Worst episode of the series this far, 'Bugs' didn't make anything, no scary impact, already seen story, a story that is made for big and long movies, all that "houses built on the old Indian graveyard" kind of thing that used to work sometimes, but it definitely didn't work out for 'Supernatural' series.

Unless you're scared of mass numbers of insects (on a TV show) and you like to watch 40 minutes of the most boring investigations of 'Supernatural' so far, then you should give this episode a shot, otherwise feel free to say that the first season had only 21 episodes like i said.


Personally I loved "Supernatural" ever since the pilot, but it's still very encouraging and stimulating to see how the show gets better with each and every episode! By the time of this eighth episode, the two young brothers evolved into convincing & heroic crime battlers, the suspense increases every week, the scripts refer more and more to older horror classics and the stories provide new and creative types of supernatural menace every time! I feel like labeling every new episode I see as the best one thus far, but the truth is all episodes pretty much are of equally high quality. "Bugs" is definitely a personal favorite, as it combines the tension of supernatural horror with the old-fashioned fun of nature-revolting creature features. When two lethal accidents are caused by seemly harmless insects on a location where estate agents are building a new housing complex, it simply looks like a bizarre coincidence at first. Sam and Dean are nevertheless investigating the case, because the state of the victims' bodies indicate that the little critters weren't behaving normally when they attacked. After a third casualty died from spider bites, the brothers  together with a bug-obsessed teenager  discover that the insects are revolting against humanity because of an ancient Indian curse. This installment in Eric Kripke's fabulous show features some of the best special effects ever shown on TV. Especially the humongous swarms of bees and cockroaches are staggering. The revelation of the Indian curse is fascinating and another brilliant detail is how every episode enlightens us a little more about Sam & Dean's backgrounds. For the avid & experienced horror fans among us, there's a lovely mentioning of the classic 70's rat-shocker "Willard".


The storyline for this episode is weak and not worked well upon. Sam and Dean, thanks to the writers who have depended on co-incidental rather than an intelligent mystery-solving story, get lucky throughout the story and use none of their daemon-hunting skills that the show is all about. The way the two get from one step to another on their way to unveil the mystery is totally uninteresting. Replace Sam and Dean with me and my accountant brother and still the episode would be believable. What's more, no imagination has been put in creating the evil spirit here. It's not just unoriginal but badly adapted from whichever of the numerous sources it has been taken from.

All in all, just an episode to fill the spot.


This isn't a terrible episode, but I thought it was a particularly generic and boring entry in the series. Dean and Sam come across a strange death in Oklahoma, concerning a construction worker who was found - minus a brain... Doctors shrug it off as Mad Cow Disease, though the brother's decide to do a little more thorough investigation around a new housing development where it seems insects are acting slightly odd. Another resident of the community is found mysteriously dead among a cluster of spiders and with the help of a 16 year-old kid, they realize the area holds an ancient, native American curse. Aside from some significant progression in the two main characters, where Sam expresses some past conflict with their father, "Bugs" is a rather weak episode with not nearly enough focus on the revealed swarm seen at the end. It is resolved quite ineffectively and the vague emphasis on the source of the plague seemed forced and dull... Pretty mediocre installment in the show.


This is one if my favorite movies of all time. It is best seen right after Casablanca; I like to watch the two back-to-back to get the full effect. I laugh out loud throughout the movie, as I see myself portrayed so well in Allen's character. The movie is a must for any slightly-geeky single man or anyone who enjoyed Casablanca. I think of this as the story of a lovelorn geek on a quest for love, guided by his faith in Bogart. The cast is astounding; along with Allen's performance, Diane Keaton added a good amount of reality, sensitivity, and humor. Her character is quite believable. Tony Roberts is hilarious; his deadpan delivery of all the phone number lines prevents the joke from getting old even on multiple viewings.


I'm a big fan of Woody Allen. While his films often have something wrong with them, you can always count on a good time and a laugh while you're watching - and that's certainly what you get here! Woody Allen films are always best when Woody himself stars in them; his neurotic persona is a great base for laughs, and he certainly delivers in this film! For some reason, Woody Allen chose not to direct this film himself and Herbert Ross has got that job. Due to the cast, and Woody's script, however, this is very much another Woody Allen flick, no matter who is in the director's chair. This film also features the first screen pairing of Allen and Diane Keaton, who would, of course, go on to make Allen's masterpiece 'Annie Hall', along with Tony Roberts, who also co-stars here. The plot of the movie plays out like a tribute to Casablanca, and it sees recently dumped Allen falling in love with his best friend's wife, all the while under the watchful eye of the great Humphrey Bogart, whom he sees in his daydreams.

The humour in this film is awesome and also amazingly funny. Scenes that see Woody Allen blunder his way through dates are hilarious, and Allen's dialogue is at its dry and witty peak. The scene in which he tells of a fight he had with two 'hairdressers' being an excellent example of his writing. Allen tends to play the same sort of character in all of his films, and the one here shows him doing that again. This would be a problem, if he weren't so amazingly good at it. As the man festers in his own pathos; we can really believe it, and this gives the film a great sense of believability and also offers up a prime example of Allen acting at his best. The film isn't a complete one-man show, however, as the underrated Tony Roberts, along with Diane Keaton also give grand performances. The movie tributes in the film are many, with most pointing to the great Casablanca - and this is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. On the whole, this is an intelligent, entertaining and hilarious movie from one of cinema's best comedians. Highly recommended!


Perhaps Woody's best effort in his 'neurotic schlep' persona. The script is a comic whirlwind, with too many brilliant scenes to enumerate (I can't resist mentioning the blind date's arrival - the desperate preparations and the pathetic introduction are funny but painful, in that we have all been in that position; his demonstration of authentic Chinese rice-eating technique is another classic). The device of the imaginary Bogart alter ego works well, especially in the climactic scene with Diane Keaton. In my book this ranks with Sleeper, Manhattan, and Annie Hall as Woody's best films.


While he did not direct it, but rather, only wrote a screen adaptation of his own play, this overlooked slapstick film from 1972 is one of Woody Allen's finest treasures. Back in the day when Woody was just as slapstick as he was verbal, "Play It Again, Sam" tells the story of Allen as a divorced film critic crushed by the failure of his marriage. A huge fan of Humphrey Bogart, Allen soon looks to an imaginary incarnation of Bogie to guide his fearful (and clumsy) voyage back into the single life. He is aided by his best friend Dick and his wife Linda (Woody regulars Tony Roberts and Diane Keaton), who assist him in setting up one disastrous date after another. Soon enough, Woody discovers that sometimes you actually find true love but it doesn't always work out the way you wish.

Personally, I don't care too much for the whole Bogart-as-mentor thing. I spend most of the film cracking up at Woody's clumsy gestures and neurotic nay-sayings. As usual in an Allen film, Keaton gives a sweet, self-effacing performance. Because the film was directed by Herbert Ross, the typical rambling dialogue and back-and-forth editing is toned down a bit, so for an Allen vehicle, the movie feels more mannered and has more of a narrative strength than Woody's other wacky 70's productions. Still, Woody has never made me laugh harder - ever.


"Play It Again, Sam" is not an altogether successful film: it gets kind of monotonous midway through, and it has a few dead spots and mediocre jokes along the way. But I still like it very much. A warmly funny, enormously likable film, it contains some absolutely hilarious moments (watch for his first blind date and the scene where he follows - and overdoes - the advice that Bogart's ghost gave him to tell Diane Keaton how beautiful she is). Keaton is really lovely and adds an extra sparkle to the movie. Wacky and emotional at the same time, the film is recommended even to not-very-enthusiastic Allen fans.


I lied on Bananas, THIS is my favorite Woodman movie. It's perhaps the most accessible, mainstream early Allen film. After Woody's wife splits on him (what took her so long!?), Woody turns to best friends Keaton and Roberts to help him back into the romantic saddle. Bogie also appears - flawlessly portrayed by Lacy - and attempts to assist Woody out of his doldrums with decidedly mixed results. What eventually happens, along with the Manhattan story line, suggests the Woodman's later real-life escapades. Of all of Allen's films this one for me has the most timeless moments, particularly involving his many dating mishaps. Woody's luckless character is part of a great comedic lineage that goes at least as far back as Bob Hope and has been seen as recently as George on Seinfeld. A comedy classic.


Easily my favorite movie with Woody that he did not direct, 'Play it Again, Sam' is a hysterically funny homage to Bogart, divorce, adultery, dating, an overactive imagination, meeting women in museums, and calling your office with all the telephone numbers you can be reached at..this is some great stuff and Woody's social awkwardness and pratfalls and neuroses will have you laughing throughout.

One of my favorite scenes is Woody trying to meet an attractive woman at a museum. She turns out to be a little more unhappy than he is but is also very funny in her darkness.

The very best is Woody getting set up on a blind date with Jennifer Salt. His nervousness will stay in your mind long after the movie is over.


Directed by Herbert Ross, "Play It Again, Sam" (1972) is Woody Allen's film from the beginning to the final credits. Allen wrote the screenplay based on his Broadway play and he starred as Allan, a neurotic movie buff who writes the film reviews (what else?). Allan not just loves movies; he lives in the movies' world and constantly takes advices on how to get the girls from the legendary hero of his all time favorite movie "Casablanca", Humphrey Bogart's Rick. I am not a fan of "Casablanca" at all but if my favorite Artist is so much in love with it, maybe I should give it another try.

When Allan's wife Nancy leaves him, his best friend Dick (Tony Roberts) and his lovely wife Linda (Diane Keaton) try to fix him up with several eligible pretty young ladies. Very typically for Woody's characters, he is a total failure with them. The only woman he feels comfortable with, he shares the same insecurities and neuroses, the one whose Birthday he remembers and who he desperately wants is Linda, his best friend's wife. "Play It Again, Sam" is a remarkable movie for several reasons and one of them - it was the beginning of a wonderful working (and not only) relationship between Allen and Keaton that would result in the movies "Bananas" (1971), "Sleeper" (1973), "Love and Death" (1975), "Annie Hall" (1977), "Interiors" (1978), "Manhattan" (1979), "Radio Days" (1987), and "Manhattan Murder Mystery" (1993) and will bring them both well deserved fame and Oscars. Made 34 years ago, "Play It Again, Sam" holds up very well and I would call it my favorite earlier Woody's film and the best Woody's film that he has not directed.

8/10


Allen plays a film critic who has been cruelly dumped by his wife. Je wants to meet other women but is very neurotic (no surprise there). He idolizes Humphrey Bogart who shows up from time to time to give him advice on dealing with woman. His best friends--couple Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts--try to help also. Naturally he ends up falling for Keaton.

Allen didn't direct this (Herbert Ross did) but he wrote it. So it sounds like a Woody Allen film but doesn't LOOK like an Allen film. For one thing it was shot in San Francisco--not New York! It's also somewhat dated in 1970s dialogue and fashion. There's also a running joke involving Roberts and telephones that doesn't work today. Still this is a very good film.

It is an affectionate take-off on "Casablanca" and other old films also. Allen is playing has patented neurotic character but I've always found him funny and his disastrous dates are just great. Also him, Keaton and Roberts always worked well together and it makes their relationship seem very believable. And Jerry Lacy is VERY funny playing Bogart and giving Allen advice.

If you don't like Woody Allen movies this probably won't change your mind. But I found it fast, funny and very entertaining. And the dated 70s touches were actually quite funny. I give this a 8.


While it is a bit light on the story, it does provide some extremely funny lines and some hilarious pratfalls. And, more importantly for me, it is clearly an homage to film in general, and Bogart in particular. How could anyone not love this?


One of the earliest works of Woody Allen I have seen, well, probably it's because of my age. As this movie is actually much older than me, I'd like to recommend it to anyone who likes sweet, personal and somehow British-like comedy, although I failed to persuade any of my friends to watch it--they think it's just wicked to watch a movie made in 70s which is not famous. Woody is absolutely lovable, I almost choked when watching this movie while I was eating because of uncontrolled laughters, especially the scenes of his first date after the divorce. Diane is very pretty in this movie, although I think now she looks rather cruel when she is serious, but man i liked her dresses so much I hardly noticed her acting (sorry, can't help it as a girl).

It's easy to watch, cos' I have to confess I never quite get the greatness of the famous "Anne Hall". If someone from China like me who is still learning English can get this movie, I AM SURE you guys who like the style of Woody Allen, will totally dig it.


I detest slapstick and even as a child I could never understand why an audience laughed when people got poked in the eye (the unspeakable Three Stooges), fell down (the mawkish, tiresome Charlie Chaplin), or ran into and destroyed things (the ineffable Ritz Brothers). This is the only movie I have ever seen in my life where I not only thought the slapstick was hilarious (trying to impress the blind date), but it made me laugh out loud---something I don't think I've done more than two or three times in watching a movie. This is comic perfection from beginning to end, and not even the dismal, dislikable, annoying Diane Keaton (what IS it that is so off-putting about her?) could hurt it. Allen, in addition to his many other talents, is a brilliant actor-comedian. His characterizations are so good as to transcend acting---it is as if one were watching him being secretly photographed from real life. I don't know another movie actor I can say that about.


I'm NOT a Woody fan, but his comedy about male/female relationships makes you laugh. The subject is just as current in our post-modern, dated-you-yesterday ... dating-someone-else-today world. Too bad there's the eventual bedding of Ms. Keaton which just doesn't ring true. I recommend watching a Bogart film before (or with) this comedy to appreciate Lacy's portrayal of Bogart. He's credible! There's seamless choreography in some scenes involving Woody's imagined interplay with Bogart while "real" characters converse with Woody. My favorite line is "I fought those guys. My face hit his fist and my nose broke his knee." My favorite visual is the Jennifer date that ends with the door closed on him as he talks.


I remember the week I saw Casablanca and Play it Again Sam for the first time. Casablanca so authentically over the top romantic and Play it Again Sam so authentically and reverentially funny. Now about 20 years on multi-region DVD players allow us to see Play it Again Sam in the UK. What a great comedy film! Usually I am not too keen on Woody Allen, but in this one there is wonderful humorous dialogue matched with some Jacques Tati class silent movie style comedy. I have had to watch the "Blind Date" chapter twice tonight to see him wrestling with his jacket, dropping the girl's coat and finally flinging the Oscar Peterson album nonchalantly over his shoulder - the rest of the cast are biting their hands to control themselves. Makes fun of, and honours Casablanca at the same time.


I have a special fondness for this lightweight 1972 romantic comedy from the pen of Woody Allen. Directed not by Allen but by Herbert Ross, it represents the noteworthy first pairing of Allen and Diane Keaton, and the combination of their unerring chemistry and Allen's clever, often hilarious script makes for great viewing after all these years. Allen plays his usual nebbish character, this time a film critic named Allan Felix, whose free-spirit wife leaves him for being a boring observer of life. He seeks solace from best friends Dick and Linda Christie, he a workaholic stockbroker and she a model. They set him up on a series of hysterically bad blind dates, which Allen plays out with physical abandon. Whether inadvertently flinging an album across the room or swinging spastically at a discotheque, he is a master of slapstick, a gift he has too rarely displayed since. Eventually, the inevitable happens when Linda and Allan fall in love.

What makes the predictable premise unique is the way Allen celebrates classic movies, mainly Warner Brothers melodramas, and has the characters reenact famous scenes to move the story along. He even the spirit of Humphrey Bogart act as his adviser when he faces romantic complications since Bogie always knew how to treat his women. It's all deftly acted by an expert cast. Beyond Allen, Keaton shows the first signs of her unmatched comic prowess as Linda, though for the most part, she is called upon to be the conflicted leading lady. Tony Roberts, another Allen favorite, especially as the best friend, plays Dick in his typically sharp manner. Jerry Lacy does a reasonable impersonation of Bogie, and the long missing Susan Anspach plays Allen's wife with spacey vitriol.

While the film obviously lacks the emotional depth and improvisational style of Allen's later films (the obvious comparison being 1977's "Annie Hall" starring the same three leads), it still has a quaint charm to go with its romantic comedy conventionality. Its risk-averse nature is what makes this film an invaluable addition to the Allen filmography, as it shows how far he has come as a film auteur. Credit should also be given to Ross for bringing Allen's picture-perfect screenplay to life and also to cinematographer Owen Roizman for capturing the picturesque San Francisco locations while evoking classic Hollywood in key scenes. The DVD has no extras.


"Play It Again, Sam" was directed by Herbert Ross (mostly known for chick flicks, such as "Steel Magnolias", "The Turning Point" and "Boys on the Side"), but it's a typical Woody Allen film. Woody wrote this brilliant comedy, based on his own stage play, and starred as Allan Felix, a (neurotic, of course) film critic that, after being dumped by his wife, is constantly visited by the ghost of his idol, Humphrey Bogart (Jerry Lacy). Bogart's ghost (characterized as Rick Blaine, from "Casablanca") gives Allan advice about how to win over beautiful women, but our hero seems too clumsy to find the right lady. The only woman who seems to be ideal for Allan is Linda Christie (Diane Keaton), a close friend and, also, the wife of Allan's best friend, Dick (Tony Roberts).

I think "Play It Again, Sam" is easily one of the best comedies ever made, almost in the same level as the classic "Annie Hall". It's so good that I'm looking forward to seeing it again. If you don't laugh watching this, you're very ill. 10 out of 10.


What could be cooler than having a screen legend hanging out with you, offering you dating tips? This classic 1972 comedy written by and starring Woody Allen gives him two, one the specter of Humphrey Bogart, the other a young Diane Keaton just working her way into film.

Woody plays Allan Felix, a film critic who has just been dumped by his wife and sets off to fill the hole in his heart. "I'll get broads in here like you wouldn't believe," he tells himself. "Swingers, freaks, nymphomaniacs, dental hygienists." But when even the nymphomaniac complains about his getting fresh, he realizes it won't be so easy. Enter Bogart, appearing in a series of fantasy sequences, and Keaton, very much a part of his real life as one-half of the married couple that jumps in to help Allan out. Alone amongst women, she can see Allan as a worthwhile guy, especially with their shared love for apple juice and Darvon.

"Play It Again, Sam" is a bit of an anomaly for an Allen comedy. It's set in San Francisco, not New York, and is directed by Herbert Ross rather than Allen himself. But it's very funny, kind of poignant, and a clever way of examining the foibles of hooking up, circa the 1970s. A number of comic vignettes examine the various ways seeking out the opposite sex can go wrong, on the dance floor, in a Chinese restaurant, in a bar. My favorite has to be the museum hottie with the pneumatic voice: Only an Allen movie would have its best punchline be about committing suicide.

The central point of the film, as brought out by another apparition only Allan sees, his ex-wife, is that the world is broken up into watchers and doers, and Allan the film critic is too much the former. Bogie gives him much the same advice, but Bogie and the ex-wife don't exactly get along in Allan's daydreams, leading to awkward moments. "Don't listen to him!" "Don't listen to her!" "Fellas, we're in a supermarket."

Besides, as Allan notes, it's one thing for Bogie to get slapped, another thing for him: "Your glasses don't go flying across the room."

Other than "Annie Hall" and "Sleeper," this is the best of the early Woody Allen comedies, another way of saying the best of Woody Allen. Ross's unpretentious style keeps the focus on the humor and the performances, and even makes Allen seem a gifted physical comedian, which he isn't. Keaton is a terrific foil for Allen, both platonically and as it turns out, otherwise, while Tony Roberts as her husband (this being his first of many Allen films, too) makes for a wry straight man with his constant phone calls and his appearances in some fun fantasy send-ups, the best of them in Italian.

You really like the characters in this one. Empathy can be a powerful weapon in comedy, something Woody apparently forgot as he moved into his Bergman phase. The ending is neat without being satisfying, the dream sequences aren't used to their full potential, and some of the rape jokes sound really bad all these years later. But you laugh a lot watching this film, a nice vehicle for Woody's observational humor and for seeing the game of love played in its most ineptly enjoyable form.


If you love old movies, or great comedy, or Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in their early prime, then PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM will still deliver the goods 30+ years after its first release. While technically not a Woody Allen film (he wrote it, based on his own Broadway play, but it was directed by Herbert Ross), it bears the mark of the Woodster during his funny, soulful early period. and is right up there with such gems as TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN and BANANAS. For all its humor, it is a great tribute to film-making and very deeply felt. Working with Keaton clearly inspired him, both comically and dramatically, and this, their first film together, already shows the on screen chemistry that flourished throughout the 1970s. Add to this the great comic Bogart of Jerry Lacy, and an ending that will make every true film-goer laugh out loud, and you have a winner.


A little slow at first, but once I got into this movie I really enjoyed it. This was my first Woody Allen movie, and I thought he was funny for the most part. I laughed out loud on more than one occasion (especially in a scene in which he attempts to make a pass at a depressed girl in a museum). Diane Keaton did a very good job as the lead female character. I especially enjoyed Jerry Lacy's performance as "Humphrey Bogart". Woody's fantasy conversations with "Bogart" were especially enjoyable, and lead to some of the funnier lines/scenes in the movie. A good comedy, one which I would imagine especially Woody Allen fans would enjoy. I think it also helps if you are a Bogart fan, such as myself.

8/10


This came as a great surprise because I didn't pay enough attention at the movies for which Woody only wrote the screenplay and for years I had no idea that he made something like this, and with Diane Keaton as a partner! This movie is in my opinion an overlooked gem, probably because many people are thrown off by the fact that Woody didn't direct it. Of course that shows... I think the mood of the film is not so good, the pacing tends to drag after half an hour and the climactic scene with "Bogey", Woody and Keaton I think didn't emphasize all the potential of the script. Speaking of which, even if flawed with some flat jokes and one-liners, the screenplay has a very natural energy that Woody seriously lacks in his later efforts, an energy that places this movie alongside Sleeper and Take the Money and Run. But unlike those two other movies from the same period Play it Again, Sam is more bent on the romantic side and it really is much more than just a Casablanca spoof. It is more in line with The Purple Rose of Cairo portraying a passive character with enough soul to give to others but unable to make good with people because of inhibitions. In both these films the main character is a movie buff, consuming all that energy that should be invested in their lives in devouring movies. Play it Again, Sam was more optimistic, I thought and it was brilliant in its self-referential nature, Woody proved that he was short and ugly enough to make it on his own. And nobody could ever deny that he lacks style...


Play It Again, Sam is a wonderful little piece of a Woody Allen movie, where we almost see- as my girlfriend described- as a sort of 'protoplasm' of Allen's style. While he didn't direct the picture, there usually are the marks of his qualities all over it, albeit in an oddly placed setting in San Francisco (not by choice of course). There's a fine balance struck between what one would see in countless other Allen films involving the neurotics in relationships, the mockery placed on the 'normal' people who just cannot connect with the Allen persona, and also with a side of the wacky comedy bits that one sees in Allen's writings at the time (lots of homage, parody, self-referential dialog, etc). We see a movie writer, Allen Felix (Allen, hmm to the name), who's wife just left him to go out and explore new freedoms. Meanwhile, Allen tries to bounce back by going on some dates, always with bad results, be it his own nervousness, not reading the right 'signs' (even from a nymph), or being surrounded by more brutish men than him, which isn't hard of course to see.

But then there's Diane Keaton's Linda, who is already married to Tony Roberts's character, and they're all friends with Allen too. Things become complicated when Linda and Allen become more than just platonic, and one night things go to the next level. Will she leave her husband for him? Meanwhile, Allen has his sort of guardian angel/devil in one at his ear, Humphrey Bogart, pecking away at him to be more than what he is, as he's ultimately the most impressive man in Allen's life, particularly after seeing Casablanca. While some of the film is noticeably- and a little hurt by being- not really a total Woody Allen picture (one can tell just by the choices of the music, sometimes it comes in like twinkle-twinkle or something to a 70s degree, and some of the touches of cinematography ring of convention), the screenplay is one of Allen's sharpest in the period, with the wit always flying by, with some lines instant classics ("it's been two weeks and already my wife's left me for a Nazi" and "I love the rain - it washes memories off the sidewalk of life" among others). And the rapport between Allen and Keaton is already locked in completely, with it being almost a prototype for their best on-screen pairing in Annie Hall.

Loaded with more than a few brilliant visual touches (like Roberts's Dick walking into the ocean solemnly in a 'what if' moment, or when Linda pulls the gun on Allen in another 'what if' moment at the airport), and a climax that keeps any fan of Casablanca, or at least anyone who knows how the scene goes- which should be almost anyone considering it's classic cinematic folklore at this point- with a smile cheek to cheek. Not always hilarious, and with a couple of cheesy, even dated duds, but it's worth the watch for anyone interested in getting into the star/writer's films.


(Some Spoilers) Going through a painful divorce movie critic and Humphrey Bogart enthusiast Allen Felix, Woody Allen, spends almost all of his free time in a local revival theater watching old Humphrey Bogart movies. That's where we first see him almost hypnotized watching the final scene of the 1942 Bogart/Bergman classic Casablanca.

Always on the short end of the stick when it came to having relationships with women the divorce to his wife Nancy, Susan Aspach, just about destroyed whatever confidence he had with the fairer sex. That left Allen so depressed that all he could think of is either killing himself or, in order to get his mind of women forever, become a eunuch in a Turkish Sultan's harem.

Allen gets to talk his women problem's over with his best friend financial planner Dick Christe, Tony Roberts, and his pretty and somewhat shy wife Linda, Diane Keaton. The two trying to get Allen out of his almost suicidal state of mind set him up with a number of single women that they know at work. All their efforts always leads to disaster for the neurotic and depressed Allen who blows every opportunity to start up a relationship with the young women that he's set up with.

The best advice that poor Allen gets is from non-other then what seems like the ghost of Humphrey Bogart, Jerry Lacy, himself. Bogart acts as Allen's alter-ego telling the shy and withdrawn young man that he has to get over his hang-ups and take the bull or woman by the horns. Letting her know that he's in charge and not act like some sniveling nebbish who's so unsure of himself that he has whatever woman he's out on a date with just walk out on him in disgust. Like a number of young women do in the movie, not caring at all if they hurt his feelings or not; that's just the kind of benign contempt women have for the poor slob.

Bogart who no matter how he tries to get Allen on the right track with women just can't get the guy to break out of his insecurities. It's not until Allen is alone with Linda who's husband Dick is out of town on a business trip and then the sparks really start to fly. One of Woody Allen's best and most personal movies has the shy and introverted movie critic slowly overcome his inability to make it with the opposite sex with help of not only Humphrey Bogart but sweet and kind Linda Christe as well.

Not expecting anything to happen the two alone in Allen's San Francisco apartment get so caught up with this uncontrollable passion that by the time the night was over Allen and Linda were in bed recovering from an evening that they'll both remember for the rest of their lives. Dick who suspects that his wife Linda had been having an affair while he was away on business goes into the same kind of depressed state of mind like his friend Allen. Dick later confides in him about the heartbreak he's having over Linda's infidelities and how by neglecting her in favor of his constant business pursuits may very well have had been responsible for them.

It's both funny as well as sad when we see Dick and his best friend Allen talk over Dick's fears of losing his wife Linda and blaming himself for her leaving him by not paying any attention to her but being too involved in his job. It's also a bit strange and almost comical to hear Dick threaten to kill Linda's lover. Dick tells a befuddled and almost speechless Allen Felix that he had to lose Linda to some big stud. As much as he feels sympathy for his friend Dick's dilemma Allen is at the same time also in a way embarrassingly impressed, in he fact that Dick unknowingly thinks of him as being a big ladies man, by it. it was also strange that even though Dick knew that Allen was with Linda all the time he was away from her and that she even mentioned his name in her sleep Dick for the life of him couldn't put two and two together. Which showed just how little he thought of Allen as someone who can impress a woman, like Linda or anyone else, to leave him!

The movie touchingly recreates the final scene in the film "Casablanca" with Allen Felix doing his best Humphrey Bogart imitation by having Linda leave him for her husband Dick whom she was going back to, if very reluctantly, anyway and forget about him with both her. It's then that Dick and Linda board the plane thats leaving for Cleveland and out of the now wiser and far more confidant, thanks to Humphrey Bogart, with women Allen Felix's life forever. As the movie ends Allen and Humphrey Bogart make a parting of the ways on the fog draped and almost empty tarmac. Allen knowing that he finally found the secret of what being a success, which is simply being himself, with women really is. Humphrey Bogart now knowing that he's no longer needed as Allen's guardian angel then goes back, by disappearing into the cold and foggy night, to Hollywood and movie heaven to the music of "As Time Goes By".


PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM has one of the most quotable (and joke-able) line in cinema history: "I'm so depressed." It introduces Woody Allen as a complete neurotic who can't seem to look at the open doors all around him and prefers to consult an analyst -- be it an actual psychiatrist or us, the viewer -- and whine about his inability to relate to the little things in life without creating some turbulent drama complete with hoots and clicks. It's survived to this day, and whenever his name comes up, people tend to sigh and think, "Oh no -- more angst coming from successful white people from the Upper East Side!"

However, this is not a Woody Allen movie. This is Herbert Ross' adaptation of a Woody Allen play, but it's done in such a way that from start to finish it resembles the type of comic fantasies Allen himself would direct in the latter part of the Seventies and from then on. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM tells the story of Allan Felix, a film critic whose wife Nancy (Susan Anspach) has left him because she, plain and simple, needs excitement. (Sounds familiar? He would explore a near-identical situation with the relationship between Alvy Singer and Annie Hall.) Allan of course, becomes depressed. Because his apartment is a shrine to all things Humphrey Bogart (the movie begins with Allan at an art-house movie theatre at the end of CASABLANCA), it's no surprise when Bogart makes his own appearance and gives Allan pointers about how to react to women while telling him what went wrong. At the same time, Linda and Dick (Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts), his married friends, also make their appearance and try to see if prospective matches can take Allan off of his arrested development. Sadly -- or should I say, hilariously -- every women they set Allan up with proves to be dismal failures, but the surprising thing is that the more time Allan and Linda spend time together, the more they find that they relate to each other. It's just time when pressure from Bogart and Allan's own growing gumption will make him take the next step.

One of the most remarkable things in PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM is how it becomes the first Woody Allen story to incorporate fantasy as a part of reality in a way that doesn't seem gimmicky. No dreamy music, no special effects -- they just appear, in Allan's mind, cohabiting and egging him on in his neuroses. Bogart suddenly materializing in the background, in shadows, is priceless (and Jerry Lacy virtually channels Bogart's mannerisms and voice down to a science), but so is a sequence when Allan and Linda are sitting on the sofa. Allan is receiving pressure from Bogart to make a move on her. Suddenly, an angry Nancy makes her announcement, complete with a gun, and shoots Bogart in classic film-noir fashion. Needless to say, Allan and Linda resolve their issue separately, but it's a clever move, one that would make its appearance in a plethora of situations in subsequent movies. However, blending the events of CASABLANCA as a part of what transpires between Allan and Linda elevates the more comedic aspects of PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM to a very touching moment. It's part of Allen's way of paying homage to the classic films that were made when he was growing up, and he would return to this again in THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO with equally clever results.


This is an old fashioned Woody Allen film (in other words it's funny). It's got a much more coherent plot than any of his era--with a much more conventional format. While I like the extreme silliness of these earlier starring films, I also see this as a welcome change and his most personally engaging film--it really has a lot of heart.

Woody plays a nerdy guy (what else?) who is obsessed with Humphrey Bogart films. He loves them so much that Bogie himself often stops by to give him advice! These moments are wonderful and the actor imitating Bogart is spot on! Well, for some odd reason, his wife doesn't like Woody and leaves (gee, he sounds like the perfect guy, huh?). His married friends, Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts come to give him support and try to set him up with various ladies (none of which comes even close to working out). However, over time, it becomes obvious to everyone except Woody and Diane that THEY would make a great couple. Even Bogie comes to tell Woody to make the moves on his friend's wife! Well, here is where the plot begins to look more and more like CASABLANCA--a natural considering Bogie's in this film, too! Well, I'll stop my review here because I DON'T want to spoil the picture. It's cute, coherent and well worth seeing.

PS--a great scene involves Bogie having a showdown with Woody's ex-wife. It's a riot, though in general this movie has more subtlety and less laugh out loud laughs than his previous films but it all works together so well, it's not a problem.


Allan Felix (Woody Allen) is a quirky film critic who has very minimal success with the ladies after being dumped by his wife. With the help of his two friends (Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts) and an imaginary Humphrey Bogart, he attempts to find a mate, but falls for the wrong one.

Like I said in the summary, I really don't find Woody Allen to be that great of an actor. Play it Again, Sam changed my mind! This is a lighthearted comedy that I found to be his greatest film. Woody Allen plays the same character he always plays in his movies, but I actually found him to be quite funny in this one. The whole idea of Humphrey Bogart teaching him how to get women was just hysterical to me also. Jerry Lacy was a wonderful Bogart and the on-screen chemistry between Keaton and Allen was as wonderful as in Annie Hall. Overall, Play it Again, Sam was a wonderful quirky comedy but defiantly contains Woody Allen humor.

I highly recommend this film.


First this was a successful Broadway play. Then came the adaptation under the direction of Herbert Ross. Woody Allen had only directed a few pictures before, but it's curious he decided to let Mr. Ross direct this one, at all. Woody Allen was still in his first phase as a director, not having gone into his Igmar Bergmann period yet.

"Play it Again, Sam" shows a restrained Woody Allen acting on his own material. He presents us an Allan Felix, a man so neurotic, he could probably pass as the real Woody Alen any time. Allan is a nerdy movie fan who doesn't know how to keep a woman. It's clear his first marriage to Nancy has been a failure.

As in other Woody Allen films, we have the well intentioned couple that wants to see Allan happy. In this film they are Dick and Linda Christie, successful people that regard this friend as capable of being reformed by letting him meet interesting and sexy women. The film is dominated by the mystical figure of Humphrey Bogart, who wants Allan to get "dames" with a technique that he tries to teach him throughout the film. Those scenes between the fictitious Bogart, and Allan are one of the the highlights of the movie.

The interplay with the movie "Casablanca" makes an interesting contrast with what we watch at the beginning of the film, which is the crucial conclusion of the Michael Curtiz's film. The concluding sequence of "Play it Again Sam" mirrors the classic model in more ways than one.

Woody Allen is perfect for playing his own material. He was at the height of his comic genius in this film. His humor has a nervous edge that translated in one liners that come too fast, at times, for us to savor and relish. In fact, as directed by Mr. Ross, Woody Allen responds well and makes a great appearance and contributes tremendously to the success of this film.

Diane Keaton, who plays Linda Christie, shows an affinity for what would follow later as she became an invaluable collaborator of Mr. Allen. Her portrayal of this character shows also the same neurotic qualities we see in Allan. Tony Roberts plays Dick Christie, a role that parallels that of Victor Lazlo in Casablanca. Susan Anspach is seen briefly as the woman who leaves Allan at the beginning of the film. Jerry Lacy as Humphrey Bogart with raincoat, fedora and cigarettes, is the perfect pal anyone could ask for.

"Play it Again Sam", is a film that surprisingly, has aged well as it doesn't have a dated feeling to it. The movie will not disappoint, but the viewer must stay alert for those witty Allen's one liners.


Woody Allen did all but direct this film, which is why it sometimes misses lists of his best films, the truth is he had moved on to another project while it was still a stage show, and such is his desire to create, he didn't want to go back too directing. Realising it is too good a piece of work not to direct, Herbert Ross takes up the reigns, and it becomes a clever, interesting experience; to see Woody playing the fool, so bad at dating, but directed by not-Woody.

He seems to be slightly freer on-screen here, as if the directing shackles have been lifted and he can concentrate on his performance, the slapstick edge makes it seem like a cross between Annie Hall and Sleeper; it's really funny, and it would make a good film for couples to watch, such is the spectacular ineptitude of Woody's characters.

In short, he dates women, and a vision of Humphrey Bogart dispenses advice on how he (Bogart) would handle the situation, helping him along the way, it makes for brilliant viewing. Woody's sometime comic partner Tony Roberts plays the straight guy so well, he's very funny himself just doing nothing, they seem to feed off each other. Diane Keaton is gorgeous as always, it's a great addition to the Woody Allen catalogue.


I get angry when younger people talk about the funniest movies of all-time and mention Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell movies because they have never seen an Allen picture. I understand the appeal of Sandler, but he is no Woody Allen. Their work pales in comparison to almost any Allen film. Woody Allen movies are uproariously funny..especially Play it Again Sam. The first time I saw it, I had checked it out from the local library and almost didn't return it, due to separation anxiety. I truly believe this is as good or better than Annie Hall, Sleeper, or Hannah and Her Sisters. What I like about it is that it's Woody at his most neurotic. He is recently separated and at his most insecure best. Fans of Casablanca will love it too. Not even Bogie can give Woody's character any romantic advice here. There are so many scenes that showcase Woody's comic genius. Simple stuff, but an absolute hoot nonetheless. The blow dryer scene, the scene in the art gallery with the young lady who comments on the Pollack picture and many other classically funny Allen scenes. My favorite scene is when he is in his apartment with Diane Keaton waiting for a blind date to arrive. He starts putting out books and Jr. High track medals to impress her and then when she arrives he can only grunt at her greeting. He then proceeds to fling his jacket across the room and knock over a lamp. He lets an album go flying as well. He has an incident with his turntable too! At the end of the scene he is leaning on a chair and it tips over. If you look closely, you can see that the other three actors in the scene can barely restrain themselves and stay in character. Allen is a nervous wreck and it is painful and hilarious at the same time. Woody allowed Herbert Ross to direct this movie and Ross did a fabulous job. His pacing and timing are perfect. The script is so sharp and witty. Tony Roberts and Diane Keaton are superb in the supporting performances. Plus, it was filmed in LA and has that LA feel about it. This movie is on my top ten list of funniest movies of all time. Nothing with Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler can crack my to ten. Woody Allen is a national treasure and this movie showcases why.


Woody Allen has made a living out of portraying himself as the world's biggest geek on the silver screen. How he ever got started I will never know. All he does is load up the Brink's truck and off to the bank he goes. The reason this movie is so much fun is because you know another laugh is just around the corner. I would love to see the out takes on this movie. You could see the other actors trying to hold back laughing. Diane Keaton loves working with Allen. She is quite a lady and a real looker. When Woody asks the stunning gal if she wants to dance and she says get lost creep and his answer to Linda is she'd rather not has to crack up any one who ever saw this movie. Over the years I have had a hard time finding people who like Allen. You look at him and you would like to tell him to get a haircut and get rid of those huge glasses. That I guess is his charm and appeal to his fans. This is a very funny film. If you like to laugh about fifty times during a movie, see this one. I don't like Allen and I love this movie. Give it chance. You will like it.


Play it again Sam (1972) Dir: Herbert Ross With Diane Keaton's second feature, she begins her frequent onscreen collaboration with her occasional offscreen lover, Woody Allen. Diane introduces her classic neurotic New York City persona in this movie, playing a married friend of Woody's. As she tries to help him get over his divorce, Woody is counseled on how to be cool by the ghost of Humphrey Bogart. A classic Woody/Diane pairing and another hit for Diane. Screenplay by Woody.


At the time of its release, I thought this might be Steve Martin's best work. He's done so many good things that I wouldn't say what's his best anymore but he is very good in here. His Italian hoodlum accent is funny and the unique character he plays, "Vinnie Antonelli" is very entertaining to see and hear.

This isn't a laugh-out-loud-type of comedy but a pleasant one all the way through with good subtle humor. The first half of the story was much better than the second half. It gets cornier as it goes on. Martin's supporting cast - Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack - don't quite cut it as an FBI man and district attorney, respectively, being ridiculous clown-type characters but, hey, this isn't supposed to be taken seriously. Moranis' "Barney Coppersmith" is stupid but likable and Cusack's "Hannah Stubbs" is overly silly.

The language is very tame, especially for a PG-13 film. It's just a nice lighthearted comedy, worth a look or two. I saw it three times and by then, that was enough. The DVD version I saw wasn't a whole lot better than the tape with poor surround sound and a so-so transfer.


After a car is stolen by a gangster:

"And where did you learn to jump start a car?" "I had to learn to jump start ambulances to get invalids to the dialysis machines."

- Joan Cusack and Steve Martin, "My Blue Heaven."

There's a lot of fun to be found in "My Blue Heaven," a simple little comedy with only good intentions. I find it almost impossible to dislike - it has little offensive material, it isn't a stupid, recycled movie packaged with marketable trimmings. Instead, it is a joyful little flick that knows it is no Oscar winner but still tries to entertain its audience. And it does. "My Blue Heaven" is pure heaven for anyone who appreciates fine comedy - it's a little bit wacky, a little bit goofy, and very, very funny.

Steve Martin is perfectly cast as the wild and crazy Vincent Antonelli, a Mafia informer who has been entered into the Witness Protection Program. His wife wants no part of their new, cheery life in a suburban America so she leaves him early on. Rick Moranis is equally well-cast as Barney Coopersmith, the FBI agent assigned to protect Vinnie and make sure his new life is suitable to his comfort.

Barney's wife has just left him, too. She complains that he is too anal-retentive. She even mentions that he has a technique for getting equal amounts of butter on his waffles. Meanwhile, Vinnie soon tires of his new life and resorts to crime - first little things, such as marking down prices on meat in the local grocery store - which results in the best single line in the entire film, when a perky employee greets Vinnie. His response is a four-letter-word that isn't nearly as (c)rude as it seems it would be at first. Soon he meets up with old partners and crime and they form a new crime syndicate - much to the chagrin of a female police officer named Hannah Stubbs (Joan Cusack), who seems to be the perfect match for Barney Coopersmith.

Hannah is unable to prosecute Vinnie because he is a Federal Witness. At first she and Barney hate each other. Then they grow closer. Vinnie watches on with joyful interest. And what makes this movie so enjoyable, in part, is the chemistry between Martin and Moranis.

It's their first film together since "Parenthood." They're a good duo, and Martin is so out of character here you start to forget it's even him playing an Italian mobster. Compare Vincent Antonelli to Neal Page (Martin's character in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"), and the difference in not only attitude but mannerisms and levels of intensity is clearly evident. Martin can play the middle-class American white male especially well, but this film clearly shows that he has not left his wacky background in such films as "The Jerk" far behind.

"My Blue Heaven" came out the same year as "Goodfellas" (1990). It was impeccable timing - at the end of "Goodfellas" we are left with the penetrating image of Ray Liotta's character Henry Hill outside a suburban home in a cheery neighborhood which, remarkably, looks exactly like the neighborhood in "My Blue Heaven." It could be argued that "My Blue Heaven" is an immediate sequel in some senses. Where "Goodfellas" left off "My Blue Heaven" starts - it just throws in some comedy. Which is why I don't understand its small impact when it first arrived in theaters. (Suffice to say, it sorta flopped.)

I own this film on a VHS tape I purchased for $4.99 at Wal-Mart. I found it lying in the bottom of a discount video barrel with no-name titles. There are comedic gems that have gained respect over the years, and then there are comedic gems that have slipped by unnoticed. "My Blue Heaven" wasn't very noticed upon its release in 1990, the few critics who saw it seemed not to pay any attention to it. Funny how some of the most joyful comedies slip by. My Blue Heaven" is a few laughs short of a comic masterpiece.

4.5/5.


This film went completely under the radar in 1990 and it isn't all that bad. Steve Martin hams it up as Vinnie, a mob informant under the Witness protection program, Rick Moranis is the FBI agent assigned to protect him, and Joan Cusack plays Moranis' love interest/Vinnie's enemy as the DA of the suburban town Martin has been relocated to. These three are the best part of the movie. There are definite plot holes, the script gives Martin a couple of one liners but is weak in general, and nothing else really stands out about this movie. WHat made it worth while to watch is the great chemistry between the three leads. Martin gives it his all and is very funny. Moranis has it tougher while trying to be a nerd/FBI agent(unusual combo) but he pulls it off. His face is so expressive its like you can see what he is thinking. This makes the scenes where Martin is making him do something crazy that much better. All in all, its not great but its worth watching with your kids because they will love it and you will be entertained.


I saw this movie not long after its release in August,1990. It was a rather important and memorable part of my young life:I was getting ready to move off to college(among other things)and was needing a little distraction. Since I fancied myself as a Steve MArtin fanatic(still kinda do),I felt like I HAD to see this. While I would've never--not then,probably not now,either--thought this to be anything of great work,it's still a blissfully wonderful comedy.

You might be able to take Vincent "Vinnie" Antonelli(Steve Martin,full-tilt commitment to the role)out of organized crime and the big city,but you cannot take the organized crime or big city out of Vinnie,as he frequently goes astray of the law in his witness relocation in a quiet desert community outside of San Diego. The fed assigned him Barney Coopersmith(Rick Moranis,mensch)seems to be woefully unable to keep a leash on his charge,but it's alright because while Vinnie may not sit still in protective custody,he's got a big heart for those around him keeping him out of prison. Naturally,while Vinnie may not be always above board about his actions,he's still pretty good on his word and intentions.

Easy,breezy comedy directed by the late Herbert Ross and penned by Nora Ephron(who seems to be a much better screenwriter than director),it's a film that is as light as air on a subject not normally broached in this manner(even Analyze This! and its sequel,Analyze That! still had a somewhat heavy air in them,albeit still largely tongue-in-cheek). Credit the deft and intentional script and the intensely likable interplay between Martin and Moranis(not to mention the potential love relationship/tension brought on by Joan Cusack as a divorced mom and zealous local DA)for this fact.

I saw this again recently having bought this on a "Two-fer" disc that was paired with The Man With Two Brains. While I bought the disc primarily to watch THAT film,this add-on was not only a good re-watch(or even,come to think about it,re-re-watch)but brought back a long,pleasant memory or two of film-going.


I see where some people did not much care for this movie. That's the way it is with comedies. Not everyone has the same sense of humor.

I liked it.

I found Martin's character to be very entertaining. His constant stream of BS is very entertaining. I know it's comedy, so I am not like those people who felt a more traditional gangster actor would have been better. It's his very silly over the top style which I found endearing.

Moranis is OK. He's too typecast for me, always playing a similar role. I thought he was maybe funnier in ghost busters. I don't know. He's a decent actor. It's that whole square role he plays that gets to me a bit. He's supposed to be boring, obviously. But he's maybe too boring.

I found the female cop love interest for Martin to be great. She's cute and she's funny.

Joan Cusack...I have liked her better in other roles. She's hilarious in Grosse Pointe Blank. She's OK in this role.

I liked the silent film style "captions, or whatever you would call them a lot. They added humor to the movie.

In summary, I found the movie very light, very entertaining, and cute. I like that type of movie. If you want something that requires no thought, where your goal as a viewer is just to relax and be amused, this is perfect.


This movie is one of the best comedies ever made...It's hilarious how Martin's character can just pull nonsense out of no where and make the small-towners believe every word he says. They are the most absurd reasons for stealing and breaking the law ever. For example, the phony minister, the jump-starting cars in the army, 25 copies of one book just in case he wants to read it more than once, he put a stolen fish in his trunk while the weather was cold because there wasn't enough room in his freezer on account of another guy he knew gave him a side of beef, etc. Its brilliantly funny and the people who denounced it obviously didn't watch the movie close enough.


Steve Martin plays a mob guy who is placed into the suburbs in a witness relocation program. He soon realizes that though he has left the mob the mob hasn't left him..Rick Moranis plays the skeptical FBI agent. Steve Martin charms the pants off in this movie and does a great job. A fun movie to watch On a scale of one to ten..7


There are great movies that few would dispute. Then, there are poor movies that few should watch. This is neither. "My Blue Heaven" is up for grabs. However, if you like light-hearted comedies with scenes that are bright and cheerful, THIS is your movie. This movies doesn't attempt to contribute in any significant way to the art of film. Rather, it is an obvious attempt to please the audience. I am not ashamed to admit that it did exactly that for me. I wouldn't call this a "great film" but certainly entertaining and uplifting. It lacks the intelligence of "When Harry Met Sally" (another Ephron written film) but that isn't needed in this movie. If you are feeling "blue" and need a lift-me-up, this is for you.


FBI agent Barney Coopersmith (Rick Moranis) is assigned to protect former Mafia figure Vinnie Antonelli (Steve Martin) in the witness protection program, far away from his NYC neighborhood. Vinnie has to get used to his new neighborhood in the "burbs" and his new name "Todd". But the 'burbs" will have to get used to Vinnie. No matter how he tries Vinnie just can't keep a low profile. Coopersmith certainly has his hands full keeping Antonelli away from the Mafia hitmen who want to stop him testifying, and the local D.A. Hannah Stubbs played by Joan Cusack,not to mention the nightclubs... But who would have thought Vinnie could play cupid thru all of this. This hysterically funny screenplay written by Nora Ephron and played for every laugh by Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Joan Cusack, Melanie Mayron, and Carol Kane will put a smile on your face. This film is great Laugh Therapy everytime. Add this to your film library.


Very, very funny film. Steve Martin is probably funnier here than in any of his other roles as small time thief Vinnie Antonelli who gets placed under Witness protection program to testify against some bigger crooks. Rick Moranis also has never been more appealing as the unfortunate agent who handles Vinnie's affairs.

Of course, My Blue Heaven is not credible for one moment but it never stops with the jokes which come fast and furiously and work for the most part. The script is superbly written in terms of hilarious dialogue and one quotable line after another. Everyone involved aims at giving it their best, even Joan Cusack is likable here.

If you want to switch off your brain for 90 minutes and have a few laughs, I recommend My Blue Heaven. Works for me every time.


Unfortunately It's difficult to erase Steve Martin's recent abysmal C.v but this Is very amusing, he plays the Ignorant, delusional eejit as well as anyone as this the man with 2 brains & the brilliant Bowfinger showcase. I saw "bringing down the house" a week later and the un-natural, rubbish humour Is miles away from this highly entertaining turn.

As a despicable mafia sellout Martin Is great In being as low-life as humanly possible. Resorting to the cheapest shot whenever cornered he does It all with a stupid smirk and pithy comeback. Slightly poking fun at Goodfellas In plot Martin's jumped up, jokey mafioso personna makes My blue heaven perfect drunk Friday night fare.


Steve Martin finally found a vehicle to show-case his talents. No silliness; just good, straight comedy. The meringue dance sequence is fantastic. Good directing had a lot to do with the quality of "My Blue Heaven".


This movie is from the period when Rick Moranis and Steve Martin were still at the very top of the comedy-genre. This movie shows both of them in top-form and they make this movie a fun and certainly above average one.

It's not the most clever or best comedy movie even written but the movie does serve its purpose. There are quite many different plot-lines. It doesn't make the movie confusing to watch but it does make it a little bit less interesting to watch at times. Therefor the move never really reaches the level of true greatness but it still is a bit of a forgotten and certainly underrated comedy that deserves some more recognition.

This movie features Steve Martin in one of his best and most entertaining roles. He is perfect as the ex-gangster, who now is in the witness protection program. He goes perfectly over-the-top as the Italian wise-guy. Rick Moranis' role is a bit smaller (too small) but not any less entertaining because of that. Moranis and Martin form a pretty good and funny comical duo, mainly because the two characters are very different from each other. The movie also has a really strong supporting cast, with some big and well known respected names in it.

It's a movie that really mostly relies on its two main character. They make the movie and its comedy moments work. The movie doesn't really have that many memorable moments, although the dance sequences are definitely fun, original and amusing. Its more the sort of movie that amuses and entertaining throughout its entire running time, without making a too big or lasting impression. The movie tries to be clever at moments with its story but it only succeeds partly in this. The story is too messy and too disconnected to make it really fully work.

There are too many issues with this movie to really regard it as a great comedy classic. The story is not always told in the most interesting way and not everything in the movie really connects with each other. Also the ending was a bit of a disappointment. It was like they wanted to solve every plot line and problems in the last ten minutes in just a couple of sequences. It made the ending a bit of a too easy and unsatisfying one.

Overall an entertaining, bit of underrated comedy, that is fun to watch, mainly thanks to Martin and Moranis who were both in top shape at the time of this movie.

7/10


My blue heaven is a wonderful farce made in 1990 starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cussack. In classic fashion this movie presents situations that are so humorous because of their ridiculous nature. But don't underestimate the power of this farce as a vehicle to show the transformation each character. Vinnie becomes an honest citizen, Barney learns how to spice up his life to a salsa, and Hanna gets rid of her Army shoes.

You may see similarities between this movie and Martin Scorsese-type New York gangster movies. Purportedly My Blue Heaven was loosely based on the story of Henry Hill, Good Fella and famous snitch. Many of the external characterizations by the stock characters are seen in both types of "hey-howya-doin" movies.

True to being full of exaggeration, watch how Vinnie (Martin) talks his way out of grand theft auto when talking to Hanna Stubbs (Cusak) a prudish assistant DA. Little things are exaggerated but divulge the essence of each character like Barney (uptight, by-the-book geek) getting caught by his seat-belt harness.

All of the verbal and physical humor is way over the top using deliberately exaggerating gesticulations, footwork, and language.

Great songs set the farce in motion and vaudevillian acting keeps it going. The movie opens with My Blue Heaven as song by Fats Domino; Angel in paradise belted out by Tony Bennet's. You will want to learn how to do the merengue and salsa after watching Barney get an education from Vinnie and girls in New York.

For the action loving fan watch the wham-bam-sock'em number Barney does on Daniel Stern, Hanna's ex-husband.

A real treat is watching Bill Irwin playing Kirby, Barney's FBI partner. Irwin is a Tony award winning comic, mime, choreographer, Mr. Noodle on Elmo's world, and star of the stage. A lot of viewers have no idea the Bill Irwin is the Charlie Chaplin of our time.

And Shaldeen (Carol Kane) as the leopard skin wearing hootchie-mama. Vinnie: It is dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section Shaldeen: Why is that? Vinnie: Because you could melt all this stuff. And she buckles at the knees. What a hoot!

I gave My Blue Heaven movie ten stars because it is a classic farce that uses quick physical comedy and tight dialogue to generate a good feeling for you.


Alright this ain't exactly Goodfella's (1990). No drive-byes, no drug use, no murder shown. This isn't a mobster film even though the main character, Vinnie (Steve Martin) is a rat.

Vinnie finally joins the witness protection program. Being the witness too a murder in New York, he joins and is shipped of to a small town outside San Diego. Assigned to watch him is an uptight FBI agent named Barney (Rick Moranis) and everything changes. Even though Vinnie tries to help he starts to get back into the business he was meant for, crime. He buys stolen credit cards, pirates goods, and starts up an organization with a group of other 'rats' put in the same place.

The whole while both Barney and Vinnie loose their wives to other people. Now Barney's sole job is to protect Vinnie's name and see that he isn't knocked off. Through the course of the film, Barney is taught a few things by Vinnie: dancing the Marengo, hitting on woman, and trusting people.

The film is a few laughs to short of being a classic comedy but it is very good. This is the only film I've ever seen that actually has Rick Moranis following in love and actually an actress during the film. Steve Martin does the best acting of the cast, basing his character loosely on Henry Hill (main character of Goddfella's who actually exists) in a comical sense. the film is beautifully choreographed with the two or three Marengo scenes. The story is funny and smart. The gathering of the 'rat' mob members mite be the funniest scene in the film.

Vinnie also goes through a bit of character development like Barney, getting out of the business and eventually to start saving up to build a baseball park.

My Blue Heaven. Starring: Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, Joan Cusack, Melanie Mayron, and Bill Irwin.

4 out of 5 Stars.


This is the greatest movie Steve Martin ever made and is one of the best comedies of the decade. There are many hidden jokes that can be found by repeated watchings. There are also many humorous quotes that apply to everday life.


If you are a fan of any of the main actors, you will like this film.

If you enjoy seeing Paltrow pose in refined interiors in expensive clothes, or very few clothes, as she talks through clenched teeth, this is a movie for you.

If you enjoy watching Douglas' subtle mastery of the acting art, and lending depth to a character that in lesser hands would be as flat as wallpaper, this is a movie for you.

If you enjoy watching Morgenstern sporting medieval hygiene and chewing the scenery, this is a movie for you.

If you enjoy lamenting that the always-remarkable Suchet is woefully underused, this is a movie for you.

But...

If you like movies that are intelligently scripted, plotted, cast and/or directed, this is not a movie for you. Save your time and money and rent the original "Dial M for Murder" instead.


a well done thriller with good acting and a great look. Andrew Davis did a good job with the camera work and the over all look of the film. it looked clean and sleek and i loved it. the acting from everyone on the film was great too.


Because we live in an age of excess, modern moviemakers seem obliged to reflect this in their overblown remakes of old films. "A Perfect Murder" is an excellent example of this, as the number of devious characters is increased and the body count is higher, and the denouement which in the original saw a wily police detective resolve matters now has one of those endings in which the heroine puts herself in danger. DO NOT BOTHER WITH THIS. IT IS A WASTE OF TIME.


A Perfect Murder has only three primary characters; ruthless Wall Street businessman (Douglas), his beautiful, young, and wealthy wife (Paltrow), and her lover, a penniless painter (Mortensen). Early in the film Douglas discovers his wife's infidelity, and in his confrontation with Mortensen, instead of trying to banish or destroy him, Douglas hires him. Hires him to murder Paltrow for a half million dollars! And he accepts!!

A real good start that leaves the mind buzzing. Will he do it? Is it a part of a deeper scam. Is Paltrow in on it?

The directing, acting and other cinematic pieces are up to the task with one omission; the story. Plot-holes, and "you've go to be kidding" actions slowly drag the story down from the pinnacle to which it aspired.

Down, but not out. It still works, and you won't be wasting your money if you rent it. I give it a B-. Should have been better though.


My Rating: *** out of ****.

I disagree with the reviewer saying that The Black Album is not a classic. I certainly think it is. It contains some of the best songwriting Metallica has ever done. Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters, and Of Wolf and Man. I also believe Holier Than Thou, Don't Tread on Me, The God That Failed, My Friend of Misery and The Struggle Within are underrated. The weakest song on the album is probably Through The Never but its still a great song. So yeah I completely disagree with you about The Black Album not being a classic.

What I do agree with you on is that its not the only Metallica album that deserves a DVD like this. I also agree with you that its not their best. Master of Puppets and ...And Justice For All are definitely superior. The songwriting is undeniably great on The Black Album but yeah it is superior on those two albums(Master of Puppets and One are my two favorite songs).

A case could be made that the Black Album is probably the most important album in Metallica's career. It is their most financially successful album and it gave them a ton of new fans. After The Black Album things were very much different for Metallica. They took a different step in their music and made the Load/Reload albums, probably the most criticized of all their albums (well maybe thats actually St. Anger but its close). For better or worse, The Black Album was a major turning point in their careers.

The DVD is definitely worth watching. I thought it gave a lot of interesting information about the songs. I enjoyed watching these guys talk about the album, I really just enjoy watching these guys. They are awesome. Lars Ulrich maybe a bit of a dick but he is hilarious. James Hetfield gives a lot of interesting background on some of the songs and he seems like a really cool guy. Kirk Hammett can certainly jam on the guitar. I liked that Jason Newstead got to talk about My Friend of Misery and to show off how talented he really is.

Overall, the DVD is worth watching and the album, in my opinion, is a must-have. The DVD maybe a little limited but it is interesting. I am really looking forward to the Some Kind of Monster documentary.


Watching how Metallica created and recorded the Black Album with Bob Rock was an inspiration. I never thought much of these guys before, but I now have a much better appreciation of their work since seeing this video.

Certainly Metallica fans would benefit by watching this video. You get a good sense of what drives them. Although perhaps not the most articulate individuals, they come across as genuinely concerned with how they communicate with and stay true to their fan base.

Musicians will find this video particularly valuable. You get a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process. Despite, their initial reluctance at working with a big-name producer, Bob Rock brings his bag of production tricks to the project and eventually earns the band's respect.

Overall, this is a good video for rock music fans to watch, even if you don't like heavy metal.


Firstly, I must say that I saw Some Kind Of Monster before I saw this Classic Album doco, so my attachment to the inner workings of this band was already well established.

This doco it seems was made right before the implosion that was Some Kind Of Monster, and really works to capture the tension between the band, and the egotistical traits that they would try to rub out in the future. Many parts of this doco spell out the conflict that exists within the band, but there is also a genuine feel (especially from Lars and James) that they'll sort the problems out themselves. They always have......

The reality was something very different.

I think the character's body language and comments within this doco bring so much richness to the overall piece. From James, Lars, Kirk and Jason, to Bob Rock and Randy Staub (Engineer), I got a real sense of how difficult the recording of this album was for the six of them, its as though they find it just as difficult to revisit and talk about. There is definitely a lot to be read through Bob Rock's comments, and he becomes one of, if not the most integral character in this doco.

The doco provides brilliant insight into the Black Album. It delves deep into the technicalities of the recording and mixing. Looking at individual track developments and the problems that arose. The bonus features on the DVD are just as good as the doco itself, and I guess the only reason they weren't included was due to time limitations. Its almost like the bonus features are part 2 of the doco....excellent!

I believe this Classic Album doco differs from many of the others, and therefore gives it a much more emotional delivery. This doco looks at a band that is still actively recording, and by no means at the end of their career. In Metallica's case, when this doco was made, I guess it was right on the back of the Load/Reload and S&M backlash. It was a band that knew they had albums left in them, but had been hit with so much criticism, that going forward seemed all the more difficult.

So here, they are asked to feature in a doco on their 'classic album'. As much as I'm sure they appreciated the accolade, it would have brought up many questions in their heads about the point of pushing forward. If someone is telling you the album you made 10yrs ago is your classic album, then there is a definite belief that there is not much else left to come. I think this reflects through the band members in the doco. Its not a sense of remembering 'how good we are' (as it feels in many other 'Classic Album' docos, where the band has long since retired/disbanded), but more of a sense of revisiting 'how good we were'. And therefore begs the question what has gone wrong since.

I guess to summarise, this Classic Album doco for me was made at such a poignant time in the career of Metallica, that it is a must have for any serious fan, as it provides so much insight into the past, the present, and most powerfully, what was yet to come.

Long Live Metallica!


This is truly a must see documentary for the fans of Metallica. It explains the whole history behind the Black Album up until the decision of doing the S&M album. It explains the why and when of each song from The Black Album. A true classic!


The Third Man is a movie that looks and feels not like a movie of the 40s, but like a neo-noir of the late 60s/early 70s. This wonderful example of classic noir is one of the all time greatest films. It combines amazing visuals, sounds, dialogue, and acting to tell a thrilling story and comment about the atmosphere after WWII.

Of all the movies durring the studio era (pre-1960ish), there are three movies with cinematography that always stick out in my mind: Gregg Toland's work in Citizen Kane, Russel Mety's work in Touch of Evil, and Robert Krasker's work in The Third Man (all starring Orson Welles funny enough). I just recently saw a restored 35mm version of The Third Man. The crisp black and white visuals of a bombed out Vienna are so breath-taking. Shadows are everywhere. The unique way Krasker tilts the camera in some shots adding to the disorientation of the plot. And who can forget the first close-up of Welles with the light from an apartment room above splashing onto his face; one of the great entrances in movie history (Lime gives his old friend a smile that only Welles could give).

The cinematography is backed by strong performances by Welles, Cotten, and italian actress Vali. The writing of Greene is wonderful; you can see the plot twisting around Cotten tightly. But what makes The Third Man so great is its historical commentary (well not really historical since it was commenting on its own time, but to us it is historical). On one level The Third Man is a story of betrayal and corruption in a post-war, occupied Vienna. On the other hand, its giving the audience a glimpse of the mood of Europe after the great war. The uncertainty that the Cold War was bringing is evident through out the film; Cotten is constantly trying to figure out who to trust. Vienna is on the frontier of the new communist bloc (we even see the communists infiltrating Vienna trying to bring Vali back to her native Czechoslavakia). The zither music score combined with the stark images of bombed out Vienna are reminiscent of the frontier towns of American Westerns. So The Third Man is not only a wonderful film noir, but a unique look at the brief time between WWII and the height of the Cold War.


"I never knew the Old Vienna, before the war, with its Strauss Music," opens Carol Reed's The Third Man, and we catch a glimpse of the New Vienna, with its Black Market and its Shady Deals. Joseph Cotten plays cheap novelette author Holly Martins, just arrived in Vienna to meet with long-time friend Harry Lime, who offered him a job. He instead meets with the mysterious facts surrounding the death of Lime, learned bit-by-bit from Lime's friends, a woman named Anna Schmidt, who has problems of her own (played excellently by Valli), and two British officers, Calloway and Paine. Learning, that there is more to death of Lime than there seems to be, Martins begins his investigation for the truth. This film was shot with some of the greatest, most ahead-of-its-time cinematography ever, and it creates mystery and deceit. It is complimented by the excellent use of shadows. The soundtrack is essentially one long song, which plays throughout the film, changing and stopping as the emotion calls for. It is a zither composition by Anton Karas made for the film. This is all topped off by an engrossing storyline, and a great performance by Joseph Cotten, as the ordinary man mixed up in this web of mystery.


Post-war Vienna. A dangerous city, full of intrigue, crime & sudden death. Notorious American racketeer Harry Lime starts to cross a street. There is an accident and he is killed instantly. Or is he? His body is carried to the sidewalk by two friends. Or does another man assist them? If so, who is THE THIRD MAN and what does he know about Lime's suspicious death?

Such is the puzzle at the beginning of what many consider to be the greatest film ever made. Its glories are so obvious that it is almost futile to pick out any for observation: the marvelous sewer chase, the balloon man, the little boy with the ball, the giant wheel, the cuckoo clock speech & the long closing walk across the cemetery. All of these linger in the mind, becoming permanent residents of our cinematic subconscious.

The entire cast is excellent: Joseph Cotton as Lime's American friend trying to piece together what has happened; Trevor Howard as the stalwart British Major of Police; gorgeous Valli as Harry's faithful lover; Bernard Lee as the tragic Police Sergeant; Wilfrid Hyde-White as a dithering English cultural attaché. And then there's Orson Welles...

The character of Harry Lime, alive or dead, on-screen or not, is one of cinema's most fascinating villains. Charming & deadly as any cobra, he attracts & repels at the same moment. It is interesting to note that BBC Radio resurrected the character for the series 'The Lives of Harry Lime' very shortly after the film's release. Harry was not allowed to stay in his grave for long...

Three more items of note: (1) The cinematography is first-rate, making Vienna by night look almost lunar. (2) Orson Welles' first appearance on screen is a real dandy. (3) Above & around & through everything is the famous zither music of Anton Karas, which becomes like a Greek Chorus, commenting on the action. Its complete silence during the sewer chase only underscores the starkness of the sequence.


A great deal has been said about "The Third Man" by contributors to this forum. Having seen the restored copy that was shown at the Film Forum, recently, I could not resist watching this masterpiece once more when it was shown by TCM, the other night.

This movie owes a debt of gratitude to Graham Greene, a writer who had the most developed sense of intrigue among his contemporaries and one of the best writers of the last century. It also helped that a great director, Carol Reed, brought it to the screen. Mr. Reed was a director who had an eye for detail, as he demonstrates here, as well as in the rest of the body of work he left for us to enjoy.

The screen play is faithful to the original novel. If to all of the other elements we add the fabulous cinematography of Robert Krasker, the result has to be the masterpiece we see today. Never before has a city taken center stage in the development of the story that is presented here. Mr. Krasker's wonderful night vision of this city enhances the story as we are taken along for a fantastic trip of the post war Vienna of 1949.

The casting of this film is amazing. Never had so many excellent actors been thrown together in a film, as it is the case as with this picture. Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, Orson Welles, Bernard Lee, Ernst Deutsch, Paul Horbiger, Erich Ponto and Wilfred Hyde White are splendid in their roles. It is hard to imagine these characters played by other actors.

Orson Welles has perhaps the best part, even though his time before the camera is short. This must have been one of the best roles in which Welles appeared. Of course, there are so many others, but his Harry Lime is an original and could have fitted perfectly in one of his own films.

The music by Anton Karas is still haunting, with the exception of a few times at the beginning of a couple of scenes, when it startles the viewer and actually doesn't add anything to what we are about to see.

This film will live forever.


"The Third Man" is a flawless film of intrigue and suspense, a summit of perfection within the genre It is one of the most literate thrillers ever made It is superb1y acted by an ensemble working in an understated, effortless style Its cinematography includes some of the best black-and-white work ever done Its score of haunting zither music is still remembered, instantly familiar to anyone who ever saw the film, and now thorough1y identified with most people's impressions of Vienna Finally, the direction by Carol Reed is exemplary Rarely has a motion picture represented the collaboration of so many exceptional talents... "The Third Man" may be the greatest film made in Britain since World War II

The night city terrain of "The Third Man" is unique: occupied postwar Vienna, baroque, bombed-out, decadent, patrolled by Jeeps containing representatives of the four occupying powers, an American, an Englishman, a Frenchman, and a Russian

Corrupt, world-weary people hang about its fringes: the overly suave Rumanian, Popescu; the frayed violinist, Baron Kurtz; the atheistic collector of Catholic antiquities, Dr. Winkel; Crabbit, the tired head of the Anglo Cultural Center; and Anna Schmidt, the Czechoslovakian girl friend of Harry Lime, an obscure actress with forged papers

Moving among them are three extraordinary principals, Holly Martins, a typical Greene creation; a hack American writer; a used- up second-rater; Colonel Calloway, a Scotland Yard type, chief of British Military Police; and Harry Lime (WeIles), the corrupt two-bit racketeer, a fully immoral, totally unreachable villain

These characters wander through rain-slick night streets, in and out of shabby cafés, over the rubble of bombed-out buildings, even into a terrain vague dominated by a huge Ferris wheel

The Vienna of "The Third Man" is a vast city that seems empty Its streets are always damp, and water rushes through a system of sweet-smelling sewers underneath It is a world of slinking cats and biting parrots, of people taking advantage of each other without pity

"The Third Man" meets the test of complexity The characters interact, their stories conflict: A man who is supposed to be dead turns up alive, there is a question of whether two men or a "third man" carried off Lime's "body," there are conspiracies, deceits, and double crosses

Reed owes debts to Fritz Long for some of his ideas: the geometrical shots, the montage of evidence, Welles' whistling, etc., but Reed has his own original visual style, particularly his use of a slightly tilted camera to produce so-called "Chinese angles," employed to project danger, foreboding, a twisted universe He is also capable of providing suspense in the tradition of Hitchcock

"The Third Man" is unique in the genre for its realism Despite the complexities of plot, the characters are understandable, dimensional, emotionally genuinea tribute to the fine ensemble playing and special, low-keyed acting style that is the cinematic equivalent of Graham Greene's writing

Carol Reed was knighted for his excellence as a British filmmaker, and for a body of work that is notable for its good taste It is this taste, of course, that works so well in "The Third Man," but which has destroyed some of his other films, such as "Our Man in Havana," which require a certain amount of excess to make them work


Carol Reed's "The Third Man" strikes all the right cords, establishing itself on so many different levels that it almost becomes untouchable. It has an underlying tone of darkness that not only thrills but chills. It grabs the viewer from the start and never lets go. It opens with Anton Karas' startling zither music and quickly propels the viewer into a world of evil and lies. The tale is familiar to any film lovers: A pulp Western writer named Holly Martin (Joseph Cotten) is invited to post-war Vienna by an old friend of his, Harry Lime (Orson Welles). The city has been divided into American, British, French and Russian zones. The city exists as a shattered remnant of the past - haunting and horrifying, dark and mysterious. Upon his arrival, Holly discovers to his horror that his old college pal is dead - hit by a car in the middle of a street. But for Holly, the circumstances don't add up - everyone involved in the accident was related in some way or another to Harry. So Holly searches for clues, much to the chagrin of the British officer Calloway (Trevor Howard), whose name is misused as Callohan by Holly many times throughout the film. ("It's 'Calloway,' Mr. Martin, I'm not Irish.") Holly Martin does begin to stumble upon some vital clues as to the real story behind Lime's death - and finds out more than he bargained for. Lime's old girlfriend is a stage actress. ("Always comedy.") She accompanies Holly throughout the film, and we expect an underlying romance to blossom, but yet in the end it does not - one of the many surprises of the film. I suppose it would be a sin for me to give away how Harry Lime reappears, or even give away the fact that he does, for that matter (though by now I am sure you realize Orson Welles is in this movie and therefore turns out to be alive). But for those who have seen the film, we all remember that terrific scene where the cat meows, and suddenly he appears, an evil smirk on his face like a child who has gotten away with the cookie from the jar. And then the ferris wheel scene, and the chase through the sewers that no doubt helped win the film an Oscar for cinematography. These are all some of the most memorable of film scenes. The director of "The Third Man," Carol Reed, stumbled upon the film's musician, Anton Karas, one night in a trashy bar in Vienna. It is no wonder that out of all his candidates he chose Karas - the film's tune is literally the most perfect example of matching harmony between a film and its music I have ever seen (although "JAWS" is up there with it). To go into the music is pointless - it must simply be heard in synchronism with the film for you to understand where I am coming from. When I think of film noir, "D.O.A." (1949) and "The Third Man" (1949) are the first two films that come to mind. Both accomplish what they set out to do, but "The Third Man" exceeds even farther than the former - it is haunting and almost poetically vibrant in the way it displays its story and the outcome of its characters. It is a film that will be around for years and years. "Citizen Kane" is often thought of as the greatest American motion picture of all time. But if I had to choose between the two, I would most likely choose "The Third Man." It's just my opinion, of course, and many may not agree, but as far as I see, "The Third Man" beats "Citizen Kane" - for me - on more levels than one. Welles' "Citizen Kane" (1941) was an artistic film that rarely used close-ups. It would almost stand back from the scenes and let the viewer focus on what he or she wanted to focus on. "The Third Man" has many close-ups. I do not take this as a director trying to give the audience what he wants them to see, but rather a director in touch with his feelings and ideas. Director Carol Reed knows just how to evoke characters' feelings from scenes and close-up shots. The camera tilts at awkward angles more often than not. The more and more paranoid and afraid our hero becomes the more and more intense the close-ups and angles. There is some haunting material in "The Third Man," some material the most novice of filmgoers might not expect. And the music and direction only makes it all the more terrifying and haunting. This is a film that you must witness to believe. 5/5.


The Third Man refers to another witness to a crime that no one seems to know anything about. The crime of course is the hit and run murder of Harry Lime played by Orson Welles. But is Welles dead.

One of the things I like about The Third Man is that it makes a nominal hero out of one of the biggest bunglers ever put on screen. Let's just say that if Holly Martins played by Joseph Cotten were bumping into furniture on top of everything else, he'd be Inspector Clouseau.

Holly arrives in occupied Vienna in the late Forties at the invitation of an old college classmate Harry Lime. Literally upon arriving in Vienna, Martins learns that his friend Lime was the victim of a hit and run accident and the funeral is going on at that moment. He goes to the funeral and is smitten by Lime's girlfriend, Alida Valli.

Martins is a writer of western stories and it's bad when a writer starts believing he's one of his own heroes. Maybe Jessica Fletcher is capable of it, but not Holly Martins. Martins decides to start his own investigation into Lime's death much to the consternation of the British occupying force which doing its own inquiry. Trevor Howard plays Major Callaway of the British Army in charge of the investigation.

Martins turns out to be right that there is something more afoot than a simple traffic accident. But he's so terribly wrong about everything and everyone else it is frightening. I really can't say more at this point.

Someone reading the plot description I've given might think The Third Man is some kind of comedy, but it is not. It is in fact one of the most finely crafted dramas ever put on the screen. The location photography in Vienna is fabulous and contributes so much to the authenticity of the story and its characters. Joseph Cotten gives one of his best performances as the bull-in-the-china-shop amateur detective.

As for Orson Welles, it's a virtual tie in my opinion with Compulsion for the distinction of his finest performer as an actor without working for director Orson Welles. Harry Lime turns out to be the harbinger of a cynical age we were entering.

And if nothing else grabs you about The Third Man, that theme on the zither will stay with you forever. Definitely one of the ten best known movie scores ever.


Much like the entrance of Laura in the film LAURA, Harry Lime's entrance into the dark world of post-war Vienna is one of the most unforgettable of all times and effectively erased any memory that Joseph Cotten, the main hero (and alter-ego of Graham Greene) was even in THE THIRD MAN. Photographed under an opening window in a deserted Vienna street, Lime comes into focus as a fleeting face with a smug expression and suddenly we remember Orson Welles was included in the credits. It's a very powerful moment -- one which has us, the viewer, shift our consciousness into wanting to see more of him, wanting to get to know him even if he is a shady, corrupted character. It's the One Moment in the film when it seems that time (in a country that makes clocks, something that Lime makes a joking reference to later on) stops dead in its tracks.

THE THIRD MAN is the one film-noir that doesn't have a treacherous femme fatale and the usual suspects but shady people and a growing sense of doom and despair. That in essence is the very nature of film-noir, where it began before demanding the appearance of a sexy blonde with evil intentions. A political theme and espionage reigns throughout without it ever being as much as hinted at, and betrayal is at every corner, something that Hitchcock would have loved had he directed this film. There is a distant echo of CASABLANCA reflected in the threesome at the center of this story with Anna being the reserved woman in the middle but this is not a lush romance. If anything, there is a strong anti-romantic sentiment here, not only because Anna has been irrevocably separated from Lime but she also will not be the one whom Cotten's Martins gets at the end. And in that sense, that pessimism is what film-noir is about.


Story - pretty good.

Cinematographry - amazing!

If you want to enjoy the camera-work, please see this on the Criterion DVD. That's not a plug for the company. It's just that no one else has ever offered a cleaner version of this film. After suffering for years with lousy VHS transfers of this gem, it was nice to see it given justice.

To me, the visuals here make this DVD worth owning because the story is okay, but nothing super. To an average first-time viewer, the first hour of this film can drag. I found that to be the case on my first viewing, but the more I watch this, the better the story seems to have gotten for some reason. Despite his billing, Orson Welles has a small role in here. He doesn't even appear until after 65 of the film's 104 minutes have elapsed. Meanwhile, Joseph Cotten dominates the story, along with Alida Valli, sort of a poor man's Ingrid Bergman. Those two are okay but the story picks up dramatically after Wells finally appears.

In addition to the fabulous cinematography, an unique feature of this movie is the music, which is very strange for a film noir. It's lighthearted music from a zither, almost circus-like in its sound and melody....but I liked it. It helps make this movie different.

The visuals involve a lot of nighttime photography, lots of shadows and cobblestone streets. The tilted camera angles and the closeups - all traits of Wells the director, are here to enjoy