Night Shift

Rating:
Summary: Call Him "Billy Blaze, Idea Man..."
Review: How do you make a funny movie using a morgue and prostitution as subject matter? Leave it to screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, who put a rollicking script in the hands of director Ron Howard, who ran with it and ended up scoring a minor comedy classic with "Night Shift." Chuck Lumley (Henry Winkler) is in something of a funk; he's been relegated to the night shift at the morgue where he's worked for years, thanks to the nepotism of his boss, who has installed a nephew into Chuck's day shift. Now Chuck has to train the new man, one Bill Blazejowski (Michael Keaton) a real "idea man" who can't sit still and never seems to quit talking, much to the chagrin of the conservative Chuck, who likes to keep things quiet and simple. When Chuck befriends Belinda (Shelley Long), a neighbor in his apartment who just happens to be a prostitute, Bill gets wind of it and has an idea. Belinda and her friends are in a dangerous business, and they could use some help and protection. Nights at the morgue are slow, and they have a limo at their disposal (Sure, it's a hearse, but slap a sign on the door, and you're in business). Bill convinces Chuck that they could make a fortune as "love brokers," working right out of the morgue. And soon Chuck's life will never be the same. Keaton is absolutely spectacular as Bill ("Call me 'Billy Blaze'"), in whom he has created a totally off-the-wall, quirky, uniquely nuanced and endearing character you're never going to forget. He pulls out all the stops and never quits, playing perfectly off of Winkler's reserved and cautious-to-a-fault Chuck, the perfect foil for Bill. The timing between these two is right on the mark, and Howard keeps the pace steady and the laughs coming. Wisely, the story avoids any moralizing or delving into the murky waters of the subject matter; after all, this is a comedy, not "Taxi Driver," and Howard never lets it slip even close to leaving the laugh track. He keeps it light and funny and makes sure the characters are real people; there's no buffoonery or slapstick here, and it keeps the real humor centered and at the heart of the story. Shelley Long, too, adds a nice touch with her spin on Belinda, the hooker with the heart-of-gold. The supporting cast includes Gina Hecht (Charlotte), Pat Corley (Edward), Bobby Di Cicco (Leonard), Nita Talbot (Vivian), Clint Howard (Jefferey) and Joe Spinell (Manetti); and look closely for Kevin Costner as a frat boy in the party scene at the morgue. Howard gets high marks for making "Night Shift" a memorable comedy, and for keeping the dynamic Keaton on track to deliver one of the most singular performances of his career. This is a movie with heart, and most importantly, plenty of laughs. You'll be glad you didn't let this one pass you by.

Rating:
Summary: Ron Howard will never make a better movie !
Review: I first watched this film when I was in my early teens, and had a riot watching it every time. I hadn't rented it since then, so wasn't quite sure what to expect. I wasn't disappointed in my recent viewing...one has to really see it to appreciate the comic humor...
A lovely, silly comic piece that can make one laugh, if one doesn't mind the dated quality...

Rating:
Summary: This is Chuck, to remind Bill to 'SHUT UP'!
Review: I first watched this film when I was in my early teens, and had a riot watching it every time. I hadn't rented it since then, so wasn't quite sure what to expect. I wasn't disappointed in my recent viewing...one has to really see it to appreciate the comic humor...
A lovely, silly comic piece that can make one laugh, if one doesn't mind the dated quality...

Rating:
Summary: A fine early offering from Ron Howard.
Review: I haven't seen this movie in 20 years, but it has still stayed with me. It's one of those blessedly funny films that you can watch while your brain is on autopilot.Ron Howard has really created a fine comedy here. Chuck works as a director in the local morgue. He's a good guy, but he's as stiff and uptight as the corpses. Yet he has a decent-paying day job and a loyal, if shrewish and carping, fiancee. If he can put aside bad sandwiches and aggressive dogs, it's not a bad life. All that changes when he's bumped from his cozy day shift at the morgue -- the plum job has gone to his employer's nephew -- to the night shift to work with Bob, his diametric opposite. Brash, loudmouthed, and annoying, Chuck can barely tolerate him. Chuck, however, forms a friendship with a kind prostitute named Belinda, and with the death of her pimp, he agrees to implement one of Bob's wild schemes: to run an escort service for Belinda and her sister prostitutes out of the morgue. Everybody's happy and making lots of money until a prominent pimp, who is peeved at missing out on a piece of the action, pays Chuck and Bob a visit. This is a fine and very entertaining movie. Check out the theme song from the short-lived early-80's pop band Quarterflash!

Rating:
Summary: A fine early offering from Ron Howard.
Review: I haven't seen this movie in 20 years, but it has still stayed with me. It's one of those blessedly funny films that you can watch while your brain is on autopilot.Ron Howard has really created a fine comedy here. Chuck works as a director in the local morgue. He's a good guy, but he's as stiff and uptight as the corpses. Yet he has a decent-paying day job and a loyal, if shrewish and carping, fiancee. If he can put aside bad sandwiches and aggressive dogs, it's not a bad life. All that changes when he's bumped from his cozy day shift at the morgue -- the plum job has gone to his employer's nephew -- to the night shift to work with Bob, his diametric opposite. Brash, loudmouthed, and annoying, Chuck can barely tolerate him. Chuck, however, forms a friendship with a kind prostitute named Belinda, and with the death of her pimp, he agrees to implement one of Bob's wild schemes: to run an escort service for Belinda and her sister prostitutes out of the morgue. Everybody's happy and making lots of money until a prominent pimp, who is peeved at missing out on a piece of the action, pays Chuck and Bob a visit. This is a fine and very entertaining movie. Check out the theme song from the short-lived early-80's pop band Quarterflash!

Rating:
Summary: Boring and Dated!
Review: I saw Night Shift on cable one night and I didn't like it, I thought it was boring, dated and just not that funny and I can't believe it was directed by Ron Howard it's not one of his best movies and he certainly has come a long way as a director since this movie. All of the actors are good but I have seen, Michael Keaton, Henry Winkler and Shelley Long in better movies, it was interesting though to see Drew Barymore's mother Jaid in this movie but that was the only interesting thing about Night Shift!

Rating:
Summary: A classic comedy
Review: If I meet someone and they love the movie Night Shift, I know we'll probably have a fair amount in common. Henry Winkler, Michael Keaton and Shelley Long are all wonderfully funny. Much of the movie is set in a morgue, where Henry Winkler works the night shift.

Rating:
Summary: The fonze
Review: If you hit pause you'll see little Kevin Costner as a frat boy. This is a good flick as morgue guys turned pimps. Ron Howard directs and Mike Keaton's 1st film. too bad shelley Long is in it.

Rating:
Summary: Don't miss Nightshift
Review: If you've never seen this little known Ron Howard film, do yourself a favor and go rent it for $0.99! This was a groundbreaking piece for both Howard and Keaton, and this quality of wonderfully demented humor hasn't been paralleled by either to date. Keaton pulls off a brilliant performance as a down-and-out lout alongside Henry Winkler, who turns in a great performance as an ultra-conservative simpleton battling his fiancé over his inability to commit to just about anything. Jobs as a morgue attendants provide the zany dichotomy necessary for Keaton to twist Winkler's ultra-conservative character. A laugh a minute from start to finish; you won't be disappointed if you like truly classic Keaton comedy.

Rating:
Summary: good film
Review: Michael Keaton&Henry Winkler did a good job in this comedy.Ron Howard did a good solid job of directing this film.Shelly Long was good in this film as well.this film was far more believable than Pretty Woman.