VHS comedy era comedy Hall of fame III (1977-1989)

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Did you review Cast Away? I really enjoyed that movie (even though it’s my “least favorite” Zemeckis.
No I didn't review it. I've only seen it once years ago, but...it's one of the few films that staid with me and that's because of the themes of loneliness and surviving. I really need to see that film again.
I just watched it recently and I agree with everything you said. Also, maybe my favorite Tom Hanks performance? At least his most impressive. Talk about a tough acting role.
Tom Hanks best performance is Philadelphia hands down, with Forest Hump and Saving Private Ryan coming in a close second as third.
Forest Hump’s a good one .

I actually haven’t seen Gump or any of the ones you mentioned so can’t comment.



The trick is not minding
Annie Hall

“ It reminds me of that old joke- you know, a guy walks into a psychiatrist's office and says, hey doc, my brother's crazy! He thinks he's a chicken. Then the doc says, why don't you turn him in? Then the guy says, I would but I need the eggs. I guess that's how I feel about relationships. They're totally crazy, irrational, and absurd, but we keep going through it because we need the eggs.”

Films about relationships, particularly flawed ones, have always been amongst my favorites in cinema. Broke back Mountain, Lost in Translation, Once, Roman Holiday, Shakespeare in Love et all.
Recognize a theme? They all end with them going their separate ways. But it isn’t the ending, it’s the journey they undertake together and the memories they make in that all too brief time together. It’s what reminds me of my own failed relationships, each one leaving an indelible memory, of private moments and special trips made together.

Annie Hall reminds me of that. And what sweet memories they make together.
Woody Allen as Alvy Singer as the neurotic comedian who is just a tad too controlling and Annie Hall, breathtakingly played by the beautiful and flighty Diane Keaton. Never has a role been so perfectly suited for another.
Annie is all smiles and polite conversation as she earnestly tries to keep up with the hyper intelligent Alvy, who mask his own insecurities with biting commentary and snarky asides as he looks upon everything with disdain. He seems to enjoy being depressed, as he prefers to watch the depressing documentary “The Sorrow and the Pitty”.
There’s also a funny swipe that is made at LA in regards towards their differences with NY in regards to film tastes. In NY they have important films such as “Autumn Sonata” and the aforementioned “The Sorrow and the Pitt”
While LA has 2 horror films who’s names escapes me (I’ll look them up later)
So why does Alvy continue to search for live when he recognizes he doesn’t work well with them? Same reason I continue to...I need the eggs.

4 *’s
Perfection



Tom Hanks best performance is Philadelphia hands down, with Forest Hump and Saving Private Ryan coming in a close second as third.
I'm a huge fan of Tom Hanks, most any movie that he's in, I'll like. I haven't seen Philadelphia and it's been too long since I seen Saving Private Ryan (need to rewatch!) I just seen him in Angels & Demons, not a stand out role for Hanks but he was still good.



The trick is not minding



Planes, Trains and Automobiles

“You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right. I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you, but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me. I'm not changing. I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get.“

This was the start of Steve Martin really showing what he could be capable of when he showed more restraint in his acting. And in a comedy no less.
All he wants is to get home to see his family for Thanksgiving. The weather has other plans. Along the way he meets another man, played by John Candy with the perfect combination of vulnerability and dignity. Martin can barely stand the sight of him, but they’re forced by circumstances to travel together.
What follows is a series of misadventures that ends with a quiet understanding of each other and indeed, even an appreciation of each other. Both, in their own ways, are lonely. More then either are willing to admit. And it’s that connection they make that is at the heart of the film.

3 *’s





A Fish Called Wanda

"Hello K-K-K-Ken's p-p-p-pets. HEY!! Wake up! Wake up limey fish!"

Where to start? Everything about A Fish Called Wanda is wrong. Trying to kill little old ladies? Hilarious. How about some animal cruelty? Always good for a laugh. A little fish and chips torture, why not? While we're at it let's turn every British and American stereotype up to eleven and, just in case we missed something, let's include a character with a speech impediment. Does any of that sound funny? If it does then A Fish Called Wanda is right up your alley.

Well, it's right up my alley. It's a story about a jewel heist gone right and the doublecross gone bad. In terms of LPM's (laughs per minute) A Fish Called Wanda is up there with some of the best comedies ever. A major reason (not the only reason) for this is Kevin Kline as the stu...not very smart, armpit sniffing, weapons expert Otto. What Otto lacks in intelligence he more than makes up for with jealousy. Looking at Kline's filmography this role doesn't seem like something he would do and yet once you see it you wonder if anyone else could pull it off. He does so many things that are funny with the way he delivers dialogue, his facial expressions and physical comedy. When he jumps up pounds on the car after "Disappointed!" and splays his legs out like a cartoon character... it's just hilarious. Also, the way he talks, his hate for the English, his look, it's all perfect for the Ugly American.

Jamie Lee is Wanda. She doesn't deliver too many great lines but she's the thread that connects all the characters and is the instigator in most of Otto's hilarious, jealousy induced outbursts by setting up trysts with John Cleese's Archie, the barrister representing the gangs recently set-up and arrested kingpin (George). See Wanda is going to use Archie to find the loot ("George moved the LOOT?!?") and if that means allowing a little nuzzling, etc. then so be it. A few million dollars is worth it. I usually don't comment an actors physical appearance UNLESS it pertains to the role. Jamie is supposed to be this smoking hot, sex bomb and... she sticks the landing for a perfect 10. She looks and acts the part good. Real good.

Finally we have Michael Palin as Ken. Ken has a stutter (doesn't bother Otto though), is big on animal rights, has a fish tank and is Georges No. 1 guy. Fiercely loyal to George, he is tasked with removing a key witness in the upcoming trial of George with the added pressure of a one pound bet with Otto. His side story is one of the more controversial parts of the film but it all looks so intentionally bad that it's hard to find offense. Kline gets a lot attention for Otto (deserved) but in my opinion Palin holds his own everytime they share the screen.

Special shoutout to Maria Aitken as Wendy, Archies wife. She's hilarious with all her "troubles" and has one of the funniest moments in one of the funniest scenes. There are at least three gut busting moments in A Fish Called Wanda and the rest of the film is pure gold.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.

The Princess Bride

Vizzini: I can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for my brains.
Man in Black: You're that smart?
Vizzini: Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?
Man in Black: Yes.
Vizzini: Morons.

Third watch for me. First time I didn't like it and for years everyone kept telling me how awesome it was so I watched it again and it was okay. Third time's a charm right?

It must be. I officially like this movie but I can't say why it's getting better. Watched it with my BH the other night and she loved it even though she didn't want to watch it (fantasy ain't her favorite). Maybe her enjoyment had a bit of an affect on me? Who knows.

I don't think it's the funniest movie start to finish but it has some very funny moments. The battle of wits is one of those moments and is one of the scenes I've always liked. I also got a kick out of floppy Westley at the end. A little slapstick perhaps but what's wrong with that in a comedy. I cannot emphasize enough how spot on the casting is and once again Rob Reiner does a fine job directing it all. If there's a knock it would probably be Billy Crystal. I liked what he did but I can see where some might think that his performance didn't fit.

Simply put, The Princess Bride is a charming little swashbuckler.

I love Billy Crystal as Miracle Max. I think he's one of the funniest characters in the movie.
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OPEN FLOOR.



The trick is not minding
Quick question, when is the Deadline? It may get dicey for me from the 20th until New Year’s Day due to my birthday, Christmas at the parents, and then a trip to the Poconos for News Years Eve. I doubt I’ll be able to watch anything in that time frame, although I will try



I love Billy Crystal as Miracle Max. I think he's one of the funniest characters in the movie.
I liked Max as well but I can see how he would be annoying. Even under all that makeup it's still Billy doing his schtick and if you don't like Billy that scene could be a bummer.



I liked Max as well but I can see how he would be annoying. Even under all that makeup it's still Billy doing his schtick and if you don't like Billy that scene could be a bummer.
I disliked Miracle Max, that was the worst part of the movie and that's because it was the corniest...and Billy Crystal is annoying.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Broadcast News (1987)

This is another movie that I like, but I don't really think of it as a comedy. It has a few fun scenes, like Aaron's broadcast, and when Jane yells at Tom in front of his father, but nothing that made me laugh.

I like the idea of the love triangle between the three main characters, but the problem that I had with it was that I didn't really want to see Jane end up with either of the two guys. That just kind of felt wrong because I thought that there should have been some kind of emotional dilemma where I either liked both guys and couldn't figure out which one she should end up with, or there should have been a clear front-runner of which one of them I thought she should be with in the end. But it just felt like neither one was right for her. (I kind of compared it to the "Dawson's Creek" love triangle with Joey having to decide between Dawson and Pacey. I could have easily seen Joey end up with either of those guys, and they would have made a great couple.)

I also thought it was strange that at the beginning of the movie, when they showed Aaron with his father in the truck, he looked more like a young version of Tom than Aaron.

But overall, I liked this movie as a drama, but I just didn't think it was funny.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Quick question, when is the Deadline? It may get dicey for me from the 20th until New Year’s Day due to my birthday, Christmas at the parents, and then a trip to the Poconos for News Years Eve. I doubt I’ll be able to watch anything in that time frame, although I will try

We have to wait for @Siddon to tell us the exact date of the deadline, but it's usually one week per movie for the HoFs.

The reveal was on Nov 6th, so it's been about 4 weeks already. There are 14 movies in this HoF, so we should have about 10 more weeks until the deadline.



And @Wyldesyde19, I don't know the exact date, but . . .




The trick is not minding
Quick question, when is the Deadline? It may get dicey for me from the 20th until New Year’s Day due to my birthday, Christmas at the parents, and then a trip to the Poconos for News Years Eve. I doubt I’ll be able to watch anything in that time frame, although I will try

We have to wait for @Siddon to tell us the exact date of the deadline, but it's usually one week per movie for the HoFs.

The reveal was on Nov 6th, so it's been about 4 weeks already. There are 14 movies in this HoF, so we should have about 10 more weeks until the deadline.



And @Wyldesyde19, I don't know the exact date, but . . .

Why thank you, it’ll be the 20th, so it’s soon.
I’ve got 8 more films to review and I have 2 I own, so it shouldn’t be an issue. A few of the others have proven problematic to find, so I’m taking a trip to the local library this weekend to see what I can find.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Why thank you, it’ll be the 20th, so it’s soon.
I’ve got 8 more films to review and I have 2 I own, so it shouldn’t be an issue. A few of the others have proven problematic to find, so I’m taking a trip to the local library this weekend to see what I can find.


I got lucky with this HoF because I already had more than half of these movies on DVD, and the rest of them were on cable movie channels, so I just scheduled my DVR to record them when they aired.


When you're ready to watch the movies that you can't find, just ask about them here and hopefully someone will be able to help you find a link for them.


If you get some of these movie channels, check your local listings:

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is scheduled to air on Starz Movie Channel on Dec 7th.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is scheduled to air on IFC on Dec 5th and 6th, (today and tomorrow).

The Princess Bride is scheduled to air on BBC-A on Dec 12th.

Parenthood, The Jerk, and Broadcast News have been playing on Retro Movies Channel this month.

When Harry Met Sally has been playing on Showtime Movie Channel this month.

Back to the Future and The Blues Brothers have been playing on either Showtime or Starz channels. (I get both channels, but I don't remember which channel they were listed on.)

A Fish Called Wanda is playing on Cinemax this month.

Annie Hall is playing on HBO this month.

Also, check channels like Comedy Central, Ovation, and Sundance. They have commercials, but at least you'll be able to watch the movies if you get these channels.



The trick is not minding
Why thank you, it’ll be the 20th, so it’s soon.
I’ve got 8 more films to review and I have 2 I own, so it shouldn’t be an issue. A few of the others have proven problematic to find, so I’m taking a trip to the local library this weekend to see what I can find.


I got lucky with this HoF because I already had more than half of these movies on DVD, and the rest of them were on cable movie channels, so I just scheduled my DVR to record them when they aired.


When you're ready to watch the movies that you can't find, just ask about them here and hopefully someone will be able to help you find a link for them.


If you get some of these movie channels, check your local listings:

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is scheduled to air on Starz Movie Channel on Dec 7th.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is scheduled to air on IFC on Dec 5th and 6th, (today and tomorrow).

The Princess Bride is scheduled to air on BBC-A on Dec 12th.

Parenthood, The Jerk, and Broadcast News have been playing on Retro Movies Channel this month.

When Harry Met Sally has been playing on Showtime Movie Channel this month.

Back to the Future and The Blues Brothers have been playing on either Showtime or Starz channels. (I get both channels, but I don't remember which channel they were listed on.)

A Fish Called Wanda is playing on Cinemax this month.

Annie Hall is playing on HBO this month.

Also, check channels like Comedy Central, Ovation, and Sundance. They have commercials, but at least you'll be able to watch the movies if you get these channels.
I have Amazon prime, Netflix and Hulu which normally has a great selection. Netflix even had Bluesbrothers a month ago. Those are my only options atm.
There’s a movie rental up the road I’ve got recently to watch a few, and I’ll be checking them for When Harry met Sally, Blues Brothers, Real Genius, and Parenthood. They can’t locate, although it’s in their inventory, Roger Rabbit.
That and Broadcast News May be at my Library so I can check there this weekend to find out.
I own After Hours and Princess Bride though, so I can watch them soon. Between the Library and the rental I should be ok. I hope 😑



Why thank you, it’ll be the 20th, so it’s soon.
I’ve got 8 more films to review and I have 2 I own, so it shouldn’t be an issue. A few of the others have proven problematic to find, so I’m taking a trip to the local library this weekend to see what I can find.

It'll likely be January 15th-January 31st, we finished a month early the last time.



Just finished Fish Called Wanda... why the heck isn’t it on MoFo 80s list?!



Just finished Fish Called Wanda... why the heck isn’t it on MoFo 80s list?!
That's kind of surprising that it didn't make it. Well, if we ever do a Top Movies with the name Wanda in it, it'll be a sure lock But it wouldn't be my number 1 choice



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

I first saw this movie back in 1989 when it was in the theaters. I was taking a summer class about movies back then, and one of the assignments was to write a term paper about a current movie. I narrowed it down to either this movie or Dead Poets Society, but I decided to write about this movie because I knew that I would have to see the movie multiple times, and Dead Poets Society was too depressing to watch several times over a short period of time.

I saw it about a dozen times within a few months, and it just got better each time I watched it. I fell in love with the movie, the characters, and the music. After watching it again tonight, I still love it as much as I did back then.

I love that the relationship between Harry and Sally feels real. They start out just getting to know each other, but then they go their separate ways. When they meet up again five years later, they still don't get along. But the third time is a charm, and that's when they become friends. They talk, they argue, and they even talk about their dates with other people, but they don't date each other. But as a viewer, from the outside looking in, we know that they belong together. They just haven't figured it out yet.

There are so many things that I love about this movie that I don't even know where to start. I can relate to Harry reading the last page of the book first, but I also love the way Sally orders food in a restaurant because I order food the same way. (Yes, I know that it's annoying, but I want what I want the way I want it. ) I like the wagon wheel coffee table that Jess and Marie fight about. I love Harry's speech to Sally at the party at the end of the movie.

This is not a "laugh-a-minute" movie, but it has some very funny dialog, especially some of the scenes with Harry and Jess, which I think get easily overlooked in this movie. ("You made a woman meow?", "Oh, but "baby fish mouth" is sweeping the nation?" )

I also love the music in the movie. The songs feel like they were written for the movie because the lyrics fit perfectly. And as a bonus, the soundtrack made me a fan of Harry Connick Jr.



The trick is not minding
Just finished Fish Called Wanda... why the heck isn’t it on MoFo 80s list?!
That's kind of surprising that it didn't make it. Well, if we ever do a Top Movies with the name Wanda in it, it'll be a sure lock But it wouldn't be my number 1 choice
I’m sure someone will re nominate it at a later HOF, if not on a future 80’s HOF