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Throw Momma from the Train

Throw Momma from the Train

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $13.46
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Absolutely hilarious
Review: Absolutely hilarious from the beginning to the end! Billy Crystal plays a creative writing instructor who has writer's block. He also has an ex-wife who has just published a best seller. His best seller. He is frustrated with the writer's block, furious with his ex-wife for stealing his book and being driven insane by the pathetic stories coming through his creative writers class (i.e. 40 yards of Nawgahide and a Dream - the story of an upholsterer).

Danny DeVitto is a slow witted man in about his late thirties or early forties living with his mother who is always yelling at him and being generally disgusting. He is aspiring to be a writer and is taking Crystal's college class. When Crystal tries to explain motive to DeVitto by sending him to see a Hitchcock Film, he sets loose an imaginative and resourceful streak in DeVitto, who gets from the Hitchcock film (Strangers on a Train) that Crystal has offered to set up a reciprocal killing - Crystal would kill his mother if DeVitto killed his wife.

Without realizing what DeVitto is thinking and without having an opportunity to explain the concept of an alibi, Crystal's life is turned upside down as he is put on the run from the law and the only one he can turn to is DeVitto - who expects him to kill his mother.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The story of Owen Lift's momma
Review: Danny DeVito directed and starred in this film about Owen Lift's elderly and senile momma. Owen(DeVito) takes a literature class given by Larry Donner(Billy Crystal). Momma(the late Anne Ramsey) is frequently annoyed by the striking of Owen's typewriter(the kind used was a manual with typebar assembly). He wants to kill her in the worst way. She survives the poison given to her(Pepsi with lye). The lye softened her up mentally! But that doesn't last long. She resumes being her bitchy self. Kate Mulgrew is Larry's ex-wife who's a novelist like her ex-husband. Larry hears on the radio that she was missing and presumed dead. Margaret,the ex-wife promotes her new novel on Oprah Winfrey,who appears as herself. Kim Greist is Larry's girlfriend Beth Ryan. Jazz musician Branford Marsalis is Larry's buddy Lester. Marsalis,a saxophonist,even plays in the film. After seeing a murder movie,Owen suggests that Larry kill Momma,and Owen kill Margaret. Rob Reiner,Crystal's longtime buddy is Joel,Larry's agent. Joel quit representing Larry. Memorable scenes include when Larry introduces Owen to Beth,Larry tells her,"Owen is a dead man!". Owen suddenly appeared in a moment of passion between Larry and Beth. Momma calls the police to report Larry murdered his ex-wife. That's when Larry,Owen and Momma are on a train to God knows where. Larry is physically evicted by Momma from the moving train,resulting in hospitalization. Following his discharge,Larry finally musters up the courage to proceed with his novel which he initially began months ago. A year passed,and Owen phones Larry at a booth near Larry's apartment("Look out your window!"). The two wave to each other and Larry invites Owen in. Momma had died of natural causes. Owen wrote a book entitled "Owen,Momma and Owen's friend Larry". Owen is about to fly to New York to promote the book. There is nothing violent in the book,according to Owen. It tells about what the three did together in the film,them taking a picnic and Owen,Larry and Beth on vacation. Margaret becomes engaged to an Oriental man who revived her when she was drowning. Bruce Kirby(Bruno's father) appears in the film as detective who investigates the rumoured murder at Owen's home.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Delightful comedy..."
Review: Delightful comedy spinoff of Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train". Eccentric characters abound, with the cast contributing superb performances, especially DeVito and Ramsey. A riot from beginning to end, this is one of the best film spoofs to hit the screen, and one of the funniest films of the 90's. DeVito contributes excellent direction, giving the film a real distinct tone.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: What a Momma!
Review: Despite the dark story that lurks behind the comedy in this film it is entirely entertaining from beginning to end.

Larry (Billy Crystal) is a creative writing teacher with a class full of inept writers. He is divorced from a woman (Kate Mulgrew) who has taken his novel and "written" it herself and is now receiving all the glory. Larry is stewing. One of Larry's students, Owen (Danny DeVito), becomes obsessed with a murder mystery he is working on and he follows Larry around hoping for a moment of his attention. Owen has issues....his Momma (Anne Ramsey). The fun begins with a mistaken clue being taken by Owen to mean that he and Larry should criss-cross their anger and murder one another's nemesis and it all leads to a completely amusing journey into the dark part of a suffering mind.

Danny DeVito is the king of black comedy and here he stars and directs with a talented ability to find humor in the darkest desires. Along with Billy Crystal they complete a madcap comedy duo in search of some relief from those who taunt their insecurities. The stand out talent in this film is of course Anne Ramsey, who as Momma, will make you roar with laughter....you stupid poop! For you writers out there this movie takes a great look at the inevitable block that stares us in the face every now and then. Get ready to laugh and store this classic close at hand to re-watch time and again when your own heart feels a little heavy and you need a dose of Momma to ease the pain.


Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Anne Ramsey, you are sorely missed.
Review: I don't really know anybody who misses this movie, but I do know quite a few who miss Anne Ramsey.

How do you take an absolute witch of a character and make her not only hilarious but loveable as well? I couldn't do it. Neither could you. Sit back and enjoy Mrs. Ramsey make you laugh at beastly behavior.

There's a story in here about Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito doing some sort of Hitchcockian murder scheme. I don't care, do you? What matters is that Anne Ramsey gives one of the most hilarious performances I have seen in a film.

"Who are you?"
"I'm Owen's friend."
"Owen doesn't have any friends!"
"That's because he's shy."
"No he's not. He's fat and he's stupid."

Poor Owen. And yet, you still feel for Momma at the end of the movie. And you will believe that Owen still loves her. How does an actor do that?

Not the greatest movie, but Mrs. Ramsey, nobody played the battleaxe quite like you.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: OH MY G-D
Review: I have seen this movie at least 100 times, and it is still as funny since the first time I watched it! Anne Ramsey is a remarkable actress and I don't believe she has ever performed like this before. The combination of Danny Devito and Billy Crystal couldn't have been pulled off by anyone else. They gave an outstanding performance in this film. The plot is absolutely fabulous and is more realistic than you might think because there are quite a few of us that have, at one time or another wanted to 'Throw Momma From the Train'. The picture quality might not have been the best, but with a story line as 'to the point' and commendable as this one....... Does it really matter?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Oh I'm so glad I bought this movie!
Review: I saw this many years ago and never forgot how funny it is. Danny DeVito is as funny as they come as the little man abused by his old hag mother whom he lives with. And where in the world did they EVER find such a hideous old lady to play his horrible mother? She calls out to him such abuse as, "Get a move on lardass!" And hollers out "BATH!" when she wants him to give her a bath. I almost split my sides when he blows a trumpet full blast right into her ear (you just have to see it, it doesn't sound too funny I guess). He gets in some funny situations when he tries to kill his creative writing teacher's hated ex-wife, thinking this would make his teacher kill his mother as part of a deal they made. He ends up hiding behind a sofa while she makes love to her boyfriend and is so blase he reads a magazine while they go at it on the sofa. But the truely side-splitting parts are when DeVito imagines what he would like to do to his wretched mother when she yells commands at him such as "I have a wax ball in my ear. Get it out!" I can't imagine anyone else in the world playing the abused adult son as well as DeVito in this. He is cute and childlike while being scheming and murderous. How does he make his eyes glow and sparkle like that? If you like movies that really make you laugh out loud then see this one!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The funniest movie ever!
Review: In this funny funny film, Owen (Danny DeVito) hates his mother, and Larry (Billy Crystal) hates his X-wife who stole his idea for a book. They meet at a writing class and Owen asks Larry why he didn't like his murder story. Larry says "There were only two characters, one of which is dead on page two." One day, Owen goes to see "Strangers on a train," and gets the idea for Larry to kill his mother, and himself to kill the X-wife. He does. Well, almost. Andt hen for the rest of the picture, he wants Larry to kill his mother. The scene when they try to throw momma from the train is so funny! And the other great scenes are ones such as the scene when Owen hits Larry over the head with a frying pan.

The DVD should have had more special features. MGM is a lousy company at doing that. I mean, take a classic flick like "Elmer Gantry," and give it only a trailer. The cut scenes deserved to be cut, but if you want to see them, do so.

Rent it or buy it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Finally added this classic to my DVD collection
Review: Really, how can you go wrong? Billy Crystal and Danny Devito in their primes. I still hear the old lady's voice in my head whenever I hear the name Owen. This movie is hysterical, both in situational and physical comedy. Devito and Crystal made a good team, it would have been nice to see them work on another film together. Owen's mother is played by the same woman who played Mama Fratelli in the Goonies. A great character actress, she makes you hate her as soon as she makes her entrance. Devito is wonderful in his portrayal of an immature man who stills lives with his mother and can't seem to stand up on his own. Crystal plays one of his classic type roles, similar to the Albert Brooks characters, the whiny and frustrated average Joe. A very fun dark comedy, one that every comedy fan should own.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: So Funny I Had To Own It
Review: There is no reason that I would ever want this movie on DVD. There is nothing special. A trailer and extra scene... However There was one reason I did buy this on DVD and that is that it was the funniest movie I had ever seen. This is Dark humor and to me there is no better humor.


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