Junior (1994) - Frank fun in outrageous Reitman comedy

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A great star trio join forces for hilarity on this cheeky poster for Ivan Reitman's Junior

When scientists Arbogast and Hesse's project gets shut down, the smaller of the two get the bright idea that the bigger (they are both male) should let himself become impregnated in the lab.

 

Junior is written by Chris Conrad (Love Thy Neighbor (1984, TV movie)) and Kevin Wade (Key Exchange (1985)) and directed by Ivan Reitman (Foxy Lady (1971)).

The plot outline above explains this film, in which Arnold Schwarzenegger (Dave (1993)) gets pregnant and gives birth. The odd couple Danny DeVito (Jack the Bear (1993)) and Schwarzenegger, under the competent leadership of Reitman, once again give vivid life to a simple low-brow comedy. Junior serves gender clichés one after the other, but these are given with such spunk and innocence that one has to enjoy it. There are no shortage of weird and gross scenes in Junior, (not surprisingly given the premise), but the film could have been more fun.

 

Related posts:

Ivan Reitman: Evolution (2001) - Reitman's sci-fi crazy-comedy is thoroughly entertaining

Ghostbusters II (1989) - Reitman's unjustifiably maligned sequel 
Ghostbusters (1984) - Reitman and Co. conjure up the gleeful pomp and circumstance of the 1980s  

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 60 mil. $

Box office: 108.4 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.80 times its cost)

[Junior was released 14 November (North America) and runs 109 minutes. Schwarzenegger was paid 15 mil. $ for his performance; Emma Thompson (Last Christmas (2019)) got 1.5 mil. $. Shooting took place from April - June 1994 in California, including in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The film opened #4, behind holdover hits The Santa Clause, Star Trek: Generations and Interview with the Vampire, to a 9.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent 2 more weekends in the top 5 (#3-#5), grossing 36.7 mil. $ (33.9 % of the total gross). The film fared poorly compared to Reitman's preceding two Schwarzenegger vehicles, Twins (1988, also with DeVito) and Kindergarten Cop (1990), - both exceeded 200 mil. $ at the box office. The film was nominated for an Oscar: Best Song (Look What Love Has Done by Carole Bayer Sager, James Newton Howard, James Ingram and Patty Smyth), lost to Can You Feel the Love Tonight by Elton John and Tim Rice from The Lion King. It was also nominated for 3 Golden Globes, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Reitman returned with Father's Day (1997). Schwarzenegger returned in T2 3-D: Battle Across Time (1996, short) and theatrically in Eraser (1996); DeVito in Get Shorty (1995). Junior is rotten at 55 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Junior?

Hoffa (1992) - Luminous performances in DeVito's great biopic

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A-list star Jack Nicholson with filmmaker/co-star Danny DeVito chewing a cigarette behind him makes up this poster for DeVito's Hoffa

Jimmy Hoffa is an untiring force, when he creates his - later very powerful and lucrative - Teamsters union for truckdrivers in post-war America. But power has a way of corrupting. Or perhaps Hoffa simply didn't shy away from any methods since the outset.

 

Hoffa is written by David Mamet (The Verdict (1982)) and co-produced and directed by the also co-starring great New Jerseyite filmmaker Danny DeVito (Throw Mommy from the Train (1987)). 

Jack Nicholson (Wolf (1994)) is resplendent as the fascinating, faceted title character, and DeVito is also outstanding as his right hand man, (a made up character that's an amalgamation of several people in Hoffa's real-life posse.) The production is splendidly handsome, and Mamet's script is excellent, keeping us engaged as audiences throughout. Hoffa is rich with narrative, and a few stylistic flourishes, of which most of them work really well in what is arguably DeVito's best film as a director.

Hoffa is a relatively open and muscular star biopic, a big time Movie.

 

Related posts:

 

Danny DeVito: Solitary Man (2009) - Forgettable, undistinguished NY egotist dramedy (co-starring)

Anything Else (2003) - Allen's perfect, underrated millennial relationship comedy (co-starring)

Hercules (1997) - Clements and Musker aim for more adult laughs in colorful musical adventure (voice performance)

Get Shorty (1995) - Sonnenfeld's Tinseltown flick is breezy fun (co-starring)

Batman Returns (1992) - Burton gives us the ultimate, Gothic spin on Gotham City and its sinister characters (co-starring) 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - Forman's 1970s gold-rimmed classic (actor)

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 35 mil. $

Box office: 29.3 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.83 times its cost)

[Hoffa was released 25 December (USA) and runs 140 minutes. Mamet was reportedly paid 1 mil. $ to write the script, and Nicholson got 10 mil. $ for his performance. DeVito forewent his own salary and became co-guarantor for the film in order to secure a 50 mil. $ budget, of which reportedly 'just' 35 mil. $ was eventually needed. Shooting took place from February - June 1992 in Pennsylvania, Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, California and in Michigan. The film opened #6 to a 6.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 24.2 mil. $ (82.6 % of the total gross). The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Cinematography (Stephen H. Burum (Mission to Mars (2000))), lost to Philippe Rousselot for A River Runs Through It, and Makeup, lost to Bram Stoker's Dracula. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. DeVito returned with Matilda (1996) as a filmmaker, and in Jack the Bear (1993) as an actor. Nicholson returned in Wolf (1994). Hoffa is rotten at 52 % with a 5.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hoffa?

Hercules (1997) - Clements and Musker aim for more adult laughs in colorful musical adventure

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A brightly colored, exciting array of characters and colors adorn this poster for Ron Clements and John Musker's Hercules

Little Hercules is born half man half god, and he gets bullied for his over-strong clumsiness, until he meets a creature who wants to train him - and a fair lady, who ignites his hormones.

 

Hercules is written by Don McEnery, Bob Shaw (A Bug's Life (1998), both), Irene Mecchi (The Lion King (1994)) and master filmmakers, co-writer/directors Iowan Ron Clements and Illinoisan John Musker (Aladdin (1992), both), whose 4th film it is. 13 more individuals are credited with contributing story elements.

The film is overloaded with references and wisecracks for adults that regrettably don't add up to many laughs but certainly make Hercules seem an early study for what later came to successful fruition with Shrek (2001). Danny DeVito (When in Rome (2010)) and James Woods (Nixon (1995)) are among the fine voice performers.

Hercules is stylistically a wildly diverging, almost messy mix visually. It is enjoyable but essentially little more than a colorful children's party of a film.

 

Related posts:

 

Ron Clements and John Musker: Top 10: Best Disney movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

The Little Mermaid (1989) - The fantastic, romantic return of Disney animation

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 85 mil. $

Box office: 252.7 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.97 times its cost)

[Hercules was released 13 June (USA) and runs 93 minutes. Development began in 1992. Jack Nicholson was sought to voice Hades but didn't pan out due to his enormous salary demand. Production took place in California and in France. The film was opened in 1 and then 2 theaters for its first two weekends before widening to open #2, behind Face/Off, to a 21.4 mil. $ first 'real' weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 99.1 mil. $ (39.2 % of the total gross). Though successful, the performance was disappointing in light of the preceding year's many Disney smash triumphs and Disney stock slipped 9.7%. The film was nominated for 1 Oscar, for Best Song (Go the Distance by Alan Menken and David Zippel), lost to My Heart Will Go On by Céline Dion, James Horner and Will Jennings from Titanic. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. By summer 1998, the film had reportedly already brought in additionally 165 mil. $ in VHS sales and rentals. Clements and Musker returned with Treasure Planet (2002). Hercules is certified fresh at 84 % with a 7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Hercules?

Get Shorty (1995) - Sonnenfeld's Tinseltown flick is breezy fun

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Four stylish Hollywood stars in cool shades center this humorous poster for Barry Sonnenfeld's Get Shorty

A Miami gangster goes to Hollywood to collect a debt, but then he has an idea for a movie and feels like sticking around. But in Hollywood someone is always waiting for their money...

Get Shorty is written by Scott Frank (Dead Again (1991)), based on the same-titled 1990 novel by Elmore Leonard (Bandits (1987)), and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld (The Adams Family (1991)).
Great stars like Rene Russo (Mr. Destiny (1990)), Danny DeVito (10 Items or Less (2006)) and James Gandolfini (She's So Lovely (1997)) elevate this amusing gangster-in-Tinseltown tale, and Sonnenfeld's stylishly firm and simultaneously light direction is ideally suited for the cocktail.

Related post:

Barry Sonnenfeld: Men in Black 3 (2012) - Third MiB-chapter entertains the suits and shades off of everyone!

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: Reportedly 30.25 mil. $
Box office: 115.1 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 3.80 times its cost)
[Get Shorty was released 20 October (USA) and runs 105 minutes. Shooting took place in California, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nevada and Miami, Florida from January - April 1995. The film opened #1 to a 12.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed #1 for another 2 weekends and stayed in the top 5 another 2 weeks (#2-#5), grossing 72.1 mil. $ (62.6 % of the total gross). The film won 1/3 Golden Globe nominations and was nominated for a Grammy, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. F. Gary Gray directed the flop sequel Be Cool (2005) with returning stars John Travolta (Look Who's Talking (1989)) and DeVito. Sonnenfeld returned with Men in Black (1997). Travolta returned in Broken Arrow (1996); Gene Hackman (Lilith (1964)) in The Birdcage (1996)); Russo in Tin Cup (1996), and DeVito in Little Red Riding Hood (1995, TV movie) and theatrically in Matilda (1996). Get Shorty is certified fresh at 87 % with a 7.72/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Get Shorty?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - Forman's 1970s gold-rimmed classic

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Star Jack Nicholson looks askew with a broad smile up at the barbed wire fence on this classic poster for Milos Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

McMurphy is convicted of assaults and statutory rape of a 15 year-old but is not insane, as he is nevertheless placed under observation at a closed mental institution, where the charismatic new resident really turns things upside down.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is written by Bo Goldman (Shoot the Moon (1982)) and Lawrence Hauben (The Outsider (1969, TV-series), actor), based on the same-titled 1962 novel by Ken Kesey (Sometimes a Great Notion (1964)) and the play adaptation by Dale Wasserman (How I Saved the Whole Damn World (2001)), and directed by Czech master filmmaker Milos Forman (Black Peter/Cerný Petr (1964)).
The film is a 1970s classic. Ironically, because Forman said that the villainous nurse Ratched represented the Communist Party of his own Soviet-plagued country for him, the film often comes off as radically liberal; as the loud, pushy new guy (McMurphy) instills the loonies with the creed that they belong out in the real world and should rebel against the repressive system. This is obviously debatable.
The film opens theatrically and with some typey presentations of the characters, who later however gain breadth, and the highly sympathetic nature of the story has led many to pronounce One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest a masterpiece.
It is a gripping drama with some stimulating performances: Jack Nicholson (Broadcast News (1987)) as McMurphy and Louise Fletcher (Johnny 316 (1998)) as the iconic, ultra-conservative villainess Ratched, of course, but most memorable is Brad Dourif (Blood Shot (2013)) as Billy Bibbit, the young patient with the mother trauma. Jack Nietzsche's (Cannery Row (1982)) nerve-exposed score is tremendous, - and the film's ending is unpredictable.

Related posts:

Milos Forman: Top 10: The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Amadeus (1984) or, The Fool Genius and his Teacher

Watch an original trailer for the film here

Cost: 4.4 mil. $
Box office: 163.25 mil. $
= Blockbuster (returned 37.1 times its cost)
[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was released 19 November (USA) and runs 133 minutes. Kirk Douglas had bought the rights and attempted to find funding for a film after playing McMurphy in the 1963-64 Broadway stage version but failed at it. His son Michael Douglas later bought the rights, found the money, hired Forman and waited 6 months for Nicholson to be available. The actors followed patients at the Oregon State Hospital's daily routines and group therapy for a week prior to filming, and Nicholson and Fletcher even witnessed electroconvulsive therapy being administered. Shooting took place in the active Oregon State Hospital, where the hospital director helped actors find patients to 'shadow' and also encouraged incorporating patients into crew functions; only later did Douglas find out that several of these were criminally insane. Shooting took place from January - March 1975 in Oregon and California. Some actors slept in the ward at night. Fletcher was paid 10k $ (before tax) for 11 weeks of work, while Nicholson received 1 mil. $ and 15 % of the gross. The shoot changed cinematographer during production due to 'artistic differences', and the budget and schedule ballooned from 2 mil. $ to 4.4 mil. $. Co-producer Saul Zaentz borrowed against his company Fantasy Records to raise the money. The film grossed 108.9 mil. (66.7 % of the total gross) in North America, becoming the 3rd highest-grossing film of 1975 and the highest-grossing film of 1976, in which it made 56.5 mil. $ of its gross. The impressive world gross made it United Artists' highest-grossing distributed title ever. The film was nominated for 9 Oscars, winning 'the big five' as the first film since It Happened One Night (1934): Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actor and Actress. It lost Best Supporting Actor (Dourif) to George Burns for The Sunshine Boys, Cinematography (Haskell Wexler, Bill Butler) to John Alcott for Barry Lyndon, Editing to Jaws and Score to John Williams for Jaws. The film also won 6 Golden Globes, 6/10 BAFTA nominations, was nominated for a César award, won 2 David di Donatello awards, was nominated for a Grammy, won 2 National Board of Review awards and many other honors. IMDb's users have voted the film in at #18 on the site's Top 250 list, sitting between Goodfellas (1990) and Seven Samurai (1954). Forman returned with Hair (1979)). Nicholson returned in The Missouri Breaks (1976); Fletcher in Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977). One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is certified fresh at 93 % with a 9.05/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?

Solitary Man (2009) - Forgettable, undistinguished NY egotist dramedy

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Silver fox Michael Douglas takes center stage with a good handful of supporting stars floating around him on this poster for Brian Koppelman and David Levien's Solitary Man

A swindling, irresponsible, aging womanizer with extremely cold and harsh surroundings winds up a waiter at his only real friend's place, and refuses to end his life's course of running solo.

Solitary Man is written by writer-director Brian Koppelman (Runaway Jury (2003)), who co-directed with David Levien (Knockaraound Guys (2001)).
Michael Douglas (Coma (1978)) stars as the egotistical protagonist in this overly talky drama, which lacks some humor and/or characters that stir up some sympathy.
The film has a strong cast, and there's something weighty in its theme. I just personally enjoyed pals Douglas and co-star Danny DeVito (Wise Guys (1986)) more in their low-brow romantic family adventures of the 1980s, Romancing the Stone (1984) and Jewel of the Nile (1985).

Related post:

Brian Koppelman, David Levien: Runaway Jury (2003) - Gun violence trial as Hollywood show (co-writers)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 5.6 mil. $
= Mega-flop (returned 0.37 times its cost)
[Solitary Man premiered in September (Toronto International Film Festival, Canada) and runs 90 minutes. Shooting took place in New York from November - December 2008. The film opened #34 to a 94k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #14 and in 177 theaters (different weeks), grossing 4.3 mil. $ (76.8 % of the the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Brazil with 393k $ (7 %) and Argentina with 227k $ (4 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 3½/4 star review, translating to two notches higher than this one. Koppelman and Levien have both stayed from directing since, returning to writing and producing. Douglas returned in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010). Solitary Man is certified fresh at 79 % with a 6.82/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Solitary Man?

Batman Returns (1992) - Burton gives us the ultimate, Gothic spin on Gotham City and its sinister characters

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Featuring Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DaVito and Christopher Walken, all in stellar performances in a visually incredible film, Tim Burton's Batman Returns is the best Batman movie ever

QUICK REVIEW:

The story rotates around the Penguin, a man, who has lived in Gotham City's sewers, and who now wants to be the mayor. He gets help from the city's business king, Max Shreck. His secretary in the meantime begins to meow ....
Michael Keaton (Beetle Juice (1988)) is busy as Batman in this the second big movie adaptation of the DC comic by Warner Bros., but the story is well-told in a pace that has to be labeled as perfect. Danny Elfman's (The Simpsons (1989-)) score compliments Bo Welch's (Beetle Juice (1988)) amazing, Burtonesque production design to a tee. - Returns is one of Elfman's best works, because the film is perfectly suited to his grandiose, playful style.

Michelle Pfeiffer in one freaky and very sexy role as Catwoman in Tim Burton's Batman Returns

The film offers exceptional, Gothic images and legendary performances by, in particular, Michelle Pfeiffer (Scarface (1983)) as the sexy Catwoman and Danny DeVito (Anything Else (2003)) as the oozing Penguin, one of the all-time best movie villains.

Danny DeVito in one of the best villain roles ever created on the screen, as the Penguin in Tim Burton's Batman Returns

Returns is a fantasy movie with a thick underlining of the word fantasy and totally without consequences for reality; it is escapism in its purest form. In these cases, the fantasy must be excessively thorough and amazingly conceived to hit the highest notes: Batman Returns is just that, and might be master director Tim Burton's (Mars Attacks! (1996)) best film yet: Weird, funny, sexy, scary, inventive and wildly entertaining throughout.
Burton is working on an untraditional project for him at the moment, Big Eyes, a 'low budget' (10 mil. $) period drama about real-life painter Margaret Keane, set in the 50s and 60s, with Amy Adams, Krysten Ritter and Christoph Waltz. - Sounding very intriguing.

Related posts: Top 10: Best franchise movies 

Top 10: Best fantasy movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: The best action movies and TV-series reviewed by Film Excess to date
Batman Begins (2005) or, Modern, Dark, Smooth Batman 

The movie is better than its trailer makes it look, but here it is anyway

Budget: 80 mil. $ (incl. marketing)
Box office: 266.8 mil. $
= Blockbuster

Do you agree that Batman Returns is the best Batman movie?

Anything Else (2003) - Allen's perfect, underrated millennial relationship comedy

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+ Best Huge Flop Movie of the Year + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Romcom of the Year + Most Under-appreciated Movie of the Year

Being romantically involved with a complex, modern woman can be a heavy burden to bear, as this perky, up-beat poster for Woody Allen's Anything Else seems to suggest

Anything Else is the 33rd film from master New-Yorker writer-director Woody Allen (Deconstructing Harry (1997)). Opinions differ wildly on it.

We follow a young New York author, whose relationship with a very difficult young woman taps him of his energy, while he continually seeks advice and consolation from an aging artist, whom he befriends.

Jason Biggs (Orange Is the New Black (2013-17)) plays the young, neurotic 'young Allen'-like figure and does so extremely well, while Allen plays an endlessly quoting, paranoid, ultimately murderous Jew. Christina Ricci (War Flowers (2012)) is the 'eccentric' (read; borderline mad) woman. And in a supporting role as an amateurish literary agent, Danny De Vito (Be Cool (2005)) shines especially brightly. The film is all fantastically humorous fun, mixed with jazz, philosophy and amble doses of keen sarcasm.
And to all the complexities of life and love that the film presents a slice of, the simpler inclined cab driver that Allen quotes simply returns; "Ah well ... - It's like anything else." - Wherefrom the film gets its title.
The hilarious scenes are one after the other here, poignant and absurdly funny at the same time, in what I rank as an under-appreciated relationship comedy gemstone in Allen's late career.

Related posts:

 

Woody Allen: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess

Café Society (2016) - The greatest living American filmmaker hands us another splendid gem

Irrational Man (2015) - Allen's pleasant morality tale divertisement

2014 in films - according to Film Excess

Magic in the Moonlight (2014) - Allen's irresistible French Riviera romance

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Blue Jasmine (2013) - Allen presenets Blanchett, a woman under the influence

Fading Gigolo (2013) - Turturro's pleasant turn as a high-end NY prostitute  (as actor)

To Rome with Love (2012) - Woody Allen's slightest film to date  

2011 in films - according to Film Excess

Midnight in Paris (2011) - Allen's zany (and a little depressing) crowd-pleaser  

Cassandra's Dream (2007) - Allen's well-laid but inconsequentiel English cul-de-sac  

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date   

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) - Allen's hypnotic, noirish shenanigans 
Celebrity (1998) or, Stars in New York
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) - Sin and guilt up for laughs and rumination in unspectacular Allen work 
Broadyway Danny Rose (1984) or, Keep Your Heart   

Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Annie Hall (1977) or, My Relationship with Alvie Singer   

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) - Allen's curious sex comedy is a riot
Bananas (1971) - Woody Allen's South American misadventure is still a barrel of laughs   
Casino Royale (1967) - The packed spy spoof frontrunner, a film very much of its time (as actor)    

 

Watch one of the priceless scenes from the film here

Cost: 18 mil. $
Box office: 13.5 mil. $
= Huge flop (0.75 times the cost)
[Anything Else premiered 27 August (Venice Film Festival, Italy) and runs 108 minutes. Allen's sister Letty Aronson (Celebrity (1998)) produced the picture. Shooting took place in New York from May - August 2002. The film opened #12 to a 1.6 mil. $ first weekend in 1,033 theaters in North America, where it only dropped from there and only played 4 weeks, grossing a paltry 3.2 mil. $ (17.8 % of the total gross). The film's 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 3.1 mil. $ (17.2 %) and France with 3 mil. $ (16.7 %). Though many critics lambasted the film, Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs (1992)) has named it as one of his 20 favorites since his filmmaking career began in 1992. Allen returned with Melinda and Melinda (2004). Biggs returned in Jersey Girl (2004), and Ricci in I Love Your Work (2003). Anything Else is rotten at 40 % with a 5.2 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Anything Else?