Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (Extreme Unrated) (2008)

I just got through watching this movie and I have to say that "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" is one of the greatest films ever made. You read that right. There have been other reviews on this site comparing "Harold and Kumar" to Cheech and Chong films, "American Pie", etc. All those people miss the point. Yes, this movie is about young people and, yes, this movie is about stoners, but, strictly speaking, those things are incidental. "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" is a classic and this movie is a classic because this movie "gets it"; it "gets it" like no other movie in the history of filmdom has ever gotten it. From the moment these two brilliant potheads see an advertisment on TV for White Castle they are on a quest, a quest for burgers. They go through a series of escapades involving racist cops, stolen marijuana, jailbreaks, junkyard freaks, Doogie Howser stealing Harold's car and so on and so on, each episode more insane than the last and everything screamingly funny. And through it all they persevere because they're on a quest. You see, "Harold and Kumar" is unique in the history of film because it understands that the point of cruising ... is cruising itself!!!! In what other country in the world can you hop onto an Interstate and then, 45 minutes later, you can buy these cheap little burgers with the little onions on them, 6 for $2.99 plus fries and a soda? Only in America!!! That's what the American Dream is all about: White Castle Burgers!!!! The point of the journey ... is the journey itself. There is so much sage wisdom in this movie: that "the universe has a tendency to balance itself out" (not unlike the Hindu principle of Karmic realignment?), that what a man wants is that feeling of satisfaction when he gets what he most desires (said by Harold while observing their two Jewish friends fulfilling their own quest at Hot Dog Heaven) or Kumar's observation that their parents came to this country because they were poor and oppressed ... and hungry. I'm not Asian, and I couldn't care less if Harold is Korean and Kumar is Indian; personally, I found Harold and Kumar to be two of the most quintessentially American characters I've ever encountered in a movie. And that's the genius of this film: this movie realizes that being an American isn't about race or ethnicity: being an American is a state of mind. I truly believe "Harold an Kumar Go to White Castle" will go down as one of the classics of cinema. And, no, I was not stoned when I wrote this.

Although I liked the movie (enough to buy the DVD), I was not expecting the hilarity of the menu screens. In case it hasn't been mentioned much already, there was actually new content filmed for the DVD menus, specifically the Main menu and the Special Features menu. The Main DVD menu, has Harold and Kumar sitting in the car, driving. The sequence appears to repeat every minute or so, but in fact, the first 10 or so sequences are not repeats! They even end up arguing over why the DVD watcher hasn't picked any menu choices yet, and that it's not that hard to do. Very funny stuff, and an excellent addition to the movie.

The second menu, the Special Features menu, has Harold and Kumar in the car after going over the embankment. The car won't start, and Kumar keeps trying it, and trying it, for probably up to 10 minutes or so. All throughout it, he's talking and trying to get Harold to respond. They eventually try to get some sleep, in the car.

All in all, very funny stuff... Enjoy the movie, but don't forget to sit through those two menus! They are one of the most interesting and innovative ideas I've seen on a DVD in some time.

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Every once in awhile, a person becomes witness to a movie with no real point, but rather is driven by its dialogue and the characters within the film. A vast number of these movies fall into the comedy genre, because if a movie is funny, it doesn't require a powerful plot, but it anchors on the humor it expresses. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is one of these movies. And, I believe it to be a success at what it attempts. Like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Dazed and Confused, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, this movie will become a modern stoner classic, but I feel it can be enjoyed by a vast number of viewers; this movie was downright funny.

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is the hilarious tale about the two title characters Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn). In fact, the entire movie's plot is in the title. These two stoners get the munchies one night, and while debating what to eat, see a television commercial for the one place that seems to hit the spot and satisfy all of their cravings and desires: White Castle. After this, the film is nothing but our hilarious heroes coming across a wild amount of mishaps and numerous funny situations. The film even has a hilarious cameo by Neil Patrick Harris, whom many of us know as Doogie Houser M.D., playing himself all messed up on ecstasy. This movie is a d**n good time.

At first, I was very skeptical about this movie. I mean, it looked funny, but I still wasn't sure. I kind of got the same vibe for this as I did for Dude, Where's My Car?, and that turned out awful. It is strange too, because this movie happened to be directed by the same guy as Dude, Where's My Car?: Danny Leiner. However, this time, Leiner hit the genre on the head, creating a comical success. Maybe it was the R rating. I recall thinking back to Dude, Where's My Car?, knowing how bad it sucked. Could some of that badness have been erased, had an R rating opened up more possibilities for crude humor? I think the answer to that question is yes, and it is evident in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

John Cho and Kal Penn carry this movie very well. I had seen John Cho in the American Pie movies before, but I never got around to seeing Van Wilder with Kal Penn. Either way, this is the first starring role movie for both of these guys or I think they did wonders with it. They have great onscreen chemistry and provide some really great dialogue exchanges. The rest of the acting was good too. Neil Patrick Harris was hilarious as himself and there were numerous other good performances, including Anthony Anderson, playing a Burger Shack Employee who delivers a monologue about why Harold and Kumar should go to White Castle.

The soundtrack is also worth noting. A lot of the songs fit well, and I especially enjoyed a sequence where Harold and Kumar just let loose and start singing this soft song from 1991. It really is funny.

Overall, I was very pleased with my experience seeing this picture. Of course, I was with three friends, which always helps the comedic experience. Call me crazy, but if at some parts where you aren't laughing and your friend does, you might catch the humor and join in. So it's a good buddy flick to see. Of course, the plot is thin (if any plot at all), but who needs plot? This is just a movie about two stoners and their misadventures along the way of finding a White Castle. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is very simple and very fun. Recommended.

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It seems like a lot of people are saying this is a comedy about nothing, or that it's just a road movie. It's more than that: It's a really good road movie, it's very funny, and it adds to a tradition that includes both Huckleberry Finn and The Heart of Darkness. It's stinging social commentary.

Harold and Kumar are both upwardly mobile second-generation Americans of immigrant parents. They're fighting against type in a world of stereotypes--Harold struggles not to be the number-loving, quiet asian and Kumar avoids the med-school path of his father and older brother. And yet, that's where they find they have placed themselves. Harold is an investment banker and Kumar is a skilled doctor despite his reluctance to go to medical school. They spend their free time getting high and laughing at antidrug commercials. On weekends they allow themselves to rebel comfortably, but it's clear they are dependent upon the rewards of following society's script--they share a nice apartment, they have other good friends (stereotypes, all), a love interest of color, and they travel in a new car toward their ultimate goal of eating several tiny hamburgers.

But when they leave the safety of their multicultural civic center and venture into the hinterlands of the American countryside, they fully begin their odyssey through the strata of the American class pyramid. Above them are the wealthy gatekeepers, like Harold's bullying preppy co-workers and Kumar's med school admissions dean. Below them are the embittered whites who feel like they are losing opportunities one after another, and further below are the imigrants and blacks who must suffer daily at the hands of this anger.

The comedy comes from the clashing of stereotypes, in how they are all simultaneously true and false. The "extreme" mountain dew guys who are sold as he-men with surplus bravado are outed here as being also nihilistic zombie bullies. NPH turns out to be a self-absorbed, self-destructive star on his way to supernova. The horribly disfigured rural white "Freakshow" turns out not to be a psychotic sex killer but rather just a garden-variety pervert (and their modern take on the old traveling salesman joke pushes against the heartland's rep as the home of family values). The one-note cops, however, only get to sell the white anger.

What's most interesting about the movie is how H&K react to the plight of blacks and immigrants. They recognize their lower-class dopplegangers walking together down a dark sidewalk and watch passively as those stand-ins get jumped and beaten to a pulp. The scene is played for a laugh (and laughing is appropriate in a comedy), but it's also the first defining moment in their journey. Do they call the police? An ambulance? Stop the car and help the poor guys? No. They drive on.

There are plenty of run-ins. They're witness to the extreme dudes ruining the immigrant's store, and they're powerless to stop it. They're not from here, you see, they're just stopping for gas, they can't get involved, they can't help. Sorry. They can't upset the order that rewards them so well. Likewise, the extreme dudes let them pass because hurting them would in and of itself upset that same order and rouse Johnny Law. The immigrant owner pleads to Harold and Kumar with his eyes, but it's as if the extreme leader tells them straight on: Look, you're powerless to stop this and so am I. Basically, "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown" or if you'd rather, it's the Matrix.

When Harold gets to jail, we meet a black buddah who has come to enlightenment as much through book-learning as from night-stick blows. Incredibly, he tells them they can't change the world and that they should essentially turn the other cheek. And when the prisoner is again abused in their presence, they gladly accept the advice of another black prisoner. "If I were you," he tells them, "I would get the hell out of here." He might as well have said, "If I were of your class, I would get the hell out of here."

And they do. They realize, and become grateful for, their status in society, they 'live and let live', and they trust that their universe--the deus ex machina of this story--will resolve things comically before the credits. By supporting the system, they are amply rewarded.

Near the climax, Kumar delivers a patriotic speech that salutes America not as the land of opportunity, but of consumer choice--the last tangible measure of our collective freedom (much as a 'social safety net' and 'access to health care' used to be). The boys make it to White Castle, and there they gorge themselves in a commercial ritual of assimilation. In an absurd gesture of quantity over quality, manufacturing over cooking, flavor over nutrition, and form over function, they each eat dozens of tiny hamburger "sliders" as they slide further into the melting pot.

It's hard to divine a moral to this story beyond, "Nothing is as it should be, but everything is as it is." I can believe that Hollywood would create and disseminate that message, but this movie was conspicuously too smart and too countercultural to deliver that GOP payload. I've been thinking about it for days and I just can't figure it out.

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We have all known that feeling: wanting a particular meal, unwilling to rest until we get it. Those of us who attended college will attest to the fact that after you smoke, a certain urge will soon overtake you. An urge to gorge yourself on some random food that may otherwise disgust you. Harold and Kumar are overtaken by this feeling and they are willing to do whatever it takes to get that food (in this case, White Castle) into their stomachs.

During their quest, they encounter a host of hilarious characters. Their neighborsGoldstein & Rosenberg, the Xtreme crew, Brad the business-suave hippie, the taco-sh** girls, Freakshow, the racist cop, Tarik the cellmate, Doogie Howser! Neil Patrick Harris makes one of the funniest cameo appearances I've ever seen. It will completely ruin any innocent memories you may have had about Doogie, the boy doctor.

I thought this movie was hilarious... The story is almost arbitrary, as the characters are so funny, it wouldn't really matter what the point of the movie was. It's also cool that it all takes place along the New Jersey Turnpike, because I actually went to school along the same stretch of road. New Jersey residents will have an added appreciation for the adventure for that reason. But, whatever state you live in, you should be able to relate to aspects of both characters' personalities. Harold is responsible and "grown-up", while Kumar is a free spirit who doesn't seem to give a damn about anything. They make for a very funny pairing, even though we've all seen it before.

There is a ton of great bonus material on this DVD edition. The extended/deleted scenes are awesome and the featurettes and interviews are also entertaining. It's worth checking it all out, most definitely.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy ridiculous and filthy humor.

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Beauty & the Briefcase (2010)

The movie is awesome and romantic,It is definite worth watching and buying. Hilary duff is wonderful and fantastic acting. Please remember your wanting to know if the movie is good. I have read reviews on the movie and got I hate Hilary Duff Campaign. Their just trashing Hilary and not really rating a true honest opinion about the movie. Buy the movie you will not regret it!

I'm not going to rip Hilary Duff apart like a previous reviewer because I actually think she was about the best part of this film, hence the one star. It's fun and girly but I couldn't enjoy it because of the constant stereotypes (i.e. blonde girl enters the business world and doesn't know anything apart from how to utilize colour, as well as the consistent way the female characters judge men by their 'hot abs' or 'tight asses'). It just seems a bit sexist in terms of both the male and female characters and, while I know most chick flicks are like this to some extent, it has never been to the extent that I've felt the need to switch off. The English guy's accent is laughable. Why don't they just use English people to portray English people rather than people whose accent flips between Australian and American? The other characters besides Lane are pretty rubbish and wooden, including her best friend and more or less all the people she works with. The story, I guess, is light-hearted and cutesy, but if you have an ounce of intellect and don't assume that all women are bimbos whose specialist subject is coats and men's worth is assessed by the tightness of their buns, I suggest looking elsewhere. I was also a little concerned about the sexual references (i.e. painting each others bodies with chocolate and then 'burning it off' after one date, talk of climaxing etc.). Surely that's a bit much for a younger audience?

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This is a Hillary Duff made-for-TV movie, so I probably didn't come into Beauty & the Briefcase with particularly high expectations. However, they were met, and even exceeded some for a romantic comedy. Working as an investigative journalist for Cosmo, Duff joins an investment banking firm to find an eligible bachelor in New York. There are some cute moments about having unrealistic expectations for a man. As with most romantic comedies, it's lighthearted and cheesy. Yet, unlike many, the protagonists particularly Duff come off as relatively normal, likable, and not pathetically desperate. Sure, they have their quirks and faults, but I never felt annoyed by their characters but rather sorry for them. Fun for date nights with a significant other.

**Spoilers Alert**

I did think the subplot with Liam was distracting. First of all, it was too obvious Duff's character wouldn't end up with him he was TOO perfect. More importantly, it took time and attention away from the idea of dating in the business world. This theme could have been played up a lot more than what is actually captured in the movie. In fact, there are really 2 guys in the office who are really even "contenders." Instead, I could easily have imagined the "Liam" character changed into one of Duff's coworkers, but one who it turns out was engaged in shady stock deals or something. I reduced my rating by a star because there was just so much more comedic potential in mixing the women's fashion and men's business worlds.

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Hilary Duff's claim to fame was as a squeaky clean Disney star. She got her start there, and with that clean image, got lots of fans. Even after she left, she made some very family friendly films. Well, clean no more.

Hilary has come a long way down from the days when she was nervous about her role in A Cinderella Story because it included kissing her co-star. In this movie, there are lots of sexual references, talking about past sexual encounters, and bad language. Hillary's character thinks nothing of hopping into bed after first meeting someone.

I would give this zero stars if that were an option.

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I had no idea what to expect from this movie when I watched the DVD at a friend's house. First of all, let me tell you I am a 41 year old gay man so hardly the target audience for Hillary Duff movies, but I have to say I found this really fun and enjoyable. It reminded me a lot of "Legally Blonde" or "Clueless" for that kind of "Oh my god" kind of girl that Hillary portrayed. Given it was an ABC Family movie, I thought it might be too pre-teen and "Disney" in the scenarios portrayed, but instead, it was focused more on the young-executive business world. Like I said, it was like "Legally Blonde" but set in an office environment rather than a political one. Matt Dallas of "Kyle XY" fame has a supporting role here which was pleasantly surprising, as he plays a mid-twenties businessman convincingly (which I realize is his real age, but still strange after watching him for years as a 16 year old on "Kyle XY".) Also notable is the supporting character played by Chris Carmack (of "The OC" and "Into the Blue 2") who adopts a very unconvincing British accent that I can't believe would fool anyone and frankly just sounds ridiculous. I can't say anymore about that without creating a spoiler for the movie. In the end, I do recommend this movie for anyone in the mood for some mindless fun fluff that would appeal to adults. Teens might actually not be quite into this as they might not yet have enough life experience to relate to the office environment most of this movie is based in.

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The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (1992)

This is one of those screwball comedies that you find yourself watching in reruns every time you catch it on TV. The premise of the movie centers on Betty Lou, a rather mousey, small town librarian who is married to a cop. One day, while in the park, Betty Lou discovers the gun that was used in a recent murder. She takes it to the police, but no one will pay any attention to her. In frustration, she fires the gun and winds up confessing to the crime!She wants to prove that she isn't as mousey and predictable as everyone seems to think she is especially her husband!While in jail she is given a transformation into a sexy bombshell by several of the other women inmates. When she appears for her arraignment no one (least of all her husband), can believe it's her.

Once out on bail, however, Betty Lou realizes that she must discover who the real killer is before it is too late. What follows is an adventure that only a once mousey librarian can have -an adventure that reveals not only Betty Lou's hidden beauty, but her smarts and cunning and style.

Granted, this isn't the funniest movie to come around the pike, but that isn't it's allure. No, what makes this so appealing is Betty Lou's transformation. She stands in for every woman who has ever been underestimated,taken for granted, pigeon-holed, and ignored. She decides to take charge of her life in a very dramatic way and in the process she saves her marriage, she saves the day, and, more importantly, she saves herself.

Watching Betty Lou rise to the occasion is reason enough to watch this movie. Seeing her take charge of her life is reason enough to enjoy it.

This flick suprised me as I was not expecting much. And I did not get much, but what I got was light, fun, well acted, and well-written with likeable, attractive and believable characters. It is good for an evening in with popcorn. Laughs in several places and some suspense.

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"The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag" falls under the same category as other beloved late 80's/early-90's films put out by Touchstone Pictures such as "Adventures in Babysitting" or "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead." Certainly not enduring works of cinematic brilliance to be studied by film students forever, but charming little films that hold a ton of entertainment value nonetheless. Not to mention these films also serve as windows into what life was like in the late 80's and early 90's, a much more innocent and light-hearted time in American pop culture. Penelope Ann Miller is delightful in the title role. And the supporting cast is brilliant as well. Eric Thal plays her less-than-appreciative cop husband who will mend his ways by the end of the film. Ray McKinnon is the cop sidekick who reassures Betty Lou's husband that Betty Lou will definitely learn plenty from a night behind bars and that his own wife Joan could use the same. Julianne Moore plays Betty Lou's kooky sister. Cathy Moriarty is brilliant as the hooker Betty Lou meets in prison. And Alfre Woodard delivers a delightfully comic turn as Betty Lou's novice attorney. The violent scenes are a little heavy-handed, but I think it serves the plot well as it shows just how much trouble Betty Lou stirs up for herself and the people she cares about. Overall, just a great, feel-good, early 90's comedy that definitely rewards repeated viewings.

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Penelope Ann Miller. She has played lots of parts and made lots of movies. A movies. Carlito's Way. B movies. Relic. And even a couple of C movies. That dumb movie about the bottle of wine. I've been following her career ever since dinosaurs roamed the earth and she has never given a bad performance. This film is one of her early efforts. It didn't get much attention or make a lot of money. But she is so charming and so engaging. It must be difficult to be an actress with big talent and small boobs as opposed to one with little talent and big boobs since you know who seems to get all the best parts these days. Nevertheless, Penelope Ann is consistently good in every role she plays, and this film is no exception. While she may not be Meryl Streep, Miller definitely has Streepiness. Trust me. All the guys in my cell block were cheering at the end. I don't think it was just because a guard got stabbed.

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Although it has its good points, this film is generally of the quality of a made-for-TV film--not something I'd recommend buying or renting.

Betty Lou is a librarian who's not getting the attention she wants and arguably deserves from her police officer husband. He's more interested in his work than her.

There's a murder in their town involving a travelling man who's having an affair with a local married woman.

Betty Lou (with her dog) happens to discover the murder weapon. To gain attention she proclaims herself the murderess. Betty Lou, of red hair, is a sympathetic character and it's fun to see her snub all the interrogating male cops (including her husband) who take her for granted. She also befriends a local prostitute while in jail and otherwise asserts herself as she hasn't before.

It's not all fun, however, for there are some southern Mafia characters about led by a particularly evil man named Bodine (how original). There are a few scenes of gratuitous violence that were a big turn off.

The climax is somewhat improbable but something you might expect in a TV movie.

Also, there's a scene in a country bar where the singers (names unknown) recreate faithfully the great Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris duet of "Love Hurts."

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Roadie (1980)

There is a lot of silly rubbish about this film scattered all over the Internet. Most of the time when I read a review of "Roadie" I wonder if the critic even bothered to see the film before they wrote about it (see above). Unlike most other critics, I have seen Roadie, and I promise--with certain reservations--that it is a very funny and very entertaining movie.

As an older man with a nervous disposition who has enough trouble sitting through many new movies once, The ultimate tribute I can give this great "on the road" rock'n'roll saga is that I watched it numerous times when it was on cable in 1981. Since then, I have watched it several dozens of times on VHS, and now that it's on DVD, I have watched it several times again. You can put a lot of mileage on this road movie. In a day when you build whole relationship with and around movies in your personal collection, that kind of stamina in a movie is critical.

The film has a rock'n'roll backdrop--a backdrop we rarely see from the workingman's eye the way we do here. There are no star turns in the film, at least none in the late 1970's early 1980's tradition. Rock is shown as hard work, and generally the product of blue collar hands (a view I agree with). The movie gives us what amounts to real-world views of several 70's favorites (Meatloaf, Alice Cooper, Blondie, etc.).

The movie has a great premise, the howling self-reliant "Everything Works If You Let It" theme. It also enjoys a background soundtrack that fires on all twelve cylinders. But what keeps me watching the film is that it is really funny in an honest, straight-forward way that we have enjoyed far too seldom since Hollywood started grinding out its cookie-cutter "farces" in the wake of "Airplane." The dual surprises of the film are the really solid performances put in by Alice Cooper and Meatloaf in their respective roles as rock star and roadie. I am unqualified in my admiration of this movie, but I will tightly qualify the people to whom I would suggest the film. This is a "cult" movie in the most real sense of the word and anyone who is made nervous by rock music, farce that is outside of the "Scary Movie"/"Naked Gun" mainstream, or three-hundred pound leading men (Meatloaf) should avoid this movie at all costs. Also, there is a certain good ol' boy mentality at work here that will not play for some parts of the audience. But to the core audience of the film, these are not qualifications, they are recommendations. The thing I am saddest about is that the movie's soundtrack is no longer available. The soundtrack was worth having simply for the long and messy "Brainlock" which plays during one of the few really funny car chases in the history of film.

Of course Meatloaf is the bomb, and you want to believe in the reality of his character, the astoundingly competent Travis W. Redfish. Sadly, there is no Redfish in the real world, but you'll wish there was, and there probably should be.

Art Carney plays Daddy Redfish, and steals every scene in which he appears. Alice Cooper plays himself (as always) and is great. In fact, all the walk-ons and cameos are amazing.

But the amazing presence in the film is Kaki Hunter's portrayal of Lola Bouillabaisse. The Lola character is a train wreck, a disaster area, a four alarm fire. She is our worst nightmare on a blind date, but the screenplay needs her to be that disaster. If Lola had been played by a different kind of female, or had she been played as an attractive girl, the part, and probably the film would have been ruined. Hunter actually holds her own against her mighty co-stars in the film. She is amazing.

Note: a movie that is equally funny and from the same time period, and sharing roughly the same theme is Roger Corman's "Rock and Roll High School."

Whoa-boy. ROADIE isn't a five-star flick by any stretch of the imagination (save that of starry-eyed fan-atics, who're no doubt clicking No with some vehemence right about now). Every one of the three stars are worthy, however, and I snapped up this DVD with all haste because the film IS a campy, rollicking, fun little tale. Meat Loaf is a charmer as Travis W. Redfish, cuddly and sweet, inventive and wise, a memorable character in even his head-butting, brain-locking, ox-like other side. Kaki Hunter is less memorable as Lola Bouilliabase, though often just as sweetly naive as anyone who's had a brush with fan obsession (y'all CAN click Yes later on and change your vote, if you didn't know). Completing the Redfish clan, Art Carney is a hoot and Rhonda Bates purely delightful. Watch for Kurkwood Smith in a bit part.

A no-frills DVD package. The feature cleaned up nicely, but the original trailer shows wear. The Dolby 5.1 audio was a surprise, though, and plays well front and back.

ROADIE is a guilty pleasure, but such camp was fun sharing with unsuspecting friends -we laughed 'til we cried. Chair dancing, the distinctive rattle of a beer truck, narcs snorting Tide. Some odd remembrances, too, of the brouhaha over cancelling concerts for energy conservation, often believed an excuse for censorship. Oddly enough, there's little or no swearing in ROADIE; Lola's quest for deflowering and a little substance abuse (and perhaps the close-up of Alice Cooper's codpiece) earned the PG rating.

"Everything works if you let it," a worthy sentiment.

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This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. A great cast: Meatloaf, Khaki Hunter, Art Carney, Jos Spano, Alice Cooper, Hank Williams Jr., Roy Orbison, Don Cornelius, etc. Great musical performances by Blondie, duet of Hank Jr. & Roy, Blondie, Asleep At The Wheel. Some of the greatest lines of all time. Story gets a little trippy but makes sense and one of the all-time strangest endings. If you are a 70s rock and roll fan, this is the movie for you.

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From the ambulatory phone booth to a candlelight dinner with The Snake, this just tickled my funny bone. Art Carney was great, and I loved Meat Loaf as the star-crossed lover. Yes, it's cheap, yes, it's campy, but I have been looking for the damn thing for like 20 years, and I am SO happy they finally re-released it. For years all I had was the soundtrack, which is quite goodlook at all the musicians in the darn movie! Ooohhh, I'm drivin' my life away....

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For it's time, Roadie is a great movie in itself. it's funny, sexy, and filled with alot of classic rock. Great cammeo's by Hank Williams Jr. and Roy Orbison to name a couple. Jr. sings Outlaw Women at a bar Redfish (Meat Loaf) set's up at.

The story is Hank Williams Jr.'s road crew breaks down on the side of a Texas road. A pretty woman hitching a ride steps out and catch's Redfish's eye. Two numb skulls diving the truck has no clue what's wrong. When Redfish offers to help, Lola (the pretty woman) talks him in to helping set up Hank Willims Jr. Soon after that Redfish becomes the best at what he does or what he has became a (roadie) but all Redfish is after is Lola and all Lola is ater is Alice Cooper.

I sew this movie on T.V. a long time ago and liked it alot and I was wantting to see it again. Still a great movie

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Mystic Pizza (1988)

I first saw this movie after seeing Pretty Woman in the theater back in 1990, I instantly became a Julia fan. This is great movie with a great cast, the only thing I don't like about the DVD is it doesn't have the original cover/poster that has most of the cast on it. I think it's a better cover because this isn't just a Julia movie, and I know she would say the same.

Julia stars as Daisy, a girl who's never been able to live up to her mothers expectations so she only lives for herself, and is happy with it, until a rich young boy named Charles shows up at the local pool hall. He instantly falls for her, but Daisy is afraid that he is just using her to get back at his snobbish parents. "Bring home your poor Portuguese girlfriend, shake up the family a little bit." But Charlie isn't like that, and it isn't until Daisy discovers more about herself that she realizes this. Then there's her younger sister Kat(Annabeth Gish), whom her mother is so proud of because she will be attending Yale. Kat has never been in love and ends up falling for the married father of the young girl she babysits for; in this short time she gets to expierience the joys of love and the pain of being heartbroken when his wife returns.

Their friend Jo (Lili Taylor) is another story altogether. She loves her boyfriend Bill (Vincent Denofrio), a local fisherman, but every time she tries to walk down the isle she pictures herself fat and ugly with all these kids hanging around and ends up passing out.

In the end they all pass major milestones that come with life, and the movie ends with the girls looking into the stars. This wasn't a starting point for Annabeth Gish whom had already appeared in many movies, but was a bit of a launching pad for Julia who dyed her hair black with mouse just to audition for the role (and walked home in the rain ruining her blouse). This was only her third feature film, and she seems to grow in this role. It's no surprise she received an Oscar nomination for her next role in "Steel Magnolias."

Since Matt Damon has become a household name, I've seen this movie mentioned some places as starring him as well as the main actors, but I must advise that if you're renting it JUST for Matt, you're in for a big disappointment. Matt is only in one scene and only utters the lines "Mom, do you want my green stuff." So, it really isn't HIS film, but he is in it.

What makes the DVD special is being able to see the film's actual trailer and watch the movie in widescreen.

Julia has a line at the beginning of the film that kind of makes me smile:

"Don't worry about me, I'm not going to be slinging pizza for the rest of my life." Words that ring so true, if only she knew then the big star she would be.

It's hard to believe that this little 1988 film has endured in popularity for so long. It is a simple story of three 'sisters' in the small fishing village of Mystic, CT who have just graduated highschool, work as waitress in the town Mystic Pizza parlor, and face decisions about the future of their lives. There are three less than fairytale romances with three male characters of varying potential as partners and it is the 'coming of age' in a small Portuguese clan that sparks the tenderness and the sadness of this story written by Amy Holden Jones and directed by Donald Petrie.

One of the most interesting aspects of this low budget film is how it catapulted Julia Roberts and Matt Damon (who plays such a bit part he nearly goes unnoticed) to fame, reinforced the careers of fine character actors Conchata Ferrell, Lili Taylor and Vincent D'Onofrio while pushing the then promising Annabeth Gish, William R. Moses and Adam Storke over into TV land roles.

The film is a bit of nostalgia for a better time, has charm and innocence, and will always be one of those movies everyone who is a film collector will keep in their library for times when a return to simple little movies just makes you feel good. Grady Harp, January 06

Buy Mystic Pizza (1988) Now

Watched the 1988 movie "Mystic Pizza" today. It was one of the first movies for the female leads Julia Roberts , Annabeth Gish (native of Cedar Falls, Iowa), and Lili Taylor. Interestingly, Gish's name appears before Roberts in the credits at the end. Gish has gone on to a productive career, mostly in television, Taylor has moved into a career in more independent, quirky movies while Roberts has gone on to...well, you know.

I read Roger Ebert's review and he gave the movie 3 1/2 starts (out of 4) when it came out. I wouldn't rate it that high (maybe 2 1/2 or 3 out of 4), but the movie has kind of a comfortable feeling to it and gets better as it goes along. You don't see many movies about work & work environments these days and I think the scenes in the Mystic Pizza Parlor are pretty good. The romantic storylines are pretty standard and as Ebert says, "The movie isn't really about three girls in love; it's about three girls discovering what their standards for love are going to be." All-in-all I liked the movie. Oh, and watch carefully for Matt Damon in his big-screen debut!

Read Best Reviews of Mystic Pizza (1988) Here

There's a line from American Pie in which one of the young guys declares, "Women are like fine wine. They just get better with age." So true. All of the women in this movie are living proof of that, especially Annabeth Gish, who went from being merely girl-next-door pretty in Mystic Pizza, to the mature goddess we have seen on the X-Files.

Mystic Pizza is very much an ensemble movie, with no one person standing out above the rest. A very strong female cast is counterpointed by some solid male performances, such as that of the always superb Vince D'Onofrio also check out The Cell, with Jennifer Lopez.

Beautifully filmed in Conn. New England, the movie is also a visual delight, and captures the reassuring simplicity of life in an Atlantic fishing community. I love Nova Scotia and Maine for the same reason. The original Mystic Pizza restaurant is still going strong and their website is well worth a visit.

All in all, a very sweet movie about real people and real family situations, and it remains one of my favorite movies of all time. I literally never tire of this modern classic. My only quibble is that the last spoken line is disturbingly unimaginative and anti-climactic. After crafting such a superb screenplay, the writers just seemed to run out of inspiration at the last hurdle. As Mr. Spock would say, "Fascinating."

Want Mystic Pizza (1988) Discount?

Good but by no means great. I am not really a Julia Roberts Fan and it was the fact that this is one of Vincent D'Onofrio's first films that made me watch it. Early on the film drags but about halfway through I began to find it absorbing. My plroblem in the early part was that the three women characters seemed like such airheads that I really did not care what happened to them. I give all three actresses credit for giving performances that kept me fairly interested until the mid-part of the film. There are two surprises at the end of the film that really made me glad I stuck with it. This really is a "Girl Movie" and the men in it are mostly wasted. Especially Mr. D'Onofrio. None the less it is worth watching.

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