!!!!!
I loved this film. It is funny like the mainstream films try to be but usually don't live up to. Its got some really gross parts to so watch out. Every scene is laugh out loud. I was laughing so hard I was crying. It also has a really good theme. The minority actually gets the upper hand by using creativity, not giving up and still being themselves. The actors were absolutely outstanding! The story is fresh and original without the cliches that seem unending in many films. Napoleon is a boy in high school who would be considered a nerd. He is different because normally the nerd cliche would be to not stand up for yourself but Napoleon has a temper and isn't afraid to speak out for himself. Its just that he does it so funnily. Napoleon is not the only funny character, the film just overflows with creative characters, his brother who is 34, still living with grandma who cooks steaks all the time. He is also nerdlike and possibly slow. But he is so funny, he wants to be a karate fighter, he and Napoleon get into a slap fight, its just hilarious. The brother has a girlfriend he meets on the internet, who shows up and changes the brother into Mr. Cool, but it just isn't possible. The Uncle is Uncle Rico who loves football and is stuck in the 80's. He wants to go back and play in the 4th quarter and become a pro, which he didn't get to do. He buys a time machine on the net, another lol scene. Pedro is from Juarez, Mexico who gives a deadpan performance. His acting alone makes the movie a winner. He decides to run for president against the most popular girl in school. He never gives up and neither does Napoleon. Napoleon's love interest switches to Mel who is also another interesting character. Into photography and also somewhat nerdy. She is played by Tina Majorano (sp.) She was that little girl in When a Man Loves a Woman. Another great performance. I can't say enough about the film. I think most ages would like this film, there is some cussing and some gross out scenes, no sex. Go see it!

Lisa Nary

Napoleon Dynamite. More Movies should be like this.
Napoleon Dynamite was a fantastic movie. I came into the theatre about 10 minutes late, it was still great. Some movies have their fabulous moments, but not this one. The whole movie itself is a fabulous moment. I love movies with no point! Example: Welcome to The Dollhouse, I thought Nothing could even be the same as that movie or replace that movie. Then all the sudden a brilliant writer came up with this movie. I really appreciate Napoleon Dynamite. I really do not think anybody knows how much I appreciate it or even understand. I do not want to rate this movie a five, I want to rate it a 6. Sadly I can't, anywho for all of you who have not seen it go see it, then go see it again. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The brief 1980s mania surrounding "the Coreys" peaked with License to Drive, a modest but surprisingly still enjoyable adventure comedy. Les (Corey Haim, Lucas) has a chance to date his dream girl, Mercedes (Heather Graham, Boogie Nights, in her first significant movie role)--but he's just failed his driving exam. Motivated by a mixture of pride and hormones, he steals his grandfather's Cadillac and heads out on the town with Mercedes for a night that swiftly becomes an escalating series of disasters, made worse by the foolhardy antics of Les' best friend Dean (Corey Feldman, Stand by Me). Despite some egregious '80s fashion disasters (Graham gets the worst of them), License to Drive holds up surprisingly well--it's no work of genius, but it is a solidly made and entertaining teen comedy that's more coherent than most.The depiction of parent-teen relations is fairly honest and particularly well-played by Richard Masur (Risky Business) and Carol Kane (In the Soup) as the parents. The DVD includes a very funny and rambunctious audio commentary track by the screenwriter and director, as well as interviews with the grown-up Coreys. A must-have for fans of '80s nostalgia. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (37)

License to Drive - my all time favorite!
Being a child of the 80's - this movie was great! I watched it as a teenager over and over (probably more than 50 times) and laughed every single time! If you are a fan of 80's movies, you'll love this one! I've been waiting for it to make it to DVD - I'm so glad it has finally happened. It's a movie that brings back great memories for me.
Enjoy!

What more could you ask for?
I waited patiently for this DVD to come out.Ok, maybe not so patiently. Buuuut, I finally got my copy of License To Drive.I couldn't be more excited.Corey Haim, Corey Feldman and Heather Graham drunk and locked in the trunk of a hot car- what else could you possibly want in a light-hearted 80's teen movie!?This movie is an 80's classic! I would say it's even better than most of the Brat Pack stuff... This DVD is top notch. The extras are very cool. Interviews with both the Coreys! I've already watched the DVD start to finish twice this weekend!!!

License To Drive is Pure 80's fun.A must have...

A Cool Movie, Nice Extras
In License to Drive Corey Haim stars as Les Anderson. He has a problem. He has no license. He is too cool to be seen on the school bus and it's totally not cool to have your friends mom drop you off at parties. Plus, Wes has a crush on a hot blonde who just happens to be named Mercedes.

The time arrives when Les finally has his opportunity to go out on a date with Mercedes--but his parents discovered that he really failed his driving test. Les has got to make it happen and he takes the car anyway. Heck, Mercedes called him and expected to see him in 20 minutes, what's a teenage boy to do? The night becomes filled with misadventures and Mercedes gets so smashed she spends part of the night in the trunk of the car. The excitement only continues when Les' mother, played by Carol Kane needs to get to the hospital.

If you haven't seen this film in a while, it's just as great as it was when it was first released. The two Coreys followed up License to Drive with the movie Dream a Little Dream. Dream a Little Dream didn't have the commercial appeal as License to Drive. Although both Corey's appear on the cover, this was another film in which Corey Haim was definitly doing most of the driving considering the majority of the storyline revolved around him, his circumstance and his family, but Corey Feldman is a good sidekick as his buddy Dean.

There is also some cool music featured in License to Drive. While watching the movie keep your ears peeled for "Rush Hour," by Go Go's member Jane Wiedlin, "Mercedes Boy," by Pebbles, "Trouble," by Nia Peeples, "I Feel Free," by Belinda Carlisle, and "Get Out of My Dreams and Into My Car," by Billy Ocean.

The DVD itself does have some cool features which makes up for the wait in having this cool film on DVD. Extra's include interviews with Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, audio commentary with director Greg Beeman and writer Neil Tolkin, deleted scene, TV spots and theatrical trailers. The DVD-Rom portion of extras include the films screenplay.

The best extra's are the interviews with Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. Both actors look much better than they have in years. Corey Feldman has cut his hair since he appeared on The Surreal Life. Corey Haim has lost some weight and is sporting a spiky blond haircut. Both actors discuss how they got involved with the film, how they met and their experience of working together. The interviews are not real short, which is sweet.

Funny As 80's Comedy
Licence To Drive is one of those movies we can all relate to, wanting to get our licence, wanting the hottest babe in school. About certain scenes in the movie, the scenes i laugh at the most is where Dean is testing Les on driving licence questions & he goes up to the intercom & talks to les's sister & burps into it, another scene is where he is on the hill & the elderly driver behind him says "C'mon you little moron!" also the scene where the driver says to Les, "What am i speaking greek"? there are a lot more funny scenes too much to mention here, i just can't wait to buy it on DVD. One revealing scene you see is where charles is trying to pickup a passed out mercedes & take her into the resturant for a soda, in the next scene you can see a shadow of her hair moving back & forth. All in all a very funny 80's comedy that rates a high 5 for me.

Two Coreys, Fully Loaded with options and LOW sticker price!
LICENSE TO DRIVE is a fast-moving teen comedy from the 80s starring the comic duo of the two Coreys - Haim and Feldman.Anyone who remembers a time when all our idols were named COREY will love this trip back down memory lane. First off - great cast with Heather Graham in an early role as dream girl Mercedes Lane and Carol Kane as the pregnant mom.It's a typical comedy, but the director provided enough style and zip to make it all work well.The driving exam scene is classic, and there a lot of good one liners "Who would have thought a Mercedes could fit in the trunk of a Cadillac?".The DVD includes a deleted sequence with an ALTERNATE CLIMAX.The whole thing runs about 20 minutes, and shows you how the movie could have ended.Also you get a funny commentary with the director and writer, and some current intereviews with each Corey separately.The transfers and audio are top-notch as well!Great price for a great DVD. ... Read more

Description

Nowhere-man Ronny Miller is secretly in love with Cindy Mancini, the prettiest, most popular girl on campus. When Cindy finds herself in a desperate predicament, Ronny steps in to save the day ... for a price! Cindy must pose as Ronny's girl so that her popularity might rub off on him. But the road to popularity takes an unexpected twist when Ronny becomes so "cool" that his former friends feel the chill, Cindy is left toally out in the cold, and Ronny himself discovers that money might buy you popularity, but it can't buy you love! ... Read more

Reviews (69)

You Can't Buy Love, But You Can Buy This Movie
Amusing story of a nerdy high school student Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) who discovers that becoming popular isn't the greatest thing in the world. After she accidentally ruins her mother's suede dress with some wine, Cyndi, the most popular girl at school (played wonderfully by Amanda Petersen) will do anything to replace it before her mother gets back from her trip.

Enter Ronald. After seeing her desperate attempt to replace the dress at the mall, Ronald makes a deal with Amanda. He'll use the money that he has earned all summer by mowing lawns to buy a new dress, in return for Amanda's help in turning him to Mr. popularity.

Along the way, Ronnie learns lessons about the true value of having real friends, and towards the end of the movie Ronald discovers that he is still himself.

This film, which is no longer produced by Touchstone Video (a division of the Disney Corporation) features many couple of stars before they hit it big. Gerardo, the Latin-singing star who scored a one-hit wonder with "Rico Suave," plays one of the football jocks in the film. However, the real scene-stealer in this film is Seth Green ("Austin Powers"; "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" "Can't Hardly Wait") who plays Ronald's annoying, yet hysterical little brother, Chuckie. By taking a look at Seth in this past role you can understand why he is such a big star today. He is always a trip when it comes to comedic performances.

I loved this film for many reasons, but I think the most memorable scene in this film probably has to be Ronald learning an African dance he saw on television (he thought he was watching "American Bandstand"). After learning it, Ronald performs it at the big dance, not knowing that it would become a huge hit.

This film ranks among the 10 best teenage comedies produced in the 1980's. Let's only hope that it will be re-released on video and DVD in the near future.

Great 80's teen comedy
Viewed as a genre of its own, the 80's Teen Comedy produced some fun, enjoyable movies. One that holds up quite well is Can't Buy Me Love. Starring Patrick Dempsey in what was probably his best role of the era, it's the story of a geeky kid who pays the captain of the cheerleading team to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. While not entirely realistic, it has a good ending. The humor holds up well after 16 years, as does the movie overall.

The DVD was hugely disappointing, and my 4 stars are based on the movie itself. Unless you consider chapter stops a special feature, the disc is devoid of any extras. The greatest offense is that it's presented only in fullscreen. I'd normally pass on a non-widescreen release, but my wife insisted on having it. If you have to have this movie, this is probably the best release it will see for quite some time.

ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVS***
If you love the corny but terrific 1980's, you'll love this movie. In my opinion, the TEEN MOVIE OF ALL TEEN MOVIES... tHE CLOTHES ARE A RIOT, but ther than that this movie has a terrific point, Cools, Nerds...who cares! Ronald Miller rides into the most popular girl in school's heart on a lawnmower. From there its all sorts of fun for the move watcher! I love this move and was soooo pleased it was released on DVD. No special features, bummer. Terrific film though. Be sure to get it!

1980s classic!!!
Patrick Dempsey plays nerdy Ronnie Miller, who is so on the outside of society at his high school that he is known simply as "Lawn Boy" because he mows everyone's lawn for his part-time job. He wants to be popular for his upcoming senior year, and he sees his chance when cheerleader Cindy Mancini is in a jam, having ruined her mother's suede outfit at a party and needing $1000 to replace it.

Ronnie happens to be at the mall at the same time, purchasing a new telescope with his lawn-mowing money when he sees Cindy's dilemma. He offers to pay for the new outfit if she will pretend to be his girlfriend for a month and introduce him to the popular circle.

Although this seems completely crazy to Cindy, she does it (after a great little makeover -- quite the staple of 1980s teen movies!) She even starts to like Ronnie as a person, until popularity goes to his head.

People are lemmings and will believe whatever they are told, particularly in the classic scene where Ronnie starts doing the "African Anteater Dance" which he saw on a show he mistook for 'American Bandstand'. Everyone at the school dance follows him instantly.

Don't miss a very young Seth Green as Ronnie's annoying brother! He is great as a smarmy kid!

NERDS, COOLS, MY SIDE, YOUR SIDE, ITS BS !!
THIS MOVIE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST TEEN MOVIE'S EVER MADE. I just saw a preview the other day for a movie thats about to be released.. i think its called "Love Dont Cost A Thing" - and its a total rip off !!!! of Can't Buy me Love, just shows how their is no originality these days, they sample the hell out of music, now movies !! ... Read more

Reviews (286)

Hilarious!
The first American Pie started the trend, but American Pie 2 has even more laughs. And it has retained and amplified one important aspect of the original, a somewhat cornball sentimentality that offers a nice counterbalance to the gross sight gags and pervasive atmosphere of salaciousness.

Jason Biggs continues to throw himself into the most embarrassing of situations with admirable gusto, and the movie hinges on his ability to play Jim's most humiliating shenanigans with an odd but appealing, dogged dignity...even when wearing only his drawers. His comic timing is even better than last time, and the movie's best moments come of his straight-faced delivery. And in this sequel you can see how Alyson Hannigan managed to walk off with the most famous line in the original: Given much more weight in American Pie 2, Hannigan is a delight, playing Michelle's offbeat geekiness but hidden warmth to perfection. And her deadpan delivery (the "trumpet" line is bound to become another classic) is beautiful as always. Shannon Elizabeth is surprisingly lacklustre, and Tara Reid is still stuck with the most boring character of the bunch, but otherwise the rest of the supporting cast (Seann William Scott is especially good, reprising uber-jock Stifler) is great, and the sight and verbal gags come faster and tighter than in the original, with the benefit of familiar characters. The famous central gag (won't give it away) had me belly-laughing for a solid minute, something I haven't done since the first time I saw Clerks.

No, it's not cerebral, nor is it an unprecedented classic. But for a good rowdy night of teen comedy, American Pie 2 hits the spot.

Go see this! Best sequel of the summer!
I've seen many movies this summer. As many of you know, there has been many dissapointing movies out there this summer.(Tomb Raider, A.I.,Scary Movie 2,and Planet of the Apes to name a few.) Sequels have been horrible lately, like Scary Movie 2 and Jurassic Park 3. Rush hour 2 was one of the better sequels this summer. When I went to see AP2 with my friends yesterday, I was expecting another sequel that was put together way too fast and didn't have any thought in it. I loved the first one, and I probably have watched the American Pie DVD about 100 times! I bought my popcorn and my drink and was ready for another bad sequel. Man, was I so wrong. AP2 was probably my favorite movie of the summer. I barely ate any of my popcorn or drank any of my drink I was laughing so hard. I thank Universal Studios for giving Eugene Levy a bigger part in this movie. Seann William Scott is extremely funny in this movie, with all his comments. I don't want to spoil it for all you people who haven't seen this movie, but there will be lesbians, some phone sex between Mena Suvari(Heather), and Chris Klein(Oz), a "champagne" bath for Seann William Scott(Stifler), an accident with superglue for Jason Biggs(Jim), the rule of three, and more of Eddie Kaye Thomas and Stifler's mom(What a MILF!just kiddin!) Go see this movie, You will not be dissapointed. It is the funniest, crudest movie of the summer. NOT for Kids!

Awful
Maybe the worst movie i've ever seen. Boring, very TALENTLESS actors, and bad jokes. Primitive film for primitive people.

Wow....what a great sequel!
I loved the first American Pie movie; I would watch it almost weekly with friends. I didn't think any movie could top it, but American Pie 2 comes very close, and at times, is better than the original. I also wanted to start off by saying, to the viewers who complain about such movies having too much raunchy humor, and therefore rating it low, you have to know going into these movies that they will be like this. Some people need to seriously lighten up, quit being a stiff, and have a good laugh every now and then. Also, to the last 1 star guy on here, you need a reality check. I'm not saying that the military is a bad thing, but you can't underrate the value of a college education/experience. It gives people who aren't born for the military (which is most of us) a chance to get a career and contribute to society, and it's also a social experience (the social experience aspect of college is probably more beneficial in the long run than even the educational aspect). And Road Trip was a great movie as well; LIGHTEN UP! (or quit your complaining). The only people that make your generation look bad are people like you!!

Anyway, Jason Biggs is in his usual role as Jim, despite getting laid last movie by a band geek, of having zero confidence in his ability to score (or do much else, for that matter). I disliked the opening scene, especially with that cheesy line "this is my first time......since my.....first time....so....technically, it's my second time," which made me weary about this movie. However, when Jim's dad (Eugene Levy) enters the room, the scene became hilarious, as Eugene perfectly plays the nimwitted father who is completely inept to the fact that no kid wants his/her father to see him/her naked. The movie continues as Stifler (Sean William Scott) and Oz (Chris Klien) discuss how many girls a man is supposed to have sex with during one year at college. This scene could have been a waste of a few minutes, but Scott, being the acting prodigy that he is, knows how to play the cocky card while not coming off as a complete a$$hole. When the four boys Oz, Jim, Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) later meet at their local diner, Finch comes off as this sex god, having gotten laid with a Japanese girl in an art museum, his psychology professor, and of course, Stifler's mom. Finch and Stifler steal the show this time around, as the two have amazing chemistry as enemies. Stifler constantly makes fun of Finch's practice of tantric sex, and Finch constantly practices his tantra in various places just to piss off Stifler (like the plant in the house that the boys rent for the summer), as well as.......well, I won't reveal the ending. They rent this house to throw monster parties, and to help Jim have amazing sex with Nadia when she plans to visit him at the summer. Jim also gets practice from the nerd he "scored" with last time around, and when she told him that he sucked, I laughed my ass off! (not only at how she said it, but Jason Biggs needs to be told he sucks, and I relished that moment). Also, the scene where Jim is mistaken for a trombone king Petey is very poorly done (what a surprise, since Biggs is a the forefront of the whole scene). He isn't as bad in this sequel as he was in the first one, but overall, Biggs isn't even close to the talent of the others (which is how he usually is). However, I do have to admit that the superglue scene was quite funny, mostly because we expect lousy things to happen to Jim, though I have to give him credit for putting effort into at least that scene. Despite any other minor flaws this movie may have, it overall comes across as a strong comedy that often goes for the gut, and succeeds about 98% of the time, with viewers in constant pursuit of fresh air after laughing so hard.

The Best Part of the Pie
American Pie 2 is a sequel that is better than the original and better than the 3rd one.No denying that this one is the best one of the series. FAMOUS SCENES

1)Lesbian Scene 10/10
2)Super Glue 10/10
3) Trumpet Scene 9.2/10
4) Jim on Stage 8.5/10
5) Phone Sex 8.7/10
MORE!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Comedy, Poetry, Hot Chick
I'll begin with a confession: I was reluctant to watch this film. It was snobbish on my part. A recent interview with Tara Reid in MAXIM portrayed the actress as a shallow ditz, and I doubted that the voluntary suspension of disbelief would succeed in allowing me to see her as serious college student Gwen Pearson. This was the crux of my objection to NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VAN WILDER. My husband cleverly defeated my opposition with the "Yes, but she's a really hot chick" argument, and we bought the DVD. To my surprise, Reid pulls off the act, dropping words like "pander" and phrases like "benevolent agenda" as if they had belonged in her personal vocabulary bank all along.

The writing goes far beyond clever. It's down right poetic, with lines dance on the ear like a butterfly on a buttercup. Take, for example, "That's no bong! That's for my shlong!" Watch out Shakespeare.

Best of all, the movie answers the age-old question: What was Ferris Bueller like in college? Van Wilder (Ryan Reynonds) fits the mold rather closely. He's a philanthropist who knows how to have a good time. He's funny, good looking, and popular with just about everyone. Brilliant ideas like topless tutors and the naked mile run are a-dime-a-dozen with this guy. Most importantly, he gets away with everything. I'm glad I didn't get away with turning my nose up at this delightfully amusing film. So even if you're skeptical, give it a try, and don't neglect to consider that Tara Reid's a really hot chick.

It Felt Great To Laugh Freely Once Again
National Lampoon's Van Wilder is an absolutely Hillarious movie. It was so refreshing to see a movie where you can laugh freely once again without having to worry about whether or not what you're laughing at is Politically Correct or not. Who Cares, it's just a movie for Gosh Sakes, if it's funny, LAUGH! Ryan Reynolds is very charasmatic as Van Wilder, who is a College Campus Party Liason, who would rather party than study, until he's forced to, and then he shows that he can be serious when he has to. Kal Penn as Taj, Van's personal assistant, is hillarious, a job well done, and Tara Reid as Gwen Pearson, a student reporter who at first does a hatchet job story on Van, but then has the decency to print a follow up, much more researched truthful story on Van, something a lot of real life media members should have done long ago with regards to stories they've written on certain celebrities, especially, Tara Reid herself, who for some unknown and totally unfair reason has been designated as a media scratching post. She does a very good job in the film, especially considering what she had to work with, and the fact that she basically had to portray the "straight man" to everyone elses comedic performances. Her on screen presence, as usual is captivating. The eclair scene (when you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about), is very gross, it's extremely funny the very first time you see it, but every time I've watched it since, it truly is disgusting. But that's only one scene. All in all it's an absolutely hillarious movie, fine performances all around, and had it been any other actress, especially a "Hollywood Favourite", other than Tara Reid, they couldn't have portrayed the role of Gwen Pearson any better... Anyways, for a good laugh, and just to be able to forget about the hardships or trials and tribulations of the everyday rat race, just for an hour and a half or so, see this movie.

A very well-scripted comedy masterpiece...
This was avery funny movie that I enjoyed thoroughly from start to finish.Some of my favorite moments in this film included the eclair-stuffing scene involving the dog and the Phi Delta Kappa Fraternity,the hockey showdown,and when Gwen mixed up the "bloating formula".

Van Dumber
Let's put it this way: it takes a lot more than farting strippers and a dog with giant testicles to make me laugh. Should we have to watch another wannabe actor try to distinguish himself by doing what looks like a bad Jim Carey impression throughout the movie? What do you call toilet humor without the humor? Will Tara Reid ever act, or will she be stuck in an eye-candy phone booth forever? Is sex talk supposed to be funny just because it's coming out of the mouth of an ethnic guy with an accent? When a movie has nothing else going for it, is throwing in a pair of naked boobs really going to make much difference? These are but some of the questions "Van Wilder" poses.
Here's a tip for the guys over at National Lampoon:
Animal House = a funny movie about idiots
Vacation = a very funny movie about an idiot
Van Wilder = an unfunny movie starring, and made by, idiots
Moral: Comedies are supposed to be funny.

Best...Movie...Ever!!!
Van Wilder is the type of movie that you either love or hate...and I think if you are a teenager or in your young 20's, you will absolutely love this movie. I bought it when it was first released on DVD and didn't watch it until about 2 months after owning it, but when I finally got around to watching it I realized taht I made a huge mistake waiting as long as I did, as this was truly a great movie. The emotion is very apparent as I felt like I got to know the characters and it led me to follow Ryan Reynold's career by buying "The In-Laws" when that came out on DVD as well. I also became an avid "Two Guys and A Girl" watcher after catching him on it, as he is a great actor for these kind of roles. Pretty much everyone I've watched this movie with has gone into the movie thinking "this can't be as good as he's making it out to be" and then after the movie is over, they go out and buy the dvd themselves, so do yourselves a favor and buy this one as well... ... Read more

Reviews (198)

College Life without the Education
Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell give college a second try in the raucous comedy "Old School". A rowdy party for their depressed friend Mitch (Luke Wilson) becomes the talk of the local college campus and gives them the chance to relive their wild college lives. Soon, Mitch, Frank "The Tank" (Will Ferrell) and Beanie (Vince Vaughn) form their own unorthodox fraternity whom crazy antics draw the attention of no-nonsense Dean Pritcher (Jeremy Piven). From director Todd Phillips (Road Trip), "Old School" is a hilarious comic romp but its no "Animal House". This wild comedy is good-natured fun with a great comic cast and off-beat humor. Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn are quite funny but it's Will Ferrell who delivers the movie's most outrageous laughs. The cast also includes Juliette Lewis, Elisha Cuthbert, Leah Remini and Sean William Scott.

If you enjoyed this funny comedy in theaters then "Old School" Unrated Edition is a recommended DVD purchase. Except for some slight nudity in the opening menu, there isn't much difference between the unrated and rated editions of "Old School". The movie is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains a fine picture quality with good sharpness. The 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS sound options are quite clear and often engaging. The DVD features an audio commentary by cast members and director Todd Phillips, deleted scenes, a hilarious "Inside the Actors Studio" spoof and a short behind-the-scenes featurette. Overall, "Old School" Unrated Edition scores a "B-".

Sort of an Animal House 25th anniversary tribute.
"Old School" brings back the fun and irreverence of the days of "Animal House" that so few movies seem willing to revisit. Comedy these days seems built around 'paint-by-numbers' formulas or 'let's see how much we can gross people out' shock characteristics. Current releases like "Boat Trip" and "Bringing Down the House" fall in the former category while any movie involving Tom Green or the Farrelly Brothers falls into the latter category. In "Old School", it's refreshing to see a movie that takes a 'devil may care' attitude with its plot and characters while also have the common sense to push the envelope where appropriate without ever crossing the line (following "Animal House's" lead).

In "Old School", Mitch (played by Luke Wilson) is depressed after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend. He moves into a new house near the local college campus and his two best friends, Beanie (Vince Vaughn) and Frank 'the Tank' (Will Ferrell) decide to cheer him up by using his new house to throw a wild 'freedom' party. In a party complete with nubile co-eds, binge drinking, and a performance by Snoop Dogg, the party becomes legendary and draws the ire of the college dean, who just happens to be some nerd that Mitch, Beanie, and Frank tormented in high school. He attempts to take the house from Mitch by claiming it can only be used for campus-related events. This sparks Beanie's imagination to create the most unorthodox fraternity in existence to circumvent the dean's ruling. From there, "Old School" engages in the type of 'us against the administration' hi-jinx that made "Animal House" such a riot.

Will Ferrell gives a performance worthy of John Belushi with his Bluto-esque take as Frank the Tank, whose relapse back into his college days fractures his brand new marriage. Yet, it doesn't seem to affect Frank too too much. Ferrell, as witnessed by his years on Saturday Night Live, is one of the more gifted physical comedians performing today. He has the lunacy of a Jim Carrey without any of the pretentiousness or self-importance that seems to plague Carrey. Vince Vaughn gives another winning performance as a typical, sleazy salesman type who remains just enough on the side of respectability that you still like the guy. It's classic Vaughn. Luke Wilson's performance isn't quite as memorable, but his lovable-loser demeanor fits the role of Mitch perfectly. There are a number of other supporting characters that, while barely more than one-dimensional, make this film a winner (Blue, the 80-year fraternity pledge is a personal favorite).

With world events becoming more somber and depressing and with movies becoming increasingly disappointing, it's quite a relief a no-frills good time can be had at a theater. "Old School" lets the audience feel that kind of relief.

Absolutely worth every penny, HILARIOUS!
I woun't ramble on too much, but I will say this movie is the best I have seen in a while. It's over the top funny, each of the 3 guys (Vaughn, Wilson and Ferrell) make it that much better. It's one of those movies you can watch over and over again and NEVER grow tired of it. Worth every penny, it's definately a 5-star movie in my book.<br /> <br /> ~

makes Animal House seem like Tolstoy
THIS DRIVEL LEFT ME WANTING LESS. DISGUSTING! WITHOUT MERIT!

"Hey Merisa It's Frank Ricard"
The Funniest movie of 2003. This slapstick party comedy starring the King of comedy William Ferrel and also starring Lucas Wilson and Vincent Vaughn. The three men who relive their college years when they start a faternity. This film is laugh out loud hilarious. It's the Animal House of the 21st century. it's Ferrel's funniest act since Jay and Silent Bob and Saturday Night Live. The Best scene is Will Ferrel streaking " come on snoop, snoopaloop bring your green hat". This film will be a classic comedy some day. If you want screwball,slapstick comedy. or if you saw Anchorman first. You'll love Old School. It's a hell of a good parade of party animals. "Blue your my boy" ... Read more

Reviews (141)

Not a 5 star movie, but it has 5 star appeal!
Director "Savage" Steve Holland does a masterful job of showing how HS aged teens perceive the world around them. And a young John Cusack does a great job as the inwardly tortured teen with the twisted view of reality (funny, but twisted). It is, after all, our perception of reality that is, for us, reality.

John Cusack plays a HS teen obsessed (and I mean OBSESSED!) with his girlfriend. When she dumps him for the captain of the HS ski team it's amazing what happens to and around him.

This movie includes laugh out loud scenes. You'll love his nemesis on the street racing scene, his neighbor "Ricky," and the French foreign exchange student who sees Cusack when he can't see anything else.

Watch for lines that will live forever, like... "Oh, please, don't let it be a bugger." "Gee Ricky, I'm sorry your mom blew up." "Language lessons." "You know...friend." and "I want my two dollars!"

There are, however, students at the HS dance who cannot possibly still be of HS age -- but that's typical for the movies...people want to remember themselves as being older, more mature than any HS students are anywhere -- talk about twisted views of reality!

Anyway, this is a grand movie with lots of wonderful lines, a fun story line, some interesting side trips into Cusack's daydreams, and an ongoing feud between Cusack's dad and the paperboy.

Check it out, it's a 4 star movie with 5 star hilarity.

Alan Holyoak

Can I Date Beth?
Better Off Dead is a small little gem from the mid 80's. With all of the other teen/school comedies of that era, it's no wonder this appealing and funny film got lost in the mix. John Cusack stars as Lane Myer, a normal kid with a not so normal family. His mom is a little off her rocker. She cooks horrendous food and makes deer coats for Christmas. His little brother tries to pick up trashy women. Lane's Dad is battling the paperboy. But, worst of all, Lane doesn't make the ski team and his beloved girlfriend, Beth, dumps him for some pukey captain of the ski team. Then, Lane meets a cute foreign exchange student who's staying with his obese neighbors. Lane tries to win her love as does the son of the family she's staying with. The movie is funny. Dan Schneider, as neighbor Ricky, is downright hilarious. An underrated comedic performance. Cusack, as always, is solid and appealing. The remaining cast includes Curtis(Revenge Of The Nerds)armstrong, Vincent Schiavelli, David Ogden Stiers FROM "Mash", and Kim(True Grit)Darby. There's even a cute animation sequence involving hamburger. You heard me right. The onrunning joke about a psycho paperboy is pretty funny. The best comedy from this film is, as I've mentioned, the
nerdy, overweight nerdy boy Ricky. This is a lost comedy gem that deserves to be exposed again.

Utterly Unbelievable, Lane Myer - Cusack Classic!!!!
John Cusack has done some campy flicks One Crazy Summer and Better Off Dead. This one far exceeds the first. There are so many funny scenes I don't know where to begin. The soundtrack although disappointing on the CD will not disappoint on the DVD. Too bad no additional footage or goodies like that. To me this was John Cusacks best movie.

Favorite Moments (Close your eyes and remember)

1) CHRISTMAS! DO THEY HAVE CHRISTMAS IN FRANCE? CHRISSSSMASSS! Opens picture of Ricky and goes outside and laughs for about 5 minutes on the front step.

2) TWO DOLLARS, PLUS TIP! I don't think there can ever be a more evident line for a movie than this. All you have to say to someone is "TWO DOLLARS!" Chances are if they saw this flick they will say "BETTER OFF DEAD".

3) "DUDE, RIGHT NOW I CAN BE MAKING SOME KILLER EGGNOG FROM LIGHTER FLUID!" "CHICKS WILL GET STERILE JUST LOOKING AT YOU" "BUCK UP LITTLE TROOPER" Charles Demar or Booger as you may have come to know him steals the scene on several occassions.
The funny thing is he teams up with Cusack again in One Crazy Summer.

4) BARNEY RUBBLE ASKING LANE TO GO OUT WITH BETH. Need I say more.

5) IT'S GOT RAISINS IN IT, YOU LIKE RAISINS - With that the green slime crawls off of its plate and across the table.

I could go on for hours, do yourself a favor and buy this movie! If you want to remember the eighties all over again this will bring it all back home. A great cast, script and many, many laughs. Also check out One Crazy Summer, along the same lines.

TWO DOLLARS!

Review #143 (and that should tell you something)
This is a great movie to have around for those nights when you really don't want to think about how it is, but would rather think about how it was. 143 people can't be wrong. John Cusak might be the most easily identified with actor of my generation, (with apologies to Jon Cryer, who makes a good race out of it.) The first time I saw it in the cheap local theater I almost suffered an incontinent moment when Layne (Lane?) uttered, "Gee, I'm sorry your mom blew up, Ricky." It's lines like that, scenes like David Ogden Stiers in the reindeer head coat, and the only known soundtrack appearance of Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some" that make me go back for this one again and again.

Fun, stupid movie
This is a great rainy day movie, in other words: a movie you don't need to think about too much that'll still make you smile. Take care of who you watch it with, however, as you may find yourself embarrassed to be laughing at the dinner slowly crawling off the table or David Ogden Spears being foiled by the paperboy. ... Read more

Reviews (129)

Classic 80's Teen movie on a very poor DVD
If you want to own this movie on DVD then you'll have to be prepared to pay an arm and a leg. It's only out on region 1, and has long since been deleted, so commands a very high price for no apparant reason other than the film itself - its certainly not for the extras - there aren't any.

The film stars 80's starlet Molly Ringwald (Breakfast Club) and Anthony John Hall (Weird Science, Breakfast Club) and also reunites them with director John Hughes, also from "The Breakfast Club". Comparisions between the two cannot be helped. Personally I prefered "The Breakfast Club" but there must be many who disagree - both are good, assuming that you like that sort of thing. High School coming-of-age movies are after all pretty much of a muchness, as the recent spoof movie "Not Another Teen Movie" so aptly illustrates.

Where both Hughes movies fall down on DVD is with the lack of extra features. "Sixteen Candles" is at least in widescreen, but that's all - there's no remastered 5.1 audio mix, no subtitles, no trailer, no cast biographies, no featurettes, no commentaries, no nothing. And if the other reviewers are to be believed then the music on the DVD isn't even the original soundtrack, supposedly due to rights issues. I say this because I'd never seen the film before I brought the DVD so don't know any different. If true, it'll certainly be interesting to see the proper soundtrack if and when it ever comes to DVD again. 2004 will mark the 20th anniversary of the film, so prehaps the time is right to ask Universal to consider a re-release with decent extras.

Long Duck Dong
Sixteen Candles is another classic 80's teen/high school film. It's one of the rare ones that is actually great and memorable. The film starts teen queen Molly Ringwald as Sam, your normal, every day kid. Her family has forgotten her sixteenth birthday amid all the uproar of her older sister's upcoming wedding. That's not all. An annoying geek(hilariously played by Anthony Michael Hall)is hound-dogging her, she has a huge crush on a popular jock, her grandparents have invaded her home, and, worst of all, a foreign kid named Long Duck Dong(Gedde Watannabe)is staying in her room. It's a comedy of chaos as a young teenager tries to grow up. As expected, happiness shines through for all in the end. Sixteen Candles is a sweet,hilarious look at the life of an ordinary teen. Molly Ringwald is so real and believeable in this that she could be somebody you know, or, just maybe, could be you. The always reliable Paul Dooley plays her father. Watch out for John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and Jami Gertz in small roles. Sixteen Candles is a candle you'll never want to blow out.

Definitive 80's. A must!
Sixteen Candles is a must-see classic. Truly unique, original, and memorable. The cast is fantastic and the story has been duplicated countless times. It took me so long to finally see this, and I regret not seeing it earlier. Everyone talks about it, it's not worth being left out and you're just gonna thank yourself later anyway, so SEE IT NOW if you haven't already. If you have, see it again, memorize the lines, and have a Sixteen Candles drinking party!!!!

Great movie - BAD DVD
This was a fun movie. It does not take itself seriously and pokes fun at its characters. Some of the pokig fun is not politically correct (to wit - Long Duk Dong, and some of the BoHunk comments)) but that was a bit of the 80's.

This DVD has the original soundtrack, previously unavailable on VHS or the old DVD, and it still holds up.

THE BAD PART
Where to start - the packaging is cheap cheap CHEAP! They did not even put in a little card to tell you the chapter names. There is no commentary, no extras, NOTHING!

PLUS when you put it in, it goes through ads for other movies and DISABLES THE MENU BUTTON!

Again, this is a fun, 80's movie, but the DVD is so cheap and so obnoxious to the fans/owners that I hate to recommend it becuse the people who put it together were such jerks.

But I do recommend it. Enjoy.

A Rememberable Teen Flick.
This is definately the rebound film. It is hard to live up to a movie like The Breakfast Club. This film is your average, average, teen movie. It does boost some new things to the screen, but it is mostly predictable, however, it is enjoyable. It has enough great moments to outweigh the cheesy parts, which makes it good in my book. If you are in the mood for a "no surprise" movie, this is the film for you. I reccomend it. ... Read more

Reviews (362)

Nothing To Hate About This Movie
Teen movies. Some are good. Some are bad. I'm a big lover of the 80's teen movies, and can only bare a few of the modern day ones. This is one I really like. I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw this cute, charming movie. Joseph Gordon Levitt("3rd Rock From The Sun") plays Cameron. He has moved to Seattle and is the new kid in school. He quickly befriends a geek(David Krumholtz from "The Santa Clause"), who gives him the run down of the school and it's students. Cameron falls madly in love with Bianca Stratford(Larissa Oleynick, who, coincidentally, played his girlfriend for a while on "3rd Rock"). Bianca is a the quintessential popular, beloved, rich girl who is untouchable. Cameron makes it his mission to get to her. Then there is Bianca's sister Kat(Julia Stiles). She is the 'Anti-Bianca'. She is tough, sharp mouthed, and generally hates people. Their dad, who is played the always watchable Larry Miller, makes a deal with his daughters. Bianca can date as soon as Kat does. Bianca is upset because Kat doesn't want to date. This begins Cameron's mission. He and his friend enlist a tough, brooding guy named Patrick(Heath Ledger)to start wooing Kat, for cash, supplied by empty, pretty boy Joey(Andrew Keegan of "7th Heaven").If he succeeds, then Cameron can date Bianca. Naturally, things get complicated and awful before they can get better and work out for everyone involved. The film is based on William Shakespeare's "The Taming Of The Shrew". Julia Stiles was first noticed with this film. There is something so intoxicating about her. She has a special quality to her that is irresistable. Her smile is a wondrous thing. She is a star. The movie is very funny, and surprisingly funny in some ways. The dialogue is pretty clever, sharp, and well written. It is head and shoulders above most teen comedies of the last decade. The actors are all well suited for their roles and are enjoyable to watch. Larissa Oleynick is as cute as a bug. Allison Janney from "The West Wing" has a hilarious, but all too brief role as the school's guidance councelor who is in the middle of writing a trashy sex novel. David Leisure also appears as the gym teacher. It is unfair that this movie has to have the tag of "teen movie" attached to it. To some people, that equals poison. Especially in this day and age. I'm telling you right now people, this movie is better than that. This is enjoyable for any age. It's funny, cute, and has more depth and intelligence than most of these movies combined. If only all teen movies of this modern era could be as delightful as this one. There are many things to like about this movie, but the 10 things I love about this movie are:Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles. Sorry.

Worthy of being in the genre of 'teen'...
After continuous teen movies with a popular girl, the popular girl's clique, the jock who wants the girl, and the boys who help the jock get the popular girl, of course let's not forget the famous shocking prom night and a kiss before the credits (seems familar?), I think the young generation, or any generation for that matter, is a little exhausted from the usual routine. In this highly acclaimed 'teen' movie, influenced by the comedy Taming of the Shrew written by William Shakespeare, the routine is still on, but with a new and refreshing twist. With unfamiliar, yet talented new faces, this brand spankin' new cast is entertaining from beginning to end.
Newcomers Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger light up the screen as the potential couple who incidentally fall for each other. The stratford sisters live under strict rules stated by their strict, humorous father: Bianca, the younger, outgoing sister, cannot date until her older, anti-social sister Kat (with the perfect I-hate-the-world attitude) decides to date. As soon as Bianca attracts two fellow students, their plans on finding Kat a date lead to mishaps here and there. With witty dialogue and great music to go along with it, this movie is worthy of being in the genre of 'teen'. It's right up on the list with Sixteen Candles and Clueless.

an amazing classic
the entire cast shines in this production of Shakespere's Taming of the Shrew. The jokes are amazing, and all the actors fit their parts well. Thanks in part to the USA network, this movie is ingained as a classic in countless teenagers' minds. I adore this film

10 Things I Hate About You
I found this teen film entertaining and fun. It totally relates to the highschool life. The over protective dad is very funny, the whole cast does a great job in playing out their roles. You would never guess its based on a novel by shakespear even though you see some shakespear love in the film!

Great film!

Love is in the air.
Opposite sisters in one house equals trouble.

Bianca is your typical prep all into fashion and a hotsy tosty life. Kat is the quiet loner who finds more satifsication relaxing at home than going to any type of party or social gathering.

New kid comes along adoring over Bianca. His friend and him decide to make a plan to pair Kat with Patrick.

It's a hard trip to get Kat in a liking happy mood, much less to get her to a party that she must attend dually with her sister, or else. The girl's have to live with an overbearing father who takes good watch over his girls.

I grew up with this movie and it is a definate high school flick funny for anyone. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

We have identified last night's dinner, it was veal...
"We are the C.I.T.s so pitious, The kids are brats the food is hideous..." so the song goes as Bill Murray and his helpful counselors sing at the end of this funny film. Bill Murray is at his best when he has a stooge who is seriously discussing something with him, like the reporter who asks why the camp costs so much. Also there is one great routine where Bill explains "It just doesn't matter..." This is a fun summer camp movie for just about any age of viewer. Also good Murray movies not to miss are "Kingpin," "Caddyshack," "Groundhog Day" and "What About Bob?" Chris Makepeace did a very good job in this debut movie and then did "My Bodyguard" and a few other lesser known movies including at least one vampire film. Tom Willett

The Kids are Brats, the Food is Hideous!
No, it's not about fat guys at an Italian restaurant. It's a lovable, low-budget flick about summer camp, shot in Canada. The camp counselors have sex, but no slasher comes out of the lake to chop them up. Instead, Bill Murray takes Chris Makepeace (that kid from "My Bodyguard") under his wing and teaches him how to belch and talk at the same time, which brings the little guy out of his shell and makes him the most popular camper in Camp Northstar history.

There are some obligatory heart-string tugs, but mostly this is just amiable, low-brow fun for the whole family. You'll find yourself chanting "Spaz! Spaz! Spaz!" anytime you watch someone attempt something moderately difficult. Try it on a friend, or your spouse- it's fun!

Classic Murray
I think there are two types of people in the world -- those who get Bill Murray and those who don't. For those of us who intrinsically get him, he simply has no peer when it comes to pulling off the kinds of comedic characters that he portrays. It's not so much about what he does, but who he is and how he presents the character that matters. As the head camp counselor "Tripper", Murray is funny but he is also so much more than funny: He gives the movie it's heart and humanity, without which, it would be nothing more than a series of sophomoric pranks. In my opinion, that is why this movie works when all of the others in the series are deplorable.

To be sure, this is one of the definitive "summer camp" movies of all time; just as Caddyshack is one of the greatest golf movies ever made. But for those who somehow just don't get Murray, there is little that can be said that will convince them to like either movie. Even with as much commercial success as he has had, I believe his comic genius is still way underrated. I have given this movie four stars because I reserve five star ratings exclussively for movies which I believe are exceptional, and because the transfer of this movie to DVD should have been handled with greater care. Otherwise, it's a solid movie with plenty of laughs and some tender moments as well.

Classic Murray
Bill Murray puts in a hilarious performance, reminiscent of Carl in Caddyshack, as a camp counsellor in this coming of age film. It takes place at a kids camp in Ontario and has all the ingrediants for hilarity, heartbreak, and friendship. There were many copies, but this was the original. If you haven't seen it I recommend you do.

Miss movies like these
These comedies are great. Great and fun humor. Yes, there was some toliet humor mixed in, but its so tame by today standards you don't even raise an eyebrow when you hear it. Bill Murray is one of my favorite comedians. When I was younger I saw this movie and then every movie after when I saw Murray I would say "Hey, its the guy from Meatballs." Even to this day I when I see him I remember Meatballs.

I with this movie would get a better treatment with the DVD. Its one of the best comedies ever. Actually, its a family comedy that you can watch with any age group. The adults will get the minor sex jokes, and the teenagers will too, but enjoy the rest. Kids will enjoy the fun of Bill Murray father like figure to one of the kids.

This is a must see comedy. ... Read more

Reviews (127)

One of the Best Movies of the 1990s.
Let me get this out of the way: in grade school, I was teased. A lot. In fact, it was so bad that even walking to school was an emotionally and physically painful experience. I can relate to every second of misery Dawn endures in the dynamite "Welcome to the Dollhouse." Most films like "Sixteen Candles" view high school as some insulated paradise. Not this film. Here, Dawn (played by Heather Matarazzo) is as socially inept as a pre-teen girl can be. She is subject to taunts, verbal assault, and vicious mind games at the hands of her classmates. Home life isn't much better; her parents blissfully ignore her while they shower attention on her cutsey younger sister, Missy. They give her attention only when they catch her doing something wrong, which seems to be most of the time. On top of this, she develops a crush for the teenage lead singer of her brother's band. Anyone who has experienced unrequieted love will find this subplot heartbreaking to watch. Despite the above, "Welcome to the Dollhouse" is a murderously funny movie to watch, even if you were a victim of grade school teasing. The performances are dead-on and it's one of my favorite movies of the 1990's.

A painfully honest film you will never forget
Bold, unabashedly honest, psychologically riveting, and painfully mesmerizing are just a few of the words and expressions that come to mind when I think about this uniquely extraordinary film. First shown at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival, Welcome to the Dollhouse walked away with the grand jury prize, and it is easy to see why. Writer/director/producer Todd Solondz brought a unique vision of the sharpest kind to this film, cutting right through the fluff of the typical "geek makes good" nonsense and forcing his artistic scalpel forcefully down into the nethermost regions of the adolescent heart. The story is so unsettling and painfully uncomfortable that some parents hesitated or refused to let their children participate in the filming. It's just an amazing, unforgettable movie.

Eleven-year-old Heather Matarrazzo gives one of the most remarkable performances I've ever seen from an actress of such tender age. Her eyes and bodily expressions encapsulate and transmit the hurt and misery writhing inside her every moment, leaving the viewer helpless to do anything but watch with increasingly unrestrained unease. Born with the unfortunate name of Dawn Weiner, the poor girl is ridiculed, ignored, teased, insulted, and basically mentally terrorized every day at school. Chants of "Weiner Dog" follow her throughout the hallways, her locker is marked with awful graffiti, and even her teachers and administrators are less than kind to her. Then, after school, she has to come home to parents who dote on her smart older brother and "little miss perfect" younger sister. Dawn has only one friend, a younger neighbor boy who seems to be following in her ignominiously alienated footsteps. Dawn does not escape all of this mentally unscathed, taking her own anger out on her sister in particular and doing several things that good girls should not do. In the most surreal of story elements, Dawn longs to be rescued from her situation by a boy, but hers is not a Cinderella type of fantasy. Her infatuation with a rebellious high school boy is somewhat understandable, but her relationship with a certain school bully is nothing short of surreal. I only wish I could discuss the psychology of this aspect of the movie in this context.

The one thing that really struck me about this movie is the fact that we never see Dawn cry; she internalizes all of her torments, and this does not have a pretty effect on her. I may be inventing a phrase here, but the director's vision seems to me to have been one of unsympathetic compassion. Far from holding Dawn up as the paragon of innocent, unrecognized virtue whose Prince Charming will come some day, he gives us a girl who becomes cruel in her own right to those few people around her, turning her hatred of others into a deep hatred of herself, several times teetering on the peak of mental unbalance. Solondz does not stray anywhere near the realm of fairy tale, as this ugly duckling does have an ugly side to her. The brutal honesty and lack of a visibly sympathetic portrayal of the character makes her worst moments even more unbearable to the viewer, and this is where the compassion kicks in. Solondz seemingly makes no effort to redeem this character in our eyes, yet the fact that he shows us, in such a harsh and brutal way, the miseries of this poor child's life makes her a character you desperately want to see find a degree of happiness.

The only thing I don't really understand about Welcome to the Dollhouse is the dark comedy label it seems to have acquired. I found nothing funny whatsoever about anything I saw here. Maybe that's the sensitivity of the former nerd in me, but honestly this movie is just utterly dark and depressing. Those looking for laughs will probably not embrace Welcome to the Dollhouse, but those who want to see the harsh light of truth shone into the bottom of an individual's soul and learn something from the painful experience will walk away from this film a different person than they were an hour and a half earlier. This movie has the power to touch you in ways you may never have imagined.

Everybody Runs Away....
Todd Solondz' WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE was one of those films that was "on my list" for many years. I had seen his second film HAPPINESS and was intrigued by Solondz dark dark humor. Why it took me so long to take in another of his films is hard to explain. Every review I had read of DOLLHOUSE praised it (and even some reviewers who literally hated HAPPINESS were oddly touched by this debut film). Perhaps it took me a year or so to summon up enough strength to take another Solondz flick. Now that I think about it, such hesitancy only seems natural. As it turns out, however, biting as it is, DOLLHOUSE is still a heck of a lot easier to watch than its follow-up.

Perhaps it's because as some reviewers here suggest, we all have our own "inner Dawn Wiener." It's easy to identify with this ungainly, hopelessly unpopular teenager--with the awful barrettes and clothes, a brainy older brother, and pertly adorable younger sister. We can all cop to that one pretty much. (If you identify at all with the characters in HAPPINESS, you probably wouldn't want to admit it.) But I honestly don't think that Solondz' intent was to get viewers in touch with their "inner adolescent." He's going after something bigger than that--and more sinister too.

I guess it shouldn't be so surprising that many reviewers here identify with Dawn, but when they start calling the film "realistic," you have to wonder. If there was ever a film that was an exercise in pop SURrealism, this is it.
As a teen alienation flick, I'd rate it right up there with GHOST WORLD, and like that film, it has a distorted, fun-house-mirror quality--that is, I'll grant you, simultaneously more and less real that mere realism. (I guess that's the essence of SURREALISM). Dawn's parents, for example, are little more than cartoon figures--at least until her father has a near nervous breakdown.

And doesn't that reflect a teenage sense of reality even better than sheer realism, after all? Your average teen doesn't see his or her parents as full-fledged human beings. They're way too busy with their own boiling over emotions. Until their parents humanity hits them in the face, kids see them through the looking glass, darkly--if at all.

Which is not to say that either of Dawn's parents becomes remotely sympathetic. Interesting too how in the end, Dawn's two almost-boyfriends have run away to the city. Dawn kinda sorta runs away herself trying to track downr her kidnapped little sister. Seems like anyone with a lick of sense gets out of that town.

realistic account
welcome to the dollhouse is a touching and realistic account of what its like to be on the outskirts of growing up. dawn is a young gyrl trying to fight her way in. she deals with bullies, her parents rejection, and her own self hate. the film has its funny moments such as dawn standing over her sleeping sister's bed with a hammer in her hands. the character of dawn is well played but barely develops. brendon sexton jr plays brandon, a bully in his own right but has feelings for dawn. his role is small but quite significant. dawn's family is very unlikeable strictly because of their arrogance and complete disregard of dawn.
overall the film is good. you will find yourself not only sympathizing with dawn but may find her angst and vulnerbility alittle like your own in the often harsh world of growing up. the ending could be better; it leaves you wondering about alot of things. but despite the ending the film is heartfelt and very satisfying.

Painfully realistic
I felt like switching this movie off a lot of the time. Having been where Dawn was throughout high school, I didn't think it was possible for me to watch right to the end. I was told that this movie was the story of my life. Not quite. But I did identify with some parts - Dawn being called a loner, her looks, being called ugly. But what really upset me, was the director heavily focusing on looks in the movie. I don't know why I still get upset over that kind of thing in movies. And the fact that Dawn does exactly what everyone does to her - she turns round, and says hurts them. But that's cos she's been bullied herself, so effectively, she turns into the bully.

But of course, we've all been there, haven't we? Don't say you haven't, go and dig out your old photo album. Look at the dorky hair, clothes, teeth in bad need of a brace - I could go on. And we've all had that embarrassing, awkward first kiss - I've NEVER put a spell on a guy just to make him like me! (It wouldn't work, believe me)

Heather Matarazzo, although quite pretty now, is probably always going to be cast in "character" roles, than anything else. What I really hated was where were all the kids with bad skin?! Even Dawn had porcelain skin. It's not fair, nor is it true.

Dawn was made to look all the worse, by constantly having her hair scraped back, made to wear god-awful clothes, and those terrible clothes (although I found an old pair of glasses when cleaning out my drawers - did I wear those?!)

This is a good film to watch, although I can't see myself touching a guy with a bargepole who bullied me, or called me names. That bit just didn't ring true. It's not a film I would watch again, it upset me that bit too much. But it's worth having a look at if you can get your hands on a copy. ... Read more

Reviews (190)

Good premise, poor execution
Though with the talents of Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler, Anger Management is a bad movie. It's plot is pretty straight-foreward, with Sandler as a business man who's rage keeps building up, and he gets mad at a flight attendant on a airplane, and a court forces him to undergo anger management therapy for thirty days. Nicholson, his therapist, decides he needs more, and ends up moving in with him. Sure, these two men are very funny, and this film could be something, but after a while, we get tired of seeing close-ups of Nicholson's scary face for laughs. Although an occasional laugh here and there, this is an un-funny film. After the commercial successes of such films as Big Daddy and The Waterboy, Adam has made Mr. Deeds (did so-so), 8 crazy nights (bad), and this. I expected there to be a lot more people at the theater than there actually were. This film had some cameos, such as Derek Jeter, Rudy Giuliani, John Macenroe, and Bobby Knight. Obviously a film by the producers of "The Animal," and "The Master of Disguise" isn't in great taste. Galaxia (Woody Harrelso) is just gross. It seems that Adam Sandler's career started off slow, got huge, and now is slowly dying. Although different, "Punch-Drunk Love" understood Sandler's strength's and weaknesses. When you have him as an executive producer, then it's just a free for all. Very close to one star. This is the worst film so far this year, and I've seen Bringing Down the House..... God Bless America!

Goosefrabba.........Goosefrabba..........
.......That's the mantra Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson) teaches the patients in his anger management class to recite to calm themselves down. The joke is that Rydell himself is a seemingly disturbed semi-psychotic. After meeting on an ill-fated flight, helpless schlub Dave Buznik (Adam Sandler) is arrested and sentenced to attend Rydell's sessions, despite the fact that Rydell was the cause of the incident in the first place. After another "Violent outburst", Buznik is given an ultimatum: 24-Hour supervision by Rydell for one Month, or one Year in jail. After a few days, that Year in jail might just start to look good....

Sandler delivers a relatively restrained performance, and Nicholson is more crazy than he's been since The Shining or Batman. He gets most of the laughs, while Sandler plays straight man. As usual, Sandler surrounds himself with some great talent, including Luis Guzman, Harry Dean Stanton, John Turturro, Marisa Tomei, John C. Reilly, and lots of others, including some truly inspired cameos that generate big laughs.

While not gut-bustingly funny, Anger Management was a pretty good film, and the chemistry between Sandler and Nicholson is great; Nicholson can get a big laugh just by arching one of his trademark brows. I could have lived without the sappy finale, and Marisa Tomei's revalation at the end also dampened my enthusiasm a little; I know it's just a movie, but it defied all credibility. Otherwise, Anger Management is a fun way to spend a few hours.

Another standard Sandler comedy
This Adam Sandler flick is actually one of his most accessible. Jack Nicholson and a supporting cast that includes Marisa Tomei, Heather Graham, John Turturro, & Woody Harrelson drive Sandler's character to become so frustrated that he lets out his repressed anger and opens up to his true feelings. The movie follows the Sandler formula of a likable underdog who redeems himself and "gets the girl" in the end. Nicholson is in fine form as the "Anger Management" shrink and NY Yankee fans will enjoy the film's climax at Yankee Stadium. Some parts of the story are pretty silly and pointless, but overall this movie delivers lots of laughs. There is a bit of a dark side to this story, as if this scenario were applied to real life instead of "reel" life people could really get hurt. A person subjected to such an invasive intrusion into their life would presumably become assertive or aggressive much quicker than the character in this film. I consider this one of Sandler's most enjoyable movies, as he is not too over the top or juvenile, and the story and cast work well.

Tension Reliever
I just love this movie. The premise and format is interesting and funny, even after watching it at least 10 times. Jack Nicholson was a perfect fit for the off-the-wall character, Dr. Buddy Rydell, even if Mr. Nicholson felt it a bit of a stretch himself.

I like Adam Sandler's movies anyway, and this one was no different.

Great if your an Adam Sandler fan, OK otherwise
Possible Spoilers Ahead:

I have to admit that I am not a big Adam Sandler fan. However, I saw the trailers and I was intrigued by the thought of Sandler playing a regular guy to an over-the-top Jack Nicholson. About halfway through the movie, I had trouble following the storyline. I think this was due to Sandler playing his mild mannered Dave Buznik character too calm in the beginning. While I understand the concept of a g