Intro: I started watching the TV show that is based on this movie a while ago and got curious. So, once I finished the show, I decided to give the OG film a go.
Film 2496: "The 'Burbs" (1989), directed by Joe Dante
Watched: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I'll be honest, I had never heard of this film before, which is a bit strange considering Tom Hanks is in it. In Italian, the movie is called "L'erba del vicino" and even that didn't ring a bell, so I went in completely unaware of what to expect. I mean, to a certain extent, considering "The 'Burbs" TV series is based on it, but we all know remakes tend to differ quite a bit from the original material, so I was definitely expecting differences and changes to the plot, the first one being that the main character here is a man, whereas in the series it's a woman (Keke Palmer).
Differences from the original material aside -- there are, but not to the point that the main idea is different: the shady neighbors remain, the mystery behind everyone's door and how everyone keeps a secret is still there -- I have to admit I enjoyed the TV series more. Obviously, this movie is from the late 80s, so it's more rooted in the culture of the time. So is the humor and the execution of the mystery, which to me felt like the weakest point of the whole "The 'Burbs" experience. I know this isn't a horror movie, so it's OK that there aren't scary moments, but considering how the sketchy neighbors plotline is portrayed, I was expecting a little bit of... fright?
Instead, after spending so much time dissecting the mystery, the whole thing resolves in such a hurry that, as a viewer, I wasn't sure the story was actually done. Which felt quite strange, to be honest.
In this sense, I think this movie is a product of its time: it utilises a different visual language that I'm not sure fully works nowadays. The resolution of the story is explained rather than shown, and you get to know what the whole mystery was mostly through dialogue and what is said afterwards, rather than seeing it on the screen.
Aside from this, though, I can't say I didn't enjoy this trip to "The 'Burbs". It's a fun enough ride, and I can understand why it is now considered a cult classic: the characters are all over the top, the shady neighborhood is a fascinating idea, and Tom Hanks gives a quirky performance that is quite unusual for him. On top of that, Carrie Fisher -- the icon that she is -- plays his wife, and the movie was shot on the same set that would later be used to create Wisteria Lane from the (iconic) show "Desperate Housewives", so I totally see the appeal.
So, all in all, I think the TV series spoke to me more, but I still enjoyed Joe Dante's crazy ride to the suburbs.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal.
Box Office: $49.1 million
Worth a watch?: If you watched the recent TV series, I'd say go ahead and watch this film to fully commit. The same applies to the opposite scenario: if you loved this movie in the past, I think Peacock's series is worth the watch, even just to compare the two products and see how they apply to the time period they were released in.
Awards: /
Key word: Furnace.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
Watched: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I'll be honest, I had never heard of this film before, which is a bit strange considering Tom Hanks is in it. In Italian, the movie is called "L'erba del vicino" and even that didn't ring a bell, so I went in completely unaware of what to expect. I mean, to a certain extent, considering "The 'Burbs" TV series is based on it, but we all know remakes tend to differ quite a bit from the original material, so I was definitely expecting differences and changes to the plot, the first one being that the main character here is a man, whereas in the series it's a woman (Keke Palmer).
Differences from the original material aside -- there are, but not to the point that the main idea is different: the shady neighbors remain, the mystery behind everyone's door and how everyone keeps a secret is still there -- I have to admit I enjoyed the TV series more. Obviously, this movie is from the late 80s, so it's more rooted in the culture of the time. So is the humor and the execution of the mystery, which to me felt like the weakest point of the whole "The 'Burbs" experience. I know this isn't a horror movie, so it's OK that there aren't scary moments, but considering how the sketchy neighbors plotline is portrayed, I was expecting a little bit of... fright?
Instead, after spending so much time dissecting the mystery, the whole thing resolves in such a hurry that, as a viewer, I wasn't sure the story was actually done. Which felt quite strange, to be honest.
In this sense, I think this movie is a product of its time: it utilises a different visual language that I'm not sure fully works nowadays. The resolution of the story is explained rather than shown, and you get to know what the whole mystery was mostly through dialogue and what is said afterwards, rather than seeing it on the screen.
Aside from this, though, I can't say I didn't enjoy this trip to "The 'Burbs". It's a fun enough ride, and I can understand why it is now considered a cult classic: the characters are all over the top, the shady neighborhood is a fascinating idea, and Tom Hanks gives a quirky performance that is quite unusual for him. On top of that, Carrie Fisher -- the icon that she is -- plays his wife, and the movie was shot on the same set that would later be used to create Wisteria Lane from the (iconic) show "Desperate Housewives", so I totally see the appeal.
So, all in all, I think the TV series spoke to me more, but I still enjoyed Joe Dante's crazy ride to the suburbs.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal.
Box Office: $49.1 million
Worth a watch?: If you watched the recent TV series, I'd say go ahead and watch this film to fully commit. The same applies to the opposite scenario: if you loved this movie in the past, I think Peacock's series is worth the watch, even just to compare the two products and see how they apply to the time period they were released in.
Awards: /
Key word: Furnace.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
#HollywoodCiak 2496 #TheBurbs #JoeDante #TomHanks #BruceDern #CarrieFisher #RickDucommun #CoreyFeldman #WendySchaal #remake #comedy #darkcomedy #vacation #mystery #family #neighborhood #neighbors #cult #cultclassic #80s #thriller #veteran #crematorium #burb #followme
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