Michael-McKean Movie Reviews

Flashback is a great movie of when the material 80's and the free 60's meet face to face. John Bockner (Keifer Sutherland) is a conservative FBI agent who is given the task to take an old hippie leader; Huey Walker (Dennis Hopper) to jail for a stunt he pulled in the 60's. The movie has great twists and turns, and will leave your laughing till you pass out. I love the line said by Huey "Once we get out of the 80's the 90's are gonna make the 60's look like the 50's"
Unfortuntly for him I think the 90's made the 80's look like the 60's

FLASHBACK is a [great] movie. You're [crazy] if you don't buy this! A movie co-starring Kiefer Sutherland and Dennis Hopper has got to be great!. Sutherland as the conservative FBI agent and Hopper as the radical 60s activist combine for one of the coolest movies ever made (except for 1967's "The President's Analyst.") which is the all-time psycho/revolutionary/crazy movie... next to The Monkees' "Head" which is in a category all by itself, man!

This is the movie that made me a huge Kiefer Sutherland fan. I saw it when I was young (age 12 or so) and it's been one my absolute favorites ever since. A lot of talent and heart went into this film and it always puts me in a good mood. Dennis Hopper is awesome as always and he and Kiefer made a great screen team. A must see, especially for any Kiefer fans out there. I'm so excited to finally have this movie in my film library.

If you love Annette, you'll love this movie. She is awesome in it. If you don't love her, it is still a great movie. If you've ever secretely dreamed of getting revenge, then dream on. I love it when she makes him.... ah "wet himself". I laughed till I cried. Oh by the way, she later married the creep in real life.
This is one of Annette's better movies.

This was the film that real life husband & wife Annette O'Toole (Smallville) & Michael McKean (Laverne & Shirley) met on! This movie is about a school teacher who finds out that her gay brother was murdered, and then the killer is wrongfully set free...b/c one of the best lawyers in the country (played by McKean) shows that his client is innocent. Annette O'Toole is so furious, that she decides to make the lawyer (McKean) suffer..by kidnapping him..taking him up to a secluded cabin...and torturing him!!! Is this final justice? NO! More happens! I'm not going to ruin the movie, but I wish I could! This is a movie with lots of twists and turns, and is truly enjoyable.

This is a movie that has it all, chilling and funny at the same time. These actors make this quirky story work, and after one viewing, you'll want to see it again. It was re-released as "Highway Hitcher" to try to find an audience, but that is not even an apt title for this piece of work. Don't miss this, under either banner!

This movie was a pleasant surprise for me. Forsythe dropped his tough-guy image and did a makeover as a milquetoast businessman who innocently picks up a hitchhiker and drives into trouble. This is one of his best, and he's totally believable in the role. Forsythe's one of my favorite actors because he becomes the characters he plays. I will add this movie to my collection.

This Part II edition is a real scream. If you do not purchase this, you will be kicking yourself if it goes out of print.

Also, you should buy Waiting for Guffman.

Hello there! Thank you , sit down.

If you are a fan of Mr Mull's dry humor,get this movie.There's probably a copy in stock. : ) The film takes a look at the stereotype white suburban family in Hawkin's falls Ohio.

this movie was really one of the best comedy acts that i have ever seen. i think that everyone should see this - tracy ullman is so funny!

I was recovering from hip surgery and popped this movie in the VCR at about 1:00 a.m. It looked like a cute drama from the cover, something I could watch and fall asleep to. I couldn't have been more wrong. Before long I was laughing so hard I popped my stitches and woke my entire family up. I mean to tell you this is the funniest movie I have ever seen in my life. So funny I had to bury my face in the pillow to keep from waking the neighbors. Gut busting hilarity....Jill Clayburg is like you've never seen her before! Jeffrey Tambor is fresh, charming, and outrageously funny portraying a slightly bent free spirited jazz musician.
There's a little piece of everyone in these two characters and will keep you in stitches for weeks to come! This movie is for anyone over 30 who has ever vowed "Never Again" to serious relationships. It's upbeat, up to date and an absolute must see, and for me....a must own! It's the funniest movie at the video store....and now at amazon.com! "Never Again" is the most under rated, under advertised, block buster comedy of all time. I just can't say enough! 5 stars in my book!

Sincerely,
Sherry Malone

I was blessed to see this film at the Sarasota Film Festival and I have been waiting for it's release. I need to watch it again to see all the parts that I missed from the laughter in the theater! If you have ever been divorced, this film will ring true in many ways. It brings to light so many aspects that people have to face when once again confronted with being single but in a very humane and funny way. Believe me...I lived more than one part of this film and highly recommend it to anyone that is newly single and has the opportunity to view it.

Serendipity: this is what this movie was like for me. It was "real", in a way that few movies are. It was about real people, in real life, with all their fears, joys, hopes, tragedies and dreams. It was the kind of movie that I want to share with my closest friends, to remind them that courage and love and hope are alive. I recommend it highly to those persons who believe in love, as well as those who have forgotten how, or why, they should. It's not a typical "feel good" story - it has some "hard edges". THey only serve to make it more refreshingly honest. I'm so glad I stumbled across this one.

Chris Farley was one of the first celebrities that I was familiar enough with his work that upon his death, I actually felt a real loss. He was someone of my generation that died long before his time should have come. A gifted comedian with perfect timing, Chris also had a knack for stealing scenes that he was in, even if only in a small role. This collection has a ton of his best skits, and is a great tape to throw in when you have friends over and want to have a good laugh. Chris's motivational speaker is probably the most well known skit on the tape and with good reason, as it's one of the best skits snl had in the last decade. There's lots of other great stuff to be found here, the chippendale's audition with patrick swayze is hilarious, and Chris's performance as El Nino will bring tears to your eyes from laughing so hard.

I've found that most people either totally love Chris Farley or, when you bring him up, make a face and say, "I never really thought he was funny." If you are in the first, and don't own this video yet, RUN don't walk to the shopping cart and buy one. When they ran it the first time on TV, it wasn't long after Farley's death, and I was still sad about it. After the sober opening by Tim Meadows, however, I started laughing pretty much non-stop till it was over. His better-known routines are on here, such as Bennet Brower, Matt Foley, and the Chippendale's dancer, which are all hilarious. But there's also quite a few skits that I never saw, and we watched pretty much every week when he was in the cast. My only complaint is that it isn't longer, and some funny skits, they only show snippets of, like him playing Alan Hale, and the skit with Sandler where Michael Keaton was the host and Sandler plays his cranky grandmother whom he has to watch for 20 minutes. (if you want to see the whole skit, which is one of the funniest things I've ever seen them do, then buy the Best of Adam Sandler as well, because it the whole skit, plus some other great Farley stuff not on this tape is on there). The only noticeable (if you're a Farley fan) omission is a skit called "The Relapse Guy" where he plays a guy who goes to rehab then gets wasted again over and over (it's way funnier than it sounds, trust me). I think they thought it was a little too close to home (though they did leave in the Ditka stuff with him faking a heart attack-that kind of made me wince). Every time I see this, several things happen-- I get sad that he wasn't around long enough to make more movies with Spade, or even by himself, because (this sounds corny) he had so much to give. I also get pi$$ed off at him for not taking better care of himself and dying. I also usually laugh so hard I fall off the couch. No matter how bad of a day I had, I can watch almost any of the skits on here and get cheered up instantly. He was a guy who could just say one line that you would think no-one could say and make it funny, and make you fall down laughing just the way he says it. His costars really had a hard time keeping character, which shows even more in the dress rehersal 'blooper' clips they show. Watch David Spade and Christina Appelgate during the Matt FOley thing- they both have to turn away from the camera to hide their faces because they can't keep a straight face, and when he starts in with the "I bet you're asking yourself 'hey Matt, how do we get back on the right track?' " you can see their shoulders shaking they are laughing so hard. Sandler can't keep a straight face when he's doing the "Lunchlady" song with him, either. Come to think of it, I have no clue how anyone on stage with him could ever keep a straight face. If you were bummed out when he died, get ready to get teary (though you'll already have tears running down your face from laughing) when he sings, "so long, farewell" as Matt Foley at the end, sitting on Phil Hartman's lap (I could watch this without tearing up until Hartman was killed, now I can't see the clip without getting choked up). But even if you do get emotional, keep watching, because after the credits they stick on the one thing I'd been hoping for the whole time-a quick clip of Farley as "Sandman" on "Nat X". What a waste- I hope whereever he is he knows how happy he made people during the short time he was around (and how happy he is still making those of us who thought he was funny).

It's safe to say that Chris Farley is my favorite comedian of all time, bar none, that ever graced the stages of SNL, or every graced the silver screen, for that matter. Watching this DVD is like taking a trip down memory lane - one where you laugh out loud at Matt Foley, or Benet Browler, or even Barney, the overweight stripper trying out for the Chip 'N Dales. These characters are what opitimizes Chris Farley: they are memorable, loud, sweaty, and funny. They don't just blend into the background on numerous one-off skits like so many other SNL actors have, but instead, have created legends that will live in the memories forever of anyone who watched SNL in the 1990s.

And yet, it is in this, that this DVD will make you want to cry when it's over. Tim Meadows' touching speech at the end summed up so well why we loved Chris so much, and what a tragidy his untimely death truly was for the world. This DVD is a must-have for anyone, if for nothing else, than as a testiment to what one man, so depressed and down on himself, can do when he truly enjoys his work, and truly enjoys brightening people's lives.

That said, there are a couple downsides to the DVD:
1) Lunchlady land could have been cut shorter to include more memorable scenes that were left out
2) On the original SNL airing of this, they had the Little Women spoof-skit where Chris Farley falls through the ice. It was HILARIOUS, one of his best ever. Yet, they left it off the DVD and subsequent airings of the SNL episode on comedy central. WHY? Every Chris Farley fan I know has this same complaint!

BUT THIS DVD NOW!

Okay, I know there's so many reviews for this movie already here, and so my opinion of the movie probably doesn't even need to be here. But I think just the fact that this movie has been reviewed by two hundred people as of now, almost all giving it a 5-star review, is alone a testament to how many people are impressed by this film.

Clue is a Paramount Pictures' whodunit film that puts less emphasis on solving a mystery and more on non-stop laughs, gags, and one-liners. And believe me, there's more comedy packed into this hour-and-a-half than you can shake a stick at. That doesn't mean you can't try to solve the murder case yourself either.

The main theme of clue is quite dark. All the familiar people from the game (Peacock, Green, Scarlet, Mustard, etc.) are invited to a dinner party at a huge mansion. There, it is not only revealed that they are all being blackmailed, but also that it's all being done by the host of the party, Mr. Boddy! Early in the movie, Mr. Boddy is murdered, but there's a problem. The act was committed with the lights turned off in the house, and thus no one knows who has done it. Throughout the course of the movie, several others die, and the guest's efforts to find out who the murderer is also becomes a fight for survival. While the movie has this dark theme, the movie takes the deaths and blackmail so lightly, that it makes you forget that you're laughing at a subject so serious.

Clue takes all the one-dimensional characters from the popular board game and really fleshes them out, giving each one a distinct personality and style. The ensemble cast is one of the best I've ever seen, and each actor really owns their part. I can't imagine anyone but Tim Curry frantically explaining the murder at the end or someone other than the wonderful Madeline Kahn playing the dark black widow, Mrs. White. The rest of the cast is excellent too. They all have excellent timing; their deliverance on all their one-liners is great, and even just their facial expressions alone will have you laughing hysterically at times.

Clue demands repeated viewing, because every time you see the movie you'll notice something different. While the first time you watch it, the movie may come across as being really silly, after watching it again and again, you'll pick out things that you missed. There's a seemingly endless string of gags and sight jokes throughout the movie, and I'm still amazed when I notice new things, even after I've seen it a million times. (whoops, I said I wasn't gonna say that . . . . oh well.) : )

Well, to make a long story short (too late) this is an absolutely wonderful movie. It is a smart, clever comedy, sprinkled with the old-fashioned mystery element, and should be a classic by any cinema-lover's standards.

Clue is the movie version of the popular board game by Parker Bros, Inc. In this movie, 6 unacquainted people meet for a dinner party at a spooky mansion. They are told they will meet a Mr. Boddy to discuss financial agreements. Wadsworth, the butler, does not explain why they have been invited to this dinner party. All of them later learn dark secrets of one another, and find that a murderer is on the loose! They must try to stop this murderer without getting killed themselves, and end up entertaining audiences of all ages in this comedy.

CAST:
Mrs. Peacock: Eileen Brennan
Wadsworth: Tim Curry
Mrs. White: Madeline Kahn
Prof. Plum: Christopher Lloyd
Mr. Green: Micheal McKean
Col. Mustard: Martin Mull
Ms. Scarlet: Lesley Ann Warren
Yvette (Maid): Colleen Camp
Mr. Boddy: Lee Ving

If you are looking for a family film with jokes for kids, teens, and adults, this is the movie for you. Clue appeals to all ages because it has many hilarious jokes that aren't raunchy. One of these jokes is...

Col. Mustard: Wadsworth, I see you are the Butler. So what exactly do you do?
Wadsworth: I butle, sir.

I highly recommend this movie to everyone. It is a film to watch again and again!

I love this movie! It has been a favorite of mine since it came out. Tim Curry is a comedic genius!

Well, Spinal Tap just won't give up. They're approaching 60 and still rocking. This new edition of the comedy masterpiece This is Spinal Tap is loaded with goodies, especially for die hard fans. The intro alone is worth the price of the DVD, with all three members (in character) commenting on the title sequence of the DVD. Then some commentary as you navigate the menu (especially funny is the subtitles bit). Then there are the extras! Man...some of the extras aren't the funniest, so it's obvious as to why they were removed from the final cut, but some are hilarious! My favorite out-take was a bit featuring Nigel (Christopher Guest) explaining to Marty Dibergi (Rob Reiner) the similarities between tradtional Indonesian music and true American Western music. This scene is as funny as anything in the movie. A nice touch is the audio commentary featuring all three in character as they analyze the truthfulness of DiBergi's representation and recall old times. Funny as hell. All in all, if you're a Tap fan, this will make you forget about the "Hellhole" you live in! A great continuation of the Tap legacy.

It amazes me that to this day, nearly 20 years later, there are still some people who thought this was real. That Spinal Tap actually existed. It's hilarious. This film is truly one of a kind. It perfectly lampoons the life, success, and downfall of a rock group. The film is shot as a documentary, or as this kind of film is, a 'mockumentary'. It's being done by director Marty DiBergi(Rob Reiner, who also directed and co-wrote the film), who is best known for commercials. He chronicles the life of legendary british band, Spinal Tap. The members of this band include David St. Hubbins(the always great Michael McKean), who is the vocalist of the group. Nigel Tufnel(the brilliant Christopher Guest), is the lead guitarist. Big mustached Derek Smalls(the great Harry Shearer), is the bass player. They started out in the mid 1960's as a mellower hippy/pop type band with songs like "Listen(To What The Flower People Say)". The documentary chronicles that to where they are today. They turned into a long haired, heavy metal group with songs like "Big Bottom", "Sex Farm", and others. The entire film shows their struggles to maintain their career as it appears to be falling down the tubes. Producers won't release their album, concerts are cancelled, no one comes to autograph signings. The inner turmoil within the band is showcased as well. They suffered from we could call, 'the Yoko syndrome', where St. Hubbins' girlfriend, Janine Pettibone(June Chadwick), comes into the picture and causes friction within the group. Throughout the film and interviews, there are concert clips showing the band in glorious action. The film was written by our three stars, and they must have spent time in this world because many musicians have stated the authenticity of it all. Not only did they write it and get it down pat, but these three guys also wrote every song and really performed them. They might not of been a real group, but they could of been. Keep your eyes peeled open for appearances by Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, and Fran Drescher at a party. Fred Willard and Ed Begley Jr., who have become Chris Guest regulars in his future films, appear here as well. Willard, as he will in the future films, steals every single frame he is in. Ed Begley, Jr. plays the band's original guitarist who died in an awful gardening accident. This continues as a running gag(that always works)thru the rest of the film concerning their drummers. The movie is funny. It's not the kind of comedy that a lot of people will get. Read the one star reviews below for that. It's a type of comedy that is very dry, but also very funny. If you are not in on it, you will not get it or respect it for what it is and is trying to do. Same goes for Guest's future films(Waiting For Guffman and Best In Show). The DVD comes with a great load of cool extras. The three guys, in character, give audio commentary. It's priceless. There is a new interview with Rob Reiner. There is a slew of other special features here. Over an hour of never before seen footage; Theatrical trailers; 6 TV commercials; an appearance on "The Joe Franklin Show"; 4 music videos for "Listen(To What The Flower People Say)", "Hell Hole", "Big Bottom", and one I can't remember the name of. It's a hysterical film that hits on every mark. Definitley the funniest movie about music ever made, and the all time best 'mockumentary'. And once again, just to make sure, this was not a real band. Go ahead and see this. It's one of a kind.

Christopher Guest is probably the most brilliant comedy director living, and *This Is Spinal Tap* is one of the the most perfect examples of dead-pan humor around. Some of the laughs are subtle (the obnoxious limo driver, the controlling girl friend, the dim-witted bass guitarist played by Guest himself) and some are howling out loud raucous. Anyone who isn't in stitches by the "Stonehenge" sequence probably needs to have his or her pulse checked to make sure death hasn't intervened.

Perhaps they've spontaneously combusted or choked on vomit...

Okay, so maybe most people don't think of it as a Thanksgiving classic, but my family watches it every single year. I will agree with most people that it is a funny movie, but not hilarious. Now maybe it's because I practically know it inside and out. My absolute favorite part is when John Candy and Steve Martin are so desperate to keep traveling that they actually get in the charred remains of the rental car and head down the road. Then when they get pulled over and the officer asks them, "Do you think this is safe?" and John Candy looks straight at him and replies, "Yes, yes I do" with a completely serious face. That gets me every time. The sheer audacity of it is hilarious.

If you've ever had to spend time on the road for business, you know how it feels to just want to get back home, especially for a holiday like Thanksgiving; the family's waiting for you, there'll be a fire in the fireplace and a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. All you have to do is get from here to there. But that's when Murphy's Law concerning best laid plans often comes into play, and the simplest things become obstacles of monumental proportions, which is exactly what happens in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," a comedy of monumental proportions, written and directed by John Hughes. Neal Page (Steve Martin) is in New York on business; it's two days before Thanksgiving and he has a plane waiting to take him back home to Chicago. He has his reservation, and it's not that far to go; but it's a holiday and the weather is chancy, and beginning with the trouble Neal has just getting a cab to take him to the airport, he's about to become mired in frustration as one thing after another thwarts his attempts to get home. Not to worry, however, once on the plane he meets a guy named Del Griffith (John Candy), a showercurtain-ring salesman with all the answers and connections in seemingly every city in the country. Which comes in handy-- or maybe not-- for Neal, when the weather in Chicago forces a closure at the airport and his flight gets diverted to Wichita, Kansas. But that's only the beginning of Neal's problems, because Del Griffith is on the job, and he's the guy to know in a situation like this. Or not. And the next couple of days become a comedy of errors that takes Neal to the edge of sanity and the audience to the edge of hilarity.

An astute student of human nature, John Hughes takes his observations and insights and translates them in this film into a story with which just about anyone is going to be able to identify. We've all been in Neal's situation at one time or another, in one way or another, and if you've lived more than a day on the planet you certainly know a Del Griffith. And Hughes has a way of bringing you into Neal and Del's world so that you are able to share their experience, while at the same time affording you the luxury of being able to observe it all at arm's length, which enables you to see the "big picture" and appreciate the inherent humor of it all. And the bottom line is, this movie is a riot. There's something of the spirit of Jack Lemmon's "The Out-of-Towners" about it, the whole idea of nature seemingly conspiring against the little guy, that keeps the laughs coming; and Hughes couldn't have had anyone better than Martin and Candy to put it across more successfully.

Martin has an inspired way with physical comedy-- he can make walking down the street funny-- and he infuses it with a subtle, underlying sense that something is always going on inside him that's just as funny as what he's showing you. It creates an air of anticipation, and he never fails to deliver on that promise. Like Lemmon, he has the ability to play the ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation in a very real way, and then take it to the limit without going over the top. And when the reserved, inner turmoil finally erupts, it has you laughing until your sides ache. It's Lemmon standing in the middle of the street railing at the city of New York, and Martin confronting a rental car clerk and spelling it out for her in no uncertain terms what he thinks of her, her cars and life in general at that particular moment in time. It's pure humor, and it works so well because there's absolutely nothing mean-spirited in the way it's delivered, which is something for which Martin-- and Lemmon before him-- deserves a nod of appreciation and acknowledgement; it's a fine art that few comic actors are, in fact, able to master.

John Candy, meanwhile, puts his own natural abilities to the test in creating a character in Del that is the antithesis of Neal. And he passes with flying colors. Del is the big, lovable goof who wears his heart on his sleeve and holds nothing back. With Del, what you see is what you get, and there's not a thought that goes through his mind, apparently, that he doesn't feel obliged to share with anyone and everyone who will listen. Everything about Del is externalized to the point of being overwhelming, and yet Candy manages to convey the feeling that even he has something locked away that is for himself alone, and it's that which makes Del a well rounded character and makes him real. Like Martin's, Candy's is a performance that is rich in detail and humanity, which makes Del believable, and a memorable character. Candy was perfect for this part, one that he was seemingly born to play. And he makes the most of it.

The supporting cast includes Laila Robins (Susan), Michael McKean (State Trooper), Dylan Baker (Owen), Edie McClurg (Car Rental Agent) and Charles Tyner (Gus), with cameos by Kevin Bacon and William Windom. More than just a funny movie, but one which exemplifies the "human comedy," "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is a triumph for Hughes, but more especially for his stars, Martin and Candy, who demonstrate a refined understanding of human nature and behavior through their respective characters that makes this film so endearing, memorable and entertaining. This is one to watch again and again, whenever you're in need of a good laugh or just something to put a smile on your face. This is one that will definitely fill the bill. It's the magic of the movies.

A stellar performance from Steve Martin and the late, great John Candy.

I don't know where that guys doing the Editorial Reviews are coming from, this movie is great!

Steve Martin is stuffy ad executive Neil "I can take anything" Page and John Candy is the bungling but warm-hearted shower-curtain-ring guy (I know what you mean), Del "Extra set of fingers" Griffith. We follow this mismatched pair half way across the States and back again as they encounter one crisis after another. As the title says, our heros travel whatever way they can to get to Chicago- from planes to trains to cars.

One of the funniest scenes is when after Del gets his coat caught behind the driver's seat, panics and sends the car on a tailspin causing him to go the wrong way down the Interstate. We see their car get caught between two semis. During the squeeze, Neil looks and sees Del as the Devil, complete with pitchfork and horns.

In all, this movie is great! You will not be disappointed, that I can promise you because it's "filled with helium, which makes it 10% lighter."