Ruthless People

Amazon.com

A milestone comedy of the 1980s, Ruthless People delighted critics and audiences alike and set the tone of Hollywood comedies for years to come. Along with that other popular farce about wealthy Californians, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, this ingenious romp revived Bette Midler's career and launched Disney (by way of its subsidiary, Touchstone Pictures) into the lucrative production of R-rated comedies; it also ensured the star power of then-TV star Danny DeVito. Dale Launer became Hollywood's hot screenwriter du jour by cleverly reworking O. Henry's Ransom of Red Chief into a wicked tale of marital malice heightened by a bungled kidnapping. Midler is sublime as the victim of low-rent abductors ("I've been kidnapped by Kmart!"), and DeVito's the gleeful philanderer who refuses to pay ransom for his wife's unwanted return. With Anita Morris, Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater, and Bill Pullman among the plot-twisting schemers, the movie's so much fun that an eventual remake seems almost inevitable. --Jeff Shannon

Description

In this fiendishly funny comedy from the creators of AIRPLANE!, loathesome millionaire Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) is ruthless. How ruthless? When his shrill wife Barbara (Bette Midler) is nabbed by inept kidnappers (Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater), Sam cries tears of joy ... and refuses to pay the ransom. And when the abductors threaten to kill the abrasive heiress, Sam takes immediate action -- he celebrates! RUTHLESS PEOPLE. Raucous ... outlandish ... one of the top box office hits of the year!

Customer Reviews:

Fun! Fun! Fun!.......2007-07-16

An excellent cast perfoming in a movie with a terrific premise. deVito & Midler are excellent and why do we not see Judge Reinhold more. Have seen this movie several times and I laugh every time.

J Paul Muxworthy

Even funnier than I had remembered.......2007-07-02

I had forgotten how inspired and truly funny this movie is. Watching it again was a real delight. While the scenes I had fondly remembered still paid off handsomely, there were MANY others that are just terrific. For example, the scene with the money payoff at the plaza when Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) pulls a gun on Ken Kessler (Judge Reinhold) to take his ransom money back and the police (dozens of them) tell him to put the gun and case down. Then, as Ken is getting ready to drive off up rolls Earl Mott (Bill Pullman) to steal the ransom money. Earl's behavior when confronted by the police is stunningly wonderful and we cheer when one of the cops notes that Earl must be the stupidest man on the face of the Earth and that they maybe should shoot him.

The title refers to three pairs of ruthless people. Sam Stone is the "spandex mini-skirt king" and has made millions. While he pretends to be devoted to his wife, Barbara (Bette Midler), whose name he delightfully mis-pronounces with a kind of "w" for the last "r", he actually hates her and at the beginning of the movie is planning to kill her to get access to her fortune (which is many times what he has made with his mini-skirts). He is also having an affair with Carol Dodsworth (Anita Morris), who is probably the most ruthless person in the film. She pretends to care about Sam, but is really only interested in getting at his money and isn't above blackmail, murder, or anything else. However, she has taken the aforementioned moron, Earl Mott, has her henchman. Earl's ineptitude undermines her plans at every step, but she is attracted to him physically.

The third pair of "ruthless people" is a pair that kidnaps Barbara before Sam can kill her. We learn that Ken and Sandy Kessler (Helen Slater) are victims of Sam's ruthless business practices and have devised a foolish scheme to get what was promised to them. They are not only not suited to be criminals because they are not only not ruthless people; they are actually nice and tenderhearted people.

It is the interactions of the machinations and failures of these three couples and the other wonderful characters in this film that make for all the laughs and there are many of them.

It is a delightful film even 20 years later and very much worth watching again.

Hysterical, and satisfying.......2007-05-26

For my money, this is one of the funniest movies Hollywood ever made. It starts out funny, and continues funny, right up to the end, when you realize that the good guys have won.

The entire cast: magnificent.

If you want to sit around feeling glum tonight, DON'T WATCH "RUTHLESS PEOPLE!!!" :-) :-)

Ruthless People: Hysterical 80s Comedy!.......2007-04-16

My wife and I were bored on a lazy Saturday afternoon so we decided it was time to throw in a fun movie and relax. We picked Ruthless People. Hysterical. For a mid-80s comedy, it still packs a punch. Danny DeVito and Bette Middler are classic. DeVito is Sam Stone, a scumbag clothing mogul who stole the idea of the spandex miniskirt and made millions! Bette Middler is his spoiled wife, Barbara, who gets kidnapped by Helen Slater (the woman who actually designed the spandex miniskirt) and Judge Reinhold and winds up losing weight and growing a conscience. Stone was planning to kill his wife, who he detests, when she gets kidnapped before he can do it. Perfect. Problem solved. That is until they arrest Stone for her murder and he needs her back to prove his innocence. Devito plays such a perfect assh*le when he wants to. This is 80s comedy at its best. If I can still laugh at it all these years later, it's funny. And the fashions from the 80s represented hereare outlandish! This DVD is definitely worth the money. This, along with Down And Out In Beverly Hills represent two of Middler's best comedy flicks. Great!

Dig it!

Cult Classic Movie.......2007-01-04

This movie is wrong on so many levels, which is why I love it. It's not so much "dark comedy" as much as it's just funny. About a rich guy who wants his wife dead and the incompetent kidnappers who can't understand why the husband is pushing them. Add to that the rich guys lover and her other boyfriend who, as the cop describes in the movie "this may very well be the stupidest man on the face of the planet; perhaps we should just shot him." Great cast, great writing.

Average customer rating:

Funny enjoyable
An unlikely pair

Ruthless People/Captain Ron
Starring: Kurt Russell , Martin Short , Mary Kay Place , Benjamin Salisbury , and Meadow Sisto
Director: Thom Eberhardt , David Zucker , and Jim Abrahams
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00008OM43
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Description

Captain Ron - DVD- Screen favorite Kurt Russell (VANILLA SKY, STARGATE) teams up with funnyman Martin Short (FATHER OF THE BRIDE I&II, JUNGLE2JUNGLE) in an outrageously wild comedy that's sure to drive you overboard! Russell plays hilariously laid-back Captain Ron -- a vagabond seaman who charts a course for comedy when he skippers the newly inherited Caribbean yacht of corporate executive Martin Harvey (Short) and his family! With his dubious nautical skills, Captain Ron takes the helm and creates wave after wave of hilarity as he leads the Harveys on a wildly amusing oceanic voyage in their dilapidated sailing vessel, all the while driving well-meaning Martin Harvey off the deep end! Ruthless People - DVD- In this fiendishly funny comedy from the creators of AIRPLANE!, loathesome millionaire Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) is ruthless. How ruthless? When his shrill wife Barbara (Bette Midler) is nabbed by inept kidnappers (Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater), Sam cries tears of joy ... and refuses to pay the ransom. And when the abductors threaten to kill the abrasive heiress, Sam takes immediate action -- he celebrates! RUTHLESS PEOPLE. Raucous ... outlandish ... one of the top box office hits of the year!

Customer Reviews:

Funny enjoyable.......2007-01-31

Enjoyed both these movies very much. Big Kurt Russell fan, also Danny Divto.

An unlikely pair.......2005-11-08

Ruthless People

You remind me of my mother, I hate my mother.

Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) is contemplating bumping off his rich (Plump) wife Barbara (Bette Midler) and her little dog too.

Before Sam can execute his plan Barbra is kidnapped by Huey (Judge Reinhold), and Dewey (Helen Slater)

Sandy Kessler [(Helen Slater) "The secret of My Success" (1987)] wants revenge on Sam Stone for stealing her idea of a spandex mini-skirt. Before Sam can execute his plan Barbra is kidnapped by Huey and Dewey (Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater).

Police Commissioner Benton (William G. Schilling) gets the URGE. Carol played by the late Anita Morris "Radioland Murders" (1994) wants to extricate Sam from the ransom. Bill Pullman "Sibling Rivalry" (1990) has to do the deed. Bill Pullman plays a real dufus and the police contemplate just shooting him.

Worth repeated viewing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain Ron

"There are NO Gorillas in the Caribbean!"

The Harvey family inherits a yacht once owned by Clark Gable. All they have to do to cash in is bring it to the U.S. Aside from being a little used the yacht will need a Capitan as the family is not ept yachters.

They heir a local that seems to know his way around. Soon they find that he knows more than they want to. The father Martin Harvey (Martin Short) starts to feel his control and stature slipping. Captain Ron (Kurt Russell) seems very chummy with the wife Katherine Harvey (Mary Kay Place), corrupting the morals of their son Benjamin Harvey (Benjamin Salisbury), had very lenient with the daughter Caroline Harvey (Meadow Sisto). Captain Ron also seems to be too capable with boats.

Looks like a lot of pitfalls are possible during the yacht retrieval.
Will the children get their pirate tattoos?
Will we see Cuba?
Will Martin gain back his stature?
Will we have fun with a lot of great one liners?

Average customer rating:

Fun! Fun! Fun!
Even funnier than I had remembered
Hysterical, and satisfying
Ruthless People: Hysterical 80s Comedy!
Cult Classic Movie

Ruthless People [Region 2]
Starring: Danny DeVito , Bette Midler , Judge Reinhold , Helen Slater , and Anita Morris
Director: Jerry Zucker , Jim Abrahams , and David Zucker
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0002B962A

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Fun! Fun! Fun!.......2007-07-16

Even funnier than I had remembered.......2007-07-02

Hysterical, and satisfying.......2007-05-26

Ruthless People: Hysterical 80s Comedy!.......2007-04-16

Cult Classic Movie.......2007-01-04

DVD:

DVD

DVD