The 'Burbs
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Movie Reviews of The 'Burbs
Movie Review: A Sorely Underrated Comedy Gem
Summary: 5 Stars
EXTREMELY MILD SPOILERS AHEAD
There was a rash of "suburban everyman" family comedies in the 80s, and a sub-sub-genre of "suburban everyman goes on vacation and is hilariously out of his element and experience hijinks." Most were crap, and the average moviegoer can be forgiven for mistaking this film for one of those. But it really doesn't fit the mold. I don't know if the filmgoers were purposefully spoofing such films or not, but the plot was described as "a man goes on vacation in his own neighborhood."
To be totally honest, I never thought the "vacation" angle came across as strongly as may have been intended. It's more of a "weekend" movie than a "vacation" movie, to me.
Anyway, the basic story is that a man and his oddball neighbors in a middle-class, middle-American cul-de-sac spend the weekend trying to get to the bottom of what their new reclusive neighbors are up to. Why do they never show their faces? Why do they keep their house in such bad condition? Why are they out digging in their yard at night? Why do they drive their trash to the garbage can and then beat the heck out of it with a rake at midnight in the rain? And so on. Are they....gasp....a cult of murderous satanists?
Rick Ducommun, Bruce Dern, and Tom Hanks give epitaph-worthy performances. I don't think I've ever seen Hanks do physical comedy in anything else, but his stumbling-down-the-stairs bit near the end is worthy of Keaton (I'm not really spoiling anything).
This is a perfectly-paced, impeccably-timed comedy masterpiece. It blends farce, slapstick, adventure, horror, suspense, and contains the kind of breezy, highly-entertaining, just-plain-fun film-making that is perfect for gatherings of family and friends. This is one of those movies that could only have been made in the 80s, and I mean that in the good way.
Movie Review: Love Thy Neighbor
Summary: 5 Stars
Tom Hanks is Ray Petersen, a man who just wants to relax and have a peaceful vacation. But, there's one thing stopping him from lounging out on a fold-out chair and drinking some beer. His next door neighbor. The Klopeks only come out at night and have been seen digging in their backyard. Petersen's neighbors are all curious about the mystery people and think they're a part of a dark conspiracy. Art (Rick Ducommun), Rumsfield (Bruce Dern) and Ricky (Corey Feldman) talk about ghoulish happenings and they start to investigate the Klopeks. What ghastly fun this movie is! Petersen tries to be conservative, while his friends just want to play spy. The Klopeks drive out of their garage and beats their garbage bag into the can with a stick! Sadistic! Then an old man disappears and they snoop around his place. A plate of cookies goes to waste, then the neighborhood decides to introduce themselves to the Klopeks and what a shocker! Rumsfeld drops his complimentary browies and says, 'forget the GD brownies!'. It was lordage. Hans (the geeky red-headed boy answers the door and tries to swat at flies buzzing around his head). Comical. Then an old Klopek who has the deepest voice in the world yells, 'NO!'. It was sheer delight. Then another Klopek who happens to be a doctor, has blood on his hands! Vile! In the end, the Klopeks leave their house for a day field trip and then Rumsfeld brought out his military gear! Ray and Art dig in the Klopek's backyard and find nothing and then break into their house find some bodies. There in the basement, they hit something. You'll have to see the ending to believe it. It's dynamite! Everybody delivers an under-rated performance and Art eats way too much food. Ray yells way too much. Dog poo galore! This movie has everything and it's definitely Tom Hanks' best comedy ever. Joe Dante does a great job of directing this eerie, dark comedy.Movie Review: Repeat value
Summary: 5 Stars
The 'Burbs isn't one of those movies you'd see being drooled over by film critics or even audiences, but it is one of those movies that if you saw it on TV every couple of months, you'd watch it. Joe Dante's weird sense of humor shines on this movie even more than the Gremlins movies. It also offers a cast of characters that are as much relatable as they are crazy. Everyone has weird neighbors, right?
Tom Hanks is in top comedic form in this one offering classic lines like "I've never seen anyone drive their garbage to the street and bang the hell out of it with a stick." Then you have the hilarious neighbor Rick Ducommunn who I feel should have had a better career after this film. Corey Feldman (always a treat) plays the irresponsible teen and Bruce Dern is brilliant as the crazy military reject.
All these characters mixed up in a bizzare murder mystery is pure magic. But what makes this movie have replay value is the little things that you don't necessarily catch while watching for the first time. For example, when Rick Ducommunn comes over to visit Tom Hanks and eats nearly everything in his refrigerator while the audience is engrossed with his tales of terror. Or just the body movement of Hanks when he observes the weirdness of his neighborhood throughout the film. Hilarious.
I may be looked upon as weird for giving this movie 5 stars, but it is one I can always rely on for a good laugh and good quotes.
"NO!" "About a 9 on the tension scale, Rube."
"I want to kill everyone. Satan is good. Satan is our pal."
"Red rover red rover let Ray go over."
"I've been blown up! Take me to the hospital, I'm sick."
Watch this movie and you too will quote these lines forever.
Movie Review: "These Old Guys Never Go Anywhere Without Their Hair."
Summary: 5 Stars
Once Upon A Less-Enlightened Time (the 1980's, of course), Tom Hanks was regarded as a comedic actor...and despite the universal acclaim (and the Oscars) he's received since making "Big" a far more serious film than surely it was intended to be, I STILL think he has betrayed his true talent.>
This movie, as well as "Bachelor Party", "The Money Pit" and the role he had as Dan Aykroyd's co-star in "Dragnet" confirm just how talented Hanks was as a comic actor (you can include "Stand-Up", if you want...but that was really more of a tragic role); I wish he still made movies like this.
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Soapbox rantings aside, this movie is hilarious...I think about it every time I mow my yard for the 10,000th time and see someone new moving into the neighborhood. Think of every suburban cliche' you've ever heard of...it's in this movie somewhere. The Supporting cast, as mentioned in other reviews, is also incredibly engaging...even Corey Feldman is good (when's the last time you ever heard someone say that? He wasn't even good in "The Lost Boys"), and Bruce Dern is terrific in the role that might well have gone to Christopher Walken had he been just a bit older at the time. Rick Ducommun ("Art's got a gun") must have been the role model for a particular softball-playing boss I worked for a few years ago, and Carrie Fisher is perfect as Hanks' long-suffering wife.
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In short, this is great 1980's comedy fare from the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" portion of the decade...don't take it too seriously, but by all means see this movie (particularly if you live "outside the perimeter").
Movie Review: Forgotten Quotes
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my favorite movie of all time. We owned a vhs copy recorded from televison and just recently my husband was shopping around and found a DVD copy for me and I was surprised how much the television cut out of it, the dvd also has an alternant ending. I have watched it so many times my husband now loves it. A wonderful movie that never leaves the neighborhood. Staring Tom Hanks as Ray Peterson, Carrie Fisher as Carol, Bruce Dern as Mark Rumsfield (my favorite), Wendy Schall as Bonnie, Rick Ducommun as Art Winegardner, and Cory Feldman as Ricky Buttler. I was reading all the quote lines and would like to add some not previously listed:
*carol says: "he cant come out until he resembles that man that I married", Art:"carol, we don't have that kind of time!"
*"I'm going over the fence and i'm not coming back til I find a dead body"
*"thats one thing about these cul de sacs, only one way in and the people are kinda strange"
*"Art's got a Gun!"
*"What is that infered night vision..."
*"smells like they're cookin a godd*mn cat over there"
*"they keep a horse in the basement"
*"A femor just happens to be a human thigh bone, you think this came off some kind of chicken"
*"I've never seen that before, they drive their trash out to the street and bang the h*ll out of it with a stick"
*"Hey Pinoccio where do you think your going"
*"I think we flushed em out,Rumsfield and I, we wrote a note and slipped it under the door we rang the bell then we ran"
Well I could keep going and going, love this movie. Definately reccomend at least watching it once, but to catch all the lines I suggest multiple viewings.