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

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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Exactly half were first time watches. Although I was familiar with each one.
In contrast, with the Western HOF, I’ve seen only 3 of the 8, and in the 21st I’ve seen 4 of 10. Not too bad.

I've seen 4 of the movies in the Western HoF, (3 of them I like enough that they might make my Westerns List), and I've seen 4 movies in the 21st HoF, (but there was only 1 movie in the 21st HoF that I like).
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So, I’ll be finishing this up the next few days. And then I’ll send in my ballot. Am I the only one still to do so?
No, we’ve got a couple left I think, so you’re good.
You can also check the first post to see how far everyone is (not sure if you knew that or not).



The trick is not minding
So, I’ll be finishing this up the next few days. And then I’ll send in my ballot. Am I the only one still to do so?
No, we’ve got a couple left I think, so you’re good.
You can also check the first post to see how far everyone is (not sure if you knew that or not).
I did but it didn’t look updated. For example, I should be at 12/14, but I’m listed at 11/14.



The trick is not minding
Broadcast News

See Network instead.



Ok, I’ll say more. Honestly, I was bored by this movie. I expected more, which is a shame. Here you have a some gifted actors of their time, and the same director who made Terms of Endearment (which is a good movie). A good script, and what should have been an interesting story. So where did it go wrong? It’s hard to put my finger on it, but I felt that the film took itself a little too seriously.

Brooks was almost unlikeable in this, barely able to hide his contempt for what he viewed as an outsider, and a phony. (Played by Will Hurt). And phony he was. But he goes to Hurt for advice anyways, and it made him seem disingenuous. Hurt isn’t even given any chance, he’s just openly ridiculed as soon as he arrives despite the fact he asks for help. Some of it stems from jealousy, over both the anchorman position and the girl played by Hunter.

I found it mean spirited, and maybe That was part of the problem. It pretended to lecture us about ethics in the newsroom, but ended up not having anything of interest to say at the end.

2 1/2 *’s



The trick is not minding
The Blues Brothers

Confession before I begin. I’ve been aware of this film for a few decades. How BBC an I not be? But for some reason, it never looked very appealing to me. So I would skip it in favor of other films. Eventually I figured I’d never watch it and really didn’t have a reason to. It just never seemed interesting enough to me. And so, when it was nominated here, I actually groaned. Literally. “Guess I’ll have to watch it after all” I said to myself. Oh, well. No reason not to, as it’s amongst the supposed greatest comedies of the 1980’s or so I’ve read.

And having watched it, I must say mea culpa to who ever nominated it. (I’m thinking Citizen Rules &#128527.
It’s not the funniest movie here, although I did laugh a few times. But it definitely is well made. Better then I was expecting in fact.
Akroyd and Belushi are great together, and their timing is amazing. They don’t go for cheap laughs, and even deliver their lives straight.
And the film is shot so well, you can see it’s Chicago. The city is captured well here.
However, The film isn’t without its faults. Fishers character is distracting in her few scenes that don’t amount to much. It’s a waste. The nazis who hunt for them are also unnecessary. And some chase scenes go on for too long. Indeed, they could have trimmed about 15-20 mins from this otherwise fine film.
But regardless of my criticism, this was a pleasant surprise and finished higher then “Broadcast News” on my ballot. I didn’t see that coming



The trick is not minding
And with that, my first HOF comes to an end. Thanks everyone who took time to read my reviews,and for having me along, and thanks Citizen Rules for the invite. It was great, and I had fun, and it gave me a forum to discuss something that I get an immense amount of joy out of, and that’s watching movies. Not only that, but it was done with a great group of people to discuss them with. This was why I joined the forum to begin with. To watch films and discuss them with like minded people.
I look forward to many more HOF.



And with that, my first HOF comes to an end. Thanks everyone who took time to read my reviews,and for having me along, and thanks Citizen Rules for the invite. It was great, and I had fun, and it gave me a forum to discuss something that I get an immense amount of joy out of, and that’s watching movies. Not only that, but it was done with a great group of people to discuss them with. This was why I joined the forum to begin with. To watch films and discuss them with like minded people.
I look forward to many more HOF.
Yay! Glad you liked it, I’ve been addicted to these since I first joined one about a year ago.



The trick is not minding
And with that, my first HOF comes to an end. Thanks everyone who took time to read my reviews,and for having me along, and thanks Citizen Rules for the invite. It was great, and I had fun, and it gave me a forum to discuss something that I get an immense amount of joy out of, and that’s watching movies. Not only that, but it was done with a great group of people to discuss them with. This was why I joined the forum to begin with. To watch films and discuss them with like minded people.
I look forward to many more HOF.
Yay! Glad you liked it, I’ve been addicted to these since I first joined one about a year ago.
Thanks! When will we have results announced? I’m curious who won, I didn’t get a vibe as to any obvious front runner. Maybe The Princess Bride?



And with that, my first HOF comes to an end. Thanks everyone who took time to read my reviews,and for having me along, and thanks Citizen Rules for the invite. It was great, and I had fun, and it gave me a forum to discuss something that I get an immense amount of joy out of, and that’s watching movies. Not only that, but it was done with a great group of people to discuss them with. This was why I joined the forum to begin with. To watch films and discuss them with like minded people.
I look forward to many more HOF.
I'm real glad you decided to join! You've been a fun member and like they say, 'the more the merrier.' I don't know what two movies you nominated for this...I will take a guess at the end of the HoF. But even if I didn't like your noms, I'm still glad to have a chance to see them Hopefully you'll keep participating in HoFs, and maybe even run one if you're interested in that.



The trick is not minding
And with that, my first HOF comes to an end. Thanks everyone who took time to read my reviews,and for having me along, and thanks Citizen Rules for the invite. It was great, and I had fun, and it gave me a forum to discuss something that I get an immense amount of joy out of, and that’s watching movies. Not only that, but it was done with a great group of people to discuss them with. This was why I joined the forum to begin with. To watch films and discuss them with like minded people.
I look forward to many more HOF.
I'm real glad you decided to join! You've been a fun member and like they say, 'the more the merrier.' I don't know what two movies you nominated for this...I will take a guess at the end of the HoF. But even if I didn't like your noms, I'm still glad to have a chance to see them Hopefully you'll keep participating in HoFs, and maybe even run one if you're interested in that.
Yeah, I’ll be a regular in these. I think I know one of your picks. Either way, I really liked most of the films I watched. Only 3 were unenjoyable, but even then 2 of them were first time watches so it was fine.
One of them was actually my pick and I was sad to see it hadn’t aged so well. 😑



Yeah, I’ll be a regular in these. I think I know one of your picks. Either way, I really liked most of the films I watched. Only 3 were unenjoyable, but even then 2 of them were first time watches so it was fine.
One of them was actually my pick and I was sad to see it hadn’t aged so well. 😑
I keep forgetting one of my picks, I'll have to look up my computer file to see what it was now. I wonder if Siddon has something special planned for the noms as we kept them private this time (which I though was a fun idea). I'd post my guesses as to who nominated what, but, then it would be clear what my two noms were and spoil the fun for the next person. I suppose I could post my guesses in a spoiler tag.

Or maybe I could send my who nominated what guesses to Siddon and if we all did that then he could compile some results to see who guessed the best or something like that. @Siddon are you interested in that?



The trick is not minding
Yeah, I’ll be a regular in these. I think I know one of your picks. Either way, I really liked most of the films I watched. Only 3 were unenjoyable, but even then 2 of them were first time watches so it was fine.
One of them was actually my pick and I was sad to see it hadn’t aged so well. 😑
I keep forgetting one of my picks, I'll have to look up my computer file to see what it was now. I wonder if Siddon has something special planned for the noms as we kept them private this time (which I though was a fun idea). I'd post my guesses as to who nominated what, but, then it would be clear what my two noms were and spoil the fun for the next person. I suppose I could post my guesses in a spoiler tag.

Or maybe I could send my who nominated what guesses to Siddon and if we all did that then he could compile some results to see who guessed the best or something like that. @Siddon are you interested in that?
We’re just waiting on Edarsenal and Siddon to finish, right?




When Harry Met Sally might just have the best soundtrack ever. I didn't pick up on that the first time watching the film but on a rewatch I was struck by just how good the song selections were. Anyways this is a the story of a man and woman who travel to New York, run into each other a few times, becomes friends and then fall in love. Ephron does the Woody Allen cutaway thing with a series of elderly couples(who are likely all dead now) talking about how they first met. Carrie Fisher plays the female best friend...she's also dead. Most of the great artists that play during this film are dead.


Now that I think about it I think I hate this movie...




But now I realize I actually love this film.












Yeah it's a charming film, this is Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan's best work. You can see how these are two neurotics that deserve each other. The makeup department did a great job deaging Billy Crystal so the 14 year age difference between the leads isn't that noticeable.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
When Harry Met Sally might just have the best soundtrack ever. I didn't pick up on that the first time watching the film but on a rewatch I was struck by just how good the song selections were.
When Harry Met Sally has one of my favorite soundtracks too. This movie made me a fan of Harry Connick Jr.


Yeah it's a charming film, this is Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan's best work. You can see how these are two neurotics that deserve each other.
I think the fact that they're both kind of neurotic might be one of the things that I love best about this movie. I can see a little bit of Sally in myself. I order food in a restaurant the same way she does. Everything has to be "on the side".



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Women will be your undoing, Pépé



Parenthood

Julie: He said that he loved me.
Helen: Men say that. They all say that. Then they cum.

I was surprised how, throughout the film, I kept getting moments of: "Oh, yeah, I remember this!" since the last time I saw it was shortly after it came out and I scarcely remembered any of it before this rewatch.
Another intriguing aspect was seeing this in the eyes of someone of some 30 yrs difference of age.
Originally seeing this as a young man in his mid twenties, and now, in my mid fifties. Connecting on a larger scale of the parents and grand parents as opposed to the kids, teens and young adults when I had first seen it.

I had also forgotten this was a Ron Howard film. The man is a great storyteller while still keeping (even an ensemble cast) every nuance of stories and sub-stories moving along without anything getting lost or mixed up for us, the audience.
I also found some very amusing parts in some of the more dramatic situations. Such as the quote above, along with when the "bedroom photos" were accidentally found and Julie kept making little remarks, since she had really no other way to deal with it. Such as, "This one is my favorite." or "Here's one for my wallet." The real delivery of them was out of her worry and being upset, not out of sarcasm or harshness. Making for a "real" moment.
Which what was a lot of the scenes in here. Admittedly, there were some Hollywood Movie moments like catching the pop fly or Moranis singing a Carpenters' song to his wife in her classroom she was trying to teach and the applause by the students and Steve Martin pulling off the Entertainment for his boy's birthday when Cowboy Bob was a no-show.
But still, some well done moments all the same.
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Women will be your undoing, Pépé



Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Freddy Benson: I didn't steal any money from her! She gave it to me.
Inspector Andre: But, she filed this complaint against you.
Freddy Benson: She caught me with another woman. C'mon. You're French, you understand that!
Inspector Andre: To be with another woman, that is French. To be caught, that is American.

On a regular basis, I normally go with an original film as opposed to a remake. Even if the remake was one I had loved. Seeing the original, I would then switch preferences.
Not here. This, is very much an exception for me.
The original Bedtime Story with David Niven and Marlon Brando, for me, doesn't work as well as does this remake with Micheal Caine and Steve Martin does.
There is a certain tongue-in-cheek that sets the pace right from the get-go as we watch as Fanny Eubanks of Omaha gets shoved into one potted plant after another.
And it continues with so many other little comments, physical comedy and the twists and turns of the con. Some of the best of them being between Caine and Martin when attempting to seduce Glenne Headly's Janet Colgate.

Everyone in this make me laugh throughout it all. Caine, with his usual brilliance, is a master at comedic timing and Martin gets to exercise both his buffoonery on varying levels of light to over the top. And Headly plays the "mark" with such wonderful innocence. Fueling the comedy even further.

Con films done by comedians are some of my favorites and this is definitely one of those favorites.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé



Back To The Future

Marty McFly: Hey, Doc, we better back up. We don't have enough road to get up to 88.
Dr. Emmett Brown: Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.

For me, the first of the series of these films is just fine and the others were more cash cows than worthwhile.
Regardless, this definitely deserves the praise that it continues to have, with Lloyd and Fox having a great chemistry as the "teen" looking to keep his existence by going back to ensure his mom and dad DO hook up to the mad scientist who makes a time machine with a Delorean. Because if you're going to use a car for a time machine it should be one with STYLE.

While, at times, the Fox charm did get a little too much for me, this is still one of his best comedies for me. And there's plenty of fodder for laughter, mix ups and comedic story telling. All of which, Robert Zemeckis is more than competent enough to pull off nicely. And he does.
This film has become iconic and there's good reason for it. From the Delorean to the "Hello, McFly!" to Fox's guitar playing that mimics Chuck Berry, Pete Townsend, Angus Young and Eddie Van Halen.

This is easily one that can be nearly anyone's rewatch list.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

On a regular basis, I normally go with an original film as opposed to a remake. Even if the remake was one I had loved. Seeing the original, I would then switch preferences.
Not here. This, is very much an exception for me.
The original Bedtime Story with David Niven and Marlon Brando, for me, doesn't work as well as does this remake with Micheal Caine and Steve Martin does.

I agree that this is one of the few cases where the remake is actually better than the original movie. In this case, I think the cast is a big part of the reason why this movie is better.