• April 2017
  • It’s certainly one of the most situation of situation comedies but it’s a hilarious take on nature vs. nurture
  • A very strong comedic cast led by Eddie Murphy and Aykroyd
  • Great visual gags like the pictures of Regan and Nixon pictures next to the evil Ameche and Bellamy characters
  • An even better visual set piece is the pictures of the club members in the giant senate-like hall where all the powers that be gather
  • The casting of Bellamy and Ameche themselves are nods to fish out of water type screwball comedies. Bellamy’s is his girl friday and ameche’s is 1939’s midnight
  • A pretty damning stab at social hypocrisy
  • Brilliant Elmer Bernstein score
  • The first hour of the film is wonderful and air-tight film comedy—the film lags in the second half a little

Nov 2018

  • apparently my go-to film on an airplane
  • love the stirring music score by Elmer Bernstein “the maestro”-  his best stuff is the man with the golden arm, magnificent seven, true grit– but this got him a nom as well- excellent work- had a string of comedies-  Meatballs, Airplane, Stripes
  • juxtaposition in montage brotherly love opening- high or low society
  • sneaky great Christmas film
  • Denholm Elliott does a bit of Gielgud in Arthur here with the comedic butler
  • I think Aykroyd wins the picture for me over Murphy- they’re both so great but his pronunciation is so great- “can’t do it, boo”
  • the scene of the a capella by the guys at the club
  • justifiably Jamie Lee Curtis will be remembered for Halloween but there’s a second act here with body karate on display in this, A Fish Called Wanda and True Lies 
  • Not in the top 20 of 1983 but in my archives
  • Recommend