Dave

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A heartwarming story of mistaken identity and idealism, director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) takes on the political establishment in this fresh, funny comedy. Kevin Kline (Sophie's Choice, A Fish Called Wanda) plays Dave Kovic, a sweet man with a big heart running an employment agency. Dave happens to be a dead ringer for the current president of the United States, and he hires himself out as an impersonator for parties and mall openings. When the real president has a stroke while in bed with an aide, his ambitious chief of staff (Frank Langella) decides to hold onto the White House by appealing to Dave's sense of patriotism and having him pose as the president. Soon, however, Dave is running the country in a way contrary to what the chief of staff would like, even as he finds himself falling in love with the unsuspecting first lady (Sigourney Weaver). The movie's unbridled optimism is its best asset, and it makes this a pleasant comedy worth seeing. --Robert Lane

From The New Yorker

Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline), the hero of Ivan Reitman's populist comedy, is a regular middle-class guy who happens to be a dead ringer for the President of the United States (also Kline). The screenplay, by Gary Ross, contrives to put Dave in the Oval Office, where he poses as the President and allows himself (initially) to be manipulated by the crafty White House chief of staff (Frank Langella). By the end of the picture, he has restored honesty and decency to the government, and has fallen in love with the First Lady (Sigourney Weaver). In the first half hour or so, the movie is hilarious, because its humor is mostly destructive; and Kline's performance as the real President is a chillingly funny portrait of Chief Executive as empty suit. But after the promisingly nasty beginning, the filmmakers settle into a sort of campaign mode, lulling and flattering the audience with a fairy-tale vision of the common man's victory over the Washington establishment. The movie's crowd-pleASINg agenda inexorably saps its energy. Reitman and Ross are willing to sacrifice bite for across-the-board appeal, and they wind up with a political comedy that has no politics. Also with Charles Grodin, Ben Kingsley, and Kevin Dunn. -Terrence Rafferty
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Description

Just who runs this country anyway? For comedy fans, the answer is - Dave. Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda, In & Out) and Sigourney Weaver (Working Girl, Ghostbusters) star in this box-office winner about an uncanny Presidential lookalike named Dave, who's recruited by the Secret Service to become a momentary stand-in for the President of the United States. However, things don't turn out exactly as planned and Dave finds himself continuing his masquerade as Chief Executive indefinitely. Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters and 6 Days, 7 Nights) directs and supporting players Frank Langella, Ving Rhames, Ben Kingsley and Charles Grodin supply more reasons to stand up and cheer. Many real-life Washington politicos and pundits join the fun as Dave uses ordinary-guy savvy to deal with the extraordinary responsibilities of the Oval Office.

Customer Reviews:

Worth watching.......2007-09-05

Kevin Kline gives one of his best performances as a fill in president. Sigourney Weaver as the first lady. Frank Langella and Kevin Dunn as the presidents right hands. Ving Rhames as the Secret Service Agent assigned to protect the president. And Charles Grodin as Daves best friend, and a host of real life reporters and senators bring a very amusing story about a man chosen to temporary fill in for the president when he is incapacitated by a stroke, by a look-alike. He (Kline) proceeds to win over everybody, and makes the preident more popular than ever.

A Winner.......2007-08-16

The original screenplay is what makes this film fun and entertaining. The cast is appealing and good looking but it's the story that makes this film a winner.

A funny movie about a serious subject........2007-06-30

Dave is hired by the Secret Service to double for the president. Mr Kline, as Dave, could impersonate the president very well. Not hard, since he played the president, too. While he is acting as president the real president has a stroke. Dave is rehired to continue his impersonation until the president recovers, 'to protect the office'. He finds that the presidents aides are not really honorable men. He takes over, firing the bad guy and pushing through a bill to 'help the children'. Meanwhile, Dave and Mrs. President are getting along very well. I have to catalog my movies so that I can find the one I want. I'm not sure if this movie is a) Comedy/Romance or b) Drama.

Feel good movies.......2007-05-28

DAVE is a wonderful movie. Anyone who wants to see the tables turned on the crooked politicians in Washington must see this movie

A feel-good, way-it-oughta-be, movie.......2007-05-14

"Dave" was a pleasant enough movie the first time I saw it, in 1993, with the good guys winning, and with superb acting performances by Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Ben Kingsley, and particularly Ving Rhames and Kevin Dunn in supporting roles. In a very small role, Charles Grodin does his best work that I've seen him do, and has one of the outstanding lines: "Who DOES these books?" Langella is quite believable as the astute, scheming politico who has never been bested; Dunn develops his character's moral conscience as we watch him on screen; and Rhames balances perfectly his character's initial distrust of the faux-president with his growing admiration of--and loyalty to--the kind of integrity so many of us wish we could find in "the leader of the free world."

When I decided to see it a second time, I viewed it as a movie or literary critic would, and found that it held together structurally, it developed organically, and it balanced some pretty heavy duty themes with good humor and almost-perfect timing. We have nearly worn out the original VHS tape that we bought, watching it whenever we want a "feel-good" movie, especially after seeing or reading about too much national and international news. Each time I watch it, I see more complexity to the character development and to the plot intricacies (which at first seem to be pretty straight-forward but, upon reflection, are not quite so simple).

"Dave" grows on its audience, appealing initially because it does represent what so many Americans would really like our government to be like; but it invites repeated viewing because of its texture, its acting, and so many of its memorable lines. How often, for example, can you imagine laughing at, "I once caught a fish THIIIIIISSSS big!" In the context of this movie, however, it is funny repeatedly while contributing seriously to character development. And how touching is the simple statement near the end of the movie, "I woulda taken a bullet for you," spoken quietly though in turbulent surroundings.

Even the ending, sappy though it may seem to be, holds open a subtle promise for the future when it is viewed in the light of the early political career of the movie's Vice President. "Dave" has risen steadily to become one of my five or six favorite movies, with "8 1/2," "Inherit the Wind," "Rear Window," "Tootsie," and "Blazing Saddles." I heartily recommend it: for a good time, call "Dave." Really.

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Story of Moderan Day Segregation
BOYZ
How This is Not in AFI's Top 50 I'll Never Know
Boyz N the Hood
Best look at the hood to date

Boyz 'N the Hood
Starring: Hudhail Al-Amir , Lloyd Avery II , Angela Bassett , Mia Bell , and Lexie Bigham
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: 0767811070
Release Date: 1998-07-14

Amazon.com essential video

John Singleton, at the age of 23, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his debut film, Boyz N the Hood. The film stars Laurence Fishburne, Angela Basset, Ice Cube, and Academy Award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. in his first starring role in a feature film. Gooding plays Tre Styles, a teenager growing up in South Central Los Angeles. His father, Furious (Fishburne), is divorced and living away from Tre and his mother (Basset), but he's still involved in Tre's upbringing, teaching him the values of right and wrong and responsibility. Meanwhile, Tre's childhood buddies Ricky (Morris Chestnut) and Doughboy (Ice Cube) are living their lives in terms of the epidemic of violence and poverty that has plagued their neighborhood. Ricky, a talented football player, strives to get a full athletic scholarship to college. If only his SAT scores were higher. Doughboy lives a life full of crime but still remains true to his friends. The obstacles that these three young men come across result in dire consequences, devastatingly avoidable and inevitable at the same time. Boyz N the Hood is a landmark film beyond its commercial success, presenting a portrait of South Central in the late '80s and early '90s as painted by Singleton (who grew up in that neighborhood), achieving accuracy and dramatic resonance in this story of at-risk youth. --Shannon Gee

From The New Yorker

The writer and director, John Singleton, is a twenty-three-year-old graduate of the U.S.C. film school. This movie, his first, is a classically constructed-and therefore rather predictable-coming-of-age drama about young black men growing up on the mean streets of south central Los Angeles. The picture conveys a vivid sense of the dangers, both physical and emotional, of day-to-day existence in this ravaged urban environment. Even the quietest domestic scenes are charged with a kind of battlefront tension: there's always the ominous metronomic beat of police helicopters in the background, and sudden sputters of gunfire seem to intrude on every moment of calm or reflection. It's a war zone, and its inhabitants-the people on the front lines-mostly don't have the luxury of planning long-range survival strategies: they're too busy reacting to the immediate, unremitting daily threats. Singleton's evocation of real people's struggles to find some measure of peace and sanity in these grim urban circumstances is heartfelt and often moving, and the movie provides a welcome corrective to the dehumanizing sensationalism of the local-news version of inner-city life. But the young filmmaker's professionalism and precocious self-assurance sometimes work against his best instinct. Singleton's plot is disappointingly conventional; it obeys screenwriting-class rules. The experience he's dealing with here deserves something more than the tidy dramatic structure that he has imposed on it. We get glimpses of what the movie might have been in the complex, magnetic performance of Ice Cube, a rap star (formerly of N.W.A.), who plays a neighborhood gangster type named Doughboy. Also with Cuba Gooding, Jr., Larry Fishburne, Nia Long, Tyra Ferrell, and Angela Bassett. -Terrence Rafferty
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews:

Story of Moderan Day Segregation.......2007-09-17

Boyz N the Hood is a nitty gritty look at South LA (formerly known as South Central LA) and is one of John Singleton's best pictures. Because it is so gripping and real. Cuba Gooding Jr. gives a stand-alone performance playing Tré Styles; a young man that is on the brink of self discovery. Most of Tré's childhood friends got locked up but Tré led a pretty square life. Thanks to the support of his father, Jason 'Furious' Styles (Laurence Fishburne.) Boyz N the Hood will keep you glued to your seats. It will make you think and it will make you laugh. But, most of all it will make you sad; because this is not just a movie. This is a true story.

BOYZ.......2007-08-24

SAD THIS LETS YOU KNOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS ALL EVEN THOU YOU NEVER HEAR ABOUT IT.

How This is Not in AFI's Top 50 I'll Never Know.......2007-08-21

I love how films (Clockwork Orange, Pulp Fiction, Little Miss Sunshine, The Departed, etc.) that wallow in violence, nihilism and utter vulgarity are championed among Americans for their eminent "authenticity" and "originality." The Academy itself plays no small role in propogating this dillusion, brainwashing the movie-going public through its vast propaganda machine and finally handing out awards to the directors of some of the most barbaric trash American cinema has ever witnessed.

Funny though how the rules of the game have a way of changing for films with black directors, with some of the best films of the last half century (Boyz N The Hood, Do the Rigtht Thing, X, etc.) being snubbed for their alleged inability to "appeal to everyone." Meanwhile the sludge served up by the likes of Tarantino and Scorcese is eagerly devoured by anyone within arms reach of a movie shelf.

Hilariously there are whole segments of the populace, tens of millions of them, that like to twist this state of affairs as reflecting some deep seeded racism amongst the rest of the citizenry. This should give you some idea as to the state of things in America when even the most trivial of incidents (OJ, Kramer, Don Imus) are cast in a practically apocalyptic light creating nationwide panic, despair and hysteria.

Simply put though American audiences don't ignore this film because they're racists. Rather, even more pathetically perhaps, they ignore it because it wasn't marketed to their demographic. This is something that ALL Americans regardless of race, religion, income are guilty of. This is hardly suprising though. Looks as if half a century's worth of ceaseless and limitless advertiseing campaigns has all but vaporized authentic individuality. Group aspirations now trump individual choice. Anyone that betrays the herd is tried, condemned and then excommunicated (Bill Cosby, Dennis Miller, Bill Richardson, shoot, examples from politics abound). After all, the herd is what matters most and who could possibly understand my herd better then another member of my herd? Better yet, how could I ever relate to anything that wasn't made by and for my herd?

Individuality, personhood...gone, insinerated, nuked off the face of the earth! As a result Americans tend to develope personalities akin to those of pre-packaged Star Wars characters. So few are willing to step outside of the little box they've been put in. I'm so sick of this country! I can't even live amongst all of you! I am at the end of my rope, I have like gone to the MATTRESSES over this, I am laying in my bed with a shotgun right now hoping that one day someone will come to my room and tell me that everything is all better.

This is just a wonderful movie and it's a shame that most folks won't get a chance to see it, or if they see it to give it a chance. Actually this movie is like the antithesis of the general mood prevailing in this country over the past few decades or so. Singleton rightfully bucks behavioralism and the whole 'product-of-my-environment' culture of early 90's urban America because (1) he knows that human beings owe themselves more than that and (2) because shaking off that way of thinking is the only way for folks in impoverished areas to obtain a better life and dignity for themselves.

More importantly though this is a response to the full frontal assault that's been waged on the American family and the American father over the past few years. Tre's father might not be able to insulate him from all the dangers going on around their household but through rigorous discipline he does impart a sense of responsibility in Tre, responsibilty to himself, to his father and to his neighborhood. Through their relationship the two of them are able to prevail over the despair and violence surrounding them.

Fishburne, Cuba and Ice Cube all turn out the best peformances of their careers though admittedly Ice Cube has never really had a film career even after all these years of trying so hard. Incredible performances, incredible film.

Boyz N the Hood.......2007-07-11

Singleton's urgent, moving drama deals head-on with a raft of tough subjects--the allure of thug life, inner-city poverty, racism--without losing its virtuous heart or universal appeal. Fishburne is terrific as the fiery, streetwise dad who schools Gooding's likable, college-bound Tre with some important life lessons. But the strongest performance belongs to rapper-actor Ice Cube, a troubled, combative teen with a criminal record who nevertheless remains loyal to his childhood buddies. Just 23 when "Boyz" hit theaters, Singleton earned two Oscar nods for his gritty, poignant story of strife.

Best look at the hood to date.......2007-05-17

Everyone I have talked to who has seen this movie says the same thing; "That was a really good movie!". It is much more. This movie came out of John Singleton's personal experiences with racism and crime in South Central, like Spike Lee with "Do the Right Thing". But this movie was one of the first of many urban-crime films to come (i.e. New Jack City, Juice, Menace II Society, Dead Presidents). Ice Cube, a rapper at the time, made his film debut as Doughboy, the drug dealer who does the most crime on the streets on South Central. Cuba Gooding, Jr. also made his debut as Tre, a man whose father (Laurence Fishburne) teaches him how to be responsible and making the right choices. The performances were great, The rare Soundtrack had cool songs like Cube's "South Central" song and this movie is best of many crime films, not like the gangster films though.

Singleton just put together the perfect movie to depict his old neighborhood, it's just a shame that none of his recent work is as good as Boyz N The Hood. If you are a fan of gangster films, or just good movies in general, you will like Boyz N The Hood.

Average customer rating:

A suprising gem
Well Done!
Delicious entree, full of surprises
Don't bother to relax !
good surprise

Dinner Rush
Starring: Danny Aiello , John Rothman , Frank Bongiorno , Lexie Sperduto , and Zainab Jah
Director: Bob Giraldi
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
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ASIN: B00007G1YP
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Product Description

During the course of one frenzied evening, a restaurant owner and bookmaker deals with a potential hostile takeover, a snooty critic, and his attraction to his dead partner's widow. Danny Aiello and John Corbett bring the behind-the-scenes drama of a NYC Italian restaurant to life through an exciting tale of gangsters and gourmet food

System Requirements:

Running Time 99 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Dinner Rush is gourmet cinema, served with a generous helping of culinary panache. After countless commercials, music videos (including Michael Jackson's "Beat It"), and a few obscure features, director and restaurateur Bob Giraldi casts his own New York eatery as a TriBeCa hot spot where the owner (Danny Aiello) presides over a busy night of fine dining and mob entanglements. He's been a bookmaker for 25 years but he's going legit; his son (Edoardo Ballerini) is a nuovo cuisine genius, eager to inherit the business; the sous-chef (Kirk Acevedo) is deeply in debt to mafia thugs; an art-dealer snob (Mark Margolis) is antagonizing his waitress (Summer Phoenix); a charming stranger (John Corbett) harbors a climactic surprise; and a powerful food critic (Sandra Bernhard) is ready to pounce on any wrong move. In perfect control of this bustling environment, Giraldi directs like a great chef cooks: with Altmanesque delicacy, confident that every ingredient is vital to the success of his creation. It's utterly delicious. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker

A modestly scaled independent film about a long, long evening of cooking, eating, intrigue, hustle, sex, and murder at a Tribeca trattoria. The movie, well directed by Bob Giraldi, is made up of many little vignettes, most of them incisively written by the team of Rick Shaughnessy and Brian Kalata. Danny Aiello plays the tough-old-pro owner who may give up the place to his son (Edoardo Ballerini), a brilliant chef who has turned the family restaurant into something very chic. With Kirk Acevedo as a compulsive gambler who works as a sous-chef, Sandra Bernhard as a food writer in a wig, and many others. The movie was shot at Gigino, an actual restaurant that Giraldi owns. -David Denby
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews:

A suprising gem.......2007-08-06

This is a great movie about one night in a New York bistro.Having read Anthony Bourdains KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL I imagine the action about the kitchen and dining room were true to life. Add some gangters to the mix and you get some great action, drama and dialogue. I got this as a gift having rented it some time ago. Some movies never get the public acclaim they should. This movie does not dissappoint.

Well Done!.......2007-04-24

Tastefully shot in New York City, Dinner Rush is a seductive little number. For those of you who have worked in a resturant setting, this movie has an uncanny level of authenticity. Danny Aiello serves up his requesite on target performance and the casting is phenomenal. For those of you who love working in restaurants, this movie is a winner. For those of you that are curious about the family atmosphere one always encounters at a quality resturant, check this one out because Dinner Rush delivers. Bravo!

Delicious entree, full of surprises.......2007-04-13

This movie from 2002 was recommended to me by close friends. And were
they on target. The film is about a night in an upscale Italian eatery
in Tribeca Village. It is filmed from the kitchen and the main floor.
The first half introduces the viewer to the various people attending the
restaurant that night and the chef and his staff working in the kitchen.
These scenes are so realistic, it almost seems like a documentary. But
as the plot develops, tension builds, with one of the most unexpected
and satisfying endings of any film in recent memory. DO NOT MISS THIS!

Don't bother to relax !.......2007-04-02

If you enjoy enjoy gangland and the world of food you will be well rewarded. A most, most enjoyable film!

good surprise.......2006-11-06

i was expecting some kind of TV movie and i had the pleasure to discover a very clever flick with a remarquable cast (DannyAiello being always very good) . It's not the Godfather but a nice moment with loads of humanity

Average customer rating:

Lovely Indeed
WOW
Over and Over
Outstanding Musical Bio
one of my favorite movies of all time!

De-Lovely
Starring: Kevin Kline , Ashley Judd , Jonathan Pryce , Kevin McNally , and Sandra Nelson
Director: Irwin Winkler
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00067BBLY
Release Date: 2004-12-21

Amazon.com

It's astonishing that one man could have written so many memorable songs, but musical gems keep popping up in De-Lovely, about the life and loves of Cole Porter. Played by Kevin Kline (In & Out, A Fish Called Wanda), an elderly Porter is summoned by a mysterious director (Jonathan Pryce, Brazil) to view his own story, which unfolds as a series of theatrical tableaux. The movie is open (if a bit chaste) about Porter's homosexuality, but argues that the love of his life was still his devoted platonic relationship with Linda Lee (Ashley Judd, Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls). Unfortunately, the narrative suffers from the fate of many biographies; by trying to cram in a person's entire life, it ends up a collection of snapshots without depth or context. The parade of celebrity singers (Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow) were apparently chosen for their jarringly modern vocal mannerisms. --Bret Fetzer

DVD features

Director Irwin Winkler weighs in on two commentary tracks, one with Kevin Kline and one with writer Jay Cocks. Both tracks are thoughtful and filled with details about Cole Porter's life, how the pop singers joined the film, and how their numbers were conceived. As might be expected, a lot of stories are repeated, but they're good stories, such as how "Be a Clown" was ripped off for Singin' in the Rain's "Make 'Em Laugh." There's a very good 25-minute making-of featurette, plus a 15-minute music featurette that mixes clips and performances from the film with brief comments by the pop artists performing them (the Broadway re-creations are only mentioned in passing). Two other featurettes go behind the scenes of two numbers, and the eight deleted scenes include Kevin Kline's short performance of "You Do Something to Me." Because the musical numbers have the most replay value, it's convenient that they're listed on the scene-selection menu. --David Horiuchi

Description

"The most unusual and enchanting musical in years" (Roger Ebert), this cinematic ode to legendary composer Cole Porter is at once buoyantly fun and "heartbreakingly beautiful" (Liz Smith). OscarÂ(r) winner* Kevin Kline (The Ice Storm) is "perfection" (Rolling Stone) as the elegant and deeply complex Porter in a film that offers "knockout performances" (Gene Shalit) from Natalie Cole, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette and Robbie Williams, and "melancholy, wit and style to burn" (The Philadelphia Inquirer)! From Paris to Venice to Broadway to Hollywood, the lives of Cole (Kline) and Linda (Ashley Judd) Porter were never less thanglamorous and wildly unconventional. Though Cole's thirst for life strained their marriage, Linda never stopped being his muse, inspiring some of the greatest songs of the twentieth century.*1988: Supporting Actor, A Fish Called Wanda

Customer Reviews:

Lovely Indeed.......2007-07-12

The complex and amazing life of Cole Porter is told in De-Lovely, a musical and love story unlike any other I've seen. Kevin Kline is brilliant as always in the lead role, as a gay man who's in love with a woman. Ashley Judd, who's never looked more gorgeous, plays Linda, who knows all about Porter's "extra-curricular" interests, yet becomes his wife, his lifelong companion, and his muse.

WOW.......2007-06-01

This was surprisingly good. I sat there mesmerized by the qualities of the music, the video, the acting, and the storyline. On a par with "Chicago."

Over and Over.......2007-05-27

Not only did this give wonderful insight to the famed composer Cole Porter, Kevin Kline (one of the most underated actors around) was mesmerizing. I play it over and over also to hear the great soundtrack!

Outstanding Musical Bio.......2007-05-15

Great movie. Fabulous scoring to the theme. A great way to present Cole Porter's life and music.

one of my favorite movies of all time!.......2007-05-11

The story of Cole Porter's life, and his wife Linda Porter. I love this movie. After viewing, I found myself humming the songs of the famous Cole Porter, of which many I did not even realize he wrote.

The acting in this movie is exquisite. Both Kevin Klein and Ashley Judd are perfect in their parts as the married couple. She is beautiful and elegant, and clearly you see how he could be inspired to write songs for her/about her/because of her. How lovely it is that such a powerful woman inspired songs that are enjoyed by millions of people.

Another greatness of the movie is the Cole Porter songs that play throughout. His music as sung by modern artists is penetrating, and tells their own part of the story.

Average customer rating:

Wait, how can you pluralize The Lone Ranger?
Rock on....
Airheads
DOES NOT DESERVE A STAR
Enjoyed it

Airheads
Starring: Brendan Fraser , Steve Buscemi , Adam Sandler , Chris Farley , and Michael McKean
Director: Michael Lehmann
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B00005NGAY
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Amazon.com

Spinal Tap it ain't, but Michael Lehmann's good-natured comedy of errors, about a garage band whose unannounced visit to a local radio station escalates into a hostage situation, is pleasant diversion with a fair share of laughs. Brendan Fraser plays the singer-songwriter of the unknown heavy metal band the Lone Rangers, a trio of socially challenged musicians rounded out by dimwitted but sweet bass player Adam Sandler and aging drummer/toy-store employee Steve Buscemi--who just happens to be packing a lifelike toy machine gun from work. Needless to say, the friendly visit is misinterpreted as a hostile takeover, but all the Lone Rangers want is to play their music on the air--and they sabotage themselves again by destroying their own demo tape! Joe Mantegna plays a burned-out deejay who tries to help the muddled metalheads as the media surrounds the building and asks the question on everyone's lips: "How can you be the Lone Rangers if you're always together?" --Sean Axmaker

Description

In this hilarious spoof of the music industry, three intelligence-challenged rock'n' rollers (Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler decide to take drastic action after their music continually falls on deaf ears. They break into a radio station, hoping to get their demo played on the air. But when the deejay (Joe Mantegna) and station manager (Michael Mckean) refuse to play their song, the boys have no choice but to take the entire radio station hostage.

Customer Reviews:

Wait, how can you pluralize The Lone Ranger?.......2007-04-22

For some reason, I've always had a soft spot for Airheads. I first saw it, like most, on tv a few years back, and thought it was great. Being a musician, and being in a new band at that time, there was a lot that I got out of it. One man's struggle to get his band somewhere is a common theme, but how they do it is always the fun part. Especially when it involves holding up a radio station at gunpoint. Other things I noticed in re-watching it were Adam Sandler doing a role where he didn't scream like an idiot every other, Brendan Fraser being able to actually look like a real rocker and not an over glorified one, and Steve Buscemi, being great as usual. But that's really all in the current viewing. A lot of the jokes have become stale or just "laugh to yourself in your head" funny then they may have been when I was 15. Regardless, I don't think I can ever completely hate the movie. Be it the closing song, eye candy in the form of the two leading ladies, Buscemi's excellent character of Rex, or seeing Chris Farley rip a piercing right off a spot that's sure to make some people cringe.

Taking place in the early 90s when rock music was about as dead as you can get (no, I won't count grunge), with countless bands that all looked the same and sounded equally similar, Chazz sets out to change the face of music. He sings and plays guitar for his band The Lone Rangers, and constantly tries to get his demo tape to a big shot executive at the nearby record company. This time, he's dressed up as a deliveryman and finally makes it to the head of the company, only to find out he can't take things that are unsolicited. Chazz is then thrown out and heads back to his girlfriend's place. While she works hard and takes care of everything on her own, Chazz's only contribution to the home is trying to get a record deal. No job, no school, nothing really useful to their living situation. He tells her that he snuck in, and she basically dumps him, leading Chazz to live with his band mates, Rex and Pip. Rex just so happens to have some water guns that look incredibly real, and fills them up with hot sauce, making for a nice makeshift pepper spray. They then get the bright idea to head down to the local rock radio station and try to get their demo played there. Things don't go the best, and they end up holding up the studio with water guns, though no one else knows that. Cops and metal heads are surrounding the place, hearing everything go down since they're on the air the whole time. Is there really any easy way out of this for The Lone Rangers? No. No there isn't.

There's not much to the movie as a whole really. The Lone Rangers hold up a studio. Chazz and his girlfriend argue a little. Pip and Rex deal with the hostages. The head of the radio station reveals his plans for its future. That's really all there is. What happens in-between is pretty funny the first time around. Pip being an idiot, but not pushing it too far, got a few laughs out of me still, like his run-in with a lone cop outside early on in their takeover. Chris Farley, though not used to even half his potential, has a few good quick gags, including the infamous piercing pull. But most of the supporting cast is lame. Michael Richards is wasted as a would-be undercover agent, stuck in the ventilation system of the station, and barely has any lines. He just keeps making stupid facial expressions. The real star has to be Joe Mantegna as the DJ, who's second only to Chazz for the main role. His one liners and grasp of reality regarding the situation were great. If it seems like I don't have much to say good about the movie, it's because I don't. It's average at best, but a guilty pleasure for many. It's one of those movies that for whatever reason, when it pops up on tv, you'll watch it. Aside from Steve Buscemi being awesome as usual, you probably won't remember much from it after all's said and done either. How rock `n' roll!

My god did they drop the ball on the dvd release. The picture quality looks like it was ripped straight from a vhs copy. Anamorphic widescreen ain't looking pretty here. Tons of grain and fragments plague the screen, and things look way too faded for my taste. Someone needs to clean this sucker good. The audio doesn't have as many problems, but make sure to change the set-up to surround sound over the 4.0 track. It starts out that way, and before I changed things, I thought I was going semi-deaf. I never heard a 4.0 track before, and I hope I never do again after the 10 seconds that I experienced.

Making this an even sloppier release is the lack of any real special features. We get a music video by Motorhead- Born to Raise Hell, for starters. And in my book, anything involving Motorhead as an extra is cool. Sadly, the video's mostly filled with clips from the movie instead of footage of them being awesome. Other than that, the other sole extra is Airheads: Special Report, a poorly done faux-news report that runs for about 15 minutes. It's filled with fake interviews with some of the cast, clips from the movie, behind the scenes footage, and what looks to be some deleted scenes. The report isn't that funny at all, and feels way too forced, even for what it is. It seems like something that would've aired on tv to promote the movie. If it was, I can see why Airheads didn't do too hot, even with the extra Chris Farley bits. I'll admit though that there was one funny part that makes fun of real news reports properly- a reporter says that he's standing in front of a blue screen that will turn into a background of the scene of the crime. It's about time someone says that.

Fans of the movie will buy it without hesitation, and I doubt a special edition will come out this year or next given how long this version's been out. But if you've been curious about it for the reason of one of your favorites being one of the main 3 roles, you're probably better off borrowing or renting. Fraser and Sandler have both done much better, though it was cool to see Fraser as a rocker who isn't a pretty boy or over the top. But as I stress, Buscemi's the man here, and his role serves as a reminder of why he's one of America's best actors, even if it is in a little cult comedy role. The lack of real special features and horrible dvd transfer keep it from reaching even 3 stars in the end.

Rock on...........2007-02-24

A good light hearted comedy about a bunch of metal heads. If you like Adam Sandler comedies this is a great addition.

Airheads.......2007-01-26

I bought it as a gift so not really sure what the movie is about but the person was thrilled to complete his Adam Sandler movie collection with this movie, so I'm assuming its a goodie.

DOES NOT DESERVE A STAR.......2006-08-26

HORRIBLE

NOT FUNNY

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW PEOPLE CAN SAY THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE

ok now i personally, am a adam sandler fan, but i just hated this movie. Accually, i hated it so much, i couldnt even finish it and we had to give it away. i recomend you do not waist your time with this horrible excuse for a movie.

Enjoyed it.......2006-06-15

A little corny, but I enjoyed it, especially with the choice of stars. Brendan Fraser can always inspire a laugh, but his portrayal of a desperate rock star is great. He only wants to get his song played on the radio, but things quickly get out of hand...
Chrissy K. McVay - Author

Boyz N the Hood (2-Disc Anniversary Edition)

Average customer rating:

Story of Moderan Day Segregation
BOYZ
How This is Not in AFI's Top 50 I'll Never Know
Boyz N the Hood
Best look at the hood to date

Boyz N the Hood (2-Disc Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Hudhail Al-Amir , Lloyd Avery II , Angela Bassett , Mia Bell , and Lexie Bigham
Director: Singleton, John
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000A7W14
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Amazon.com essential video

From The New Yorker

Description

John Singleton's award-winning portrayal of social problems in inner-city Los Angeles takes the form of a tale of three friends growing up together in the `hood'. Facing tough lives, two succumb to the crime surrounding them in their environment, but one learns to have the strength of character to do what is right and to always take responsibility for his actions. Academy Award ® nominee for Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (1992). Stars Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix Reloaded), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Boat Trip), Ice Cube (Barbershop), Morris Chestnut (The Break Up Handbook), Angela Bassett (How Stella Got Her Groove Back).

Customer Reviews:

Story of Moderan Day Segregation.......2007-09-17

BOYZ.......2007-08-24

SAD THIS LETS YOU KNOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS ALL EVEN THOU YOU NEVER HEAR ABOUT IT.

How This is Not in AFI's Top 50 I'll Never Know.......2007-08-21

Boyz N the Hood.......2007-07-11

Best look at the hood to date.......2007-05-17

Average customer rating:

Sitchback
Great thriller
Male bonding
Wonderful
Swtchback

Switchback
Starring: Claudia Stedelin , Ian Blake Nelson , Brent Hinkley , R. Lee Ermey , and Walton Goggins
Director: Jeb Stuart
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: 6305182035
Release Date: 1998-12-01

Amazon.com

This film has the feel of a script that's been resurrected by a writer given the chance to direct his own movie. So it was with writer Jeb Stuart (Die Hard) and this film, his directing debut. The plotting is creaky and predictable in this story of an FBI agent (Quaid) relentlessly pursuing a serial killer (Glover) who, in an effort to intimidate the lawman, kidnaps the agent's child. The action set-pieces show up like clockwork, as this rogue cop battles his own agency in an effort to find his child. Quaid is grim and lifeless, so the film's only sparks are given off by Glover, in a wonderfully shaded performance that keeps you guessing whether he is, in fact, the bad guy after all. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Sitchback.......2007-06-09

Es una pelicula muy interesante que la recomiendo personalmente para aquellos personas amantes de una buena ficcòn y acciòn dentro de un drama elaborado muy meticulamosamente y que les guste el misticismo

Great thriller.......2007-01-31

An FBI agent hot on the trail of a serial killer pays a high price when the murderer makes it a personal game. Dennis Quaid plays agent Frank LaCrosse, a man taken off the case when the killer kidnaps his young son. Frank refuses to give up the chase to find the man who stole his child. The killer leaves a trail of blood and some subtle clues along the way, but Frank will still need the help of a veteran, small town sheriff if he hopes to get his son back alive. The film was scattered with enough red herrings to keep the plot interesting, though some of the roles hinted at cliches. However, the dialogue clipped along and the action scenes kept it moving. Certainly not a 'yawner'.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

Male bonding.......2005-12-08

I enjoy movies with male bonding or female bonding. A good example of the former is Rio Bravo, and the latter Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This movie is generally overlooked from this perspective. I personally liked the relationship between the sheriff and Quaid, and in a different way that between Glover and the hitchhiker. It has my vote as one of the best movies of this type in recent years. I cannot understand how anyone can call its plot "predictable" -- I thought Quaid might get Glover in the end but did not anticipate the final scene, which was made all the more impressive by the absence of dialogue.

Wonderful.......2005-09-08

I loved this movie. It was refreshing to see Danny Glover as a bad guy again. And while the movie can sometimes fall into predictable lines, that does not detract from the appeal. Quaid as a hardened FBI agent is casting against type and Jared Leto as the unspecting friend of Glover leads to wonderful if not suprising twists. While not totally orginal it is still a good way to spend two hours.

Swtchback.......2005-08-30

Danny Glover is believeable (as always) in this mystery/thriller. Unique role/ unique screenplay.

Average customer rating:

Great Movie
Worth watching.
Boys drop hoods
"Deuce Got My Son Shot!"
IT'S WORTH WATCHING

South Central
Starring: Glenn Plummer , Byron Minns , Lexie Bigham , Vincent Craig Dupree , and LaRita Shelby
Director: Steve Anderson (II)
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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