User Reviews

If you're looking for a serious mystery--or for that matter, a serious anything--don't watch this movie.

If you just want a fun movie that you can watch again and again, this one is for you! It takes place in the studios of radio station WBN on the night of its national debut. The station managers, directors, writers, and actors, already stressed with the debut and pleasing the affiliates, are shocked when a trumpet player in the orchestra is poisoned and killed. The station crew then has to keep the programs going while the police investigate and the writers go on strike. After more murders are committed, writer Roger Henderson, the innocent prime suspect, has to simultaneously evade the police, rewrite scripts for shows about to air, and solve the crime to prove his innocence.

There are some discrepancies and parts I'm sure critical people split hairs over. Don't expect a masterpiece, just some good fun.

Having spent three decades working in radio, I was encouraged by friends to pick this up on DVD. My impression is that the Lucas folks attempted to cram 10 pounds of stuff into a 5 pound bag. The potential is obviously present with a cast of extremely talented actors and even some of the folks who were a big part of radio history (George Burns and Rosemary Clooney), but someone (the Director? Producers? The Studio?) decided to increase the pace to the point where it feels like watching Spielberg's "1941" in fast-forward.

There is a stable full of interesting characters whom we never really get to know. Harvey Korman and Bobcat Goldthwait's characters obviously had some serious issues - but what was their story? The same with Brion James, Ned Beatty, and Jeffrey Tambor. Michael McKean's homage to Spike Jones was a joy, but too short, and there were too many missed opportunities to show what actually went on in radio broadcasts performed in front of a live audience. Sound effects played a major role, which was hinted at but never fully glorified in Christopher Lloyd's role. I would bet there is probably another whole movie sitting on the cutting room floor.

On the plus side, however, at least SOMEONE made the effort to capture the feel of major broadcast radio from it's heyday, and the look as well as the overall mood is fairly authentic. I appreciate that this is not a documentary, and the story itself is pure fantasy, but this film left me wanting more - like someone had torn half the pages out of a book. Perhaps, someday, the Lucas folks will release some kind of "director's cut" edition with restored scenes and a feature on the Golden Era of radio. Most people under the age of 50 have no idea of the remarkable entertainment that was available over the airwaves during this era - but for fans of the medium, and for those who have worked in it, this is a gem that will bring a smile.

When this came out, the reviews were generally bad. But the idea intrigued me. So I tracked down the video and found that I liked it a lot. It's about a radio station where they are trying to change from a local station to a national network, with a romantic subplot, and the body count starts piling up too. It's kinda like "The Old Dark House" or "The Cat And The Canary", mystery comedies with a lot of things happening to a lot of characters in one night. Admittedly, it's uneven, and not all of the comedy works. It's frantic and zany, and the characters come and go and then come back again. Just when you've forgotten about one subplot, it pops back. Either that, or somebody new has turned up dead. So, if you are a little adventurous, I'd recommend that you give it a try.

Unfairly and almost universally trashed, this is a charming and atmospheric imagining of a hectic night in the life of a Chicago radio station whose ambition it is to go national. The sponsors are a tough sell, nothing is going as planned, and everything is pure chaos, compounded by a mounting tally of murder victims.

"Radioland Murders" is one of the noisiest and busiest live-action movies I've seen, literally wall-to-wall in every frame with rapid-fire slapstick and pratfalls, and it does not quite work as a comedy, but even as a comedy, it's breezy and pleasant in the face of its frenzied pace -- not unlike an old Warner Bros. cartoon of the Merrie Melodies variety. Better, though, it works as a nostalgic notion of old-time radio. The staggering gaps in logic and plot are meant to be ignored, as this is fantasy; it embraces the idea of radio in its heyday as the missing link between paperback adventures and television, requiring the listener's imagination to do half the work, while television requires none of it. The movie amounts to what could likely be a 9-year old listener's visual projection of what he's hearing on the radio.

It's technically dazzling, too, with the lens darting into rooms, out of windows and around the action becoming its own frenetic participant, and there's some breathtaking shots of the exterior of the station, often accentuating its height and distance from the city street far below. Brian Benben and Mary Stuart Masterson might strike the same one or two chords throughout the movie, but they're likable, as is this movie. And Scott Michael Campbell is very funny as Billy the pageboy, a kind of wide-eyed Quentin Tarantino of the radio age; fast-talking (everyone in the film is fast-talking, actually) and easily distracted (the look on his face as he accidentally barges into the ladies' dressing room and becomes mesmerized by the sight of the topless actresses is priceless), his entire grammar and understanding of life is derived from the radio shows of which he has encyclopedic knowledge.

Finally, "Radioland Murders" closes with some wistfully ironic thoughts (the movie is mostly free of contemporary irony, with the exception of this and an unsuccessful line about warning labels on cigarette packs) about television (best summed up by three uniformed cops hypnotized by a cathode ray tube) and the immortality of radio. A movie more about myth than story, "Radioland Murders" is written in the scattershot style of the radio programs depicted. It might merely be a sanitized and moderate entertainment (particularly when viewed against something like "The Hudsucker Proxy"), but it's affectionate, features lively music, looks great, and is completely innocent.

George Lucas' forgotten comedy-mystery is a masterful work for those who understand what it is. Radioland Murders is not a spoof or a parody of a 1930s comedy, as many people suppose. It is, literally, a 1930s comedy! Meaning, of course, that it is written as if it is a 1930s comedy, with physical gags and witty dialogue straight from the Golden Age of the 30s. Think about The Thin Man, or Abbott and Costello, or a Bert Lahr film, or You Can't Take It With You. If you love those films, you will love this movie. If you've never heard of those films, then you may find it hard to understand exactly what George Lucas was doing.

Brian Benben and Mary Stuart Masterson head up an all-star cast in pure 1930s fashion, as people one by one begin to die off during the opening night of a new radio station. The antics are wholly 30s, with plenty of running into doors, falling out of chairs, and lots of humorous chatter that one might call "intelligent humor" (you have to be listening in order to find it funny). You won't be rolling on the floor in hysterics, because 1930s humor wasn't that sort of humor. You don't roar with laughter when you watch The Thin Man, but you chuckle at the clever dialogue and amusing antics of the characters, in a more refined way which characterized the manners of the era.

As with all his movies such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, George Lucas pays great homage to the Golden Age of cinema, and Radioland Murders is no exception. It is a fun, rollicking film, not for a mass audience, perhaps, but for those who enjoy the sophisticated humor from the 30s and 40s, a genre that is seldom, if ever, seen in comedy today.

This would make a good triple feature with RADIO DAYS and MY FAVORITE YEAR if you want to be nostalgic about old-time entertainment. The best way for me to review this movie is to list some pluses and minuses:

PLUS: An amazing cast: just read the list. MINUS: Most of them are barely used. Were some scenes with the writers cut out? Otherwise, why hire big names like Klein, Korman, Goldthwait, McNicol? The only people we actually see writing in the film are Masterson and Benben. (The others are on strike, of course.)

PLUS: Wonderful evocation of the days of live radio. (I did radio drama in the 70s and it was still much like it appears in the film.) MINUS: The mystery plot, while it keeps the action going, is rather a let-down when it finally unravels. RADIO DAYS is more successful because it focuses on funny situations and characters and doesn't burden the film with another layer of plot.

PLUS: Wow...about five minutes of vintage Spike Jones material re-created on screen with McKean in a Spike suit and playing the Sabre Dance on bottles, guns, etc.!?! Blessings on the Jones estate for letting them do it. DOUBLE PLUS: ...and with Billy Barty and Mousie Garner, both Jones veterans, taking part! TRIPLE PLUS: A really fine score by Joel McNeely. Am I the only one who thinks there was a "Vertigo" tribute in the tower-climbing scene? McNeely has done a lot of Hitchcock score conducting.

MINUS: Lots of show biz clichés (the separated couple romancing, the messenger boy becoming a hero, etc.), but you could argue that it's all part of the tribute.

This is definitely worth watching, maybe even twice if you love that era (and I do).

That is basically how this movie goes. Everything goes into a chaos reminiscent of Spielberg's 1942, except this one lasts from beginning till the end of the movie. I must say the computer generated WBN building and background blended the scene well and did not distract me from the story. As for the story itself, it's fun, but develops rather poorly frequently relying on the chaos going on in the radio station. I couldn't give a rat's a** with most of the characters except for Mr. and Mrs. Henderson. Mary Stuart Masterson and Brian Benben handled their roles pretty well amidst a somewhat lame story. After a while, you could figure who's the killer even if you don't have to listen to all the clues. Boy, what a mystery.

The verdict: 3 of 5 stars.

Going in, Radioland Murders has some key elements that could of made for an entertaining story: all-star cast in a screwball comedy and an nostalgic storyline that could put to use a colorful set.

But it all failed. The joke delivery was flat and some of the casting choices were peculiar. Watching Mary Stuart Masterson struggle through the lead female role made me long for Jennifer Jason Leigh's brilliant, high-spirited, cigarette-chomping, Hepburn-inspired career girl in the Coens' Hudsucker Proxy.

Also Brian Benben, most notable from HBO's "Dream On" series, doesn't give viewers any of maligned everyman he popularized in the older series.

This movie attempts many times to emulate that 40s-era world, with its Art Deco imagery, but the characters come off more cartoonish than swashbuckling.

There are far better period comedies, I suggest "My Favorite Year" starring Peter O'Toole; "Radio Days" by Woody Allen and the aforementioned Hudsucker just to name a few. Those films succeed where Radioland fails, pulling viewers into these bygone eras to feel an inkling of what those times felt and sounded like.

I am glad to say that I have this picture on video now, and it is still one of my favourite movies. I think the film brilliantly captures how a radio station (or a stage production even) can be controlled chaos at times.

This film was unfairly maligned in my opinion. I like the murder mystery/comedy genre. At times, it can be badly done, but here it is very well-handled. Brian Benben, Mary Stuart Masterson and the squad of celebrities who cameo, handle their scenes very well. My only real complaint would be that Christopher Lloyd and Michael McKean have very little to do.

But the plot twists and the resolution both pay off excellently and Mel Smith directs the piece with panache. There are also several great musical numbers thrown in as well. I give this film 8/10.

If you liked 1982's MY FAVORITE YEAR, you'll probably enjoy this silly romp into the world of radio, in the late 1930s when radio was king. A radio station run by "General" Ned Beatty is trying to establish itself as the fourth national network, but its efforts are being thwarted by an unseen killer who is knocking off station personnel in fairly rapid succession. Brian BenBen is the hero of this Woody Allen-ish piece, a writer for the station who becomes a suspect in the killings. Mary Stuart Masterson is a rising radio exec and BenBen's soon-to-be ex-wife. A ton of familiar faces dot the landscape, including good old George Burns, and if you know your character actors well enough, you'll quickly figure out the killer's identity. The film moves at a relatively frantic pace and veers toward the satirical, and you can figures out what popular radio performers of the time are being lovingly mocked, including Frank Sinatra, Cab Calloway and the Andrews or McGuire Sisters (I wasn't sure which). Michael McKean and orchestra do an uncanny Spike Jones imitation. The film does not have the brilliance of MY FAVORITE YEAR, however, and feels sort of empty despite all the junks going on.

It's amazing the number of directors who try to make fun of "the golden age of radio." Woody Allen's done it, and David Lynch tried the same thing for the early days of TV in his "On the Air." The big problem with this film is the attempt to copy the rapid-fire dialog of the Marx Brothers's movies. Even the Marxes had to learn to slow it down; their films only became popular when they learned to slow down so that people could finish laughing.

There are good comic performances here (look for Bobcat Goldthwait and Christopher Lloyd) but they're swamped as everyone else tries to slam out lines like Walter Winchell on crack. Perhaps it was Lucas's influence that insisted on cramming more and more on the screen, as if set dressing would substitute for real wit and humanity.

The one good thing I can recommend is the soundtrack to this movie; the score is evocative, and the theme song "Love Is On The Air" should have been the theme song to a better movie.

This film is a niche film, in that it IS a who-dunnit, but deeper than that, there seems to be a gap between modern audiences and the pre-television world of pop-culture radio. This, in part, accounts for some of the lack of popularity this film experienced.

However...

This film is intriguing in that it features some great performances, manic and frantic dialog indicative of the behind-the-scenes and on-the-air intonations of the age, and a slick style which elevates this work far above the rating it currently enjoys here at IMDb.

The filming style is mesmerizing. The long shots of the outside of the radio building contributes to the feeling of isolation from the rest of the world, as the body count begins to accumulate. The sponsors just won't be sold on the station, everything which can go wrong is, and the station is dying to go into national syndication. All while the intrigue builds into suspense without generating the atmosphere of a thriller, which this is not. It was a difficult balance to maintain, but it never slips, never fails.

I have no idea why this was universally thrashed. This was delightful! It rates an 8.9/10 from...

the Fiend :.

A few years before "The Phantom Menace", George Lucas was involved in the goofy "Radioland Murders", about a series of killings at a radio station in 1939 Chicago. In a way, the whole movie seems like an excuse for a bunch of gags (namely the scene where the bellboy accidentally walks into the dressing room), but I couldn't help but admire it. Even people who never lived through the '30s are likely to feel nostalgia for that era (uh, can one be nostalgic for the Depression?). Overall, this movie may have no cinematic and/or artistic value whatsoever, but it's just fun to watch. Brian Benben and Mary Stuart Masterson play the lead roles (and George Lucas said that they're the parents of Richard Dreyfuss's character in "American Graffiti"). George Burns, in his final film role, appears as a radio personality. Also starring Ned Beatty, Michael Lerner, Michael McKean, Jeffrey Tambor, Stephen Tobolowsky, Christopher Lloyd, Larry Miller, Anita Morris, and Rosemary Clooney. A fairly neat movie.

Oh, and as the movie makes clear: nothing's ever going to overtake radio as the dominant medium.

Radioland Murders stars Mary Stuart Masterson and Brian Benben as a husband and wife who work at a radio station. The movie is set on the night that the station is due to begin broadcasting nationally. Sure enough, everything that can, does go wrong and soon the bodies of murder victims start to pile up. Benben is the prime suspect because he is continuously in the wrong place at the wrong time. The movie is an okay way to pass the time, and there are some hilarious bits of comedy in the movie, but overall, watching it one time is more than enough.

You can see what critics in 1994 were complaining about. You can get a headache from this movie. Gags are too snappy (too packaged), editing is too rapid (if someone trips over the shot is only just long enough to cover the actual tripping over - we don't see the crucial bit at the start where they don't trip over, or the bit at the end after they trip over), and there's not a single moment of still contemplation which would allow all the feverish activity to be as funny as it deserves to be. And while it's nice to see a film that doesn't milk its gags for more than they're worth, at least that would be a fault on the right side. Some of the comic ideas are just begging to be WALLOWED in. For example (I'm going to end up recommending this film, so if you don't want its best sight gag ruined, for God's sake skip the next paragraph)...

One of the radio serials is about an aristocratic English explorer and his native jungle sidekick. We hear the former saying things like `What ho, I mean to say, steady on, old chap', while the latter is going, `Ooga booga - me mongo mongo man' - then we see that the African is being played by a dopey-looking white man, and the Englishman is being played by a black (in a tuxedo). It's a glorious moment. We realise what if their roles had been reversed they would BOTH have been demeaned ... as it is, they merely look like a couple of prize wallies. Unfortunately, that's IT. If we'd seen more of this radio play - and got to watch the bemused/assured/disgusted/bored expressions on the faces of the two voice actors - it would have continued to be funny; it would have got even funnier. But we cut to some other zany thing or other and the moment is lost.

(To be fair, some throwaway gags - like the one involving the policemen and television - are true throwaway gags: snappiness suits them.)

But it works, on the whole. There are plenty of good jokes, many of which have been weakened by the style of presentation, but by no means destroyed. The radio performances are amazingly polished and varied - you'd swear that Lucas sent talent scouts back in time to 1939. Sure, the film wants to be more than a highly entertaining comedy variety show (it's also trying for murder mystery, love story, nostalgic reverie, and social commentary), so it fails on its own terms, but it IS a highly entertaining comedy variety show, which is good enough.

Not as bad as some think. Critics hated it and I can see why. The comedy is not funny it is like a Three Stooges or Abbot and Costello movie with very bad and very tired slapstick. BUT this film is a joy to look at though. The art deco sets are great (actually best I ever seen in a out of era film), great costumes, color photography is done well, as are the radio acts and 1930's songs and commercials. Too bad the writer did not make a straight mystery drama instead of a mystery "slip on a banana peel" movie. Actors are fine especially Michael McKean as the fey, obviously gay bandleader and Corben Benson as the debonair radio announcer. Brian Benben is another story though, very annoying and grates badly. Anyway blame the failure on the writer(s) of this and casting Benben. Original story was by George Lucas. I wonder if his story was a bad comedy though? I have a fondness for this film that transcends the bad points. Amazingly I saw this in 1994 on opening night at a large mutiplex in Chicago. I was the ONLY person in the theater. Opening night at 7:00PM! Never had that happen before or since. If you like the 1930-1940 era you will probably enjoy this film albeit I doubt the furious slapstick. Film is dedicated to the wonderful Anita Morris who played the sultry torch singer, who died during filming.

Crime comedy such as the older and better known "Clue" and "Murder by Death". Personally, I have always appreciated it, in contrast with the opinions of the critics who drowned it. I admit that shoving and bouncing are sometimes excessive and not for everyone, and some scenes may be fast, but the story, the setting and the black humor are very pleasant and Benben seemed comfortable playing the clumsy scapegoat. The film was originally made with good intentions, even though it was subsequently a flop. The only thing that surprises me is that Christopher Lloyd was given such a marginal role.

Film more suitable for teenagers, but it is valid for all those who are looking for something light in my opinion.

In 1939, a new radio network, Whalen Broadcasting Network or WBN, has its inaugural night. Penny Henderson (Mary Stuart Masterson) head secretary of WBN tries to keep the gears of WBN turning while reining in the network's host of eccentrics from cash strapped writers who are irked at last minute re-writes, micromanaging sponsors, prima donna actors, and Penny's soon to be ex-husband Roger (Brian Benben) who works as a writer for WBN and tries to convince Penny not to divorce him due to a misunderstanding involving the "va-va-va-voom girl". As the night's programs of sitcoms, soaps, westerns, private eyes, and big band plays on, the station is routinely interrupted by ominous threats that promise and deliver on murders. Roger finds himself the prime suspect and must now try to clear his name during the hectic chaos of the behind the scenes of WBN.

George Lucas began developing Radioland Murders in the 70s around the same time he had worked on American Graffiti. Following the success of American Graffiti, Universal allowed pre-production to begin on Radioland Murders with a rough draft prepared by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz. The script eventually ended up in development hell with Lucas busy with other projects throughout the 70s and 80s especially Star Wars and Indiana Jones. When Universal approached greenlighting Radioland Murders they had a condition for a re-write as the original script contained parodies of Old Time Radio shows modern day audiences wouldn't be aware of and a re-write was done by Moonlighting writers Jeff Reno and Ron Osborn to add elements that would appeal to the "MTV Generation" (How we all cringe that marketing people used that term). When the movie was released it received generally negative reviews, though some such as Roger Ebert praised the costuming, set design and art direction, and the movie bombed at the box office making a mere $1.3 million against its $15 million budget. Radioland Murders isn't a complete failure, nor is it the worst film of 1994 (Looking at YOU Michael Mills Stephen Hunter and Desson Howe), but Radioland Murders tries to hard to be a madcap farce with its pacing and you have all the action of a screwball farce without the established character.

The movie features a strong cast of actors such as Ned Beatty, Brion James, Stephen Tobolowsky, Larry Miller, Christopher Lloyd, and comedy legend Harvey Korman and this is a wonderful assortment of comic character actors that on paper should lead to some funny moments. In short bursts we do get decent gags here and there but much of the time the movie feels like it's trying to keep the movement going and focuses more on pratfalls and slapstick than building characters and playing up their friction with each other. Outside of Penny and Roger's strained relationship (which really isn't all that funny) most of the other actors are given at most one note to play and are only seldom allowed to play that note with or against the note of another player in the movie. There's a lengthy sequence where the WBN's house band plays a "Cocktails for Two" type song on a rotating stage while Larry Miller and Brian Benben end up under the stage and its such a busy sequence with all these different elements going on at once and a lot of flash cuts that we don't get to appreciate the scene or get much impact from the humor in it. There are funny sequences in the movie, but with a cast made up of this many comic talents it should have a better rhythm than "setup, setup, setup, joke" where the area between the jokes is just visual noise.

Radioland Murders has some solid ambition and is clearly a very passionate love letter by George Lucas to old time radio. From the costuming to the set designs there's real thought put into capturing that bygone era. But like many lesser Lucas Projects, the surface level details have been polished and repolished while leaving the substance somewhat lacking. The movie plays itself at a constantly zippy pace and tries to recapture classic Hollywood screwball comedies but doesn't give its characters the substance needed for us to be invested and just rushes them around slamming into doors and slipping in hallways while giving us a decent moment every so often. It's worth a viewing for its craft and production values, but as a comedy it falls short of those screwball classics it wants to emulate.

Hard to believe that such a vibrant and young person as this died soon after this role. As for the movie, it could have been written either by some twelve year olds or some ninety year olds. I was interested in seeing this movie, what with all the well-known names involved, from actors to producers, etc. I was completely disappointed. It was just terribly un-funny, barely watchable. I hate to guess who would find this enjoyable.

This is the all-time great overlooked flick! Filled to the brim with intricate timing, sight gags, 40's-style dialogue, radio in-jokes, ensemble acting, and great music, this movie had everything to love and nothing to hate! Most baffling to me, on finally seeing it on video was how people could not like it! I have yet to show it to a friend or relative who did not agree that this is an excellent movie! See it now! See it later! See it both! If you CAN laugh, if you like movies, if you liked the radio, if you breathe, you should like "Radioland Murders!"

I saw this when it was first released on video..... I did enjoy it at the time, my main criticism was the choice of leading man but all these years later I watched it again.... and if anything that criticism was more than the first time...!

The film for me would have worked a lot better without him... I didn't find the character funny or rather the actor playing that character..... I am sure he would make a decent actor in straight roles but for the comedic he lacked timing and was trying too hard to be funny in the same way you read about serious actors over acting.....

It's a shame because I think this film might have been much more entertaining if it were not for this actor.... and one or two others, for this film to work I believe there needed to be a more talented comic actor....

Mel Smith, a UK comedian, was behind this film and I would say if I had to guess, that the lead here was not the first or second or even third choice.... and or Mel Smith had to rely on others for advice on casting American actors... because I really cannot see Mel Smith choosing this guy .... of course the other possibility is that the studio forced this choice on him..... but no matter, the sad part of this film is that it's potential was not realised and for me I blame that on the leading man.....

If you have not seen this before and you have an afternoon to waste then you could do a lot worse than this, however, if you can, you should hang on for the remake...! ;)

The fast-pace and changing of scenes every 5 seconds in this film gave me a splitting headache. Hey, maybe the director deliberately did this to emphasise the confusion and turmoil that's going on? It just didn't work.

So the audience never gets to appreciate all the one-liners in there, like 'Don't jump or I'll shoot!'. Heh heh, my fav one of the film. It nearly makes up for all the awfully done slapstick humour.

It's not much of a mystery either, I figured out who the murderer was nearly halfway through the flick and I'm usually wrong about those sort of things. Give it a miss.

Radioland Murders is one of the greatest comedy features I've ever seen! The gags are hilarious, the cast is absolutely brilliant, what can I say more? Just watch this movie and ENJOY :) Radioland Murders have unbelievable "rhythmic" vision, editing and plot line. I can't believe that Radioland Murders is so underestimate movie?!? I was very happy and proud when I've found it on Amazon on a unreasonable low price? Whatever, Radioland Murders is one of my 'all time favourites' and I recommend it to everyone who love great comedy movies. And it's not just comedy. It's a unique masterpiece depicts the daily ground of early radiostations.

It's 1939. Chicago radio station WGN is starting a new national radio network bringing in an audience to watch the premier broadcast performance. General secretary Penny Henderson (Mary Stuart Masterson) is managing the chaos and trying to break up with husband head-writer Roger Henderson (Brian Benben) after catching him with va-va-va-voom girl Claudette Katsenback (Anita Morris). Station owner General Walt Whalen (Ned Beatty) tries to satisfy sponsor Bernie King (Brion James) who wants massive changes to the script. Trumpet player dies from supposed heart attack. Then the general's incompetent son director Walt Whalen, Jr. (Jeffrey Tambor) is found dead. The police led by Lieutenant Cross (Michael Lerner) is called in. Cross reveals that the trumpet player was poisoned and Roger quickly becomes a prime suspect.

The fast-talking, light-speed pace and vast cast is too desperate. It's trying to be wacky but it's never funny. The story is trying too hard to be chaotic and it succeeds by being too chaotic. The situation feels manufactured. I don't know if murders could easily be made into a slapstick comedy. This one fails in the attempt. The look of the movie is good. The production value is the main positive and the actors are trying their best.

This is a wonderful, obscure film completely lacking subtlety which is why some people may hate it but exactly why I like it. The countless visual and verbal puns mean you can watch this film 20 times and never find them all. AND eventhough you KNOW what is coming next, you will still laugh at the punchlines.

Great story movement, dialogue; every stereotype known to Hollywood and YET, every stereotype seems to get violated; its like stereotypes of stereotypes. The only weakness is the movie keeps interupting some great songs.

One of my favorites. OK, so I don't have great tastes. Its still a really fun movie.