Rating: Summary: A clean and hillarious classic! Review: The scene where Sidney Poiter and Bill Cosby are confronted by Harold Nicolas's character alone deserves five stars! This was the best movie Bill Cosby has ever been in! I recommend this one for all of those who would like to laugh without being disgusted by toilet humor, overwhelmed by a lot of curse words or have to cover their kids eyes every fifteen minutes! But just like the other reviewer had stated, AVOID "A PIECE OF THE ACTION"!
Rating: Summary: Good but not great Review: There's enough laughs in this film to keep you entertained but it's not like you'll just be fallin' out of your seat with laughther. Of particular note is Richard Pryor as Sharp Eye Washington. Unfortunately he barely has a cameo in the film which could have made this an excellent film. But it falls somewhat short.For a laugh riot check out Let's Do It Again which really displays all of Cosby's and Poitier's comedic talents to their fullest.
Rating: Summary: Good but not great Review: There's enough laughs in this film to keep you entertained but it's not like you'll just be fallin' out of your seat with laughther. Of particular note is Richard Pryor as Sharp Eye Washington. Unfortunately he barely has a cameo in the film which could have made this an excellent film. But it falls somewhat short. For a laugh riot check out Let's Do It Again which really displays all of Cosby's and Poitier's comedic talents to their fullest.
Rating: Summary: All Time Great Buddy Film! Review: This is one of the best buddy films ever! I remember seeing this at the drive-in when it first came out. I love the scenes at Madame Zenobia's and the picnic. Does anyone know who sang the gospel song "How I Got Over"? I would love to add it to my collection.
Rating: Summary: Hilarious Review: Uptown Saturday night was one of Bill Cosby's funniest roles ever. I can watch this movie a million times and not get tired of it. This is a must see movie.
Rating: Summary: DVD should mean EXTRAS Review: Uptown Saturday Night was one of the first films I looked for when I acquired a DVD player a few years ago. Finally it is available. Nonetheless, one of the major reasons I purchase DVDs is to ascertain what extras and supplements might be included to complement the film itself. I was a little disappointed with what Warner Bros included as "Special Features" for this great film. The commentary by Dr. Todd Boyd is insightful in accurately setting this film in its proper social, cultural, historical context. However Boyd's commentary provides little insight into the making of the movie, the depth of its actors, and behind the scenes dynamics that went into making the film. Like so much commentary available on DVD "extras", Boyd's comments do nothing more than provide a cheering section to the film (i.e. this is a classic scene, I loved this scene, etc.). It would have been nice to have had more input from Richard Wesley who wrote the screenplay, Sidney Poitier who directed and starred in the film, as well as comments from Bill Cosby who is the key comedic figure in this caper film. I was also disappointed in the "documentary" included as a "Special Feature" entitled "The Lowdown on Uptown: A Retrospective". This "lowdown" is a little too brief and even suffers from false advertisement. On the back of the DVD package, the consumer is led to believe that this retrospective would include comments by Denise Nicholas and Jimmie Walker. I saw or heard nothing from either of them. Again where was Poitier, where was Cosby? Enough complaints however because this is one of my favorite films of all time. I particularly like the character roles of Roscoe Lee Browne, Richard Pryor, and Flip Wilson. The film also includes great displays of the lives and concerns of Black folk in the mid 1970s. All I have to say as with all DVDs ... bring on more "special features" and "extras".
Rating: Summary: DVD should mean EXTRAS Review: Uptown Saturday Night was one of the first films I looked for when I acquired a DVD player a few years ago. Finally it is available. Nonetheless, one of the major reasons I purchase DVDs is to ascertain what extras and supplements might be included to complement the film itself. I was a little disappointed with what Warner Bros included as "Special Features" for this great film. The commentary by Dr. Todd Boyd is insightful in accurately setting this film in its proper social, cultural, historical context. However Boyd's commentary provides little insight into the making of the movie, the depth of its actors, and behind the scenes dynamics that went into making the film. Like so much commentary available on DVD "extras", Boyd's comments do nothing more than provide a cheering section to the film (i.e. this is a classic scene, I loved this scene, etc.). It would have been nice to have had more input from Richard Wesley who wrote the screenplay, Sidney Poitier who directed and starred in the film, as well as comments from Bill Cosby who is the key comedic figure in this caper film. I was also disappointed in the "documentary" included as a "Special Feature" entitled "The Lowdown on Uptown: A Retrospective". This "lowdown" is a little too brief and even suffers from false advertisement. On the back of the DVD package, the consumer is led to believe that this retrospective would include comments by Denise Nicholas and Jimmie Walker. I saw or heard nothing from either of them. Again where was Poitier, where was Cosby? Enough complaints however because this is one of my favorite films of all time. I particularly like the character roles of Roscoe Lee Browne, Richard Pryor, and Flip Wilson. The film also includes great displays of the lives and concerns of Black folk in the mid 1970s. All I have to say as with all DVDs ... bring on more "special features" and "extras".
Rating: Summary: Fantastic Showcase of African-American Talent Review: You can debate the significance of "Uptown Saturday Night" in terms of it's place in African-American cinema but there is no debating that this film is just plain fun first frame to last. Director-star Sidney Poitier, who subsequently proved himself an adept comedy director with "Stir Crazy", is essentially a straight man to the assembled talent on hand here. But what talent it is! The plot essentially centers around working class Steve(Poitier) and his fast talking buddy Wardell(Bill Cosby) trying to recover a wallet containing a winning lottery ticket that was stolen during a hold-up at a swanky after-hours club. The plot takes a back seat to the comic vignettes that follow. Cosby is smooth as Wardell. Richard Pryor nearly steals the film in his one scene as private detective Sharp Eye Washington. A nearly unrecognizable Harry Belafonte in a spot-on "Godfather" spoof is hilarious as Geechy Dan. Roscoe Lee Browne has a terrific bit as a doublespeaking Congressman. Paula Kelly is deliciously brassy as Leggy Peggy. Calvin Lockhart exudes menace as Silky Slim. In a curious bit, Flip Wilson plays it straightforward as the Reverend. Some thirty years on this film holds up remarkably well which should qualify it for classic status.
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