Black Sheep

Year: 1996
Directed By: Penelope Spheeris
Written By: Fred Wolf

RYAN’S REVIEW

This movie gets criticism because people say it’s just like Tommy Boy, and the truth of it is that it is just like Tommy Boy.  Is that really a bad thing though? I personally think that Farley and Spade could have made Tommy Boy over and over again in several different scenarios and still continued to make me laugh. Farley and Spade were great together and they were hilarious in both Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. It would have been interesting to see what the future held for the pair had Farley not died.  Farley died in 97, only a year after this film was released.  His life was probably already spinning out of control when he was shooting this film.  I don’t know if Farley’s death was the result of his obsession or his depression but it was unfortunate all the same.

Chris Farley had a fantastic quality about him, he was so effortlessly funny.  America needs the funny big man, and for a few years in the 90s Chris Farley was America’s funny big man.  Part of a long line of funny big men like John Belushi, John Candy, Kevin James, Jonah Hill, and others I’m not remembering. Chris Farley was my favorite of all of them, and he died much much too young.  As I read it when it happened it seemed he wanted to die at 33 to follow in the foot steps of his idol John Belushi.  He was living on the edge and completely out of control, it hardly seemed like an accidental overdose to me.  He was using very aggressively when he died. Too many talented entertainers are lost young to drugs.  I think David Spade’s whole career has been downhill from here, he buried his career when he buried his best friend. He has managed to stick around for all this time and I will give him that, but I wouldn’t call his career successful.  Nevertheless Spade had fantastic whit to bounce off of Farley and it was very funny.  Those two guys together were like peanut butter and jelly, they are just natural compliments of one another.

Some would say this is the lesser of their two movies but I think Farley and Spade offered a lot to laugh at in this movie.  I enjoy it, maybe it is the same movie they made before, but I liked it the first time around and I liked it the second time as well.  Gary Busey has a role in the film playing a guy that’s a little crazy, imagine that right? Christine Ebersol is also very good as the bitchy Incumbent Governor. I enjoy this movie and I think you will find it funny as well.  It is definitely worth your time.

AMBER’S REVIEW

This movie is ridiculous. I can watch it over and over and over and still think it is funny. There is something extremely special about Chris Farley. My dad loved watching him on Saturday Night Live when I was growing up. The running joke still to this day between him and his three brothers is the motivational speaker skits. “That’s why I liiiiiivvee in vaaaan…down by the river.”

One could easily confuse this movie with Tommy Boy, but it hardly matters. I take them both as slapstick comedy that you don’t have to think to hard about. I laugh every time. I have met a few people along the way that really hated Chris Farley and I just can’t believe it. All of his movies are worth watching, just for the fun. He just seemed to me like he would be really fun to hang out with.

NEXT MOVIE: Blade (1998)

Billy Madison

Year: 1995
Directed By: Tamra Davis
Written By: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler

RYAN’S REVIEW

This movie reminds me of the 90s, of being young and watching it with my brothers and sisters. This was probably one of our favorite movies collectively when were in the pre-teen to early teen years.   When I was younger I thought Adam Sandler was one of the funniest people out there. Things are different today, I don’t even bother seeing his films anymore, in fact I specifically don’t watch them.  In a way it’s because of this movie that I don’t like Adam Sandler.  I think that this film, as well as Happy Gilmore, are great movies and very funny. They are too funny, they led me to believe Adam Sandler had it in him to be funny all the time and that wasn’t the case.  I personally think that his career was all down hill after them, despite how much money he has made.  With few exceptions I think his movies have been obnoxious and stupid.  The Waterboy isn’t bad, The Wedding Singer isn’t the funniest movie but it is a lot of fun all the same, and I think Sandler showed exceptional acting ability in Punch, Drunk, Love. Otherwise I think his career is full of duds, but I know I am in the minority.

Billy Madison is a great movie, Adam Sandler is young and very funny.  He has a few SNL buddies making cameos with Norm MacDonald as a wasted friend and the late great Chris Farley as a crazy bus driver.  Steve Buscemi has worked with Adam Sandler quite often and he has a great part in this movie. We didn’t get enough of Chris Farley before his untimely death in 1997, we must cherish what we do have.  This is a funny movie and at only 90 minutes it is worth your time.

AMBER’S REVIEW

I can recite this whole movie line by line, as most people my age can. I don’t know what it is about this movie, but we all love it and we all think it is hilarious. This movie was in the beginning of the Adam Sandler era, when he was still true to his slapstick version of humor. He has grown a lot since these films around this time era, even venturing out into more serious roles such as Punch Drunk Love.

If you haven’t seen this movie, I don’t know where you have been in the world since the nineties. Everyone I know has seen this movie and loved it. It isn’t an academy award winner, but it should be in every movie lover’s collection.

My Favorite Quotes:

“It’s too damn hot for a penguin to be just walkin’ around. I gotta send you back to the South Pole.”

“Have some more sloppy joes. I made ’em extra sloppy for yous. I know how yous kids like ’em sloppy.”

“Back to school. Back to school, to prove to Dad that I’m not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don’t get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school. Back to school. Back to school. Well, here goes nothing.”

“Shampoo is better. I go on first and clean the hair. Conditioner is better. I leave the hair silky and smooth. Oh, really, fool? Really”…………….”Stop Looking at me swan!”

And last but not least, the clown singing. I love this part.

NEXT MOVIE: The Birdcage (1996)

Airheads

Year: 1994
Directed By: Michael Lehmann
Written By: Rich Wilkes

RYAN’S REVIEW

This is an under rated film, with a rating of 23% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes it is utterly and completely under appreciated.  I for one love when funny people get together to make a funny movie.  It’s not going to win any awards but it’s a fun movie that I always enjoy watching. This ensemble cast is full of guys that went on to become superstars and it’s really cool to see them all together when they were young. I have always liked Brendan Fraser, but in many ways he has always been the dumb rocker he portrays in this film.  He has occasionally showed some diversity in his acting but he is all too often just playing the part of someone dumb.  Steve Buscemi brings some attitude and hostility to the table, he is a talented actor.  He was on his way when this film was made but it was a couple more years before he really burst onto the scene with Fargo. This movie sports the young Adam Sandler that I really found funny, I have not been a fan of his work over the last ten years for the most part. The late, great Chris Farley is in this film, we really didn’t get enough of him before he died, we have to cherish what we do have. This movie is loaded with other big names as well, Allen Covert, Michael Richards, Ernie Hudson (as a cop, go figure), David Arquette, Judd Nelson, Joe Mantegna, and even Harold Ramis makes a small cameo.

The movie has a vague message about the music industry in the 90s and I have heard it criticized along these lines.  I think that is ridiculous because this isn’t a serious movie, it’s not meant to be taken so literally.  It’s just a silly movie that works well because of the strength of the cast.  This movie is short and to the point, definitely worth your time.

AMBER’S REVIEW:

Oh dear Ryan, it is rated so low because this movie is silly and cheesy. I like it, please don’t go on calling it under-rated. This movie has the beginnings of some really funny men that go on to become successful comedians. The overall concept is there, I like the idea that this band takes over the radio station in a hostage situation in order to get their single played on the air. It is a funny movie, but very silly.

NEXT MOVIE: Alice in Wonderland (2010)