Jack-Lemmon Movie Reviews

And modern Hollywood trying to grind out remakes of such classics as this one only shows that today's studios are so emptied out of ideas that they resort to robbing the graves of much better done films. In fact, no remake or sequel of any classic movie has ever been better than the original, so it's a huge waste of time quality-wise, done only to rake in a few extra bucks from ignorant young viewers whom the producers hope won't get wise to the scam too soon.

The Out-Of-Towners doesn't just illustrate how New York sucks (if you're not rich) but that all big cities suck for the average person. Sure it's done as a dark comedy, but beneath the humor the lesson is still there that cities should stay smaller and more workable; whenever they get too huge they always turn into an unwieldy maze of inefficiency and nightmarish confusion.

So if you live in a nice, comfy small town like the Ohio one Lemmon does in this movie, and your company someday decides to give you a corporate pat on the back, tell them thanks for the compliment but that you AIN'T going to any big city to collect it!

The movie starts out on a snowy morning with two rivaling neighbors John Gustufson (Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Matthau). These two have been at each other's throats since they were kids. They always insult each other like calling each other a putz, a moron, or even a schmuck and other rude names. Whatever the two do they compete against each other to be better. One of those things they compete against is they both ice fish everyday and Max always ends up with more fish than John. So one day after they finish fishing, Max has half a dozen fish and John only has two. So Max of course picks on him and John throws one of his dead fishes into Max's car which causes a terrible stench.

That night John is watching the lottery and Max has the same T.V. remote so while John's watching the numbers Max over in the next window switches the channel. Then John switches it back then Max does it again and again. Finally John finds out it's Max and Max's son Jake (Pollak) opens the window to make him apologize and when Max goes to the window, John sprays his garden hose at him. Will these two ever stop fighting?

Then the rivalry takes another step up when a beautiful new neighbor Ariel (Ann-Margret) moves in and catches the attention of Max and John. Ariel is a lovely, warm-hearted, spirited woman who Max and John start fighting over. Max takes her ice fishing where she catches a 3-foot fish that she actually THROWS BACK before Max can take a picture of it. Then John and Ariel have dinner together and then go snowmobiling together and eventually sleep together. MAX IS FURIOUS!!!

Now Max and John are out fishing and Max is thinking of how to seek revenge. So John is in his shanty when it starts moving. He looks out the window and Max is moving it with his car heading straight for THIN ICE. John jumps out and his shanty is sunk. Of course Max is in his car chanting, "Yeah!" The two finally have a brawl and John is convinced that Max deserves Ariel more than he does because John can't support her because his house is about to be taken away from the IRS.

Will John get her or will Max? This movie is a great comedy everyone can enjoy. It's very touching and loving and is full of laughs. Your comedy collection is not complete without "Grumpy Old Men." This is a 5-Star MASTERPIECE!

The movie starts out on a snowy morning with two rivaling neighbors John Gustufson (Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Matthau). These two have been at each other's throats since they were kids. They always insult each other like calling each other a putz, a moron, or even a schmuck and other rude names. Whatever the two do they compete against each other to be better. One of those things they compete against is they both ice fish everyday and Max always ends up with more fish than John. So one day after they finish fishing, Max has half a dozen fish and John only has two. So Max of course picks on him and John throws one of his dead fishes into Max's car which causes a terrible stench.

That night John is watching the lottery and Max has the same T.V. remote so while John's watching the numbers Max over in the next window switches the channel. Then John switches it back then Max does it again and again. Finally John finds out it's Max and Max's son Jake (Pollak) opens the window to make him apologize and when Max goes to the window, John sprays his garden hose at him. Will these two ever stop fighting?

Then the rivalry takes another step up when a beautiful new neighbor Ariel (Ann-Margret) moves in and catches the attention of Max and John. Ariel is a lovely, warm-hearted, spirited woman who Max and John start fighting over. Max takes her ice fishing where she catches a 3-foot fish that she actually THROWS BACK before Max can take a picture of it. Then John and Ariel have dinner together and then go snowmobiling together and eventually sleep together. MAX IS FURIOUS!!!

Now Max and John are out fishing and Max is thinking of how to seek revenge. So John is in his shanty when it starts moving. He looks out the window and Max is moving it with his car heading straight for THIN ICE. John jumps out and his shanty is sunk. Of course Max is in his car chanting, "Yeah!" The two finally have a brawl and John is convinced that Max deserves Ariel more than he does because John can't support her because his house is about to be taken away from the IRS.

Will John get her or will Max? This movie is a great comedy everyone can enjoy. It's very touching and loving and is full of laughs. Your comedy collection is not complete without "Grumpy Old Men." This is a 5-Star MASTERPIECE!

The movie starts out on a snowy morning with two rivaling neighbors John Gustufson (Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Matthau). These two have been at each other's throats since they were kids. They always insult each other like calling each other a putz, a moron, or even a schmuck and other rude names. Whatever the two do they compete against each other to be better. One of those things they compete against is they both ice fish everyday and Max always ends up with more fish than John. So one day after they finish fishing, Max has half a dozen fish and John only has two. So Max of course picks on him and John throws one of his dead fishes into Max's car which causes a terrible stench.

That night John is watching the lottery and Max has the same T.V. remote so while John's watching the numbers Max over in the next window switches the channel. Then John switches it back then Max does it again and again. Finally John finds out it's Max and Max's son Jake (Pollak) opens the window to make him apologize and when Max goes to the window, John sprays his garden hose at him. Will these two ever stop fighting?

Then the rivalry takes another step up when a beautiful new neighbor Ariel (Ann-Margret) moves in and catches the attention of Max and John. Ariel is a lovely, warm-hearted, spirited woman who Max and John start fighting over. Max takes her ice fishing where she catches a 3-foot fish that she actually THROWS BACK before Max can take a picture of it. Then John and Ariel have dinner together and then go snowmobiling together and eventually sleep together. MAX IS FURIOUS!!!

Now Max and John are out fishing and Max is thinking of how to seek revenge. So John is in his shanty when it starts moving. He looks out the window and Max is moving it with his car heading straight for THIN ICE. John jumps out and his shanty is sunk. Of course Max is in his car chanting, "Yeah!" The two finally have a brawl and John is convinced that Max deserves Ariel more than he does because John can't support her because his house is about to be taken away from the IRS.

Will John get her or will Max? This movie is a great comedy everyone can enjoy. It's very touching and loving and is full of laughs. Your comedy collection is not complete without "Grumpy Old Men." This is a 5-Star MASTERPIECE!

The movie starts out on a snowy morning with two rivaling neighbors John Gustufson (Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Matthau). These two have been at each other's throats since they were kids. They always insult each other like calling each other a putz, a moron, or even a schmuck and other rude names. Whatever the two do they compete against each other to be better. One of those things they compete against is they both ice fish everyday and Max always ends up with more fish than John. So one day after they finish fishing, Max has half a dozen fish and John only has two. So Max of course picks on him and John throws one of his dead fishes into Max's car which causes a terrible stench.

That night John is watching the lottery and Max has the same T.V. remote so while John's watching the numbers Max over in the next window switches the channel. Then John switches it back then Max does it again and again. Finally John finds out it's Max and Max's son Jake (Pollak) opens the window to make him apologize and when Max goes to the window, John sprays his garden hose at him. Will these two ever stop fighting?

Then the rivalry takes another step up when a beautiful new neighbor Ariel (Ann-Margret) moves in and catches the attention of Max and John. Ariel is a lovely, warm-hearted, spirited woman who Max and John start fighting over. Max takes her ice fishing where she catches a 3-foot fish that she actually THROWS BACK before Max can take a picture of it. Then John and Ariel have dinner together and then go snowmobiling together and eventually sleep together. MAX IS FURIOUS!!!

Now Max and John are out fishing and Max is thinking of how to seek revenge. So John is in his shanty when it starts moving. He looks out the window and Max is moving it with his car heading straight for THIN ICE. John jumps out and his shanty is sunk. Of course Max is in his car chanting, "Yeah!" The two finally have a brawl and John is convinced that Max deserves Ariel more than he does because John can't support her because his house is about to be taken away from the IRS.

Will John get her or will Max? This movie is a great comedy everyone can enjoy. It's very touching and loving and is full of laughs. Your comedy collection is not complete without "Grumpy Old Men." This is a 5-Star MASTERPIECE!

A scene at the Zodiac Club where Lemmon bangs on the bongos with his combo brought the atmosphere of the counterculture of the late 1950s in Greenwich Village. It was hilarious when the band blared their tune of "Stormy Weather" and speeded it up in front of James Stewart's character's fiance. You could feel the tension between Kim Novak and the woman since Novak's character was a witch, and was falling for Shep(Stewart) she got Nickie(Lemmon) to get the band to annoy Novak's rival. I thought this scene stood out.

Though some make think the movie is outdated, it is not at all. I loved the wintery street scenes of New York during Christmas time and the swurling colors of purple, pink,and green throughtout the film. The soundtrack was good too.

An excellent romance film, but also a film of relationships of characters from different worlds.

Featuring Kim Novak as Gillian Holroyd, a "spellbinding" witch who is itching for a more "humdrum" existence, and Jimmy Stewart as Shep Henderson, the sophisticated publisher who becomes the object of her "affections", BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE takes you on a very cool journey with the Greenwich Village contingent who like a little jazz with their witchcraft.

This film is full of clever, "witchy" moments that are quite sly, not cheesy. Gillian's legendary Siamese cat, Pyewacket is mesmerizing as he prowls around Gillian's "anthropology" shop/dwelling and is later used to great hypnotic effect in some key scenes that I won't spoil by revealing them here. Gillian's childlike Aunt Queenie (played magnificently by former BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Elsa Lanchester) can't seem to stay out of trouble, particularly when she taps Shep's phone, causing it to produce "goblin" noises. Jack Lemmon is loads of fun as Gillian's beatnik brother, Nicky. Nicky plays bongos, intends never to fall in love and has a talent for turning out street lights, the sound of which I will always associate with this film. The moments in the Zodiac club are quite charming as are the scenes in head witch, Mrs De Passe's home, where Shep may have to venture to remove a love spell. Keep your eyes open for the standout scenes that take place in Gillian's apartment; one, when the witches exchange Christmas gifts (Gillian lights silver paint in a summoning spell) and equally noteworthy, the moment Gillian and Pyewacket cast their spell on Shep. Gillian's transformation from icy to sensitive is never dull.

As with many films of the 50's, all the characters and settings are luxurious and stylish. Manhattan becomes the perfect backdrop for the romantic whirlwind that Shep and Gillian embark on. Shep's office (and secretary) say a lot about the kind of man Shep is. So does his fiancee.

I am delighted that more people don't seem to know about this film (if only to keep Hollywood from remembering it's charm and trying to do a lame remake of it). It's a great find. If you like a little Halloween with your Christmas, this film is essential.

Kim Novak is absolutely beautiful in this one and Jack Lemmon, as her wacky bongo playing brother fills out a perfect cast. The aunt (I can't remember her name) is wonderfully batty - probably the inspiration for Esmerelda in the Bewitched series (just my guess).

There isn't a "movie minute" in the whole film, which doesn't mean there aren't surprises. These people act like real people, they do what real people do, which means they surpise the hell out of you all the time. Character is revealed not so much by words but by unanticipated responses and actions.

I don't want to divulge too much of the individual stories as it would spoil the moments of revelation. Suffice it to say, Tim Robbin's arrogant philandering motorcyle cop, Fred Ward's obtuse & callous fisherman, Lori Singer's sad cellist, Jack Lemmon's pathetic loser, Lily Tomlin & Tom Waits alcoholic trailer trash, Lyle Lovett's mistaken baker, Chris Penn's inwardly raging pool- cleaner, Davidson's & MacDowell's anxious parents, Modine's jealous surgeon, Gallagher's vengeful Ex, and all the other terrific performances both light and dark, will stay with you when the movie has ended.

This is Altman back doing what Altman does best, catching lightning in a bottle, and great performances on celluloid. First rate!