The 'Burbs
Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, USA, 1989.
Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) suspects that there is something wrong in the house next door. A weird European family the Klopeks have moved into the house! Not that the neighborhood isn't wacky already with war veteran Lt. Rumsfield (Bruce Dern), nosy gun nut Art (Rick Ducommun) and dog owner Walter (Gale Gordon) causing ruckus and teen dude Ricky (Corey Feldman) just enjoying the show. Pragmatic wife Carol (Carrie Fisher) thinks that Ray is only stressed.
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| Ray and Art |
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| Carol |
It does not seem normal when Klopeks start digging holes to backyard and dragging suspicious garbage bags in the middle of the night. Then Walter vanishes and dog finds a suspicious bone. Are the Klopeks Satan worshipping cannibals? Carol and Mrs. Bonnie Rumsfield (Wendy Schaal) think that it is all misunderstanding and decide to welcome the Klopeks (Henry Gibson, Brother Theodore and Courtney Gains). Meeting them only makes them seem more suspicious. Ray, Art and Lt. Runsfield decide to infiltrate the house when the Klopeks are away. Do not mess with the Suburbanites!
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| Walter and Darla the Poodle |
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| Bonnie and Lt. Rumsfield |
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| Ricky |
In the 1980s many movies about something horrible going on in the suburban residential areas were made. "Fright Night", "Lost Boys", "The Gate", "Elm Street" series and many more. Joe Dante had darkly comedic approach to the genre with "Gremlins" and "The 'Burbs." Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern and Rick Ducommun going overboard spying on the neighbours is wickedly funny to watch. Dante combines the absurd paranoia with a creepy feeling that maybe the Klopeks are evil after all. There are some spoofs to horror films of the era and lots of goofy 1980s slapstick. The script is full of hilarious dialogue and one liners especially coming from Bruce Dern. Nice gem from Tom Hanks' comedic era.
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| The Klopeks |
The line "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who started it, tuna neck!" somehow made me think of classic "Maniac Mansion" game (1987), that included also a similar insult involving tuna.
Rating:
Very good
Starring: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal, Henry Gibson, Brother Theodore, Courtney Gains, Gale Gordon, Dick Miller, Robert Picardo, Cory Danziger, Franklyn Ajaye, Rance Howard, Heather Haase, Nicky Katt, Billy Stevenson, Gary Hays, Kevin Gage, Dana Olsen, Brenda Benner, Patrika Darbo, Sonny Carl Davis, Moosie Drier, Leigh French, Archie Hahn, Billy Jayne, Phyllis Katz, Jeffrey Kramer, Tracy Newman, Lynne Marie Stewart, Arnold F. Turner, Gigi Vorgan, Darla the Poodle, Carey Scott
Director: Joe Dante
Hauska pätkä, joka kestää useammankin katsomiskerran.
ReplyDeleteNäin tekee :)
DeleteVarsin mainio leffa. Joskin myönnettäköön, että penskana ensimmäinen katselukerta meni pipariksi sen vuoksi, etten ollut varautunut siihen kuin kauhukomediallinen elokuva olikaan kyseessä, kun odotus oli kivan lämpöisessä perhekomediassa (vrt. Beethoven). Lähempänähän tämä on jotain Naapurissa kummittelee-elokuvaa. Ainakin mitä tulee sen komediallisempiin osuuksiin.
ReplyDeleteMutta nyt mieleen nousi yksi ns. naapurustokomedia joka pitäisi saada uudelleen katsottavaksi. James Woodsin ja Randy Quaidin Next Door (en muista suomenkielistä nimeä) oli sellainen leffa jota mainostettiin kreiskikomediana, mutta kyseessä oli sen verran mustaa huumoria että kreisi se oli vain jos naapurina olisi ollut David Berkowitz.
Muistaakseni näin tämän ekan kerran jo nähtyäni Gremlinsit, jolloin ei tullut suurta kulttuurishokkia.
DeleteNaapurissa Kummitteleekin olen nähnyt, muttei siitä jäänyt suurempia mielikuvia. Katselin pätkiä Youtubesta ja tuli olo että ai niin, se olikin tämä leffa.
Sitten oli vielä John Belushin ja Dan Aykroydin "Neighbors", mahtaakohan sitä saada mistään.