Waking Ned Devine

Amazon.com

When local wag Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) discovers that one of his neighbors in the village of Tulaigh Mohr is a lottery winner he sees a chance to share in the wealth. Things get complicated when Jackie and his pal Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly) discover that the winner, Ned Devine, died of shock at the very moment he learned of becoming a millionaire. Undaunted, Jackie and Michael dispose of the lucky stiff and hatch a plot to impersonate him and claim the prize. Soon the whole village is involved and the plot rapidly thickens.

This film has been compared to The Full Monty, but it lacks the vein of desperation that added depth to that film. Instead, Waking Ned Devine is closer in tone to classic British comedies like Whisky Galore!, with its cast of eccentrics gleefully conspiring to outwit the authorities. Those with a low tolerance for twinkly eyed Irish charm might be tempted to steer clear, although the movie is saved, for the most part, by its central performances. Bannen is superb as an old man who is clearly hungry for any excitement he can drum up and David Kelly is remarkable as his scrawny sidekick. Kelly has had a long career as a character actor in film and television, but here he has a chance to really let loose. His naked motorcycle ride is a marvelous set piece and in all of his other scenes his twitchy, perfectly timed performance quite simply steals the movie. --Simon Leake

Description

When Ned Devine dies from shock after winning the lottery, two longtime friends, Micheal and Jackie, discover the body and agree Ned would want them to benefit from his good luck. They embark upon an outrageous scheme to claim the ticket but first they have to get all the townsfolk to go along with their plan!

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful humor and a warm Irish treat.......2007-08-06

This is a truly delightful story, with so many little gems that make it worth while watching - more than once. The acting is so real and natural that you soon start to feel that you know the characters personally. They come right into your living room, sit beside you, tickle you and make you laugh. If not an outright loud laugh, it is often a good chuckle (which is often more satisfying anyway). Apart from the dialogue, just the wink of an eye or a shrug of the shoulder brings so much pleasure. It has just a touch of the old Irish sentimentality; and quite apart from the hilarious plot, the underlying themes of genuine friendship and community gives you the feeling of nostalgia for the old days when people had time for that kind of thing. Yes, there is sentimentality, but it is of the quiet, self-deprecating kind and never threatens to take over and smother the story. And there are some stereotypes - fiddlers and lots of Guinness flowing. My favorite character - well, that's hard, but I do love the young pig farmer (who starts using fruity soaps in an effort to win the love of his life). I sat down with my husband and son to watch, and we all felt much better at the end.

Best comedy movie ever !!.......2007-07-26

This movie is the funniest laugh out loud movie I have seen in forever !! Hands down a serious good laugh !! You really need to pay attention to the Irish lingo if you are not a native of Ireland as you'd miss out on a lot of great comical expressions and some of the funniest lines ever written so rewind it or really concentrate with your volume up good and loud !! Loved it, loved it, loved it !!!

Simply Luverly.......2007-07-14

What a sweet film. Gorgeous Isle of Man coastal scenery, beautiful music, fine acting, loads of humor with a celtic lilt, and above all an essentially perfect script. The dialogue rings true even when the film is mildly slapstick, the plot is simple but brings out many emotions and foibles and much hilarity. The humor never lets up, from the classic opening joke to the last shot. Even the black humor seems harmless enough; there is no malice in this film, only joy and love.
If you haven't seen it and don't know the plot, stop reading these reviews and any plot summary on the box before seeing it; it's way more fun if the story is unexpected. Trust the endless 5-star recs and check it out. We just saw it for the first time; what a treat to know there are always more great movies to brighten life.
A ton of fun is Neddy D, with two tons of heart.
A Guinness for the witch!

Like Ballykissangel?.......2007-07-04

I just got done watching this movie. It is a hoot!

If you enjoyed the series Ballykissangel, you will enjoy this movie.

It moves very fast and you will wish it lasted longer.

truly Hilarious!.......2007-06-27

This is a refreshingly funny movie! I don't watch movies more than once EXCEPT for this one!! Get it! You'll LOVE IT!

Average customer rating:

From fact to flatline fiction
It Could Happen to You
Makes you feel all fuzzy inside.
Corny is Refreshing
Great movie

It Could Happen to You
Starring: Nicolas Cage , Bridget Fonda , Rosie Perez , Wendell Pierce , and Isaac Hayes
Director: Andrew Bergman
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: 0767810856
Release Date: 1998-08-25

Amazon.com

Inspired by an actual incident, this unassuming, wonderfully good-natured romantic comedy tells the story of a New York City street cop named Charlie (Nicolas Cage) who makes a promise to a coffee-shop waitress named Yvonne (Bridget Fonda) that will change both their lives. One day after coffee, Charlie is embarrassed to discover he doesn't have money for a tip, so he tells Yvonne that he'll share half of his winnings if the lottery ticket he's holding comes up a winner. Sure enough, he wins the jackpot--a whopping $4 million payoff--and Charlie's wife, Muriel (Rosie Perez), goes ballistic when he tells her about his deal with Yvonne. From this point, It Could Happen to You follows Charlie's dilemma as he is forced to decide the proper course of action, and director Andrew Bergman smoothly incorporates a gentle love story into this amusing crisis of conscience. Fonda and Cage have an easygoing chemistry that adds a pleasant touch to the movie's fairy-tale plot, and the story's kindhearted sentiment is never so thick that it becomes sticky-sweet or artificial. As feel-good comedies go, this one's a class act. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

From fact to flatline fiction.......2007-08-31

The actual story behind the highly fictionalized movie script could have made a really good movie. According to the urban legend website SNOPES, the real events involved a not-so-young waitress and a not-so-young police detective who together select the winning numbers to a $6 million jackpot. There was no hint of romance between the two. But that would be too open-ended for the cookie cutter mentalities behind this movie. They must have went into a conference room -- or a lunch room -- or a diner -- and derived this formulaic romance between two unhappily married people.

Their result was this plot bringing together a Prince Charming, a Cinderella, a the Wicked Witch of New York. But they forget to include a nice dramatic flow of events. I just didn't experience any peaks and very little emotional depth. In the end, I wasn't satisfied.

At least Nicholas Cage makes the most of the opportunity to be normal and charming rather than quirky and charming (one of his first such efforts). He gives the movie whatever depth it attains. Pretty Bridge Fonda gives her usual quiet, unexciting performance. They're responsible for most of the positive rating I give this movie.

Rosie Perez, unfortunately, overwhelms the entire proceedings with nasally witchiness. And that's not the memory I want to take away from a movie.

So, I'm looking forward to the remake based on my own soon-to-be lottery success... Oooh, Briii-dget....

It Could Happen to You.......2007-08-12

Two thumbs way up!!! It goes to show what small things on a large scale can do.

Makes you feel all fuzzy inside........2007-07-10

It Could Happen to You starring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda is a cute romantic comedy that's appropriate for all-ages. No sexual content, no vulgar language, and no unnecessary violence is what you'll get with this feel-good movie. Cage and Fonda have the perfect chemistry, you truly believe they are meant to be. Rosie Perez adds comic touch as Cage's selfish and greedy ex-wife. If you believe in happily ever after's and enjoy a corny but refreshing romantic comedy then It Could Happen to You shall float your boat. Enjoy!

Corny is Refreshing.......2007-06-15

I love this "feel good" movie. It is corny , but I like romantic comedies that are like this. Rock Hudson, Cary Grant, and Tom Hanks all made some of these. No blood , no horror, no amazing technology, just relax and enjoy a movie that makes you feel good about people and romance.
Good and basic escapism.

Great movie.......2007-05-09

Being a former law enforcment officer I can relate to how it is most difficult to balance the job and the home life. It is often times too hard to find happiness in this line of work and all someone really needs is to be loved and to have support. This is a great title to add to anyones collection, also a good date movie.

Average customer rating:

Hilarious!!
It's a different Friday, Ya'll...
Fun ;-)
Not as good as the first
Better than FRIDAY

Next Friday (New Line Platinum Series)
Starring: Ice Cube , Tamala Jones , Justin Pierce , Mike Epps , and Don 'D.C.' Curry
Director: Steve Carr (III)
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
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ASIN: 0780631234
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

Ice Cube wrote and stars as Craig in this sequel to Friday, which he also wrote. His nemesis from that film, neighborhood bully Debo (Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.), has just escaped from county jail and is out to get revenge. To protect Craig, Craig's father (John Witherspoon) sends his son to stay with his Uncle Elroy (Don "DC" Curry), who won the lottery and bought a house in Rancho Cucamonga. Craig expects the suburbs to be dull, but no sooner has he arrived than conflicts arise: The neighbors are hostile hoods, his cousin's girlfriend is out for blood and child support, and the house is about to be seized because of unpaid taxes. It's up to Craig and his cousin Day-Day (Mike Epps) to solve these problems before the day is over. It's a rambling, loose movie, but a genuinely entertaining one. Ice Cube doesn't write punch lines--though funny lines abound. He writes richly comic characters that speak in virtual arias of bragging, complaining, and scamming. Sure, some of the characters are stereotypes and many of the jokes are about drugs and scatology--but that's been the basis of humor since Plautus and Molière. The rhythmic energy of Ice Cube's dialogue and the easy charisma of his performance make Next Friday thoroughly enjoyable. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious!!.......2007-08-23

I bought this movie as a birthday gift for my fiance. It's one of his favorites and he laughs just as hard everytime he watches it as if it were his first. A very funny movie!!!

It's a different Friday, Ya'll..........2007-01-03

I love this movie! The first Friday was more about a message and life growing up in the ghetto. The last two Friday movies are straight up comedy and will make you laugh til you on tha flo! Day-Day is Craig's loveable idiot cousin and has some of the best lines in the move - and EVERYBODY beats on this guy. If you were looking for more reality like the first Friday, you may be disappointed - this is more like the lighter side of Barbershop (If you have seen Barbershop go shoot yourself in the foot, fool!). All jokes aside.. see this movie and Friday After Next if you just want to laugh. They can get a little ridiculous, but that's what's it's about! Where's the next after next, Cube?? I can't wait.

Fun ;-).......2006-09-17

I enjoyed each of the Friday series. I reviewed the original way back, and now after re-watching Next Friday, I thought I'd finally get around to reviewing this.
I still think I enjoyed Friday the best, but this is a good follow up. Ice Cube returns as Craig Jones who has a knack for getting into trouble. He goes to stay with family out in Rancho Cucamonga. They've just won the lottery and have this whole new place. While Chris Tucker isn't in here this time, we still get the hilarious John Witherspoon. He's fantastic. I only give this four stars because it goes a little flat during the second half, but it's still good overall. The cousin Day-Day is probably the funniest, but if you are a fan of the original, then you have got to see this. I loved it.

Not as good as the first.......2006-01-20

...but a decent sequel. (But hey? It's not often that the sequel is better than the prequel.) I was mad because alot of questions were not answered and the plot was not all that good. I wanted Craig (Ice Cube) to hook up with that girl next door. All she does is have a short convo with her and at the end she blows a kiss and thats the end. I believe thats pointless for Craig's Pops (Jon Witherspoon)drops him off in Rancho Cucamonga (I don't think I spelled it right) then turns around and picks him up. Its a funny movie, but not as good as the first though.

Better than FRIDAY.......2005-10-09

I thought Next Friday was way better than the original....... The first movie was really slow in the beginning.......so slow that I fell asleep. As soon as you pop this movie in, you'll be laughing from beginning to end........ Mike Epps is hilarious as Day-Day, Craigs cousin, and Craigs father has some pretty funny lines in this one........ Rent it, you won't be sorry.......

Average customer rating:

WOW
Happy to have used it in my Intro. to Writing class at college
Comes across as either a soap opera or a movie on Lifetime
Excellent in an unintended way
Not Like The Movie I Saw In School!

The Lottery
Starring: Keri Russell , William Daniels , and Dan Cortese
Director: Daniel Sackheim
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000UHFBC
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Customer Reviews:

WOW.......2007-09-10

THe stoning sequence was the funniest I have ever seen ! ! ! great success

Happy to have used it in my Intro. to Writing class at college.......2007-01-09

I coupled the DVD up with Jackson's short story. I had the class read the story in class--which is always interesting to see the reactions. The next week I played the movie much to their delight. I had viewed it first and wondered how the class would react. It's exactly what a made-for-tv movie would expect to be--set in the 90's it includes action,romance and simple dialogue. It was a different take on the story with only some references to the original story but interestingly enough it held all of my student's attention. So much so, they were yelling at the screen. But, I feel that if I they had not been introduced to the story in print firs they may not have had that same passion for the movie. To paraphrase the student's take on the movie, a majority of them said they thought it was "cheesy" at first but then they got really into it.
I ended this lesson with having them compare and contrast certain aspects of the movie with the short story.

Comes across as either a soap opera or a movie on Lifetime.......2005-11-01

My suggestion is that you read the short story because it is more effective at telling a "horror" story than this movie can possibly depict. This film just does not capture the eeriness that Shirley Jackson's work tried to show.

Sometimes filmmakers try overly hard to "modernize" a novel (or in this case, short story) and, in doing so, take out the power of the work. This film does just that, coming across more as a cheap B-movie than creating any type of creepiness. Not only this, but the acting and story are really hollow and wooden, coming across as something you might find at 8 or 9 on Lifetime. It just seems like some type of soap opera fluff, with amateurish actors.

Another problem with the film is that, unlike the short story, there is too much information given, which seems to plague most of today's horror movies. Sometimes what is left to the imagination creates much more suspense, but with the constant "flashbacks" we can only guess what is going to happen in the small town of New Hope, where our protagonist goes in search of answers to his mother's death. What we don't know, the subtle information that is lacking makes a story keeps its suspense intact. This movie seemingly gives it away within the first 10 minutes of the film, whereas in the short story you are kind of hit all of the sudden when it dawns on you what "the lottery" really is. A better imagination might have helped this film, but I guess that can't be expected with most films that are "adapted" to meet a work of fiction.

If there is anything that is redeeming it is the last half hour of the film. This is the only part that really identifies with Shirley Jackson's short story, and some of the parallels are drawn here. Otherwise, it is mediocre at best.

Excellent in an unintended way.......2005-05-20

I gave this movie a high rating not for its intended qualities, but as an illustrator of what happens to a (formally)simple story when it meets audience expectations of what a popular film must do. I teach a university literature course in which we read literature texts and then view their adaptations. We read and discuss "The Lottery" and then discuss some of the common, expected features of a hollywood blockbuster: hunky main man, sexy,muscular, yet accessible, an attractive female; a smirking villain; a quest; difficulties in both the romance and the quest; a chase scene, an exploding car, violent physical conflict, etc etc. Even the soundtrack smacks you in the face with its sheer obviousness.
Although the movies has its shortcomings, I try to not be evaluative or judgmental. I only ask my students to see how audience expectations shape an adaptation. You couldn't ask for a better pairing than the short story and the movie of The Lottery.

Not Like The Movie I Saw In School! .......2004-10-19

This made-for-TV movie, while of necessity having a story woven around Ms. Jackson's original short story (I guess in order to justify its 90-minute length), fell short in more than one way. The events leading up to Jason's trip to Maine and the town his dying father wished to have his ashes scattered in were less than convincing, as was the ending of the movie. We have Jason, the would-be hero, Felice, the fair damsel, the evil mayor who seemed to exercise God-like control over all the village's inhabitants (he forbade young Henry Watkins to go to a ball game the day of the lottery, and also persuaded Felice not to leave town with Jason on the eve of the lottery-though how he got into her home, much less her bedroom as she was packing is never really explained), the snotty sheriff's deputy and the villagers themselves. The only part of the movie worth watching was the lottery itself, although even that didn't follow the short story as well as I would have liked. The movie I saw in school was only about 40 minutes long, followed Ms. Jackson's story line exactly and was frightening to the point that I distinctly remember my blood running cold even though I was only in the seventh grade when I saw it. This TV fluff didn't really do justice to the horror I remember as a kid seeing that the woman who drew the marked ballot was about to be stoned to death so the corn would give a good harvest. The premise of the TV movie was that the stoning was a talisman against unemployment, crime, illiteracy and other social ills. Jason winds up in the state mental institution upon discovering the horrid truth of New Hope and its annual rite when he tries to report the stoning of Felice's mother. His father had wound up there for life for the same reason: his own wife was a victim of the rite and he consequently was banished from the village when he tried to save her. That Jason's father, then Jason himself winds up in the mental ward speaks of a conspiracy too large for credibility, in my view. I guess even a good storyteller isn't immune to the forces of political correctness.

Average customer rating:

Sweet Movie Based on a True Story
29th Sreet
This movie is a classic
Some real New Yorkers in Carolina
Great Movie ... They're Right - Goodfellas and It's a Wonderful Life.

29th Street
Starring: Danny Aiello , Anthony LaPaglia , Lainie Kazan , Frank Pesce , and Robert Forster
Director: George Gallo
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00076ONV4
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Description

Anthony LaPaglia of WITHOUT A TRACE stars as Frank Pesce, the $6.2 million winner of the first New York State Lottery. Unfortunately, Frank is also a full-time dreamer cursed with a lifetime of great luck, a bickering Italian-American family, and a love-hate relationship with his loser gambler father, Frank Sr. (Oscar® nominee Danny Aiello of DO THE RIGHT THING and MOONSTRUCK). But when Frank Jr. makes a deal with local mobsters, will his lottery prize be his unluckiest break ever? Fuhgeddaboutit! The biggest jackpot of all may be waiting for Frank and his father among the good guys, bad guys and wiseguys of 29th STREET. Lainie Kazan (MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING), Oscar® nominee Robert Forster (JACKIE BROWN), Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts of THE SOPRANOS) and Frank Pesce himself co-star in this acclaimed comedy written and directed by George Gallo, the screenwriter of MIDNIGHT RUN.

Customer Reviews:

Sweet Movie Based on a True Story .......2007-01-14

29th Street is a sweet movie that is great to watch during the holidays since so much of it is set at Christmas time and it has a nice message. If it wasn't for the very raw language this could almost be a family film but then if the language was cleaned up it would not be a realistic story of this man and his life. This is one of the handful of movies where the real life hero plays a smaller part in the film (in this case Frank plays his policeman brother). The characters argue, curse and shout but their love for each other shines through painting an endearing picture of blue collar New Yorkers in the 1970's. A film that deserves to be more well known than it is.

29th Sreet.......2006-12-22

Watched this movie last night and loved it. Great movie about a down to earth Italian family living in New York. laughed all the way through it. Does have a little "swear words" in it but comparied to TV nowdays It's nothing, besides you are laughing so much you hardly notice. Rent or buy. great movie.

This movie is a classic.......2006-07-18

This movie is your classic comedy / drama about the old time Italian families. Lots of yelling, laughing and arguing. The story is great and the casting is perfect. I just can't believe it took this long for this movie to come out on DVD. I'll actually be buying another copy in December to give as a gift.

Some real New Yorkers in Carolina.......2006-07-04

I'm from Queens, New York too, as well as Brooklyn, and I really enjoyed this movie. I grew up near 21st Street, but never went to 29th Street, so I don't recognize any of the buildings. I wouldn't anyway, considering that the movie was shot in North Carolina.

One of the things I like best about this movie is the way the New York family relates to each other, the way they argue. It had me rolling. It reminded me of the way my wife got along with her father when he was alive. They were at each other constantly but they still loved each other.

You couldn't say anything to my father in law without getting into an argument. If you said the weather was hot, he'd jump at you "You're always complaining about the weather". If you said you just had a nice day he'd jump at you with "You never do anything". He was just like the family in this movie. He didn't mean any harm, but he just jumped all over everyone. The only thing it was safe to say to him was "How are you feeling?" Just say that, and shut up. You'll be fine.

This movie reminds me a bit of O. Henry. People make sacrifices for each other.

The one complaint I have is that it is absurd to offer only $10,000 for a lottery ticket that is a "finalist", with a 1 in 50 chance of earning six million dollars. Just do a little math. Divide six million dollars by 50 to see what the ticket is worth before the drawing. That's over $100,000. How can anyone have the nerve to just offer one tenth of what it's worth? And how can anyone be dumb enough to accept such a ripoff? Then again, maybe the six million is paid over a lifetime, and the present lump sum value would be a lot less. But still, $10,000 is chickenfeed when compared to a life-changing number like six million.

I wonder what in this movie is true and what is fiction.

Great Movie ... They're Right - Goodfellas and It's a Wonderful Life........2006-06-30

Great Movie ... Especially if you are Italian, A New Yorker, A Gambler, A Dreamer and you Love Life.

I've had the VHS version since 1992, Full Screen - Closed Caption.
I just purchased the DVD, Wide Screen - Closed Caption BUT
I can't seen to get the captions to display.

I've tried 3 different players and TV's.
Yes, I have everything turned on, other DVDs work fine.

Could I just have a bad DVD or are others having the same problem?

Average customer rating:

Wonderful!
Uptown Saturday Night
Uptown Saturday Night
"I get mean when you mess with my green!"
Great Film...

Uptown Saturday Night
Starring: Harry Belafonte , Jophery C. Brown , Roscoe Lee Browne , Rosalind Cash , and Lee Chamberlin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B0000TWMQ6
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Amazon.com essential video

The first in a trio of very broad comedies from director Sidney Poitier features Poitier and Bill Cosby as two small-time hustlers always looking for an angle. During a robbery at a swanky nightclub, they are relieved of their wallets, only to find later that one of them had a lottery ticket that came up a winner. The chase is on as they scour the city to find their prize, along the way running up against Harry Belafonte as a sly and suave mob kingpin (with a nod to Don Corleone) with his eye on the ticket as well. Heavily influenced by the screwball comedies of the 1940s but with the thoroughly modern air of 1970s black culture, Uptown Saturday Night is a breezy affair with some old pros at the helm. --Robert Lane

Description

Two small time hustlers loose a winning lottery ticket in a robbery. They scour the city and battle thugs to retrieve it.

DVD Features:
Featurette:Dynamite Duo: A Retrospective
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!.......2007-01-12

I grew up watching this movie and it reminded me of the good old days. I am now able to share this with my children. Good old fashion fun. Buy this movie, you won't be disappointed.

Uptown Saturday Night.......2006-11-10

This movie is great. Action and funny all at the same time. Even though its a little lengthy it keeps your attention to the end.

Uptown Saturday Night.......2006-08-29

I love this movie...I have it on VHS and I need to upgrade fast. I have played it over and over and I still cannot get enough. So Hilarious...Looking For A Change...Need Spice In Your Life...Head Uptown Saturday Night...

"I get mean when you mess with my green!".......2006-01-12

After Sidney Poitier proved himself time and again as one of the more accomplished actors of his time in such dramatic films as A Raisin in the Sun (1961), In the Heat of the Night (1967), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), he tried his hand at comedies, which he not only directed, but also starred in with funny man Bill Cosby, who, at the time, established himself in television series like "I Spy", "The Bill Cosby Show", and "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids". The result was a trio of films, this one titled Uptown Saturday Night (1974) being the first (and most popular), with Let's Do It Again (1975) and A Piece of the Action (1977) to follow. Also appearing is singer Harry Belafonte (Island in the Sun), Rosalind Cash (The Omega Man), Roscoe Lee Browne (Topaz, Super Fly T.N.T.), Paula Kelly (Soylent Green), Harold Nicholas (The Five Heartbeats), Calvin Lockhart (Let's Do It Again), Flip Wilson ("Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In"), and the late, great Richard Pryor (Car Wash, Silver Streak), in a small role as private detective Sharp Eye Washington, a part Bill Cosby was originally interested in playing.

Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby are Steve Jackson and Wardell Franklin, respectively, a pair of working class stiffs (Steve works in a mill, while Wardell drives a cab), looking to get a piece of the action...er, wait, that's the title of their third film...anyway, one night, the two men decide to visit an `after hours' club, essentially an exclusive nightclub featuring illegal gambling, called Zenobia's. The place is jumping, full of fly guys, foxy mamas, and hot, funky music...and gambling. Just as the pair hits it big on the dice table, a gang of masked gunmen raid the joint, robbing the place blind. The next day Steve discovers he's won $50,000 dollars in the lottery, but guess what? The winning ticket was in his wallet, which was taken during the heist. Steve and Wardell hit the streets in an effort to find the persons responsible for the robbery, and hopefully, recover the winning ticket, and exercise which has them come into contact with all sorts of underworld types, including a pint-sized karate expert named Little Seymour (Nicholas), a smooth hustler named Silky Slim who's looking to make a name for himself, and an established crime kingpin named Geechie Dan Beauford (Belafonte). Eventually Steve and Wardell do find out who was responsible fir hitting Zenobia's, and concoct a crazy scheme involving setting the crooks up to steal non-existent diamonds, all in an effort not only recover Steve's wallet (with the winning ticket), but also to jam up the gangsters with whom the pair are now in hot water with, culminating in an outlandish finale at a church picnic.

While Uptown Saturday Night was the most popular of the trio of comedies Poitier and Cosby did in the 1970s, I always thought their second feature, Let's Do It Again (1975), was actually the funniest of the three. That's not to say the other two aren't funny, as they most certainly are, but the second always seemed to stand out as the best, in my opinion. This film works for a number of reason...the story is relatively solid, the script sharp, the direction highly professional, the cast exceptionally talented (the writer states he originally wrote the film with Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor in mind to play the leads, but Poitier and Cosby were chosen instead because of their ability to generate box office sales), and finally just by the fact the filmmakers allowed enough leeway for Cosby to do a lot of what he does best, and that is improvise, as shown in some of the funniest scenes in the film, of which there are many. Watch as Cosby takes it over the top near the beginning, during the gambling sequence where he's actually winning as a female patron has the hot hand with the dice...and then there's the bit where Cosby and Poitier's characters are trying to act all tough as they enter a bar known to be a hangout for a criminal which they got a tip on...this is followed up by Cosby producing the most cockamamie line of BS as the pair find themselves in over their heads. In this particular scene, the writer mentioned in a featurette on the DVD that the boys were supposed to run out of the bar when it appeared they were going to get the beating, but then the scene was changed to allow Cosby to try and schmooze his way out of the sticky situation to no avail as the pair eventually get the beating in a hilarious fight sequence. Also, I think Bill Cosby's ratty beard should have gotten its own credit in the film, as it was almost a character unto itself...and who knew Sidney Poitier could pull off a comic role as well as he does? Sure, most of the time he was more or less the straight man, setting Cosby up, but still, he had his moments. I guess an excellent actor can perform well in any genre, given the material is there. I'll tell you what, had I not seen Harry Belafonte credited as playing the character of Geechie Dan Beauford, a comical representation of Marlon Brando's portrayal of Don Vito Corleone, I wouldn't have recognized him at all. And then there's Flip Wilson, as `The Reverend'...he's got some great lines, the best being while he's preaching to his congregation..."Friends, we need more romance and less hot pants!" Richard Pryor also has a small, but funny, role as a nervous private eye Poitier and Cosby's characters seek out to help recover the wallet. He's got a couple of great lines with regards to how African American private eyes are portrayed on screen versus reality. All in all, this is a solidly funny film, with a lot of crazy characters, quotable lines, and funky 1970s fashions and hairstyles (check out Bill Cosby's afro, complete with a part down the middle).

The anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1), looks very good here, given the age of the film. It doesn't leap out at you, but probably looks as good as when it was originally released. As far as the Dolby Digital mono audio, I have no complaints. In terms of extras, there are a few, including an audio commentary track featuring Dr. Todd Boyd, USC professor of cinema and television and author, a short featurette titled The Lowdown on Uptown: A Retrospective (7:06), and a theatrical trailer. If you liked this film, I would suggest checking out the two films that followed, Let's Do It Again (1975) and A Piece of the Action (1977). The movies aren't actually sequels, so the order in which you watch them isn't really important.

Cookieman108

By the way, as I write this, I noticed Warner Home Video, the studio that owns the film, is planning on re-releasing this movie onto DVD as a double feature with A Piece of the Action (1977), at a very attractive price. If you're interested, it might be worth it to look for that release rather than buy this stand alone version.

Great Film..........2005-12-11

I'm writing this on the day Richard Pryor met the maker. Though he plays a small part in this film, he's hysterical for all of his five minutes.

Sidney and Bill are in a nightclub when it gets robbed and the robbers take everyone's wallets. It turns out that one of the two had a winning lottery ticket in his and the chase is on to get the wallet/ticket back. They even eventually go to a private detective (pryor) who is so shady that he is packing his things to leave town just as they come by. The scene is awesome. The outtakes of this scene are great too as you can't keep Sidney and Bill from cracking up while Richard is trying to split.

Wonderful movie. It gets four stars for its genre, but just three as an all-time film. I got generous, which is very unlike me. But, seeing all these great personalities together in one film is a heck of an experience. Two things are massive standouts: One, Harry Belafonte playing Mr. Gitchie-Dan in his best Don Corleone impression is totally fun and cool. Second, you will marvel at con man Bill Cosby. From his outrageous clothes, apple-jack hat, crazy beard to an unbelievable penchant for telling the most elaborate lies you've ever heard. This is the film that made me like Bill Cosby.

They say it comes in threes. In 2005, it was Superman, then Mr. Miyagi, now Richard Pryor. Well, at least Heaven is safe from evil-doers, Moses gets to learn karate and God is laughing his ass off. That's for sure.

Average customer rating:

The Lottery Bride (Full B&W)
Starring: Jeanette MacDonald and Joe E. Brown
Director: Paul L. Stein
Manufacturer: Kino International
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000SIWHBE
Release Date: 2007-09-04

Average customer rating:

Very few laughs!
Green is the Theme
A Sleeper Hit
Never seen "green" have so many definitions...

Everything's Gone Green
Starring: Paulo Costanzo , Steph Song , JR Bourne , Aidan Devine , and Susan Hogan
Director: Paul Fox
Manufacturer: TSUNAMI
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000Q7ZNYA
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Description

Dumped and fired, Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) just had the worst day of his life. Down but not out, this amiable slacker stumbles on a lottery scam that starts bringing in the cash and the ladies. But is he in over his head? In the tradition of Grandma's Boy and Road Trip.

Customer Reviews:

Very few laughs!.......2007-08-17

Hello World,
Misguiding title and cover. Thought it would be like Rolling Kansas or Road Trip, not at all. His parents grow weed, so what! I could barely make it through the entire movie.

Green is the Theme.......2007-08-13

This movie lives up to it's name, and green is a recurrant theme. You could play a game in this to see how many referances to a "green" thing there is in it. Paulo Costanzo plays a office worker who has the worst day of his life all at once, and then things turn around in a way quite different from what he planned. Instead of winning the lotto, he gets a job working for it. Along with this, other opportunities come about, and he has chances to do things he's never done before. However, he also has to battle the possiblity of changing what he was into something he didn't want to become. This movie has quite a few laughs, and some outlandish situations, but definately a sleeper. Worht a viewing.

A Sleeper Hit .......2007-08-05

Ahhh, if only " Everything's Gone Green" had widespread distribution, it would have been the must see indie hit of the year. Green is a drolly funny, somewhat surreal (at times), strange and charming comedy. Worth a look see. Paul Fox (the Director) also has another feature under his belt "The Dark Hours" a Horror Film, also worth a look see.

Never seen "green" have so many definitions..........2007-06-12

I first saw this movie in the theatres in April and I couldn't stop laughing. This is independent film making at its best. Not only was it written by Douglas Coupland (yes, of Generation X) but it stars the always hilarious Paulo Costanzo, from Joey and Roadtrip doing what he does best, a slacker who tries to get ahead in life by scamming lottery winners- what a brilliant idea! His acting almost reminds me of Jon Heder in Napolean Dynamite.

This movie is ingeniously written. Not only does it have substance with its storyline, but it throws in these comedic elements that make you think how did Coupland come up with that? All I can say is watch out for Paulo's parents in this movie- they are the best part!

As a friend on MYSPACE of Everything's Gone Green, I saw that the movie is finally coming to DVD. To make things even better, they have an UNRATED edition. From looking at the DVD cover, I can't help but notice the reference to pot and the special bonus features that come with the DVD. It seems to capture the essence of the movie perfectly.

Average customer rating:

Humbug is Fabulous - Profitable - Inspiring!

HUMBUG: The Art of Outrageous Publicity

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B000OYNSOC
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Description

HUMBUG: The Art of Outrageous Publicity, or, The Amazing True Story of the Great Powerball Lotto Hoax and Dr. Joe Vitale's Quest for Fame and Fortune In February 2006 the Powerball Lotto grew to the largest amount in US history. When the winning ticket

Customer Reviews:

Humbug is Fabulous - Profitable - Inspiring!.......2007-04-12

Purchasing Humbug will be the best decision you make this year. Peroid.

This fast moving dvd will keep you laughing and awestruck until the very end.

If you don't get a few good ideas to help you build your buisiness, and become inspired enough to impliment them too you don't have a pulse.

Get it! Watch it! Share it with your kids. Just fabulous!

Boudu Saved from Drowning - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Civilization and Its Discontents
Hilarious.
a very nice film
Sophisticated And Warm, An Excellent Comedy By Jean Renoir
The Dionysian anarchy !

Boudu Saved from Drowning - Criterion Collection
Starring: Michel Simon , Marcelle Hainia , Sévérine Lerczinska , Jean Gehret , and Max Dalban
Director: Jean Renoir
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009WIE2K
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Amazon.com essential video

Long before there were hippies, there was, sublimely, Boudu. In 1932 director Jean Renoir and French star Michel Simon, fresh from their early-sound triumph La Chienne, decided to re-team in adapting a stage farce about a derelict rescued from the river by a bookseller and groomed for bourgeois society. The bookseller's idea proves to be disastrous, though working through all the possibilities for disruption and catastrophe is a slow-gathering and hilarious process. Simon always seemed as much force of nature as mere actor, and his and Renoir's inspiration is to make Boudu the vagabond not a satyr or opportunist or noble savage or de facto sociopolitical anarchist, but simply an oversized manchild with no more guile or conscious agenda than the shaggy dog whose sudden defection led him to throw himself into the Seine. If his insistence on leaving a downy-soft bed to sleep in the hall happens to block the door to the maid's room, where his benefactor Lestingois is wont to sneak after the wife's asleep, well, Boudu doesn't really plan it that way. And if he leaves a wet lugie between the pages of a first-edition Balzac, well, they asked him not to spit on the floor, after all!

We can see that the original farce (by René Fauchois) was probably pretty funny to begin with, but Renoir makes of it much, much more. Boudu Saved from Drowning--arguably the first French New Wave film, nearly 30 years before there was a New Wave--is one of those cardinal works in which we can see, and experience anew, a great filmmaker inventing the cinema. Without jettisoning the formal qualities of the theatrical farce, Renoir opens his film to light, fresh air, and the teeming multifariousness of Parisian street life; the denizens of the city become unwitting extras in the movie as Boudu first shambles, then prances, among them. The deep-focus camerawork is exhilarating, but even the gregarious roughness of the production feels right, indeed essential. "I believe that perfection is even dangerous," Renoir remarked of his own movie. "If a film is perfect, the public has nothing to add.... The audience should always be trying to finish a picture, ... fill in the holes which we didn't fill." Collaborating on Boudu is a glorious experience. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

After well-to-do bookseller Edouard Lestingois (Charles Granval) rescues a tramp from a suicidal plunge into the Seine, his family adopts the bum and dedicates itself to reforming him. The irrepressible Boudu (Michel Simon) shows his gratitude by shaking the household to its foundations, challenging the hidebound principles of his hosts and seducing them with his anarchic charm. With Boudu Saved from Drowning, legendary director Jean Renoir takes advantage of a host of Parisian locations and a brilliant performance by Simon to create an effervescent satire of bourgeois complacency.

Customer Reviews:

Civilization and Its Discontents.......2007-06-09

In BOUDU Renoir's satire is never cruel; he shows affection for all of his silly characters--and NO ONE escapes a ribbing.

Boudu is pure id (imagine Walt Whitman on a three-day bender), but he has no real malice toward anyone. Lestingois is driven by a sincere and utterly self-serving sense of compassion. He thinks he can bring this wild animal into his house and groom and curry him until he personifies the bookseller's own generosity. And he thinks he can do this without any noticeable disruption in his own carefully ordered universe. Boudu consents to apply polish to his shoes, yes; then he wipes the excess fresh polish off with the aid of a white bedspread. At every turn, china shop meets bull. It's lovely.

Hilarious........2006-10-12

I'm not into a lot of analysis and social commentary like many of the reviewers of this film seem to be. And I have nothing against the bourgeoisie--average middle class people make the world go round (and I bet that most people who review films on Amazon are very middle-class, enjoying the comforts of 21st century America--which are considerably more than the comforts of 1930's France.) I can see that if there was a real Boudu, I would not want him in my house for very long, if at all (the man spits in books! He uses clean bed quilts to wipe his dirty feet!) However, all social commentary aside, this is one of the funniest movies ever. Michel Simon is a comic genius. The physical things he does, the way he talks just continually crack you up--he would be funny in a moview by himself. But it's even funnier here to watch him react with the other people in the movie, who are all really good actors and excellent straight men (and women). If you just want to laugh and laugh, watch this.

a very nice film.......2006-03-13

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

"Boudu saved from drowning" known in France as "Boudu sauvé des eaux" is a comedy about a Parisian bookseller who rescues a homeless man from a suicide attempt. He takes him in but his poor manners bother those around him.

The film is directed by Jean Renoir known for many other great classic French films. The film has some great scenes of 1930's Paris and good acting.

The DVD has plenty of extra features also.
There is an old introduction to the film by Jean Renoir, an interactive map of 1930's Paris specializing in the film's locations, a new interview with filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin, scenes from a program featuring Jean Renoir and Michel Simon, and a video conversation between film director Eric Rohmer and movie critic Jean Douchet

The interactive map feature was very well done and shows how the filming locations appear today.

Overall, this is a very fine movie and I recommend it.

Sophisticated And Warm, An Excellent Comedy By Jean Renoir.......2005-09-30

Turning off the water in the sink is as alien an idea to Boudu as not spitting on the dining room rug. Watching him try to clean bootblack from his hands is to watch the destruction of a kitchen. He's as oblivious to others as a strong wind blowing through a garden. One critic said the character of Boudu was like a ball in a pinball machine. Boudu (Michel Simon) is a scruffy tramp who jumps off a bridge in Paris when he loses his dog. Edouard Lestingois (Charles Granval) is a chubby, middle-aged bookseller, very much a member of the bourgeoisie, who rushes out of his shop, leaps into the river, saves Boudu and takes him into his home. Lestingois has a wife who is proper and cool. He employs a maid who is lusty and accommodating. Boudu will change their lives.

Boudu is an anarchic force of nature, stuffing his sardine dinner into his mouth with his hands and spitting his wine onto the floor. For Lestingois, who at first is pleased with himself for his heroism and with taking in such a specimen of the lower class, life becomes complicated and frustrating. He enjoys his trysts with the maid, Anne-Marie, but he recognizes he's getting a bit old. "She's charming," he says, "but last night I fell asleep before I could join her. No doubt about it, I'm growing old. My pipes are weary, and soon some shepherd will lure her with his youthful flute." Boudu, however, soon wearies of sleeping in a bed and takes to sleeping in the hall, next to Anne-Marie's door. "I get bored all alone in my room," Anne Marie tells Lestingois. "I'm not exactly jumping for joy in my room, either," he says. "Are you sorry you saved him?" she asks. "At night, I am."

Madame Lestingois, however, once Boudu is convinced to get a haircut and wear a proper suit, may not be quite the piece of ice she appears to be. When Boudu has the opportunity to closely inspect a small birthmark on Madame Lestingois' chest, well, it's not long before Madame Lestingois hears trumpets playing.

Boudu remains the same, wrapped up in his own world and with his own behavior, refusing a favor, turning back an innocent inquiry, tickling the bottom of Anne Marie, enjoying Madame Lestingois, making himself obliviously at home with Edouard Lestingois. He's a natural force that can't be controlled and, for some, barely endured. By the end of the movie it appears, however, that a lottery ticket and the prospect of lustful marriage to Anne Marie may finally tame Boudu. "For once, both modern morals and the laws of nature are satisfied," says a member of the wedding party. Fortunately, a lily floating on the river and a bad sense of balance bring Boudu back the life he had. He may have been saved from drowning at the start of the movie, but he's saved from bourgeois respectability at the end.

This is a marvelously sophisticated and warm comedy. Everybody has their foibles exposed and no one really gets hurt. Michel Simon as Boudu is simply unique. "I watch Boudu often," says Jean Renoir in a filmed introduction to the movie, "not because I revel in contemplation of my past work, but simply because of Michel Simon." Charles Granval as Lestingois is just about as good.

The Criterion DVD presentation is first rate. There are several extras which are interesting and informative, including an interview made 35 years later with Renoir and Simon discussing the movie.

The Dionysian anarchy !.......2005-09-08

After a suicide attempt, a beggar (Michel Simon) is saved from the waters by an antiquarian bestseller. The rest runs for you because the only fact to intend describe it it would break the magic spell.
A tour de force film, in the same line of Rene Clair' s Paris belongs us.
A magisterial masterpiece.

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