Movie of the Week – Trading Places

This week’s movie: Trading Places (1983)

Two millionaire brothers make a bet for one dollar. The bet is if they reverse the positions of a street con artist and their trusted snobbish Wall Street investor, will the two men still be the same or do their surroundings define them. The two brothers carry out their bet, throwing Louis Winthorpe III into the streets, destitute, and giving everything to Billy Ray Valentine.

The film is directed by John Landis, who was maybe the best comedy director of the late 1970s and early 1980s (with films such as The Kentucky Friend Movie, Animal House, The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos, and Coming to America; he also directed Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video). Landis worked with great composer Elmer Bernstein, cinematographer Robert Paynter, and production designer Gene Rudolf.

The film stars Eddie Murphy (in his prime, with films like 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop), Dan Aykroyd, and Jamie Lee Curtis. There is also good supporting work from Denholm Elliott, Ralph Bellamy, and Don Ameche (plus a bunch of cameos, like Frank Oz and James Belushi).

Trading Places is one of the great comedies of the 1980s. It is hilarious and Murphy and Aykroyd are on the top of their game. Trading Places was very successful critically and commercially, inadvertently launching a ton of sort of similar body swap comedies: Like Father Like Son, Vice Versa, 18 Again!, Prelude to a Kiss, and the remake of Freaky Friday (the first remake) – among others. Okay, so maybe there is no direct correlation between Trading Places and this string of terrible, terrible body swap movies, but it is always fun to go down memory lane. Anyway, Trading Places is one of the decade’s best comedies but also has some interesting social comments. First, the film seems to take a firm stand against the Wall Street greed that ruled the times, portraying all the ‘rich’ characters as being awful, snobbish people who could not care less about the common man. And second, the bet is a fun play on the nature versus nurture argument, seemingly siding with nurture. Trading Places is a must-see for comedy fans and those looking to see the best films of Murphy and Aykroyd.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Video On-Demand

Movie of the Week – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

This week’s movie is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).

The film is the second in the Indiana Jones series and finds Indy in India on a mission to track down a missing holy stone for a small village that has fallen on very hard times since the stone was stolen. Director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas team up again for the film, and it features a fabulous score from John Williams (as do all the films in the series), wonderful cinematography from Douglas Slocombe and great production design from Elliot Scott. Like all the films, it stars Harrison Ford, and this installment features supporting work from Kate Capshaw (who then became Mrs. Spielberg), Jonathan Ke Quan, and Amrish Puri. Look out for Dan Aykroyd’s cameo as well. While not considered quite as good as Raiders of the Lost Ark or Last Crusade, Temple of Doom is still a very fun and entertaining adventure film. The opening sequence in Shanghai is great and Ford’s charisma carries the film. Plus, Short Round, the action and the jokes make up for the otherwise complete annoyance of Willie Scott. Fans of the series no doubt already love this film, and if you have not seen the first three films in the series – get on that and watch them. Check out the trailer.

Available on DVD and to Rent

Movie of the Week – Ghostbusters

This week’s movie is Ghostbusters (1984).

The adventure comedy is about three scientists who decide to open up a ghost-catching business in New York, the first of its kind – little do they know, business is booming because it is the end of the world. In its original conception, the film was much different – taking place in the future with time travel, and it was written as a vehicle for Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi (but Belushi died). The script by Aykroyd and co-star Harold Ramis was reworked with director Ivan Reitman and star Bill Murray coming on board – Reitman coming off the comedy hits Meatballs and Stripes, both with Murray starring. Murray agreed to take the role if Columbia also made his passion project The Razor’s Edge (a film that I think is very underrated). Another change from the original plan was that John Candy was to feature in the supporting role that went to Rick Moranis (who is great in it) but could not due to scheduling conflicts. The rest of the cast is great with Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, William Atherton, and Ernie Hudson. The film has an excellent crew with composer Elmer Bernstein (whose score is one of my favorites, if not my favorite), cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs and production designer John DeCuir. What I love about the film is how good a film it really is, and how well it has stood the test of time. Many of the films of my childhood (this chief among them) are not nearly as good now as they were then. But, this is not the case for Ghostbusters. The jokes are still very funny (Bill Murray’s dry zaniness is timeless). The story is tight. The aesthetics, directing and performances are all wonderful. Plus, the film champions New York City and is clearly a NYC film (despite all the interiors being shot in a studio in LA). This is one of those films that everyone should see – cinematic entertainment at its best. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming, and to Rent

Movie of the Week - Grosse Pointe Blank

This week’s movie is Grosse Pointe Blank (1997).

The film is about a hit man who returns to his hometown of Grosse Pointe after disappearing ten years ago, by choice, for his high school reunion. He must also face old friends and the love of his life who he also ditched without a goodbye. The film stars John Cusack (and may be my friend of his performances and films), and Minnie Driver and features Dan Aykroyd (who is amazing in this, Popcorn!), Alan Arkin, Jeremy Piven, and Joan Cusack. The film is a mix between a rom-com and action film (pre-dating all the similar movies coming out in the last few years, and this one is still by far the best). The action is well played for a comedy and the humor is hilarious. What makes this film great is Cusack; he is perfect in the role, which he co-wrote with Steve Pink and D.V. DeVincentis. He has the perfect mix of all the qualities to bring Martin Blank to life and engage the viewer throughout. The screenplay is fantastic as well and highly quotable. Cusack also hired Joe Strummer from one of his favorite bands, The Clash, to work on the score, and along with a cool score the soundtrack is also filled with gems. Check out the trailer.

Grosse Pointe Blank [DVD]

Movie of the Week - The Blues Brothers

This week’s movie is The Blues Brothers (1980).

The film is about two brothers that must put their band back together and do a big show to raise money to save the orphanage that they grew up in, all while avoiding the police, the Illinois Nazis and the Good Ole Boys. The film is an excellent melding of comedy and music, featuring performances by James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and others. The film stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd (and is probably the best of their joint films), with funny cameos from John Candy, Henry Gibson and Carrie Fisher. The film was written by Aykroyd and director John Landis, who made this in his prime as (likely) the best comedy director in Hollywood (at the time). What makes the film great is the music, the zany comedy, the epic scale of the film itself, the car chases – really the film is just loads of fun. Check out the trailer.

The Blues Brothers [DVD]