The Last Request (2006) Poster

(I) (2006)

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2/10
terrible!!!
seanprussel1 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I watched about 45 minutes and gave up on it. I am a huge Danny Aiello fan, but he lost it unfortunately with age. He tries too hard to be funny and it doesn't work here. It was interesting seeing an aging Barbara Feldon (in her 70's but still pretty hot)for a couple of scenes, but that's about it.

Starts out with a sexually and nerdy repressed church choir boy, and his stud brother who's dying father's last request is that one of them gets married. So the Stud brother gets married and while on his honeymoon, (I think?) he croaks while getting laid. You see his wife's screams of ecstasy is enough to break glass, so glass shards falling on him from a mirrored ceiling does him in. (Believe it or not,funny,not) So, that leaves the nerdy son, and now I think the father's last request is that he gets laid 1st,and then gets married.(never explained that) Weird premise that gets boring fast.

He goes about trying to meet woman by way of strippers and escorts. One scene is where a stripper gives him a lap dance and the stripper actually goes into convulsions because she has some type of allergic reaction to his cologne.(This is the type of humor we are dealing with here) Then he tries to consult with an escort. The escort appears to be a washed up porn star who imitates a female Godmother to satirize the Godfather's famous Don Corleone. Yup, very dumb and again painfully not funny.

Oh yea, there is nothing funny about seeing an elderly woman fall down a flight of stairs! So as she lays at the foot of the stairs, her family just ignores her, and goes about their business cracking bad jokes with out anyone helping her. I found this to be very disturbing even though they were trying for some type of slapstick humor (I think they were going for a Naked Gun type humor here,and it's not even remotely close)

There seemed to be many scenes with old time Italian actors just thrown in there because they are Italian and really do nothing to help this sad movie. When Joe Piscopo came on as the nerdy boy's mentor, I just bagged it, I had enough.(Maybe its me, but has Joe Piscopo ever made a good movie or even been the slightest bit funny since his old SNL days?) I gave this stinker a 2.0!
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2/10
Could only stomach 15 minutes of this stinker
sparktom8 July 2008
Danny A. is no comic master and I should have learned that from "Hudson Hawk." No, in a flick like this he's more into yukking it up on his own end, and not the audience. Laughing all the way to the bank would be my guess.

I wasn't kidding, 15 minutes was all I could invest in this crap, and the only other movie I had left to watch was a foreign film that looked riskier. It wasn't, thus, a low-budget horror offering from New Zealand beats Danny A. and company. It wasn't even close.

Danny! Stick with mob movies with lots of blood. There's still time. Avoid comedy, Dan.
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1/10
Excruciatingly Execrable
tortay23 August 2009
The funniest thing about this movie are the phony glowing reviews written here at IMDb. They have obviously been written by the writer/director (or possibly his mother) of this abortion of a movie. This movie was so bad it inspired me to waste time reading through this drivel and adding my own comments. How embarrassing for the great cast to be associated with this dog of a movie. Is it possible this was written and directed by a couple of 9 year old boys? That would explain a lot of the fear-of-women humor. What's really impressive - or depressing, you choose - is that this woofer raised enough money to get made and attract an amazing cast. It strives for the inspired silliness of Airplane but falls far of its mark. I think the rock bottom was the Siamese twins business.
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1/10
Astoundingly, horrifically bad
seelyoh13 December 2009
I have seen this movie. It is awful. The only way this thing could possible have 10 star reviews is by the film maker family and friends doing them.

This movie is unwatchable, it is horrible. The acting is okay, but the story itself, and the writing, are unbelievably, excruciatingly bad.

I rented this piece of crap due to its 2 5-star reviews in Amazon. Figured it was worth a shot for a Friday movie night with friends. No. It was not. 5 people watched. The reactions to said movie ranged from really stupid and boring to absolutely horrible.

I do not understand how they managed to bet a fairly good cast together for this. Were there blackmail photo's lying around? Were favors owed?
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10/10
A comedy that makes you laugh for a change
alexandercandy24 April 2008
This movie was different from the very first scene. Without giving away the gag, the phone TR Knight uses was hysterically blasphemous (I think that's how it's spelled). The Honey moon scene has me on the floor, it was viciously romantic which made it even funnier. It took me a while to realize that the old retired actor in the home, run by Mario Cantone, was Tony Lo Bianco. It was a great makeup job.

It seemed like the movie went from one funny scene to the next, each one getting crazier, none more crazy than the Jiffy Pop birth scene. It had an element of Mel Brook's Young Frankenstien and Woody Allen's inventiveness. Although the story was simple and I knew where it would probably end up I had no idea who it would get there. The casting was great. It was fun seeing Joe Piscopo play such a funny outrageous character without going over the top. There's so many funny scenes I find myself wanting to tell them but I don't want to ruin the fun for you. This is probably one of the more unusual romantic comedies I've seen. It has a sweet story that blends with almost airplane like jokes that fit. It's fun. Rent or buy it, you'll enjoy it.
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9/10
The Last Request is one of the funniest films I've ever seen
johnnydeck24 April 2008
From the very beginning the film had me laughing and I knew I was in for a very unusual ride. Somehow the writer director managed to blend off beat with even more off beat with a some warmth, especially towards the end of the movie.

Tony Lo Bianco and Mario Cantone shared a scene in the church and they were more like a comedy team than two actors working together in a movie. The biggest name in the movie was Danny Aiello who was brilliant as the over the top dying pop. T.R. Knight was perfectly cast as the nerdy son who has to work through all of of his fears on a quest his dying dad wouldn't take no for an answer. He was also matched perfectly with Sabrina Loydd the girl he doesn't know is the one. It's a simple story but anymore and the outlandish jokes wouldn't have worked. This is charming, funny film that somehow is kind of sick at the same time. I loved it. I'm glad I rented it. I'll have to thank the friend who turned me on to this little gem.
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10/10
This film in hysterical
lastjack24 April 2008
I was watching this film with a group of friends and we were hysterical. I had first seen this in New York when it won the New York Independent Film and video festival. The audience there was laughing just as hard as my friends.

The humor is off beat with constant surprises. And Danny Aiello is brilliant and the dying dad who was a former comic. The one liners are great and delivered like an old pro. TR Knight is brilliant as the former seminarian. Gilbert Gottfried, one of the familiar cranky voice, was used cleverly. He never said a word. The comedy mixed strangeness with warmth and it worked.

My friends think this could turn out to be a cult film.

I highly recommend it.
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10/10
A very funny movie
pitiful9324 April 2008
It's just plan fun. Nothing deep. Nothing profound. Nothing controversial, well maybe one thing, a sight gag but I won't get into that here.

This is an coming of age story that takes a familiar trail but the the twists and turns in the form of odd ball characters make this enjoyable ride full of strange treats.

TR Knight from Grey's Anatomy plays the lead, which by the look of him was shot before the TV. It's almost like his character George started here and grew into what it has become on the TV show. His death bed ridden father is played by Danny Aiello, who hams it up as an old time comic, who despite his failing health can't stop laughing at his own jokes. Mario Cantone is great as a want to be at one time actor, who runs an actors retirement home and take his job very seriously in a very funny way. The story is about a kid trying to please his father but in don't so he's really pleasing himself. And it seems like he was the last to know. Sabrina Loydd plays his love interest and they seem to fit better than the matches they made for him on Grey's anatomy. If you're looking for a movie to feel good about and laugh at without getting a bombarded by profanity and body functions jokes than this is your baby. Which is what the movie is really all about.
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10/10
Cult film potential and a great cast!
sfurer-124 April 2008
This writer/director, John Debellis, reminds me of Woody Allen in the early years. It's hard to believe that this is somebody's first film! And how did he get all the well known actors to do the production as a relatively unknown in the film community? I thought Mario Cantone was perfectly cast and it was wonderful to see T.R Knight on the big screen- and this was before joining Greys Anatomy! I guess the director spotted this talent before the networks ha ha. I loved the Godmother scene- the actress was amazing and it was directed very well...I recently read that the film won best director at a film festival in Italy. The Jiffy Pop birth scene was like vintage Woody- this writer has an incredibly offbeat imagination! Barbara Feldon was wonderful- hysterically neurotic! Great to see one of the Sopranos guys, Vincent Pastore as a priest- one of my favorite scenes!Great story and I thought that the DP did an absolutely incredible job. I look forward to seeing more films by Debellis. I'm shocked that it's not in theatres!
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10/10
This Film Should Have Been In The Theaters
ajaxm7324 April 2008
I was with my girlfriend and we both laughed out loud several times during the film. It reminded me of an early Woody Allen film only a licker sicker, with a happier ending.

The characters were off beat matching the gags and quirky dialogue. Danny Aiallo is always good and he was terrific. For a small film it had great cast and no one was a disappointment. TR Knight picked a winner for his first film. Barbara Feldon was great as the detached mom. Why don't we see her anymore. She still looks great. Frank Vincent and Vincent Pastore played priests which was very different that there usual mob characters. Although Vincent Pastore was as tough a priest as he was a gangster.

I loved this film and actually went out and bought it.
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10/10
I want to thank everyone for their nice reviews
lastjack2526 April 2008
Okay, I'm being a little self serving by giving myself a ten, but it is also my way of thanking all the people who worked their butts off to finish this film in nineteen days. We had over 40 locations and seventy speaking parts, and shot with two cameras. This film would never even had a chance to be completed if it wasn't for my DP, Dan Karlok, who worked tirelessly and had the patience of a saint to work with a first time director.

My partner and producer Buddy Mantia put together an amazing cast who for the most part worked for scale. We were lucky to get TR. Knight who would do take after take after take and once upside down in a garbage can with an arm that we thought was broken.

Our editor Bob Reitano, who through Buddy Mantia from a recommendation (via Jack Rollins) received from Woody Allen did an amazing job to take all the loose ends and somehow put them all together and make this first film one I feel proud of.

No film is just the directors or the writers, it's a combination of everyone's effort and they all should thank themselves for me. I'm giving the film ten stars because if the viewers only knew what it took to get this film made they might give it thirty, since that's how many years it took us to get it made.

The project started in 1980 with myself bouncing ideas to Chris Albreacht on a couch sold to me by Larry David for 70 bucks. We came a long way and I needed everyone to make this happen. Thank you. Hope we all get a lot of work from this effort.
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9/10
Funny film - a good time
bnoonan2726 April 2008
A friend told me to rent this film and as usual he was right. This was a very funny film sort of an updated early Woody Allen. The were some great visuals and funny, strange characters. The simplicity of the story, which surprisingly worked in conjunction with the wild humor.

The writer was very clever in that he must have written this to appeal to both old and young. The humor being wacky, the story about coming of age, yet much of it was set in an old age home. He was blending the twenty something TR Knight's struggle to grow up with the old peoples struggle just to hang on.

Danny Aiello was great playing the dying father, who's last request is for one of his sons to carry on the family name. Without telling you too much TR if forces to quit the seminary and take on the challenge. And a challenge is what he goes through. Using therapy he works past his detached mother to rise to that challenge. It's a very funny, simple movie with lots of laughs and some heart. Rent it.
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10/10
Smart comedy and refreshingly original!
sabrinaeastwoodtalent24 April 2008
I like this film because it had a heartwarming story combined with quirky characters, and lots of funny lines:) There are a lot of familiar actors in The Last Request: Danny Aiello, Tony LoBianco, Mario Cantone, TR Knight from Greys Anatomy, Nick Scotti and many more- Barbara Feldon (Get Smart) steals the screen as the mother- she is so funny! I see this director doing even bigger films down the road- hopefully soon! He's like a modern day Woody Allen combined with movie styles like Airplane etc...very out of the box...the popcorn birth scene was visually captivating- the whole film was shot very, very impressively. The scenes with the senior citizens were the funniest for me, and i heard that the old man singing at the piano is the directors father! He was so cute:) John Debellis, the writer/director, has been known for his past work on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show, but I'm very impressed with his first film. It's too bad this hasn't gone into the theaters- I would've loved to have seen it on a big screen. I just found out that Johny Depp auditioned for this movie before he was known! I have a screenwriter friend who saw The Last Request with me and will be reaching out to Debellis to direct his latest screenplay. Even without all the celebrity cast, this film works. It's good to see clean comedy is back in style- in this case, in truly unique form!
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10/10
T.R Knights Film Debut is great!
garlic0326 April 2008
I was looking forward to seeing Greys Anatomy star T.R Knight on the big screen- he was amazing! This director chose well- (this was cast way before Grey Anatomy was even written) Mario Cantone was perfect as the frustrated actor- manager of a senior home for retired actors, and Vincent Pastores scene as a priest was amazing! Barbara Feldon was on point as a neurotic mother in denial of her husbands pending death... Dan Karlock, the Director of Photography has won some Emmy's for his own work and I know the editor Bob Reitano, came from Woddy Allens arsenal- very appropriate because if you've ever seen this director/writer John DeBellis' work, and his stand-up it is very reminiscent of early Woody Allen. John DeBellis- we want more!
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Laugh out loud
vaughnsuponatime3 May 2008
As one who grew up east coast Italian, I found myself laughing throughout the movie. It not only brought back memories of my childhood experience but the surprising twists kept me carried me through the plot effortlessly. I only wish it was longer than 90 minutes. T. R Knight is great, very sympathetic and funny caught in his situation. Danny Aiello is terrific, as always, and Barbra Felton is still a doll. Wish we could see her in more films. The grandmother's running gag was hysterical. Tony LoBianco, Vincent Pastore and Frank Vincent bring authenticity to the Italian American background and Joe Piscopo is a hoot. John De Bellis really rings the bell with this one. Can't wait until his next film opens.
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10/10
Laughed myself silly
Testosterone227 April 2008
I don't understand WHY this movie didn't play in theaters. I LOVED it. With all of the raunchy mindless comedies out there today, this one surpasses them all in terms of humor and intelligence. The writer/director, John DeBellis, used to write for SNL and was a popular NY Stand up comedian. I can see comparisons to Woody Allen, but DeBellis takes more risks and the results are outlandish and HYSTERICAL. T.R. Knight is wonderful and dead-pan. Barbara Feldon, Danny Aiello, Joe Piscopo, Mary Birdsong, Tony LoBianco and Mario Cantone are all comedic veterans and add provide non-stop laughs. There are two scenes in the movie that will have you near-suffocating from laughing. One involves T.R. and twins (I won't reveal the surprise) and the other is T.R. with The Godmother of Sex, Tristan Carrasco. Any fans of "The Godfather" movie will be on the floor wheezing. I wish DeBellis could make a whole film with T.R. Knight and Ms. Carrasco based on this scene. I wish there was commentary from the cast and crew on the DVD. I don't know how they didn't burst out laughing while they made this film. Would love to hear them all interviewed.
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9/10
Very Funny Film
marz-vinny29 April 2008
I rented this film on the advice of a friend, who usually makes me regret listening to him. Not this time. Maybe it was the mood I was in but it just plain made me laugh. It started out crazy and ended nicely, maybe a little too cute.

The lines were great. Danny Aiello delivered them with the timing of an old Catskill comic. T.R. Knight played the son. My friend didn't even tell me he was in it. I found out when I got the box. TR played the nerdy loser in away that he wasn't so much nerdy but just had a continual run of bad luck. It was great to see Barbara Feldon again. She looks great and still has the impeccable timing she had on Get Smart. She delivers material effortlessly and maybe that's why she can make the absurd work so well.

It's strange Indy film, stranger than most in that it's in part very commercial, but yet at the same time off beat enough that you wouldn't think it would be. I can see this film getting more recognition as the years go bye. It's a winner and for once my friend was right.
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9/10
A lot of good laughs
mickeyseventhree21 May 2008
This film was recommended to me by a friend who's taste I usually disagree with. This was one of the few occasions that we actually did agree only I liked it even better than he did.

T.R.Knight was a cute as ever and very funny. Danny Ailleo as his father was terrific as a former comedian on his own personal death row. Mario Cantone was as always very funny and a bit more outrageous than normal, if you can call what he does normal.

The movie was filled with unusual even outlandish sight gags, which I am easy prey for. I laughed from beginning to the end. The Last Request wasn't a deep film it was just enjoyable and funny film if that's what the writer director intended he succeeded.
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10/10
A Comedy Classic That Will be Hard to Beat
barbadosdagny22 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I only have one comment to add that won't duplicate what all the other reviewers have said (which I totally agree with): you've seen lots of movies with different dates from Hell, right? Well I'll bet you'll drop your popcorn (inside joke) you will laugh so hard at the characters and scenes this outstanding writer / director has written for the title character's attempts to honer his dying dad's last request and the hysterical roll on the floor laughter at the exquisite comedy timing of all the players. The writer / director totally outdid anything you've ever seen before. Almost all of the other reviewers mentioned similarity to the early, funny Woody Allen. I disagree. I say he is the new Woody Allen! And I can't wait to see what he does next! What a supreme pleasure to see an ensemble cast of experienced actors / actresses come together under the guidance of a brilliant writer / director and just knock it out of the park with apparently little budget and time (it only took 19 days to film?!) to work with. Bravo to all!
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