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?

Ghostbusters II (1989) - Reitman's unjustifiably maligned sequel

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The 4th Ghostbuster, played by Ernie Hudson, gets to be on the poster for Ivan Reitman's sequel Ghostbusters II here, - but still without a starring poster credit

Five years after the events of the first Ghostbusters, the four guys have nothing to do anymore; New York is cleansed of evil spirits. But then a portrait of an old crook at the museum where Dana (Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters (1984))) works wakes to life, and he wants her child!

Ghostbusters II is written by co-writer/stars Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers (1980)) and Harold Ramis (Analyze This (1999)) and directed by returning filmmaker Ivan Reitman (Foxy Lady (1971)).
Incredibly enough the sequel to the sensational 1984 original hit is as wacky as the first time around. It is predictably bigger in scale and still seems to have an anarchistic reckless attitude towards what was possible effects-wise at the time of production.
Ghostbusters II has some new, fun supporting actor performances, including Peter MacNicol (Tangled: The Series (2017-20)) in a very silly, spasmic performance as Dana's boss, who becomes a pawn of the evil Vigo. Bill Murray (The Lost City (2005)) continues to be a treasure here, and I love the revamped version of the beloved title song by Ray Parker Jr..

Related posts:

Ivan Reitman: Evolution (2001) - Reitman's sci-fi crazy-comedy is thoroughly entertaining
Ghostbusters (1984) - Reitman and Co. conjure up the gleeful pomp and circumstance of the 1980s 

 Watch a teaser for the movie here

Cost: Estimated 37 mil. $
Box office: 213.3 mil. $
= Huge hit (returned 5.76 times its cost)
[Ghostbusters II premiered 15 June (Hollywood) and runs 108 minutes. The long gestation of the movie was mainly due to reluctance by the film's stars. Reitman, Murray, Ramis and Aykroyd negotiated "low" upfront salaries, (Murray though reportedly was paid 7 mil. $) in exchange for box office profit percentages, lower than 10 % each but reportedly still "high". Animated spin-off series The Real Ghostbusters (1984-91) had spun a large child fan base for the franchise, necessitating that the sequel be more family friendly, - less scary, without smoking etc.. Reitman hired ILM for the film's effects, as he had been unhappy with the effects done by Richard Edlund for the first film. Shooting took place from November 1988 - March 1989 in New York and California, including Los Angeles. New York City authorities were cooperative to the point of allowing shooting on Manhattan's Second Avenue while the Soviet Union's president Gorbachev was in town, which already closed down 40 blocks. Reshoots took place in March and April, including on location in New York, as its ending needed changing, while the premiere was pushed forward to avoid clashing with Batman (1989), making the finalization of the film highly stressful. The film opened #1 to a 29.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed in the top 5 for another 4 weekends (#3-#4-#2-#4) and grossed 112.4 mil. $ (52.7 % of the total gross). The film made less than half of its original in North America but almost double of the first film's international gross and was the 8th highest-grossing film worldwide of the year. Murray's disappointment with the film made another sequel impossible for the coming decades. Following Ramis' death in 2014, Reitman sold his, Ramis, Murray and Aykroyd's creative control of the franchise to Sony for an undisclosed, large sum. Their 2016 female reboot Ghostbusters flopped. Reitman's son Jason Reitman directs a second direct sequel, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2020). Reitman returned with Kindergarten Cop (1990). Murray returned in Quick Change (1990); Aykroyd in Michael Jackson's music video Liberian Girl (1989) and theatrically in Driving Miss Daisy (1989); and Weaver in Alien 3 (1992). Ghostbusters II is rotten at 53 % with a 5.32/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ghostbusters II?

Ghostbusters (1984) - Reitman and Co. conjure up the gleeful pomp and circumstance of the 1980s

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Something fresh that's funny and ominously spooky at the same time is promised on this effective poster for Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters

Three guys who are fired from university paranormal scientist positions instead begin hunting ghosts in the Big Apple. More specifically an evil entity by the name of Zuul, which comes out of sexy New-Yorker Dana's (Sigourney Weaver (Alien (1979)) refrigerator.

Ghostbusters is written by co-writer/co-star Dan Aykroyd (Dragnet (1987)) and co-writer/co-star Harold Ramis (Bedazzled (2000)) and directed by Ivan Reitman (Foxy Lady (1971)).
It is a delightful 1980s horror-comedy bonanza with a hilarious Bill Murray (Rock the Kashbah (2015)) at the film's front and center. Rick Moranis (SCTV (1980-81)) as Dana's neighbor is also a riot.
Ghostbusters is a throw-back to a fantastic era where experimentation such as an FX-heavy comedy with no intellectual property behind it, - a costly, unproven and original concept, - enjoyed full studio support. It is a colorful, highly entertaining and damn good time.

Related post:

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

Watch an original trailer for the film here

Cost: Estimated 30 mil. $
Box office: 295.7 mil. $
= Blockbuster (returned 9.85 times its cost)
[Ghostbusters premiered 7 June (California) and runs 105 minutes. Aykroyd was inspired by his family's fascination with ghosts and with ghost comedies of Hollywood yore. The studio paid Universal Pictures 500k $ for the rights to the Ghostbusters title. Reitman requested the 25-30 mil. $ budget by simply tripling the budget of his preceding film Stripes (1981). John Candy was sought for the neighbor Tully role but turned it down; Eddie Murphy was meant to be the 4th ghostbuster Winston but turned it down, and the role was diminished prior to filming to the regret of its eventually star Ernie Hudson, who goes unrecognized on the film's poster. Shooting took place in New York and Los Angeles from October 1983 - January 1984. Production shut down streets in New York during rush hour, angering residents including writer Isaac Asimov, and necessitating an officer pull his gun on a taxi driver refusing to comply. With Hollywood's major special effects companies already busy on other projects, Columbia Pictures supported Richard Edlund, fresh off Poltergeist (1982), with 5 mil. $ to open a new SFX company named Boss Film Studios and create the effects for Ghostbusters. The effects cost 700k $ more to complete and included Steve Johnson's 300k $ Slimer ghost, created with inspiration from the late John Belushi while taking cocaine. Columbia spent an additional 10 mil. $ on prints and marketing. One trailer included a toll-free number with a pre-recorded message from Aykroyd and Murray, which reportedly got more than a million calls in 6 weeks. The film opened #1 to a 13.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed #1 for another 14 weekends and was in the top 5 for another 7 weekends, grossing 229.2 mil. $ in its first release there (81.2 % of the total initial gross). It has made more in subsequent re-releases. It was the 2nd highest-grossing film of the year in North America, behind Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Ghostbusters is the highest-grossing comedy of the 1980s. Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters #1 Billboard Hot 100 theme is thought to have contributed 20 mil. $ to the film's success, but Parker was sued by Huey Lewis for plagiarizing the bass line in his I Want A New Drug (1983): The two settled out of court, and Parker sued Lewis for saying that Parker "stole the song" in a 2001 VH1 episode, leading Lewis to then pay him an undisclosed sum. While Hudson worked for half his fee to get the role as Winston, the real stars received gross profit percentages; Murray at top reportedly earned 20-30 mil. $ from the film. Tons of merchandise were sold, as well as 400k VHS copies initially in North America, at the incredible unit prize of 79.95 $, accruing a further 32 mil. $. The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Effects, lost to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Best Song (Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters), lost to Stevie Wonder's I Just Called to Say I Love You from The Woman in Red. It was also nominated for 3 Golden Globes, won 1/2 BAFTA nominations and was nominated for a Grammy, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. The film inspired an animated TV-series (The Real Ghostbusters (1986-92)) and a sequel series, as well as a less successful (still majorly successful though) movie sequel, Ghostbusters II (1989) with the filmmakers and cast back, which disappointed Murray, impeding a second sequel: Instead the female reboot Ghostbusters (2016) was made to financial mire: A new sequel with a new cast, directed by Reitman's son Jason Reitman, is set for release this summer as Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Reitman returned with the music video for Parker's Ghostbusters (1984) and theatrically with Legal Eagles (1986). Murray enjoyed a 6-year hiatus after the smash before returning as a leading star with Scrooged (1988); his first role was, however, in Nothing Lasts Forever (1984); Aykroyd in the same film; and Ramis in Baby Boom (1987). Ghostbusters is certified fresh at 97 % with an 8.14/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ghostbusters?

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

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The game stars are aligned for a visit from space, on this poster for Ivan Reitman's Evolution

 

A meteor lands in Arizona, and freaky aliens start evolving with alarming speed, while a few scientists fight with the military over who is to be in charge and what is to be done.

Evolution, written by David Weissman (The Family Man (2000)), Don Jakoby (Arachnophobia (1990)) and David Diamond (Old Dogs (2009)) and directed by Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters (1984)), is a sometimes funny and wacky special effects-driven sci-fi comedy.

David Duchovny (Playing God (1997)) and Julianne Moore (The English Teacher (2013)) are a pretty nice match as the scientific protagonists who (of course) become romantically entangled during the whole ballyhoo. Seann William Scott (Role Models (2008)) is gung-ho as a wannabe firefighter, and the relatively unknown Orlando Jones (Woo (1998)) as the fourth part of the ragtag team also does well. Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers (1980)) as the governor is the crowning piece of the ensemble that also features several well-known actors and comedians in smaller parts. The characters are to some extent cliched: Jones' black scientist seems oblivious to basic laws of science and only interested in women; Ted Levine's general character is a stiff, unsympathetic macho a-hole; and the two obese students are good-humored imbeciles. But the film retains a strange, light-hearted charm, even if it did seem a bit better at its release than it does today.

The effects, most of which are CGI, are surprisingly successful; the creatures are inventive and only add to the fun. Evolution is a very wacky spectacle, - exactly what you'd expect from Reitman, and also what Hollywood does so well from time to time. It is very silly and quite entertaining.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 80 mil. $

Box office: 98.3 mil. $

= Big flop

[Evolution was released June 8 and runs 101 minutes. Reitman reportedly rewrote most of the script, which had hitherto been a serious sci-fi piece. Shooting took place from October 2000 - February 2001 in Arizona and California, including in Universal Studios and at California State University. Head and Shoulders shampoo plays a part in the film, - but its inclusion is not an act of commercial product placement; instead it is meant to mock the phenomenon, which is very common in especially big-budget features. The film opened #4, behind Swordfish, Shrek and Pearl Harbor, to a 13.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it fell from the top 5 in its second week and only grossed a weak 38.3 mil. $ (39 % of the total gross). Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 10.7 mil. $ (10.9 %) and Germany with 7 mil. $ (7.1 %). Evolution is rotten at 42 % with a 4.9 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Evolution?