Peter Ustinov portrays Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, traveling on board a steamer ship down the Nile on an interrupted vacation via the murder of a socialite who has offended the entire world it seems, and has been deemed a "leach on the edges of society," to quote one of the characters in the movie.

Assisted by David Niven, he must sleuth out the instigator of this interruption before all the ship's passengers end up dead. One by one, they are being knocked off to cover the evidences of the original murder.

Fine performances by all involved, but hats off to Mia Farrow! Possibly the most brilliant performance of her career. Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

An all-star cast delivers an all-star performance in this top row production. The scenes were deliberate and well planned, the scripting was marvelous, the dialog was funny where it should be and intense where intended, the costuming was marvelously period, and the direction was without peer.

But it was the scenery, the settings, the sets and the props that made me love this film. Set in Egypt of the 70's, you can see the Sphinx before it was blasted by 30 more years of sand, bombs and fighting. You get to climb to the top of the pyramid of Khufu in Giza, see the Karnak Temple in Luxor, the Dendara Temple is featured in the background shots of several scenes. You are shown parts of the Philae Temple (temple of Isis), and the Abu Simbel near Aswan (built by Ramses the Great to celebrate his victories and his beloved wife, Nefetari. Lovely images of the Nile, its people and the surrounding areas.

Ustinov being one of my favorite Poirot's over the years, I rank this movie at least equal with the Murder On The Orient Express, though I think more money and time were wrongly dedicated to MotOE. Had Ustinov portrayed Poirot in MotOE, it would have been my favorite.

There isn't a moment of wasted film in this movie. Every scene gives you some insight into these well-developed characters. Watch for the scene where Bette Davis is "mooned" by the local children!

The scene towards the very beginning of the movie, between Maggie Smith and her "Lady," is hilarious. Absolutely side stitching, if you can appreciate the dry, British sense of humor.

Top row movie, with top row casting, direction, screenplay and SCENERY. Take an Egyptian vacation in your living room.

This masterpiece gets a solid 10/10 (a rarity) from...

the Fiend.


"Death on the Nile", based on Agatha Christie's best-selling novel, is the best mystery movie ever made. Mystery buffs probably rank "Murder on the Orient Express" as the best. I liked "Murder on the Orient Express", but I like "Death on the Nile" better. I was into this movie right from the start. I never got bored watching this. I found it entertaining from start to finish. A spectacular all-star cast came together for this intriguing film about a murder on a steamer boat while traveling down the longest river in the world, the Nile. Peter Ustinov takes over the role of Hercule Poirot that was played by Albert Finney in "Orient Express", and does a great job of portraying the famous Belgian slueth. Ustinov gets terrific support from a cast of well-known stars. The best performance in the movie is turned in by the great Angela Lansbury as Salome Otterbourne, an alcoholic romance novelist caught up in the dangerous adventure. I think she should have gotten an Oscar nomination for her work here. Who knew that six years later Lansbury would get her turn at sloving crimes on TV's "Murder She Wrote". (It should be noted that in between "Death on the Nile" and "Murder She Wrote", Lansbury portrayed Agatha Christie's other famed detective, Miss Marple, in 1980's "The Mirror Crack'd".) In addition to Lansbury, there's the great Bette Davis as the jewelry obsessed Mrs. Van Schyler; Maggie Smith as Davis' employer Miss Bowers; David Niven as Colonel Race, an officer who helps Poirot in the murder investigation; George Kennedy as Andrew Pennington, an American traveling in Africa; Jack Warden as the doctor on board the ship; Olivia Hussey as Lansbury's daughter Rosalie; and Mia Farrow as Jacqueline De Bellifort, a woman caught in an unusual love triangle. When the murder occurs, I kept trying to guess who did it, and the outcome surprised me completely. "Death on the Nile", directed by John Guillermin of "The Towering Inferno" and "King Kong" (1976 remake), is a classy production. The cinematography and art direction are fabulous, as well as the Oscar-winning costumes. Of all the movies that have been made based on Agatha Christie novels (both theatrical and TV), "Death on the Nile" is easily the best.

**** (out of four)


Death on the Nile takes the viewer on a genteel cruise aboard the paddle-steamer 'Karnak' as it, along with its motley collection of passengers, wends its way through the stunning scenery of historic Egypt. Unfortunately on this voyage the Nile proves to have disturbing currents, and a wealthy heiress with a propensity for making enemies is shot. Corpulent Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is on hand, and, as the body-count rises, must tax his legendary 'little grey cells' to the limit in order to expose the assassin in their midst.

The charm of this film is that to most of the audience it will be foreign in both time and place. The Egyptian location provides a visual feast, with visits to the pyramids, the inscrutable sphinx, and the eerie wailing statue of Ramses II at Abu Simbel. Scenery like this makes it somewhat easier to forgive the movie its overlong running time of almost 2 ½ hours. The story (originally penned by Agatha Christie) is set in the 1930s - the golden age of detective fiction - when murder investigations were much less clinical affairs than they are today. In an era before DNA sampling, Poirot uses the narratively more interesting approach of involving suspects in conversation, and reading between the lines.

The cast is certainly star-studded, but unfortunately several of the characters tend towards stereotypes. However, there are some wonderful performances by several of the silver screen's grandes dames - Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, and particularly Angela Lansbury as the inebriated author of appallingly bad romance novels.

Although a little slow initially, various techniques (such as dead silence being used as the ultimate suspense music) keep the viewer's interest piqued right through until Christie's trademark denouement.


"Death on the Nile" is a most entertaining crime and mystery story based on one of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels in her classic "who did it?" style. But besides the plot this movie was filmed in beautiful and real Egyptian locations that make a great and unusual atmosphere all around. As usual in the "Queen of Mystery"'s plots some events occur too coincidentally perfect so that impossible situations and alibis become possible for the story's sake, but this was Miss Christie's trade mark and no doubt that she had a great imagination and skill to make most interesting and "catching" plots in the genre.

Though Peter Ustinov doesn't fit physically with Chrisitie's description of her Belgium talented detective (a sort little insignificant man, bald and with an egg shaped head), Peter Ustinov has managed to be identified with the character with his classy and skillful acting. The usual star's cast playing the suspects that distract our attention in this one has the always reliable David Niven, the great Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, George Kennedy, Jane Birkin, Jack Warden, Jon Finch, Olivia Hussey and a magnificent Angela Lansbury (as usual). Lois Chiles is the spoiled rich heiress that is murdered under strange circumstances (she looks for it all the time).

In my opinion and along with "Evil Under the Sun" this film stands among the best in Miss Chrsitie's novels movie versions. Don't miss it if you like the genre.


This show is so much fun to watch. It is a wonderful story and the conclusion is just perfect.

We bought the video a few years back and have watched it several times. Many of our friends who never saw it before have really enjoyed it.

Everything is just right about it - the acting is superb, the look is just right. The music is elegant and the costumes certainly deserved the Oscar it received.

Regarding the murderer, it is impossible to REALLY know who it may be. Everyone COULD HAVE done it as and all had a motive.

When I first watched it, I thought that maybe Mia Farrow was the daughter of Maggie Smith (maybe because of the red hair) and somehow conspired. Then I thought maybe Angela Lansbury was only pretending to be drunk. They're are many possibilities.

We both like this show a lot and highly recommend it.

gord & lisa


Jack Cardiff was the director of photography, Anthony Powell, the costume designer, Nino Rota composed the score, Anthony Shaffer signed the screenplay and the list goes on and on and I haven't even mention the cast yet. Agatha Christie's novels have a structure that is a sort of cardinal rule. Murders, a set of suspects, all of them with a motive for the killing and then the unmasking of the killer or killers. Anthony Shaffer, the author of "Sleuth" milks it for all its worth. Snippets of wit trying not to obstruct the implausible plot. Tough gig. Dressed in a fantastic Nino Rota score, Jack Cardiff does his marvelous thing and Anthony Powell envelopes the stars in costumes that are not only stunning but character revealing in the most entertaining way. Peter Ustinov's Poirot is great fun and the cast moves through the carefully plotted story with disarming precision. Mia Farrow is the only one who plays it for real. Her jealousy is so believable that in a way we're guided by her pain and dismiss the obvious. Bette Davis does a Bette Davis impersonation for our benefit, I guess, and she gets away with it. Maggie Smith, Davis's long suffering lady in waiting, is always fun to watch and I imagine she had a lot of fun herself pushing around Bette Davis. My favorite was Angela Lansbury's Salome Ottobourne. Her alcoholic pulp fiction writer is a complex, compassionate, realistic caricature. David Niven,Jack Warden, Jon Finch, Olivia Houssey, Lois Chiles, Jane Birkin etc complete the who's who of this whodunit. I haven't mention the director: John Guillermin, from "The Towering Inferno" fame.


I adore all the Agatha Christie novels, with Hercule Poirot as my favorite sleuth. This Hollywood production comes across as a highly entertaining and worthy adaptation of Christie's Death on the Nile. Peter Ustinov with his mustaches is wonderful as the renowned and meticulous Belgian detective, Poirot. He is assisted here in this investigation by his sidekick, Colonel Race, portrayed by classic actor and gentleman, David Niven, who basically serves as Poirot's foil.

The story typically deals with the 1930's British upper crust. The mystery revolves around the murder of an heiress, Linnet Ridgeway Doyle, who is honeymooning with husband, Simon, on a cruise along the Nile. Typically, there is no lack of probable suspects, all fellow cruisers and very questionable characters with a good reason for wanting the lovely Linnet dead...

Mrs. Van Schuyler (Bette Davis)...a sharp tongued, elderly dowager who covets Linnet's jewels

Miss Bowers (Maggie Smith)...her sullen but loyal nurse companion, who has been forced into a servant's life as a result of her father's career being ruined by Linnet

Loise Bourget (Jane Birkin)...Linnet's French maid, angry with the murdered heiress for refusing to provide the dowry she had promised her

Salome Otterbourne (Angela Lansbury)...a sex obsessed, drunken writer facing a lawsuit brought on by the heiress after Otterbourne uses Linnet in one of her erotic books

Rosalie Otterbourne (Olivier Hussey)...Mrs. Otterbourne's daughter, who wants to protect her mother

Andrew Pennington (George Kennedy)...an American embezzling from the Ridgeway family

Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale)...Linnet's husband and former fiancé to Jacqueline (see below)

Jacqueline DeBellefort (Mia Farrow)...Simon's vengeful jilted fiancée, who is furious with her former friend, Linnet, for stealing him from her and follows the newlyweds along on their honeymoon

The famous stars all seem to be having great fun with their roles. There is lots of witty banter between Bette Davis and Maggie Smith here in their portrayals of mysterious wealthy dowager Mrs. Van Schuyler and her companion, Miss Bowers. Angela Lansbury wears outrageous outfits and puts in a brilliant performance as the tipsy, man hungry author. The beautiful raven haired Olivia Hussey became one of my favourites back in her Romeo and Juliet days.

The unstoppable Poirot has lots of sleuthing to do, taxing his little grey cells, before the unraveling of this particular whodunit with all the various plot twists expected of Agatha Christie in her murder mysteries. This crime proved a complicated one at least for me to ferret out on my own. The Oscar winning period costumes are fabulous and the locale exotic, the Egyptian scenery magnificent with the pyramids, sphinx, and Nile River itself all serving as breathtaking backdrops. It's a wonderful suspenseful film, full of good old fashioned fun. With Agatha Christie and this stellar cast, you couldn't possibly go too far wrong.


A tightly woven murder mystery highlighting a brilliant performance by Mia Farrow. I first learned about this movie on the mia-farrow.com website and saw a photo from it. She is simply breathtaking in this movie as she ranges from shy innocent to the final climatic scene where all is told.

The scenes along the nile are beautiful to behold. It is too bad that Mia did not get a chance to do more movies of this caliber.

Nivens plays a great role also.

The snake scene is one of my favorites, especially the reaction of the manager of the boat they are on.

The plotting is fast paced and you really don't have a clue who done it until the very ending. It is a complete surprise. As is usual in a Poroit mystery, all of the main characters, and even the non-main characters may be the guilty party, so you always have to watch for all the twists and turns.

Cheers indeed!


Growing up, I was a huge fan of Agatha Christie's books. I would read and reread everyone I could get my hands on. I remember being terribly excited when Death on the Nile was released in 1978. The movie quickly became a favorite of mine that I've watched literally hundreds of times over the years without ever growing tired of it. I still find new things to enjoy with each viewing. The movie has lost none of its entertainment value on me. For me, there are two areas where Death on the Nile really excels  Christie's story and the acting.

Death on the Nile follows the basic plot structure Christie used over and over  a group of people is isolated on a boat, train, old house, island, etc. A murder soon follows that only one of these people could have committed. Everyone is a suspect. Each character has a motive and the opportunity to have committed the murder. Death on the Nile is one of the best examples of this plot structure that Christie wrote. Unlike other mysteries, Death on the Nile does not cheat. There are no characters introduced in the last minute and there are not vital clues that the detective discovers just before revealing the murderer. It's played straight. Everything that Christie's detective Poirot knows, the viewer also knows. It's just that most of us would never put the clues together in the same manner Poirot does.

As for the acting, Death on the Nile features a wonderful cast. While my personal favorites are Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, and Bette Davis, everyone in the cast gives a terrific performance. It may be something as simple as the look Davis gives when some Egyptian children "moon" her from the shore or it may be something as elaborate as Lansbury's over-the-top portrayal of the over-sexed writer, each character is played to perfection. In short, the acting is first rate.

Two complaints I've read across the internet involve the perceived padding of the script and characters that aren't well rounded. The padding argument usually concerns shot after shot of Egyptian locations without much happening. Maybe it's just me, but I enjoy the scenery. Plus, I am usually having such a good time with the film that I don't want any of it to rush by. As for the characters, while it is a valid argument, I understand that it's the way Christie wrote. Most of her characters were simply there to be suspects. The rest of their lives didn't matter. I must confess that I too would have liked to see a little more dimension and depth added to some of these fascinating people. It's my only complaint.


One of my all time favorite mystery movies. The acting, and locales were first rate. However I must correct an error by a previous poster. The rich women murdered was played by Lois Chiles. She is also great in this movie. One thing that still puzzles me is how Jane Birkin got second billing? Oh well. If you like star-studded, thought provoking mysteries,this one is for you.

10 out of 10. Whodunit indeed!


The main virtue of "Death on the Nile" is Agatha Christie's unbeatable whodunit plot, which is arguably even more beautifully constructed than that of "Murder on the Orient Express." The latter had been adapted for the screen in 1974 by one of America's great filmmakers, Sidney Lumet.

Like its predecessor, "Death on the Nile" was filmed with a fine all-star cast, in which Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow and Jack Warden stand out. Ustinov's Hercule Poirot is perhaps a bit less eccentric than Albert Finney's or David Suchet's, but I actually like all three interpretations.

The film is as lavishly produced as "Orient Express." It has nice costumes and beautiful natural locations. John Guillermin isn't as strong a director as Lumet is. Consequently, the images in "Death on the Nile" are pretty, but less artistically interesting than those in the preceding film. Moreover, Guillermin's visual storytelling is a bit repetitive (he shows all the possible versions of the murder in detail, which tends to become a bit tedious after a while), and the first half could have been shortened a bit. Still, the direction is way above average, and Guillermin handles the action scenes and the solution in a convincing way.

To me, "Murder on the Orient Express" is the most artistically satisfying Poirot film, but "Death on the Nile" is the most entertaining of the Poirot adaptations with Ustinov as the Belgian detective. "Evil Under the Sun" is also enjoyable, since its strong second half more than compensates for the overlong exposition.

I'd give "Death on the Nile" a rating of *** out of ****.


I had read DEATH ON THE NILE (probably Christie's best novel, superior to the overrated MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS) before I saw the movie, so I was sure there would be no real suspense. But, to the everlasting credit of everyone involved, the movie does manage to hold the book's air of mystery throughout. It's not as faithful to the book as it could have been--a whole major subplot is given just a few small scenes; several characters who were more substantial in the book are reduced to barely more than window dressing--but it is remarkably true to the main story, sticks to it nicely, and allows both Poirot and the viewer to come to such a completely logical conclusion about the murder that you will wonder on repeat viewings how you could have possibly missed the clues the first time.

The real gems in this film are not the leads and big names, but the smaller parts--Simon MacCorkindale as Doyle, Lois Chiles as Linnet, Jane Birkin as Louise. In particular, Simon MacCorkindale (more familiar to American audiences from MANIMAL, FALCON CREST, and COUNTERSTRIKE) is a criminally underused actor, and he does a spectacular job here in this, his first movie role, playing the hopeless and hapless Simon Doyle, caught between two captivating women (Lois Chiles and Mia Farrow--wow, what a choice to have) and ultimately driven by greed as he chooses between them.

This film is finally out in DVD, and widescreen at that, so if you like good murder mysteries and old-fashioned costume dramas, pick yourself up a copy and prepare to be entertained.


I'm not quite sure why Albert Finney did not want to play Hercule Poirot again after the smash success of the all star Murder on the Orient Express. It certainly would have provided him with steady work and a well known fictional character to be identified with.

Finney's decision was Peter Ustinov's gain and our good fortune. Even with two Academy Awards for two vastly different parts, I think most people remember Peter Ustinov as both the big and small screen Belgian sleuth.

Given Poirot's eye for detail something Adrian Monk could envy and his stunning success rate one might think that if homicide were planned as it was very carefully in Death on the Nile, if Hercule Poirot is around, call off the plans and save them for another day. Of course if potential perpetrators did that, then Agatha Christie would run fresh out of story ideas.

As he often does Poirot just happens to be on the seen when a very filthy rich American heiress, the Paris Hilton of the Thirties is shot and killed while on a honeymoon on a Nile cruise.

There's sure no lack of suspects. Her family attorney George Kennedy is on the scene, a flamboyant mystery writer Angela Lansbury. an old dowager and her companion Bette Davis and Maggie Smith, an old flame of the groom Mia Farrow, and the groom himself Simon MacCorkindale.

It's a clever plot actually involving some risk to the doer. But witnesses pop up and that's where things go awry.

David Niven is on the scene as well. Poirot's normal Watson, Hastings is not accompanying him so Niven pinch hits. That's a bit of an inside joke because Peter Ustinov made his screen debut in David Niven's The Way Ahead and in the British army he was Niven's orderly back in the day.

My favorite in the film however is Jack Warden who plays a quack German doctor who confesses treating a patient with armadillo urine. I'll bet it was one expensive armadillo.

For fans of Agatha Christie's immortal Belgian sleuth everywhere.


You cannot find many movies of this genre that are worth seeing, usually because either the screenplay isn't that good or the actors performance is bad.luckily, in this movie everything works like a clock.Peter Ustinov gives us another great performance as he did in "EVIL UNDER THE SUN".The rest of the cast are not bad but some could have been a little bit better. The screenplay is very good but sometimes it loses control and the movie becomes a little bit boring, especially at the beginning, until the first death. To sum up, this is a movie that you see only once{knowing the plot ruins the whole movie that's why i'm not telling you it}, but is a thriller that everyone should see. I give it 10/10.


I've just returned (literally) from seeing Surf II at Olympia, Washington's All-Freakin' Night Film Festival (10/12/02). It was the last movie shown in a series of five that started at 12:00 midnight. Now, I don't know if it was the fact that the movie began at 9:00am and my sleep-deprived brain was more susceptible to a `lower' comedy plane, but Hell, you sit in a theater for ten straight hours and you'll start wondering why Ron Palillo has been repeatedly snubbed at Oscar time for the `Life-time Achievement Award.'

I know this is a cliché, but Surf II is one of those films that needs be seen to be believed. It would be grossly unfair to rate this film with anything less than a 10. A 10 for the shear audacity the filmmakers had when concocting this masterpiece and a 10 for the fact that you will never, never, never see this kind of film being made for movie theaters ever again. Ever!

The `plot' revolves around two surfers' fathers who go into business together peddling a soft drink (Buzz Cola) to their surfer sons' surfer friends. The soda, invented by a nefarious revenge-driven nerd (played brilliantly by Eddie Deezen), causes the young surfers to become garbage-consuming zombies with a punk rock fashion sense (dyed mohawks, ripped up wetsuits held together by safety pins and far too much make-up).

Between the zombie `action' sequences, is much archival surfing footage (ala Bruce Brown) with 60's surf and 80's new wave music provided for your listening pleasure. There is also a hilarious above-the-waste nude scene involving two young hotties (one played by Brinke Stevens) that are trying to gain the attention of their surf-obsessed dates who are so involved in their surf reminiscences that they don't even notice the two beautiful half-naked girls.

Should you see this film if you get a chance? Well, let's break it down: If you were born before 1950 and remember who MacCarthy (ventriloquist dummy included) was, no! If you were born after 1975 and most of your `movie going' experience took place in front of a cathode ray, NO! But, if you're old enough to still get excited by the two words, `Dale Bozzio', then you are in, my friend. You are in!


I remember going into a little cinema in Texas to see this film, I wasn't expecting much... What I saw was a dead-on parody of life in the 80's. This is one of the great films of the 80's. There is a great tribute to this film in The Simpsons if you notice Homer always drinks Buzz Cola at the nuclear plant. Surf II has a strange intensity that is lacking in most films of today, too bad its not available on video or DVD. I highly recommend you track this one down, it will be well worth it.


This is a completely ridiculous film. It kept me in stitches constantly with its off-the-wall plot devices. The overall theme is that slick yuppies are trying to take over the beach, which is the domain of scruffy surfers. By the way, that was kind of the theme of the whole decade. Anyway, their plan is to use an evil brand of soda to transform surfers into mutant surf punks, who will (somehow) fall under the yuppies' control. The zombies are hilarious, spastically breaking bottles over their own heads and eating seaweed washed up on the beach. The scruffy heroes are hilarious in their scruffiness (they have a dog who is trained to snatch bikinis from bathing beauties). The yuppies are hilarious in their slickness (they are all addicted to breath spray).

Like a lot of fun movies, you are not going to walk away from this one intellectually enriched. If you like campy, silly films, they don't get much better than "Surf II."


This movie is so awesome. A true Cinemax classic.

I remember falling into this movie as a freshman in high-school. Many a night was spent giggling myself silly in the basement. I'm pretty sure that my memory of the film is actually better than the film itself, but it truly does rank with my favorite comedies of all-time. Menlo Schwartzer might be one of the best villains ever. (Whatever happened to that guy? His Jerry Lewis schtick was spot-on.)

Oh, to be young and stupid again. (I know better than to rank this a "9", but I really do love this movie. The average viewer would probably give it a "3", maybe a "4".) It is one of my truly guilty pleasures, along with "Beer" (another Cinemax discovery), "Bad Lieutenant", and "Showgirls". I'm actively searching for this movie on DVD, as my VHS tape of it is completely worn-out.


I enjoyed watching this movie so much in the 80's. It is a perfect blend of satire and kitsch that I truly miss in today's movies. The "revelation" at the end by Menlo was priceless (and shocking, Deezen). If anyone knows where I can locate a copy of this on VHS or DVD, I'd love to own it!! Such a shame that it's out-of-print!!


There was no 'Surf 1', but this 'sequel' about the marketing of a unique soft drink is OK if taken as a 90-minute snack-food flick.

No discernible logic exists in the movie, but it doesn't really matter as viewers who last past the first 5 minutes won't care anyway.

The best of the actors includes Ruth Buzzi as a surfer's Mom, Lyle Waggoner as policeman 'Chief Boyardie', and Peter Isacksen as science teacher 'Mr. Beaker'. The supporting cast is not particularly worth mentioning, but there are lots of topless chicks to be found and that's never a bad thing.

There are some gross 'food-eating' scenes and a wave of cool surfing, add to it a little Oingo Boingo, and you're all set. This movie may have the brains of a bag of potato chips, but it's not half bad.

Still waiting for 'Surf 3'.


Paraphrasing from Mark Twain's foreword in the book Huckleberry Finn, "Anyone trying to find a Plot in this, will be Hung. Anyone trying to find a moral will be shot." This movie is meant to be enjoyed and not Figured out.

Surf 2, the end of the Trilogy was always playing at my house. This is one of my favorite movies. I like listening to this movie even if I am not in the room. I used to watch this movie and then play it again.

I compare this movie to Cheech and Chong and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

I love this movie because of the dialog. Every line makes me laugh.

Everything that is said is really silly. It's a slap stick kind of humor. I was 14 when this movie came out. So I could relate to being a teenager, partying, girls, and just being silly.

Some of my favorite lines are

"One time I was surfing this 50 foot tidal wave, and what appears beside me?" "I don't know? What?" "What you mean you don't know? You were there beside me." "I know, but I love to hear you tell it."

"What's that noise?" "It's the beach. never mind" "It's a Great White."

I could go on and on, but this is one of the best Unknown movies.

If you like this, be sure to watch "The Search for One Eye Jimmy"


first off , why isn't this on DVD? it really should be, especially if you consider he fact that joysticks is now available on DVD. this movie really is an instant party as well as a non-pharmacutical cure for groans etc. i first saw this flick on hbo, when i was eight, didn't see it again till i was 15 and found it in a video store, i rented it over a hundred times and eventually wore their copy out. i now own 3 copies on VHS, with no vcr. this should tell you something about me and the movie. basically we're both insane. the movie is full of great 80's players, and really great music, everything from oingo-boingo to the stray cats to the circle jerks. if your starting up a DVD company, or you already have one do yourself & the rest of the cinephile community a favor & release this film! if you've never seen this film by all means check it out, you'll never fully recover.the only other truly 80's lost on DVD classic i can compare my love for this film to is student bodies. now repeat after me -- "buzz is the cola that we drink, we must have it, come and get it-buzz!"-- quit reading and watch the movie!- f.c.


We saw this on HBO back in 1984, as high school juniors, one night while high on acid. It blew our minds. I taped it (in crappy 6-hour VHS mode) and still have that copy. I must have seen this thing about a hundred times.

Evil nerd genius Menlo Schwartzer is out to get revenge upon the handsome buff surfer boys. He dwells in a crazy sci-fi laboratory beneath the waves out at the surfer beach. Late at night, pot-smoking surfer boys get sucked down, and are forced-fed Buzz Cola, turning them into punk rock surfing zombies.

Turns out Buzz Cola is made out of toxic sludge, but has addictive qualities. Two of the surfer boy's fathers manufacture the stuff, and sell it wholesale to Menlo, can you relate?... There's a great scene when one of the kids drinks it, and goes nuts slam dancing around his bedroom to thrash music, nobody can get him under control.

There's a hot young love interest, who was once really ugly and nerdy, but Menlo transformed her into a blond bombshell. She likes the surfer boys because they're cute, but Menlo forces her to act as a lure, part of his insidious plot for revenge. You find out why Menlo seeks revenge at the end of the film, and that's a very funny plot twist.

This movie makes fun of school, surfers, punks, parents, and the 1980s in general. My favorite part is the Buzz Cola advertising jingle, which you hear at the very beginning before the film actually starts. That song ditty is actually more stupid and obnoxious than the whole rest of the movie put together.


I haven't seen his movie since the early eighties when I rented it. I remember dudes drinking motor oil, eating garbage and fish carcases off the beach. My favorite scene is when these two surfer buddies are too enthralled with their surfing stories to notice both of their girlfriends have unclothed, they finally notice and comment in a Spicolli manner, "You guys are nude," then they go right back to their surf discussion. It's got nerds, surfers, zombies, hot-ties, weirdos, garbage eating, motor oil drinking, and a beauty named Crystal or sum-thin like that. The only thing bad about this movie is I can't find it anywhere. My guess is that it never went to the DVD format due to it's obscurity. So if anyone reading this can get a copy of this baby, do so.


Here's a list of hideously dreadful celluloid boo-boos which act as dead giveaways that spell out the painfully obvious fact that this stinkweed picture reeks more intensely than a damp ten pound bag full of week old horse manure. Let's call this depressingly dismal list "How Not To Make A Tongue-in-Cheek Parody."

1) Let the no-brainer plot -- vengeful nerdy brainiac Menlo Schwartzer (arch geek actor Eddie Deezen at his most intolerably spastic) transforms the local chowderhead surfer dudes into white-faced, spiky-haired, black leather-clad garbage-devouring punk zombies by making them drink a dangerously noxious soda -- mindlessly meander all over the place without ever acquiring any focus or momentum.

2) Make sure nothing remotely clever, inspired or interesting is done with the would-be spoofy premise, a dumb, lumbering attempt at sending up both dippy 60's "Beach Party" features and cheesy 70's drive-in horror schlock which suffers from a terminal case of the major league stupids.

3) Pepper the numbskull dialogue with horribly dated "hip" slang ("I was totally tubed") and rusty-eared groan-inducing profanity ("You guys are so full of s**t that your eyes are all brown").

4) Shamefully waste a stellar cast by saddling them not only with shoddy, sub-par material to fight a hopelessly uphill battle with, but also with obnoxious characters to annoyingly overplay: the gorgeous Linda Kerridge as Deezen's hot honey girlfriend, Lyle Waggoner as the blundering killjoy police chief, Ruth Buzzi and Carol Wayne as ditsy moms, Terry Kiser and Biff Manard as comparably fatuous fathers, Cleavon Little as a doltish high school principal, Eric Stoltz and Tom Villard as vapid surfers, and the luscious Corinne Bohrer and the adorable Lucinda Dooling as airhead valley chicks.

5) Similarly squander a first-rate soundtrack loaded with both top-drawer 80's New Wave bands (Oingo Boingo, Wall of Voodoo, the Circle Jerks) and awesome 60's surf-rock nuggets (the Beach Boys, the Ventures, the Chantays, even the great Dick Dale).

6) Have the gratingly idiotic humor center on such dubiously "amusing" topics as eating seaweed, transvestitism, jiggling bare breasts, two fat blimps ravenously noshing on submarine sandwiches covered with seagull poop, frogs racing in slow motion to the rousing "Chariots of Fire" theme, and much, much worse.

7) Direct the film with no faint residual traces of style, wit, energy or ingenuity whatsoever, and the net result of this flagrant misuse of the camera will be a monumental cinematic stiff of unbearably epic el zilcho proportions.


Awful, awful, awful......I don't know which is better, watching this trash or a Pauly Shore movie. Maybe neither? It's been a long time since I've seen this movie, but I do remember how bad it was. Not funny, no plot, just a complete waste of time. The movie budget was probably about $17.00. Eddie Deezen is always a good comic relief in most movies he's in and I do remember Linda Kerridge was nice eye candy during her 15 minutes of fame, but I would rather have my fingernails pulled out than have to sit thru viewing Surf II again. I always enjoy watching a good "bad" movie but the powers that be couldn't even get THAT right.Thank God there was never a Surf I or Surf III.


This movie has to be seen to believed. I do not know the reason behind making this movie. It really seems to have been written as they were going along. If it is ever on TV tape it (chances are it will only be shown when sane or sober people are already asleep). I do not want to mislead anyone but it truly is one of the weirder movies from the early 80's.


A parody of surfing movies, is that right?

Well, first off, the surf/beach movies were already a parody unto themselves. And the hardest thing to do is make fun of a genre that has already skewered itself pretty well right at the beginning. Any series of movies that boast the talents of Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Harvey Lembeck and Buster Keaton is not exactly Oscar territory.

In fact, "Surf II" goes the goofball route early on with its tale of zombified surfers eating garbage and making the beach a totally uncool experience for all, dude. And though there's no Frankie and Annette here, this one DOES have Ruth Buzzi, Lyle Waggoner (as "Chief Boyardie" - excuse me, just got up off the floor from laughing so hard), Terry Kiser (years before dying on the beach in "Weekend at Bernie's") and Carol Wayne, Johnny Carson's Tea Time Movie Lady (ROWWWRRR!).

But all the kudos go to our main man, the tower of power, too sweet to be sour... Mr. Eddie Deezen, ladies and germs! Let's face it, HE IS THE MAN! And anyone who disagrees is obviously not familiar with his formidable body of work. He is a riot, and far and away the funniest thing in this whole mess. In fact, he is the only worthy part of "Surf II".

He also has the best line - "How would YOU like to be the only guy at the beach with t*ts?!"

Watch it in context and it's even funnier.

Come to think of it, the funniest part yet about "Surf II" was... there was never a "Surf I". Of course, that's '80s humor for you.

Two stars for "Surf II", mainly for the Deez Man. As for the rest... WIPEOUT!


Abbott and Costello's second feature, "Buck Privates," opened in January 1941. Peacetime conscription was in effect, voted by Congress in late 1940, and only planned to last for one year. Europe was at war, China was being raped (literally) by the Japanese. Americans were torn about the prospect of war-Lindbergh, a hero and a Nazi admirer, together with his America First movement urged isolationism.

"Buck Privates" walks a cautious line. No mention of the raging European war, the bombing of London, the success of German U-boats. No discussion of America's entering a war which, anyway, isn't even directly mentioned. The theme was high-spirited patriotism and preparation. With the Andrew Sisters, Abbott and Costello provide a light-hearted view of conscription and basic training. It almost seems like a Boy Scout experience. (I don't recall Basic Training at Fort Dix in 1965 as being any fun.)

Petty con artists, the duo mistakenly join the Army while trying to evade local police. The cop chasing them winds up as their company noncom. A rich young man and his former and now very resentful working class chauffeur are not only in the same company with the comedians, they're vying for a pretty girl who seems attracted to both. A common formula for movies.

The film tracks the transformation of average young American men from all over the country who share two qualities: they're happy to serve and they're all Caucasian.

With some film from the Louisiana maneuvers, at the time the largest combat training exercise in Army history, the thin and predictable plot develops to the singing/marching end as the now ready recruits prepare to take their places in line units.

Propaganda? Well, Hollywood was starting to get on the patriotic bandwagon but cautiously. No one gets hurt in this film worse than receiving a punch in a barracks brawl or during a prize fight.

Abbott and Costello became picture palace luminaries with this still funny but unsophisticated look at Army life. With tickets costing, usually, two bits "Buck Privates" grossed $4 million, a remarkable box office take for the time. The film drew an Oscar nomination for the Andrews Sisters and their "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" number, a huge hit.

"Buck Privates" is an interesting look at Hollywood's careful treatment of a politically sensitive issue, conscription and the path to war. It showcases two of America's funniest comedians in a series of give-and-take dialogues that became the hallmark of their collaboration. Their routines remain very funny more than six decades later.

8/10 (for its type and time).


My uncle who later served in France during the second World War was one of those whose lives was interrupted by the peace time draft before the USA entered World War II. It was with some touch of irony that he will mention to this day he never saw any camp hostesses like Jane Frazee or the Andrews Sisters.

But Buck Privates is an Abbott and Costello film, not a serious drama about the first peace time draft in American history. Bud and Lou got in the short run of this film several of their classic routines.

When Universal signed Abbott and Costello on the strength of their running appearances on Kate Smith's Radio Show, they were expecting to do a series of B programmers with them. They never dreamed that these two burlesque comedians would become the national icons that they did.

Shot on a shoestring the film made an exponential profit for Universal studios. Without the usual Hollywood ballyhoo that would have accompanied a major Hollywood production, Buck Privates returned many times the cost of production.

And through the serendipitous casting angel, Buck Privates also included the Andrews Sisters who got to sing three of their standards in this, I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time, You're A Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith, and the immortal Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B.

There are in fact so many musical numbers and so many A&C routines in this short film, there's barely room enough for a plot which involves a playboy Lee Bowman, his former chauffeur AlanCurtis, and Jane Frazee the camp hostess they both want to get better acquainted with. But because of that the film doesn't drag for a second.

Buck Privates set the standard for the films that Bud and Lou did for Universal. No doubt about it, their best work was in the early Forties and Buck Privates is the best of all.


This movie contains the famous bantering and mind games that Bud Abbott always pulled on Lou Costello...this adds to the entertainment value and it is great to watch a movie that is just plain entertaining! This movie also contains the Andrews Sisters, who are so great! I love singing in a movie and the use of it is very well done. This movie also gives you a pretty accurate account of "going into the service" for that time era.The military point of view of "Buck Privates" shows the innocence of so many of our young men and women that enter the service of Uncle Sam.It is very interesting to see how things have changed in the last 60 years,as well,not only in T.V and movies, but in the service, too. Abbott and Costello bring humanity to the stiffness of military regimen in "Buck Privates". The cast that was chosen shows a great chemistry with the comedians. A "must- see" for movie buffs that appreciate the old black & white movies.


While this was the Abbott & Costello's second feature, and only Abbott's second film (Costello had appeared in several films as a stuntman and background extra in the late '20s), you sure couldn't tell, as the pair handled themselves like veterans. They are so assured and confident here that they appear to be making up their routines as they go along, although in reality they had polished them to near perfection during their years in vaudeville, burlesque and on the Broadway stage. This film is a terrific example of the flawless timing that not only convulsed their audiences but astounded other comedians (Steve Allen said that he had never seen anyone who could match them). Some criticism has been directed at the duo for the insertion of superfluous and usually second-rate musical numbers in most of their films--a decision made by Universal Pictures which the team had no control over--and while that may be true for several of their subsequent efforts, it isn't here. The numbers are well staged and the songs, especially "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," are infectious. The "plot" about a spoiled rich boy and his servant who enlist in the army is lame, but it doesn't really matter. This is a showcase for Bud and Lou's talents, and they don't disappoint. Director Arthur Lubin said that he pioneered the use of two cameras to cover scenes mainly because Costello was so off-the-wall and bounced all over the place so much that one camera simply couldn't contain him, so he ordered up another camera and had it trained exclusively on Costello. The boys do their best routines here--The Crap Game, The Ten/Forty routine, the Drill routine--and they are a joy to watch. Anyone who thinks that Bud Abbott wasn't the best straight man in the business should watch the Drill routine and check out how he consistently and skillfully reins in Costello whenever Lou's manic energy takes him too far outside the skit while still allowing him the freedom to employ the ad-libs and improvisations he was famous for. Abbott never really got as much credit as he deserved, and this scene alone shows why he deserved it.

Abbott & Costello did make some films that were beneath their talents, and some that were just plain unfunny, but this is definitely not one of them. This is a tremendously enjoyable film. Highly recommended.


Repeat viewings of "Buck Privates" deliver a warm nostalgia for a time gone by when things were simpler and patriotism was a cherished ideal. After a supporting role in their first movie "One Night in the Tropics", Abbott and Costello scored in a big way in this 1941 film, and Universal Studios had a comedy machine on their hands. The boys jump right into their comic bits including a crap game, a money change routine and a military rifle drill, all with flawless comic timing.

And there's a lot going on around them as well. There's a love triangle involving socialite Randy Parker (Lee Bowman), his ex-chauffeur Bob Martin (Alan Curtis) and Judy Gray (Jane Frazee). Nat Pendleton serves as comic foil, first as a cop on the beat and later as the hapless sergeant who can't control Costello's antics. Shemp Howard is also on hand in a comic mess scene. But the real entertainment is provided by the joyous Andrews Sisters, showcasing an array of popular tunes including "You're a Lucky Fellow Mr. Smith", "I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time", and their signature song - "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".

The "Buck Privates" theme worked so well that Abbott and Costello eventually found their way into other branches of the military, their next film was "In the Navy", followed by "Keep 'Em Flying" and "Buck Privates Come Home" a few years later.

Jane Frazee proved to be a versatile entertainer, doing a song of her own in this film - "Gee But I Wish You Were Here". She made movies in a number of different genres including Westerns, along with five Roy Rogers titles in the late 1940's.

"Buck Privates" is a great starting point whether you're just getting familiar with Abbott and Costello, or a long time fan wishing to relive their memory. If your tastes go for the classic Universal horror characters, their best offering is "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein". Whatever the venue, the boys always entertain, and remain one of the best and most successful comedy teams of all time.


This is one of my favourite outings from Bud & Lou, the start of their phenomenally successful career in the service comedies and one of a series of smile-jerkers from them and Universal. This was also the one that made it for them in the movies and turned them into America's no. 1 box office stars during the War.

They're a couple of street tie-selling con artists who unwittingly join the Army (along with playboy Lee Bowman) in trying to escape the clutches of the Law in the shape of cherubic Nat Pendleton. It's not so easy to escape ones duty however, and so follows a series of unconnected inconsequential adventures learning to be soldiers or lovers all with that special lighthearted wartime Universal treatment. A&C went through their routines with impeccable timing and a professionalism that belied all the slapstick. Favourite bits: playing unintelligible (to me) clubhouse dice; Abbott inoculated and Costello's reaction; the mathematics of borrowing USD 50; the historic performance of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by the Andrews Sisters and then the sudden end to the boogie-woogie boxing match; the unusual deadpan arrangement to Jane Frazee's I Wish You Were Here. The Voice Of Hellzapoppin returns! No kidding but what chance did the Japanese and Germans really have - sorry for identifying who the enemies were in these socially inclusive times, because they weren't in the film - to pit themselves against all this? The American War Machine was awakening, with the might of Hollywood behind it and A&C playing their part with their entertaining flagwavers the same as George Formby did on a smaller scale for the British War effort.

The box office success - and critical praise too - of this took Universal by surprise and they didn't make nearly as much money as they could have, a mistake they never made again with A&C. Recommended, an antidote to now and to me always a joy to behold and hear.


Like other reviewers, I've acquired the remastered DVD version of 'Buck Privates'. Bud and Lou fit into the story pretty well, far better than their stint in 'One Night in the Tropics'. The story rolls along at a breakneck pace and I especially enjoyed the steam loco shots as the train transported the boys to boot camp. The Andrews Sisters as usual are fabulous with some great songs.

What really impressed me was the photography, perhaps not something people would normally comment on in an A & C movie. Previous copies I've viewed have been grainy and washed out whereas this new print is visually great to look at. It was interesting for the first time to be able examine characters in the background, see facial expressions more clearly and especially, watch Lou 'working' both Bud and the crew off screen.

Clearly, Lou, like Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton, was a genius of comedy timing, the likes of which we may never see again.


I first saw this movie when I was five years old, and I LOVED it!

For many years afterwards, this movie remained in obscurity to me, it seemed I was to never see it again, until one day, I put it on request. I know own it on DVD, I whenever I'm in the mood for something funny, I watch this movie!

Abbott and Costello are my favorite comedy duo, they made some of the funniest movies I have ever seen! Though Martin and Lewis had beaten them out of the top ten box office in the later years, the are still considered the best.

That Martin and Lewis team, they are very funny, but they cannot hold a candle to Abbott and Costello the greatest of them all! Abbott and Costello are the kings of comedy!

Very Funny!

10/10


For you outtake fans: The DVD collection includes a movie trailer for "Buck Privates", and in the few seconds shown of the "Drill" routine, if you look and listen carefully, you'll notice that this footage is NOT the same take as the scene in the finished film. I was startled when I noticed it.

Having seen this movie dozens of times on TV over the years, I was also surprised to see a couple of minor scenes, for the very first time, that had always been cut by our local TV station in order to make room for the commercials. And the prints are great. If you're an big A & C fan, the DVD volumes are worth every penny (except maybe Vol. 4).

Incidentally, I'm amazed to find that some Abbott & Costello fans are still under the mis-impression that they hated each other in real life. Not true, according to the several books I've read about the team. If I'm not mistaken, most knowledgeable sources describe their off-camera relationship as ranging from an amicable partnership to genuine friendship. Bud wept at Lou's funeral, for instance.

The closest they came to a falling out, rumored to be instigated by those jealous of their success, was when, several years into their film years, Lou asked to have their 60/40 split of the take (60 Abbott/40 Costello) even'd out to 50/50. Bud agreed to Lou's request. (The 60/40 split for straight man/foil was more or less the standard for comedy teams during that era. Unheard of now, of course, but there you go.) But this incident was never a heated one, and never threatened their partnership or their friendship.


Abbott and Costello's first major success, this film was a tremendous hit in its day and wound up beating 'great' films like CITIZEN KANE and HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY when 1941's box office receipts were counted up for the end of the year. There is not doubt that BUCK PRIVATES feels extremely out of touch with today's times, but then again why shouldn't it? This is a movie that's supposed to be taking place in the early 1940's, not the 21st century. It's like a period piece that means only to portray the times in which it was made.

The comedy duo accidentally enlist in the U.S. Army (an overdone cliché perhaps, but what the heck) and we're treated to humorous routines and some merry song and dance, making it feel like this was the place to be in 1940. Now, for fans of Abbott & Costello, there are plenty of good gags that are perfectly rendered at this early phase of the team's movie career. Gems include: "You're 40, she's 10", "Dice Game", "Don't Play That Radio!!," and "Let Me Borrow 40 Dollars And You Owe Me 10". There's also a classic skit with Abbott commanding a hilarious army drill, and Costello becomes involved in a boxing match with a big brute. Both comedians were at the peak of their powers at this point, and so they're right on the money in all their routines.

As good as the boys are, there are other staples to contend with, which would be an ongoing factor throughout many of their 1940s films. There are several musical numbers strewn amidst the comedy, here courtesy of The Andrews Sisters. In comedies such as this, these performances definitely tend to weigh things down and one's mileage will definitely vary as to whether they're a help or a hindrance. While I have to say that I personally don't find the homely Andrews' gals to be that much to look at, I do think they've got charisma and sing well. So I don't mind their sweet harmonizing every so often, plus the songs themselves aren't bad (I can't dislike "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"). This was made at a time where going to the theatre was a full night out; not only to experience the funny antics of Bud and Lou, but also to enjoy a set of music and dancing for your money, too. All the same, there were future films (for me) where the musical interludes weren't so hot and did become extremely annoying. Somehow, it all gels pretty well within the "Happy Army" atmosphere of BUCK PRIVATES.

One thing that does irk me is whenever another character we're not all that concerned with gets too much screen time when it's mainly A&C we're hoping to see. In this case, a little too much footage is devoted to the side story of a couple of other male leads who are at odds with one another yet manage to also enlist in the army along with Bud and Lou. But we also get an appearance by Shemp Howard (one of the Three Stooges) as a cook, and that's never a bad thing.


This is fantastic for Abbott and Costello's first feature film. They are quite funny, and their interactions with the other cast members are great. This is the film that got me hooked on Abbott and Costello! It IS an unrealistic portrayal of the Army (and everything else, really!), but it's a comedy - not a documentary!

The Andrews Sisters are lovely as always, especially in their first appearance in the film, when they sing "You're a Lucky Fellow Mr. Smith." This film also features Dean Collins and his dance team in one of the most famous Lindy scenes ever.


Bud and Lou in their first starring film enlist in the army to escape being arrested for selling ties without a licence. The police officer ends up as their sergeant.

Meanwhile a spoilt playboy and his long suffering valet also enlist. The playboy's dad is an Army bigshot and therefore thinks he can escape doing his service. His Dad has other ideas and makes him stay to make a man out of him. Both men fall for the same girl. The Playboy has a lot to learn about Loyalty.

This is a good Abbott and Costello flick that propelled the boys to superstardom. They perform some great routines and they are both hilariously funny. The Andrews sisters provide very memorable songs. The boys have great chemistry here.


This will be my fifth, and right now my last, comment comparing two iconic movie comedy teams-Laurel & Hardy and Abbott & Costello-when reviewing either team's pictures. If you've read my previous comment on A & C's first film One Night in the Tropics, you know the story of how their next one, Buck Privates, came to be. So I'll just tell what plot there is here. It concerns a triangle between a playboy (Lee Bowman) who's trying to avoid the draft, his former chauffeur (Alan Curtis), and a girl (Jane Frazee) they both like a lot as they all get enlisted into the Army along with a couple of con men (Bud & Lou) and a cop (Nat Pendleton) they're trying to avoid. Also on board are the Andrews Sisters-Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne. Okay, with that out of the way, I'll just say this was a very enjoyable mix of comedy and music and the dramatic subplot of Bowman, Curtis, and Frazee isn't too bad. It's obvious Universal wasn't confident A & C could carry a picture by themselves but nearly everything they do and say here is dynamite and the box office receipts helped convince the studio executives to charge future Bud & Lou endeavors at A, instead of B, rental rates. I mean such routines like "Money Changing" (first time a reprise from a previous film was used), "Dice Game", "You're Forty, She's Ten", and especially "Drill" (which was extended by producer Alex Gottlieb using several different takes of Costello's ad-libs) helped the boys' popularity go into high gear. Oh, and seeing Lou in the boxing scenes took me back to when he watched Stan Laurel also fight in the ring as a spectator in The Battle of the Century. And while musical interludes usually seem to intrude in the comedy flow, hearing and seeing such numbers like the Oscar-nominated "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B", "Bounce Me Brother With a Solid Four", and "Apple Blossom Time" performed by Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne just add to the rousing enjoyment. Jane Frazee herself has a wonderful romantic number called "I With You Were Here". And with an assist from Shemp Howard as a cook, Costello himself has a funny novelty song called "When Private Brown Becomes a Captain". Okay, there are some lines that promote the propaganda of the positive effects of Army life but otherwise, Buck Privates was a fine beginning of A & C's successful movie career. Okay, now you're wondering why I mentioned Laurel & Hardy at the beginning (other than for comparing Lou's and Stan's boxing scenes). Well, when they started work on their first Fox feature, the movie they made, Great Guns, came on the heels of the success of Buck Privates and if one looked at the original script of the Fox/L & H picture, you'd know that indeed the studio wanted to capitalize on the Universal/A & C blockbuster as evidenced by this unfilmed exchange between Stan & Ollie: O: Wait-, S: What's the matter?, O: Don't throw the water out there!, S: Why not?, O: The sergeant is just liable to come walking in!, S: What's the matter with that?, O: Don't you remember? They did that in Buck Privates! P.S. As a longtime fan of my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, I can't end this review without mentioning that Samuel S. Hinds, George Bailey's father, played Major General Emerson here. Also, Alan Curtis was born the same place I was, Chicago, Ill.


BUCK PRIVATES was the second movie with Abbott and Costello. In the first, ONE NIGHT IN THE TROPICS, the boys were purely there for comic relief and played a very small part in the film. They didn't even bother creating characters for them, as each went by their real names. While in BUCK PRIVATES their roles are thankfully bigger, they still are in supporting roles--though the studio stuck their names at the top of the credits to capitalize on their success in the last film. Despite the billing, Lee Bowman and Alan Curtis played the real leads in the film. This, combined with lots of singing and a romance in which neither Abbott nor Costello is involved with is why BUCK PRIVATES really can't be among the team's best films. It's very good, but far from perfect.

The film begins with rich blow-hard Bowman getting a draft notice. Since he's so spoiled, he assumes his family will pull some strings to get him either out of the military altogether or into officer's training school. But, his father sees things differently--boot camp and serving as an enlisted man will be a great chance to teach him character. Along the way, he and Curtis vie for the same girl and are rivals throughout the film.

Abbott and Costello join the army--mostly because they are running from the cops. Naturally, Costello ends up being the lamest excuse for a soldier there is and if the US military REALLY had accepted such cretins in the service, they would have undoubtedly lost WWII! There were several good skits involving the boys and while not their best work, it still is pretty fresh and well worth watching.

In addition to all this, the Andrews Sisters are on hand to sing. Some may love their songs, such as the famous "Boogie, Woogie Bugle Boy", but as for me, I thought the music was a huge distraction and I sped through these numbers--I'd already heard them when I'd seen the movie when I was a kid--and I'd already suffered enough! Why, oh why, did studios insist on saddling comedies with singing in the 30s, 40s and 50s?! Overall, a much better script than the last film but the duo still take a backseat to the action. Good, but they were capable of better.

By the way, in the comedy boxing scene, Lou Costello probably had to work hard to look bad, as in real life he had been a boxer in his youth--and a pretty good one from what I've read.


High-octane A&C, their first starring roles and a really kinetic blending of musical numbers and comedy routines. Too bad this 90 minute dynamo wasn't sent to Hitler and Tojo. They would have tossed in the towel right away. One look at the sheer energy of the flying boogie-woogie couples is enough to light up a dozen defense plants. I'm sure it was great to have this kind of zippy support at home, but I'm afraid those eve-of-war conscripts were in for a lot more than the year of garrison duty the movie portrays.

Nonetheless, note how the movie never loses its bounce. That's a tribute to director Lubin, the film editor(s), and the comedy duo that in 1941 was still fresh and eager to please. The crap-shooting skit is classic A&C, along with the "money counting" routine, and of course there's the Andrews Sisters segueing into their knock-out version of the classic "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy". Even the inevitable romantic scenes are well handled without being draggy, (but just what is that over-sized thing perched on Frazee's head-- I'm still wondering.).

In passing-- note how the class conflict of the Depression era is leveled out by the the common war effort and the spirit of one for all and all for one. Note too, how the patriotic screenplay favors neither blue-collar Alan Curtis nor rich playboy Lee Bowman in their competition for the lovely Jane Frazee. Still and all, Bowman must first lose his privileged arrogance before being accepted into the great American melting pot.

Also, I was a little puzzled by the "Apple Blossom Time" number which seemed a throw-back to WWI with its GI's (doughboys) strolling dreamily down the lane to the romantic down-tempo strains. I expect the producers wanted a change of musical pace for variety's sake. That's understandable. But more importantly, I think the number reflects popular tastes from the 1916-18 period, such that it's contrast here with the boogie-woogie numbers provides an interesting glimpse of how the pace of American life had speeded up between the wars.

Be that as it may, the movie remains a zesty blend of comedy and song with a larger than usual A&C budget-- (note the realistically crowded train station). I expect everything just sort of fell into place to produce what amounts to a happy accident that likely helped set the pace for the many war-time musicals that would follow. Even non-fans of A&C should enjoy this one.


I think it is churlish to bring up such things as slanted propaganda for a film like this, it is what it is, a firmly enjoyable romp from the comic gold of Abbott & Costello. Perhaps back in the day it was appropriate to analyze the film for it's portrayal of the soldier at war, or the fact that they didn't mention so many bad things that were happening at that time, erm hello, wake up and smell the comedy and focus on that please.

Bud & Lou mistakenly join the army when trying to avoid arrest on the street, this sets us up for them to flip the army upside down with a series of sequences that are refreshing in what was obviously troubling times out in the big bold world. From new skits to delightful musical numbers this film stands up as one of the better entries the boys would do in there considerable output.

Footnote:Jane Frazee has one of the most delicious smiles you could wish to see, and if you ain't tapping your feet as the splendid Andrews Sisters belt out Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B, well you are beyond help, move along please.

8/10


If you've seen enough Abbott and Costello movies, then you should know that the actual plot is unimportant; the whole movie is really just an excuse for Bud and Lou to get into embarrassing situations and be silly. You'd better believe that they do that in "Buck Privates". They play a pair of street vendors who inadvertently end up in the army. To make matters worse, their drill sergeant is the cop who went after them. Once on the military base, Abbott tries to be serious, while Costello somehow manages to do everything wrong, often incurring their drill sergeant's wrath.

Aside from Abbott's irritation and Costello's gaffs, there's some extra entertainment by the Andrews Sisters, as they sing "Boogie Woogie Boy in Company B", among other songs. But like I said, the whole movie is really all about Costello making a mess of everything.

Just how many movies can there be about some goof-ball joining the army and raising Cain?


Buck Privates is a signature movie for Abbot and Costello. The more you love Lou the more you hate Bud, who seems to be always out to get Costello. This theme carried over in most of their movies. No wonder they hated each other in real life. It is almost as if there are three casts in the flick, The Andrews Sisters give the movie a real boost with their songs, especially one of the most popular of the World War II era, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Even thought Abbot and Costello are featured as the stars of the movie they seem to be only comic relief for the real plot. The real plot is the love triangle. But there is one question. Did men really act the way these guys do. If so how did we win the war?


Frankly, I'm an A&C fan of their horror genre, preferring to mix laughter with thrills when I watch those Universal films they made, like HOLD THAT GHOST and A&C MEET FRANKENSTEIN.

But the boys pull a lot of pranks as new recruits, the kind of mind games that keep their fans happy, and for added measure there's The Andrew Sisters belting out some pop tunes with their usual enthusiasm and a love triangle involving Lee Bowman (dapper as ever), Jane Frazee (nice voice) and Alan Curtis (looking lean and handsome).

And, as usual, reality takes a back seat to low down comedy as the boys fall into one impossible situation after another before we reach a happy ending with everyone confidently marching off to take care of World War II.

This was a good start for A&C and a nostalgic look at how patriotic America once was about Uncle Sam.

One of the musical highlights is The Andrews Sisters performing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company C".

Summing up: If you're a fan of A&C, this is a must see!


This is an early effort of Abbott and Costello, and displays there comedy talents to the fullest. A bit dated now and heavy on music but none the less and interesting offering from this classical comedy team. Recommended for all ages. Don't let the black and white discourage you. I rated this a 7.


BUCK PRIVATES is the first film in which famous comedy team Abbott and Costello played the main characters. The story follows two salesmen who escape from the police and end up in the US Army, where they have many hilarious adventures. Probably the funniest army movie ever, it includes some of their funny gags, involving Costello who keeps turning on the radio and angering their boss, and the "right, left, right, left" scene. The film that boosted these brand new stars to success, BUCK PRIVATES is a fun adventure with a heart, for the whole family.

Grade: 7/10

MPAA Rating: not rated

My Rating: Ages 5 and up (some mild violence)


I generally avoid films about politics, because I find that most of them are stereotypical and one-sided, but this one is directed by Gulzar so it can be nothing but excellent. I followed this belief of mine, and I was not disappointed. Aandhi is not at all a film about politics. Politics is just a part of the story, it's just a profession of a woman in this film, which is used to show her power and to show how a profession of this kind may trouble a woman's personal life. This is a film about love, marriage, romance, human nature, pride, separation, ego, forgiveness and reconciliation (in chronological order).

Aandhi is about Aarti, a woman of strong character who has ambitions to become a politician like her dad. She falls for a common hotel manager named JK, and decides to tie the knot with him, much to the displeasure of her father. After marriage, Aarti tries her best to balance between her political work and responsibility as a wife/mother. However, as time goes by JK feels he becomes inferior to her even at home. Differences lead to intense arguments and subsequently to a break up. Many years later they meet again when she is already a big political leader. And a new relationship begins as they reminisce their life together.

I was completely engaged by Gulzar's superb direction, his extraordinary story-telling, and his realistic portrayal of human relationships. We see neither bitterness nor anger between Aarti and JK, but only a renewed and mature relationship based on understanding and fond memories. The film is extremely well-written, so are the characters. The story unfolds interestingly through flashbacks and the connection between the past and the present is brilliantly displayed in the film. There is a very impressive attention the director pays to details. Gulzar's dialogues are exceptional, and he writes beautiful lyrics to the songs.

Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar give two powerful performances. Sen is astonishing as Aarti. We see so many sides of her personality, and this difficult role is played with complete ease and precision by this phenomenal actress, including dialogue delivery and body language. This is a performance with a great mix of toughness and vulnerability. Sen displays both coolness and a pinch of arrogance while playing the strong politician, yet convincingly switches it with warmth and cordiality when she becomes a suffering woman or a wife. The ever-great Sanjeev Kumar is (unsurprisingly) nothing short of excellent. This is another outstanding performance this unforgettable actor added to his vast repertoire.

The film is both a drama and a romance, and one aspect that significantly contributes to this is RD Bruman's fantastic soundtrack. "Is Mod Pe Jaate Hain", "Tum Aa Gaye Ho" are wonderful songs, but the one that makes the greatest impact is "Tere Bina Zindagi Se Joi", for its melodious tunes, fantastic lyrics, but most importantly for the amazing scenes it carries. I consider the sequences shown through this song the best scenes of the film. They show moments of interaction and painful feelings of missing. These are poignant and memorable moments, and the same can be said about the film itself. Aandhi is a gem. That's it.


This movie might have a directional setting towards the political and private life of India's Prime Minister, Indra Gandhi, nonetheless, its powerful and sentimental theme carries the audience with the subtle forces of life which all and sundry experience, at least, one or the other times in their married lives.

Gulzar has excellently directed the movie while adorning it with passionately electrifying emotional focus during certain scenes. The musical score and songs are worthy of all praise. The hypnotically tranquil appeal of the song "Tere Bina Zindagi se Shikwa" speaks volumes about the meaningful and touching melody besides its filming against the gloomy backdrop of a ruined historical monument in a moonlit night. Much different from the rubbish artificiality of present day movies, the songs of this film exude a living originality to the flow of events.

Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen both have given their lifetime best performances and Gulzar earned a big name with its release. It is definitely a must-see film.


Aandhi is a classic. A movie based on human emotions - and the struggle of two individuals who meet, fall in love and then drift apart only to meet again after many years. If my memory serves me well, I even believe that the female lead has elements of Indira Gandhi in her. A must-watch in order to understand Indian traditions and politics. Suchitra Sen is a rich politician's daughter who falls in love with a hotel manager, and marries him, against her father's wishes. They start a new life until Suchitra decides to follow her father and join politics, much against her husband's better judgement. The toils and troubles of a hectic political lifestyle results in their daughter's death and their divorce - leading them to pursue different directions in life for many odd years. Finally, the two meet again, after many years. A very sensitive movie - with well crafted lyrics and beautiful performances. I give it a 9.5 due to Sanjay Kumar's performance, the music and the trouble the movie had as it was released during the emergency.


I bought this movie from a video store that was going out of business and the cover caught my eye, plus reading the very brief and cheesy back sold me into buying it. This is a good movie, it is a little cheesy but I must say, I think the Video Game company, Capcom, saw this movie and heavily used parts of this for the game Resident Evil. For example; replace Albert Wesker from R.E. with Barry Bostwick, the Tyrant with a metal werewolf and keep the main characters pretty much the same. The way Barry Bostwick dies is the same way Albert dies and the same for the werewolf dying just like the Tyrant. The story simply goes like this; in 1974, the US military goes into the Carpathian forest to find a werewolf to get it's blood and use it's DNA to create the ultimate biological weapon(like Resident Evil again)but one of the men gets too cocky and takes the blood himself and all hell breaks loose (close enough to RE to mention it again). Barry Bostwick manages to take down and put the cocky werewolf guy in deep freeze until 20 years later when technology has advanced enough to resume the project. Of course, the werewolf gets loose again and causes havoc again or else there wouldn't be a movie. It was entertaining and had some really good special effects. 7/10


There are no words to describe the symphony of stupidity this movies presents to us, the audience. The cast was mediocre at best and their acting skills were the same. The storyline, at times, doesn't make any sense, and there are contradictions left and right. There are points made in the course of the movie that simply don't compute, and the ending was laughable.

There are some redeeming points, I suppose. The main actress was pretty, the werewolf, as a man, had very few lines. Oh, and the chef with a bad Mexican accent dies early, so he didn't pain us with his speech.

I don't recommend watching this movie to anyone. I did it because when the wife is out, I watch stupid movies; it helps me to realize that I don't like stupid movies.

If you must watch it, have a book on hand for when you feel you might be sick from how stupid a particular scene is.


MUTATOR aka TIME OF THE BEAST (1989) & PROJECT: METALBEAST aka METALBEAST (1995).

Two *very* similar B-movies. A dubious choice for this double feature, perhaps. But I know I'm most definitely not the only one around here who would voluntarily watch rubbish like...

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For some reason, I always recalled some scenes from "Mutator" being from "Metalbeast". Both films are not worth this kind of confusion. Nevertheless, "Metalbeast" is *slightly* better (even if they're practically the same movie, with people just running around in a facility with some beast after them). A little bit more money was spent on the creature design, including make-up sfx for various stages of the transformation and animatronics in the head-piece of the final creature costume. The real werewolves from the opening scenes, seem styled after the ones from Joe Dante's "The Howling". To my knowledge, "Metalbeast" is the only movie ever to feature an, ehrr... mutant werewolf synthetically enhanced with metal skin, extendible / retractable steel claws and red-glowing eyes.

Honestly, I like this movie.

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Level of Appreciation: Moderate


This movie is only watchable for the scene in which Barry Boswick shoots someone in the legs, and then states that he isn't "jumping for joy". That moment besides, the movie is a downward spiral into the abyss of film making. What possible reasoning any producer, director, or writer could have for involving themselves in this disaster of a movie escapes me. I would like to get in contact with the filmmakers and request compensation for my time and brain cells wasted. I'm having trouble thinking at which I would like to be compensated, but I can't imagine that I would settle for less than a Learjet. I suppose some of this can be credited to the werewolf/robot craze of the time, but I never imagined that the combination of the two would bear the twisted, disgusting fruit that is Project: Metalbeast. If I were to walk into a room where this movie was playing, I would kill those viewing it as an act of mercy, and then swiftly take my own life in order to avoid these travesty a second time. May God have mercy on the souls of those who actually payed money to see this movie during the four days in which it was in theaters.


At the U.S. Secret Operations Center a small group of doctors led by Kim Delaney are experimenting with a metallic skin on a frozen cadaver. This particular body is that of a secret agent that succumbed twenty years earlier to self injection of a blood sample from a...werewolf. Barry Bostwick plays the evil Colonel harboring the blueprints for this gruesome experiment. Thus the Government has given life to a wolf-like creature with metal skin. The only reason I watched this is Kim Delaney. I'd watch her do a puppet show! Also in the cast are: Brian Brophy, Carole Davis, Tim Duquette and Kane Hodder as the MetalBeast. Pretty bad movie except for the last twenty minutes or so.


I mean, really. The lights and stuff, they were fantastic. Not a single extension cord in ANY shot. Take that you auteur gaffers and best boys! Luciano Galli my butt! Tom Kiefer ROCKS! This is not mockery. This is straight up truth. If you can't handle the truth, don't rent METALBEAST.


In 1974, two American agents are sent to Hungary by his superior Miller (Barry Bostwick) to get werewolf blood for a secret project for the creation of an invincible warrior. One of the men dies and the other decides to inject the blood in himself, being killed by Miller. There is a shutdown of the project. Twenty years later, the scientist Anne de Carlo (Kim Delaney) is carrying out a research under the command of Miller, and the body of the dead agent is delivered for the experiment. The agent is transformed in a kind of killing metallic werewolf. The screenplay of this low budget movie has no originality. I do not know how many films I have seen with this storyline. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): `Metalbeast'


I just saw this piece of trash on cable a few weeks ago. I checked it out on IMDB, expecting it to get a 1 or 2 rating. I was APPALLED that it scored a 7.5 and the other reviewer actually seemed to like it.

This movie is pure garbage. The acting is atrocious, the dialogue absurd, the plot asinine, and that's the good stuff!

It is just plain awful. Maybe worth a look just to laugh at it. Anyone who actually watches this movie and extracts something positive deserves to be mauled by a werewolf.


I don't understand the trashing comments I just read. This film is very, very good. I've seen it at least 5 or 6 times and it was enjoyable the first and last time I saw it. The film making was superb. I actually did some research to see where that cottage was located and see if there were any rentals.

I saw no character flaws in anyone. Each character was precise and very believable. Continuity errors were at a minimum. I also don't understand the rating this movie got. It was NOT THAT BAD! If there was poor acting, or plots, or errors then I could see trashing the movie. But really!

Even the musical score was perfect for each scene. A mixture of real classical and real rock. The music score designer deserves an 'A'.

Best parts: 1) Beethoven's nose in the beginning, followed by his dream sequence. 2) Anything Regina did. She was perfect! 3) Grodin trying to explain where babies come from. 3) The bully sequence at the fair (bite this guy in the weiner!) 4) The hamburger eating contest. 5) The tree stump scene with Penn. 6) Finally, all of the grunting noises Beethoven made. I can actually imitate each one. My kids love it when I do that.

Come on people. The movie was really enjoyable with quality Hollywood direction and design. Please stop knocking it. Give it another try. Or next time, try watching it with a child. You'll see.


Now, why would they have a sequel? I'm curious. The family has already had an adventure by saving the dog from the first film. You'd think "OK, they live happily ever after". Nope.

LITTLE SPOILERS

Beethoven falls for another St. Bernard. And they have puppies together, but Beethoven's girlfriend's master wants the puppies. The kids take the puppies without her permission. And she stalks the family to get the puppies. The family goes on a vacation. The children all learn morals of life. The parents fall in love again. And Beethoven cries over his girlfriend. And the woman happens to bump into them again. I mean, how more silly can you get? What are these family's chances of having to save their dog once again? We'll never know until the third one.

2/10


Beethovens 2nd is a pretty good sequel, not as good as the first as far structure wise, but it comes pretty close for me.Its fun, entertaining, and somewhat funny.Also it actually follows up the first one in a good way.It was very new and fresh in a way, and some what believable, that really the first one and second one capture in a right way.It was good to see the return of the original cast members, and to add in some new characters like Regina( who was a cool villain).It was really funny at times, especially at some points from Bonnie Hunt( who's character I love).I didn't care much for the ending, and some points it was a little too out there and unbelievable, and the dogs annoyed me at some points, as did some characters.Well, overall if you liked the first one you'll like this, and in fact this is probably the last good one sequel in the series. 7.5 out of 10 stars


A lot of people don't realize that this film was nominated not only for an Academy Award, but also a Golden Globe and Grammy Award! That third item gives it away -- the song "The Day I Fall in Love" from this movie garnered all of the nominations, and deservedly so. It's a wonderful composition performed brilliantly by Dolly Parton and James Ingram. It has become one of my favorite songs of all time and it easily outclasses this movie.

In my opinion it was practically a miracle that the song got honored by the three biggest award firms because the movie is nothing special and a lot of times brilliance goes unnoticed when it is contained in a sub-par film. Also the song got very little radio airplay; the video only appeared occasionally on VH-1.

At any rate, other than the superlative song, there are some cute dog scenes in this movie. And Debi Mazar is definitely a highlight as the 101 Dalmatians inspired villain.

My best recommendation is to watch the music video for the song. It includes all of the best highlights from the film (the aforementioned cute dog scenes), you'll hear the incredible song and get glimpses of the stunningly cute Ashley Hamilton and not end up hating him because of the schmuck his character ends up being in the film.


CAUTION: Not a real spoiler, the spoiler is only the beginning so read ahead until * This is a great movie with more dog scenes, but there is still a thicker plot. I think it is much better than the first and until i saw the 3-5th movie on IMDb i didn't know they existed. The movie has great scenes of ADORABLE puppies. The plot is great with a story line little kids can follow and older kids can relate. *Beethoven and Missy (his girlfriend) are cute and the puppies are cuter. There are many things that will keep any age kids attracted and the growing up puppy scenes are GREAT! Moe is the funniest and chaikowski is the cutest (although they all are cute)


BEETHOVEN'S 2ND, in my opinion, is even cuter than the first BEETHOVEN. I laughed really hard when George (Charles Grodin) first discovered the puppies in the basement of his house and said, "Oh, no!" Those puppies were absolutely adorable! In my opinion, Regina (Debi Mazar) and Floyd (Chris Penn) were like Cruella and her henchmen, Horace and Jasper! I was so glad when the puppies got them all dirty. I mean, what human being would want to drown five sweet, cute, innocent puppies? When Beethoven caused the deck of Taylor's (Ashley Hamilton) lake house to collapse, I was relieved. This was because he saved Ryce (Nicholle Tom) from being raped. In conclusion, I highly recommend this cute movie to all you dog lovers or Charles Grodin fans who have not seen it.


I love this film, truly I do. It's an adorable charmer, a cheery, bright, silly comedy with a tangible family chemistry and a really goofy sense of humour. I love Charles Grodin  check out his dancing, or his scream of "Puppyyyynoooo!" Bonnie Hunt is just delightful. I love Beethoven and his girlfriend watching a movie, complete with popcorn. Later, they go for a ride in a rickshaw! I love the eating contest, including the part where the film speeds up! I love Chris Penn getting his head stuck in a tree trunk. I'm laughing out loud just thinking about this stuff. 'Beethoven's 2nd' is so daft it's practically a cartoon, and that's where its appeal lies. Everyone looks like they're having fun and they all seem to be on the same page. What a corker.


It's got Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt! How could that possibly be bad?? They are always a pleasure to watch. Beethoven's 2nd is worth watching just for them. Beyond that, it's not high art and child actors and not entirely engaging, but it's cute and fun and and quite watchable -- and who could like something with five adorable St. Bernard puppies? Sure, it occasionally drags, but you can't expect Grodin and Hunt to be in every scene. And as a bonus we get Debi Mazur doing a great turn as a comic villain!

Lighten up and enjoy a cute film with a pair of exceptional comic actors.


In the movie Beethoven's 2nd, it is a lot better than Beethoven. The characters were also great, especially Debi Mazar. In the scene where Regina parked her car, got out of it, and walked over to her ex-husband to get Missy from the park, I knew it was a woman and I also hoped that she wouldn't be as creepy as Shelley Winters was in the 1973 movie Cleopatra Jones. Fortunately, Debi Mazar does have a perfect skin color, hairdo, and a body shape than Shelley. But the color of her eyes were really creepy. Some the viewers brought up Cruella De Vil in this and by looking at the color of Regina's eyes, the viewers had a point based on the fact that she did one heck of an imitation of Cruella. She was cruel to Missy and her kids, she was using Missy just because she didn't want her divorce settlement to be worth peanuts without the dog, and based on the fact that she threatened to kill her babies, Missy should have bit Regina's rear, especially when Regina carried her away from her babies. Cruella De Vil is nothing but the devil and was just as slimy in the movie 102 Dalmatians than in 101 Dalmatians. Plus, Regina is just as slimy as Cruella. On top of that, when Regina wore all red, it made look more creepier than ever. But, her red outfit did look good when she fell in the mud along with Floyd. Red is not her color. As far as the character Regina, this is something to remember, "Missy is not an aggressive dog, but if you do anything to her kids, come over here so she can take a bite out of your rear." In the end, Regina got what deserved. I'm glad the judge turned down Regina's claim for the dog because she really didn't deserve Missy in the first place. You know what they say, "Justice always wins."


Beethoven's 2nd is so cute, the puppies are adorable and the movie is funny. I think the first 2 are way better than the other sequels. It starts when Beethoven goes to the park and he finds a another Saint Bernard and her name is Missy. They soon have puppies and the kids follow Beethoven to see what he's up to and they find little Beethoven's, there all so sweet and they take them home and don't say nothing about it, for a while and the parents find out and the father says they can keep them until they can find homes for them, well I don't want to tell you the whole story so go out and see it, you will not be disappointed. If your a dog lover you'll love this movie.


In this film Beethoven meets up with a girl friend named Missy, who belongs to a nice man. Only that this mean lady named Ragina and her boyfriend (who is pretty dumb) Floyd have some ransom on him and take the dog away. But Beethoven goes after her and rescues her. Then the two go out, and eventually get lovey dovy, and at one point Missy has babies. The janitor of Ragina's place informs Ragina of this and she is disgusted when she finds this out and plans to drown the puppies but the janitor tells her that she should sell them, and make a bundle. However, they don't belong to her and the kids take them. In the meantime they hide them from the parents, but have to cut class to take care of them. The mom is the first to know, and says to keep it from the dad, but that night the dad finds out after hearing barking the basement. He very stressed out and non-violent gives in.

Eventually, after going away on vacation the bad guys run into the kids, and take the puppies. Do they get them back, is the ? from there.

This film also has pretty good quotes. Here's a few....

Proper manners: Ragina: Floyd, people in California usually wear a shirt when they answer the door, and they don't talk with their mouth full.

Kids trying to leave with the puppies in a box: Ragina: What are you kids doing here? Emily: We are selling candy for our school. Would you like to buy some? Ragina: Oh how nice, how much? Emily: $11 per bar. Ragina: $11. No. Get out of here! They happily do.

Distraction to sneak puppies in house: Emily: Dad, where do babies come from? Mr. Newton has hard time explaining to young child.

Mr. Newton finds the puppies: Mr. Newton (as each puppy is shown at each 'no'): No! No! No! NO!


[MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS]

 The Newton family is back and so is Beethoven. It's been a while since their last adventure. One particular morning, after Beethoven is awakened from his dream of steaks, he walks himself around the park and notices a female St. Bernard. Her name is Missy. She and her owner were buying ice cream, but right at that moment, a woman who's quite nasty and has no heart for dogs shows up. Her name is Regina. She was married to Missy's owner until they got a divorce, so Regina feels she has the right to take the dog. So she does. Then she and her dimwited boyfriend Floyd take off. But Beethoven knows where they've taken Missy and everyday he goes to visit. Ted and Emily follow him one day and see that Beethoven and Missy have had puppies. They take the puppies with them so they won't be discovered by Regina. The kids hide the puppies in the basement, but also learn they won't eat. Their only hope is to do it manually with a veterenarian's perscription. Only problem: they've got to do it more than once, so they wake up early in the morning and cut classes. Alice finds out about why that is happening, and also finds out about the puppies. She says not to tell George. But George eventually finds out and says they cannot keep them. But of course, sympathy worked and the puppies were allowed to stay.

The kids named them: Dolly, Chubby, Tchikowski, and Mo. The puppies really grow on the family. I mean they get real big and constantly get on George's nerves. Also, the family will be taking a vacation in the mountains so they must bring all the dogs with them. It's a nice cabin. But someone else was also up there. Regina and Floyd. They're hiding out, as it were. Ryce meets a new boyfriend who treats her like nothing, so she meets another one and he's much nicer. They go to the county fair the following day where George get's signed up for an eating contest, involving eating the most burgers in only a few minutes. He and Beethoven did it. Then, Regina showed up and snatched the puppies and took them into the mountains. Beethoven and Missy followed, so did the Newtons. There's a showdown in the mountains, and soon Regina and Floyd fall into the river and are given the ride they deserve. Some months later, back at home, Missy's old owner shows up and says everything is fine and Regina get's nothing. He also asks to see the "kids", so George, Alice, and Beethoven call the enourmous puppies downstairs.

 Just as good as the first. I recommend this movie. If you liked the first one, you will like this one. See it when you can. +


In this sequel, which uses the same actors for all of Newton family members, Beethoven falls in love with a female St. Bernard and they have four puppies together. Her evil owner, Regina(whose character is not quite as evil as that of Dean Jones in the first film), wants to sell the puppies, but Emily, Ted, and Ryce are determined to take on the responsibility of taking care of them. Dad is nonetheless infuriated when he discovers them, but is once again pressured by the family into keeping them. The family soon heads off for a vacation in the mountains and are eventually tracked to a rural county fair by Regina and her none-too-bright boyfriend, Floyd. A battle ensues, with Regina and Floyd ending up plunging into a muddy river. Back home, the family settles on joint custody of the puppies with Regina's ex-husband, a good-natured man named Brillo. Like the first, this one is guaranteed to get to you in a good way, but still lacks some of the greatness of it.


Beethoven's 2nd i thought that this was another fantastic movie to watch. This movie got Beethoven in the mood when he becomes a father to 4 puppies. His Girlfriend Missy is Dognapped my 2 horrible people. Beethoven's next mission is to rescue Missy and their children. I give this movie 10 out of 10.


I think that this movie can´t be taken to seriously. If you read other comments you will find a lots of complains. I say: Don´t pay to much attention to those. Although this movie is childish and predictable, its content is funny as hell and the actors are perfect for their rolls.

Don´t crap it down people because it was a long time ago that i had such fun at the cinema! Go Fares!! 10/10 for the comedy!


"Kopps" was a really funny comedy. The way life is in a typical sleepy smalltown is portrayed perfectly, and the different characters are all funny in their own ways. The idea here is that a police station is threatened to shut down, because in this smalltown there hasn't been a serious crime for ten years. The policemen realize that something has to be done... and soon they're in deep trouble. I recommend it! 4.5/5


After box office hit Jalla!Jalla!, Josef Fares comes with another comedy, which is a total gas.

It's about some policemen in small-town Sweden who, crime being absent, spend most of their time, and they've got a lot of it, eating hot dogs at the local snack bar. Their biggest problem is a cow occasionally running in the street. Suddenly, they find out the police station is gonna shut down since there are no criminals around. At this point, the four protagonists(including Jalla-veterans Fares Fares and Torkel Peterson) decide to "raise the statistic". The results are hilarious...

The movie is really funny and the characters are nice and believable, with the exception of Benny(Torkel Peterson), a complete moron who thinks he's Neo, Rambo and John McClane in one person. Nevertheless, Peterson is actually the main reason I kept laughing while watching the film.

The only problem, if I can call it a problem, is the fact that some gags are a little bit too, you know, Swedish. For example, when the "kopps" accidentally blow up the previously mentioned snack bar, Benny's first reaction is "Oh sh*t! Where the hell are we gonna have lunch now?".

Aside from that, there's no reason people shouldn't watch, and enjoy, this amusing film.

8,5/10


Small Swedish village is pretty much free of all crime. Police force doesn't have much else to do than to loiter around, hoping for something to happen. But one day they hear, that their work place is under cancellation threat, so they must boost up their arrest and crime rate to keep their beloved police station.

They figure out, that if they don't have crime they might as well start doing crime themselves.

Hardly never movies with this kind of settings are good but Kopps does fine exception from that rule. A funny film with good acting and great jokes. Especially the crimes and descriptions of "Russian mafia" shoot outs and such are hilarious and well done.

My thumbs up.