Larry-Miller Movie Reviews

The life of the late great Sam Kinison is explored from birth to his untimely death in this wonderful video. It has lots of interviews with Sam's friends, colegues, and his brother Bill. The way it is put together is great, with some of his best comedy clips on the video. It tells about the life of Sam Kinison very well, from the loud mouth hysterical man on stage, to the warm, caring man off it. Buy it... you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll laugh again.

Clocking in around 90 minutes and moderately priced, this well made DVD is well worth having. It presents a balanced portrait of a very complex man. Sam Kinison started out as a preacher. He was very adept at public speaking. He knew how to control a crowd, how to make them listen intently and how to whip them into a frenzy. This served him well in his second career. Sam preached that God was in each and every one of us and we should not rely so much on organized religion. Needless to say, he didn't generate a lot of donations. Then he committed the one unforgivable sin that put an end to his preaching days. He got divorced.

Tired of hypocrisy and fueled by anger, he embarked on a career in stand-up comedy with a vengeance. He was not an overnight success but struggled for several years. His big break came in the form of an appearance on an HBO Rodney Dangerfield special showcasing comedians. His trademark beret and long overcoat, his now familiar ranting and raving about marriage and women, went over very well and really got him noticed. His Tonight Show appearance cemented his showbiz rise. His stand-up topics were controversial and his delivery outrageous. But, for every person he offended, he made many more people laugh. With fame and fortune came the excesses of booze, drugs and partying with women. He was well aware of the dangers involved. He was starting to get clean and sober, and even got remarried. Tragically, while going from Las Vegas to Laughlin for a gig, his car was hit head on by a drunk driver and he was killed. Sam Kinison is gone but his unique talents will never be forgotten.

I watched "Why Did We Laugh" with great interest. Director Larry Carroll has found something deeper and much more interesting about Sam Kinison lurking just behind the noise and laughter. I didn't think it was possible but Kinison actually seems to have been a very human, very compelling character. Bravo.

This movie wasn't an all time great, funny in a few places. It does have Mark Calloway, The Undertaker, as the "bad guy."

First off i will say Hulkster isn't the best actor in the world but at least most of his movies are one's that you can set your kids infont of and don't have to worry if there something in it you don't want them to see like you have to in most movies and Suburban Commando is one of those movie heck i still like watching it there's some funny scene's in it like the one were he try's to help the little girl get her cat out of the tree and it end's up flying threw the air this is one of Hulk better movies that i think all kids should see

I was sooo glad to see this action/comedy/sci-fi on dvd. I havn't seen it since I was a tot, so I didn't remeber most of the gags.
It's about a man named Shep Ramsey who is a humaniod and hates earthlings. His ship crahses on earth, so he takes a vavcation. Soon, he moves in with a man played by Christopher Lloyd who is extremly smart, but gets pushed around by his boss, his neighbors, an old lady in a sports car, and anyone he meets. So, Shep moves in and then bounty hunters come and take over the world. Or try to. Shep and (Christopher Lloyd's charecter name here) stop them and the earth is svaed.
This movie is hilarious, awesome and cool. The action is non-stop all the way from beginning to end. The sci-fi speical effects ,well, hey cut them a break, for 1991 they were soooo cool. And constant expolsions. And the comedy is hilarious. My favorite gag was the car alarm gag.

Car alarm: step away from the vechile
(Shep rips out the car alarm)
car Alarm: No, just kidding. No really stand as close as you want. No, take it, I'll tell you how
(Shep squishes it.)

Overall I highly recommend this movie foir anyone with a sense of humour.

Greg Kinnear plays a small-time scam artist that is arrested and sentenced to find gainful employment for a year. He ends up in the DLO (Dead Letter Office) of Los Angeles' post office, working with a colorful collection of characters headed up by his supervisor (Hector Elizondo) and a former postal carrier (Tim Conway).

Kinnear decides to open one of the DLO letters addressed to God, and ends up answering it by mistake. Soon, his colleagues want in on the action and decide that they, too, want to start answering some of the letters written to God. Warm fuzzies ensue.

However, before too long, news media and the Post Office take notice. One of the DLO employees is arrested and Kinnear is left with a decision to make - let the other guy take the fall or own up to his part in it all.

A humorous courtroom scene follows along with a happy ending.

This isn't a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it is enjoyable and worth a few laughs. Each off-the-wall character acts consistently thoroughout the film. Each, in their own way, contributes to the humor of the film.

It's a light-hearted, feel-good film about the power of doing good.

I remember seeing this in the theatre and I really think this is a fun movie to watch. Greg Kinnear is fun, the rest of the characters are great to watch, and even though the story is a little weak at times, it still makes you laugh. It also shows that when people band together, there's a lot they can accomplish.

This is the best movie ever made. I don't know why I love it so much. I just found out it was coming out on DVD. I can't wait. I will be the first person to buy it. If you haven't seen it, rent it. I will guarantee you'll like it.

Directed by Joe Dante this brilliant black humor comedy satirizes everything, from racism, to imigration, religion, politics and the power of the media. In a near future, the governor of Idaho(Beau Briges) decides to close his state borders to protect the "american way of life", more precisely his own. The situation turns into a circus when a plane of pakistani refuges fleeing from a nuclear war tries to land in Idaho. And so starts this big mess that might lead to civil war. As the story progresses we see it from various points of view like the news network triyng to explore the situation for higher viewings rates, the imconpetent president and his advisors and governor Farley that sees himself in a situation where there is no turning back. Great performances from James Earl Jones and James Coburn.

I think that this is one of director Joe Dante's best films ever made. The film's subject provides an interesting an entertaining look at what could happen in the United States in the future. The issues discussed in the film such as racism, immigration, and the United States as the only remaining powerful nation on Earth made this film both serious and humorous. The film also had a great cast. They gave convincing and effective performances. I think that this is a really great movie. It's really worth watching.

Sorry, but I love this movie. Not only is it quite funny, but it prophisized not only Lewinsky, but GW Bush as well. This is something that I think could happen in the US (a Hispanic Revolution, closing our borders to immigration). I also think the fact that Clinton could not ask South Carolina to remove the confederate flag indicates just how fragile the Presidency is in the context of states and Governors.

Directed by Joe Dante this brilliant black humor comedy satirizes everything, from racism, to imigration, religion, politics and the power of the media. In a near future, the governor of Idaho(Beau Briges) decides to close his state borders to protect the "american way of life", more precisely his own. The situation turns into a circus when a plane of pakistani refuges fleeing from a nuclear war tries to land in Idaho. And so starts this big mess that might lead to civil war. As the story progresses we see it from various points of view like the news network triyng to explore the situation for higher viewings rates, the imconpetent president and his advisors and governor Farley that sees himself in a situation where there is no turning back. Great performances from James Earl Jones and James Coburn.

I think that this is one of director Joe Dante's best films ever made. The film's subject provides an interesting an entertaining look at what could happen in the United States in the future. The issues discussed in the film such as racism, immigration, and the United States as the only remaining powerful nation on Earth made this film both serious and humorous. The film also had a great cast. They gave convincing and effective performances. I think that this is a really great movie. It's really worth watching.

Sorry, but I love this movie. Not only is it quite funny, but it prophisized not only Lewinsky, but GW Bush as well. This is something that I think could happen in the US (a Hispanic Revolution, closing our borders to immigration). I also think the fact that Clinton could not ask South Carolina to remove the confederate flag indicates just how fragile the Presidency is in the context of states and Governors.

But, not as good as Black Caesar. There was a good deal of action in this film, more than the predecessor, and you can definetly tell that a lot more money was spent on this movie, however it lacked the originality and spontanaity of the first film. The action scenes were better, and the story was very well thought out, but the movie just lacked something. Tommy Gibbs is still a super ... though, and I wouldn't wanna mess with him. "Hell Up In Harlem" just strikes me as a sequel with a LOT of potential, and energy that would have made a fine film, but the tale gets caught up too much in trying to out do the first film, instead of building upon it. ... I think this is a must see for fans of the fisrt film, but don't be surprised if you are disappointed.

I liked it better than Black Caesar. There is more action and Drama in this one, as Tommy takes revenge on those who set him up in the first one.

THIS is an awesome movie and I would truly recommend this to any Fred Williamson fan who enjoys his movies and I loved this movie it was pretty good Julius W. Harris and Gloria Hendry returns also and she is a very beautiful woman and they are very good legendary actors and actresses and this movie is really good I would really recommend Tommy Gibbs falls in love again with a minister by the name of Jennifer and may I also add that this is a nice soundtrack also this time this soundtrack is done by Edwin Starr and this is the sequel to Black Caesar !!!!h

But, not as good as Black Caesar. There was a good deal of action in this film, more than the predecessor, and you can definetly tell that a lot more money was spent on this movie, however it lacked the originality and spontanaity of the first film. The action scenes were better, and the story was very well thought out, but the movie just lacked something. Tommy Gibbs is still a super ... though, and I wouldn't wanna mess with him. "Hell Up In Harlem" just strikes me as a sequel with a LOT of potential, and energy that would have made a fine film, but the tale gets caught up too much in trying to out do the first film, instead of building upon it. ... I think this is a must see for fans of the fisrt film, but don't be surprised if you are disappointed.

I liked it better than Black Caesar. There is more action and Drama in this one, as Tommy takes revenge on those who set him up in the first one.

THIS is an awesome movie and I would truly recommend this to any Fred Williamson fan who enjoys his movies and I loved this movie it was pretty good Julius W. Harris and Gloria Hendry returns also and she is a very beautiful woman and they are very good legendary actors and actresses and this movie is really good I would really recommend Tommy Gibbs falls in love again with a minister by the name of Jennifer and may I also add that this is a nice soundtrack also this time this soundtrack is done by Edwin Starr and this is the sequel to Black Caesar !!!!h

But, not as good as Black Caesar. There was a good deal of action in this film, more than the predecessor, and you can definetly tell that a lot more money was spent on this movie, however it lacked the originality and spontanaity of the first film. The action scenes were better, and the story was very well thought out, but the movie just lacked something. Tommy Gibbs is still a super ... though, and I wouldn't wanna mess with him. "Hell Up In Harlem" just strikes me as a sequel with a LOT of potential, and energy that would have made a fine film, but the tale gets caught up too much in trying to out do the first film, instead of building upon it. ... I think this is a must see for fans of the fisrt film, but don't be surprised if you are disappointed.

I liked it better than Black Caesar. There is more action and Drama in this one, as Tommy takes revenge on those who set him up in the first one.

THIS is an awesome movie and I would truly recommend this to any Fred Williamson fan who enjoys his movies and I loved this movie it was pretty good Julius W. Harris and Gloria Hendry returns also and she is a very beautiful woman and they are very good legendary actors and actresses and this movie is really good I would really recommend Tommy Gibbs falls in love again with a minister by the name of Jennifer and may I also add that this is a nice soundtrack also this time this soundtrack is done by Edwin Starr and this is the sequel to Black Caesar !!!!h

I love this movie. I gave it four stars instead of five because the script is admittedly weak in places and the directing makes it look like a TV movie rather than a feature film. But none of that obscures the positive points of the movie.

It should be obvious that this film will hold the most appeal for fans of Rick Springfield. He is a much better actor than one might assume and plays some of the awkwardly-written swings of his character well. Janet Eilber does a good job as the conservative "ordinary" woman his character falls in love with. The weakest performance in the film is Patti Hansen's, as the rocker's songwriting partner and former girlfriend. She works hard but can't overcome the stilted dialogue she's given in most of her scenes.

The best part of the movie may be the music. The majority of the songs in the film are written and performed by Springfield and will be familiar to fans.

Not a great film, but one I enjoy a great deal. If you're a fan you will feel the same way.

With the exception of Christopher Reeve's Somewhere In Time (1980), Rick Springfield's 1984 first full length major feature film, Hard to Hold, is probably the most underrated movie in the 80's romance film genre! Both were viciously rejected by the critics at the time, but discovered by the people one by one, and now both movies enjoy a cult following appeal and are frequently amongst the highest rented videos in most stores!
The commonalities between the two movies are readily evident. Both male characters are successful in creative fields (playwright and rock musician), both are feeling like "there's got to be something more than this" in their lives, they both are seek an enduring love, and both find it with women who are technically "unattainable".
That is where the similarities end. SIT is mired in the 1910's, and H2H is definitely a product of the 80's which still resonates with people today.
Musically, SIT was out of touch with the "Me generation.". While SIT is set to a Edwardian era highly sentimentalized "hearts and flowers" heart-fluttering, sugar sweet instrumental soundtrack, the highly charged, "living on the edge" rock music and lyrics in H2H captures the true spirit of the state of love and romance in the post-sexual revolution America where cynicism was more in effect than sentimentality. The songs are still sung today-Love Somebody still rings true today as it did back then as does Bop till You Drop and Stand Up!
Rick, as Jamie Roberts, almost appears autobiographical-as he did have a HUGE screaming teen fan base at that time which at times appears to have helped and hinder his career. In fact, the buttoned up female protagonist, Diana Larson, played by actress Janet Eilber, dismisses him and his musical style as "bubblegum" and expresses an affinity for crooner Tony Bennett. Come on, who admittedly listened to Tony Bennett back then? (Ok I did...but so what? I'm an anonmaly!)
Well, apparently, the way to that woman's heart (and bed) was through a Tony Bennett song. Let me tell you if someone hired a singer to serenade me, I'd leave my "heart in San Francisco" in a New York minute! How incredibly romantic is that? Yet, they don't drown us in sentimentality. I found it shocking at the time that they would talk about STI's so casually in a movie like that, but they were "keeping it real" in a society that not only expected it, but demanded it!
As for Rick's acting performance in H2H, my question is "Who's acting?" Every move he made seemed to be natural and an extension of himself. Janet's performance is reminiscent of Andie McDowell who would play in the 1994 romantic comedy 4 Weddings and a Funeral. Both actresses, in my view, appear more like cardboard cutouts instead of potentially passionate women-which was too bad. It made the movie drag a bit. I also enjoyed Patti Hanson's "songwriter-on-the-verge-of-nervous-breakdown" jealous ex-girlfriend. You want to hate her, but you really can't. She's just trying to make sense of her own angst, and let's face it, it's never easy to say goodbye, is it?
When I first saw the movie back in the 8's, I was not really ready for it. Far from ready. At the time I was very conservative and when the "fireplace scene" came up-the kinds of emotions and longings it stirred up in me freaked me out so much that I immediate shut off the video and drove it back to the store. I would not view that video again for at least 19 years!
I rented the video to hear Rick singing-and was rewarded with a fabulous commentary on the state of love and romance in the 80's! Now I play that fireplace scene over and over again. Not just for the majorly heartstopping sensuality of it all (the horniness factor, I must admit, is there!) but for the real "exposure" of two strong willed people who are willing to take a chance and be emotionally vulnerable to each other as well. Now that's truly a story to be told. So subtle, but so powerful at the same time.

One of the things I appreciate about this move is that it chronicalizes a time in our recent social history when it was often easier to give your body to someone than it was to give your heart. Presently, in this era of AIDS and so-called "family values", it seems like everyone wants to re-write their own history. Today, courtships are played out by the "Rules" and to hear people talk everyone was as chaste as the driven snow! I say not if you came of age in the late 70's and early 80's!
Back in the day, one- night stands were the rule, not the "exception." And no one used the "L" word for fear of appearing weak. Throughout the movie, Diane tries so hard to be a "modern woman" and act like it's a physical thing only. Only once does she tell Jamie she "cares" about him but it was Jamie who took the REAL chance on declaring his love for her during that famous "fireplace" scene!
It transcends time and space-that need to love and be loved. What woman wouldn't give her left arm to have someone look her in the eyes soulfully like that and whisper, "I love you" And mean it? Just the thought moves me to tears as I write this. In my not so humble opinion such a emotionally gripping love scene would not play on the screen again until the 1997 blockbuster Titanic.
Whether it is the 1910's, or the 2000's, love is "hard to hold" but well worth the attempt. As the classic song about another relationship involving a man named Rick says, "the fundamental things apply...as time goes by" and viewing this movie two decades later PROVES this fact!
I can watch this movie now, and while it is not in the Gone with the wind or Casablanca class, it does have a message of its own-primarily this: even if love sometimes seems Hard to Hold onto, don't give up! Hang on, enjoy the ride, take the risk...and if it is truly right-NEVER let it go. A rather positive and timely message especially applicable in this post 9/11 culture of fear and uncertainty where nearly everyone wants a "sure thing" when life holds no guarantees.

I really enjoyed "Hard to Hold" even though the critics trashed it, but then they've trashed everything Rick Springfield has ever done. I guess he's just too handsome, charming, and nice to be taken seriously as a musician or as an actor. Rick puts more of himself into his live concerts than any performer I've ever seen on stage and yes, I have seen Bruce Springsteen and Pink Floyd. Yes, I confess the dirty little secret: I'm a devoted fan of Rick's, and frankly "Hard to Hold" was exactly the movie I wanted to see as a fan. Great music and a romantic rock star falls in love with an ordinary girl story line. It's not exactly Wuthering Heights--although I'd bet Rick could do a great Heathcliff--but it features some of my favorite Springfield songs and a great message: You'd better love somebody because at the end of your time on this earth the love is all that really counts. This movie is a must for all Springfield fan and romantics! Do you believe in love and happy endings? Get yourself a big bowl of buttered popcorn and curl up with "Hard to Hold." You won't be disappointed.

I like a good sports movie as much as anyone, particularly when it involves an underdog. "Necessary Roughness" features a huge underdog -- a cheating Texas college forced to play football without scholarship players. With Scott Bakula as the aging quarterback and Kathy Ireland as the kicker, how can you miss?

Well, the characters are paper thin, and the dialogue should be familiar -- it features every cliche ever used in the history of sports movies. Still, there is some value is seeing Ireland on-screen, and Bakula is hard to dislike. Most memorable: Rob Schneider's hilarious calls from the pressbox (fumble...fumbleaya...fumblerooski). Just don't look for too intelligence out of "Necessary Roughness," because it simply isn't there.

Necessary Roughness is a humorous film that's supposed to make us laugh and cheer for the underdog. It has its parts, I admit, where it is good fun and it is enjoyable, but then it has its stupid, cliched parts that kinda ticks me off as a student of football.

Good points:
1) I think there's a good range of characters, each one has a different persona, thankfully. Some of them are pretty enjoyable and even at times believable. Especially the QB, an older guy going back to college to guide a losing team to a better record. It's a storyline we can follow and his character is pretty fun to follow.
2) I like how this was about a losing team, a nobody school, that is trying to get a couple wins, not a championship under their belt. If this had been a film about a nothing school going all the way, I would've given it one star.
3) This film has a solid plot, for a football film. It has easy characters to follow and the objective of the film is clear. Meaning, you know what it's about and it answers most the questions that might be raised during the film.

All right the bad things:
1) The dialogue of this film is so full of cliches and you can almost expect what each character is going to say because it is so scripted. This really hurt the originality of this film, the complete originality of this film.
2) The romance is unnecessary and dumb. It has nothing to do with the plot, it's just a side note that the QB is making out with his English prof. I mean, who cares? It's not as if she plays an important role and it isn't as if the romance is crucial to the development of characters.
3) The bar fight. How predictable and stupid. And naturally the team they fight over in the bar is the very same team they meet in the final game. How cliche.
4) What I wanted to see was this aging QB to have to prove himself all over again, kind of work his way up and earn the confidence of his team members. That would've added the element of emotion in this film, which lacks because you don't really care a whole bunch about any of the characters, they are just entertaining jocks. Instead, he's accepted almost instantly and doesn't have to earn his starting job, it's granted to him. Because everything is practically handed to him, all the oppertunities that is, how in the world can we possibly sympathize with his character?
5) A football film without emotion is a pretty boring film, if at best, a one time wonder and then it's dull. Which is the problem with this film. It's fun to watch the first time around, but after that, it's like who cares? This film taught me nothing because I was never involved with the plot or any of the characters emotionally. Again, it had good characters, but they weren't good enough to make this film better because they were all distant jocks.

If you are looking for a football film that's fun to watch one time, then watch this film. But don't even think for a second you'll want to buy this film to watch again and again. It's just not worth it. It's an average sports film, with poor dialogue, and lack of creativity in development of characters.

This is one film that I could watch repeatedly. It was an entertaining story starring the talented actor, Scott Bakula, as the aging QB. It is funny, great cast-interaction, exciting game action and characters you can't help but really root for .....