Weekend at Bernie's

Rating:
Summary: Dances across the line between dumb and funny.
Review: "Weekend at Bernie's" was never meant to be anything more than a collection of gags built around the thinnest of plots.

Even so, the execution is wildly inconsistent, but steadily improves as the film progresses. Indeed, dumb and funny are separated by a thin line, and Ted Kotcheff's effort hops back and forth, leaving the viewer alternatingly snickering and groaning. However, the last half hour is pretty funny, if not predictable. The boat ride in particular was hilarious.

Overall, a less-than-spectacular work, but entertaining enough.

Rating:
Summary: My experience with Jean Luc Goddard's WEEKEND...
Review: ...at Bernie's.

There comes a time in every cinema aficionado's film-watching that he comes upon a film that's such an astonishing work of art and reminds us why we love films. To even attempt to describe my utter appreciation and amazement for this masterpiece would do a great dis-service to Goddard's directorial vision. Such a film, is Jean Luc Goddard's challenging magnum opus WEEKEND at Bernie's. 'Bernie's' is a cinematic tour-de-force. I must express my gratitude to Amazon.com for recommending such an astounding exemplar of imaginative filmmaking.

On a supplemental level, WEEKEND at Bernie's plays feast for the eyes and ears. Bountiful colors shine vibrantly while the characters try to get themselves out of some various zany situations. WEEKEND at Bernie's is the best dark comedy since Charles Chaplin's 1947 work of genius Monsieur Verdoux, which Orson Welles co-wrote. On a fundamental level, we a treated to a film that plays as a wonderful homage to the masters (Alfred Hitchcock, of course) film, The Trouble with Harry. The composition framing of WEEKEND at Bernies is dazzling, and has been imitated, but never duplicated. The cinematography is nothing short of spectacular. The milieu of the luxurious island is a highlight of the film. But my favorite part of WEEKEND at Bernie's is the stunning character development. The screenplay executed as a precise balance between farce and sadness has been constructed by the great Ted Kotchef. WEEKEND at Bernie's is a luminous commentary on life and death.

The word masterpiece as been thrown around haphazardly among so-called film critics to express their love and admiration for a movie...Including in my current assessment of WEEKEND at Bernies...Rarely has a film truly embodied everything that the word "masterpiece" stands for...When we go to the movies, we expect to laugh, to cry, to be scared, and to be entertained.... But for the first time, I felt something new... I felt humbled to have had the honor and privledge to experience Godard's stunning vision. I say the word masterpiece not to sound "pretentious" and "knowledgable," but because it's appropriate...WEEKEND at Bernie's...you ARE that word...

WEEKEND at Bernie's- ***** (of *****)

Rating:
Summary: dumb, but funny. Terry Kiser is perfect!
Review: A Film by Ted Kotcheff

This is one of those movies I didn't actually expect to like, but did. The movie is also kind of dumb but is still funny and it works despite the dumbness of the plot. Here's the set up: Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathon Silverman) are two employees that are rather low on the corporate ladder at an insurance firm. They notice a discrepancy that shows that one claim paid out four different checks for one person's death. They bring it up with their boss, Bernie (Terry Kiser) and when he sees that it is a scam, he rewards them with a weekend at his house/summer home. Here's the kicker: Bernie is really in on the scam and along with his associates, he puts out a hit on Larry and Richard. Instead, Bernie's associate has Bernie killed (Bernie was sleeping with the guy's wife/mistress).

This is when Larry and Richard arrive on the island. They discover that Bernie is dead, but are a little confused about how to proceed. Do they call the cops? What do they say? They are still freaked out by it when Bernie's neighbors start arriving for a party. Since Bernie looks pretty much alive (and wearing the sunglasses, he can be sleeping or looking around), they prop him up on the couch. Nobody catches on to the fact that Bernie is dead and it almost seems that Bernie is the life of the party (pun intended). For the rest of the weekend Larry and Richard pass off Bernie as being alive (even carrying him around between them).

Despite the premise of the movie, Weekend at Bernie's works. It is funnier than I expected it to be. Yes, it's a dumb movie, but it's also decently funny at the same time. A highlight of the movie is the guy who plays Bernie. Sure, he's dead for most of the movie, but Bernie also makes the movie, just how he looks and gets to react (it'll make sense if you see it). Bernie is a riot. I can't strongly recommend the movie, but give it a shot, you might be surprised.

Rating:
Summary: dumb, but funny. Terry Kiser is perfect!
Review: A Film by Ted Kotcheff

This is one of those movies I didn't actually expect to like, but did. The movie is also kind of dumb but is still funny and it works despite the dumbness of the plot. Here's the set up: Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathon Silverman) are two employees that are rather low on the corporate ladder at an insurance firm. They notice a discrepancy that shows that one claim paid out four different checks for one person's death. They bring it up with their boss, Bernie (Terry Kiser) and when he sees that it is a scam, he rewards them with a weekend at his house/summer home. Here's the kicker: Bernie is really in on the scam and along with his associates, he puts out a hit on Larry and Richard. Instead, Bernie's associate has Bernie killed (Bernie was sleeping with the guy's wife/mistress).

This is when Larry and Richard arrive on the island. They discover that Bernie is dead, but are a little confused about how to proceed. Do they call the cops? What do they say? They are still freaked out by it when Bernie's neighbors start arriving for a party. Since Bernie looks pretty much alive (and wearing the sunglasses, he can be sleeping or looking around), they prop him up on the couch. Nobody catches on to the fact that Bernie is dead and it almost seems that Bernie is the life of the party (pun intended). For the rest of the weekend Larry and Richard pass off Bernie as being alive (even carrying him around between them).

Despite the premise of the movie, Weekend at Bernie's works. It is funnier than I expected it to be. Yes, it's a dumb movie, but it's also decently funny at the same time. A highlight of the movie is the guy who plays Bernie. Sure, he's dead for most of the movie, but Bernie also makes the movie, just how he looks and gets to react (it'll make sense if you see it). Bernie is a riot. I can't strongly recommend the movie, but give it a shot, you might be surprised.

Rating:
Summary: COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING!
Review: A friend of mine in college named Lisa who would always reply to any worry of mine jokingly "have a beer Kellye," introduced me to this Gem.

Everyone should own this movie; I am convinced this is the Epitome of comedy!

Andrew McCarthy and Johnathan Silverman make the best male comedic duo I've ever seen. Terry Kiser was great as well as Catherine Mary Stuart; terrific performances by all the main characters involved!

If you haven't seen this movie; you are missing out! Go buy it now and watch it with your best friends; make a party out of it! You'll laugh harder than you have in years--I promise!

Rating:
Summary: Funny; just... just FUNNY
Review: Alright alright ALRIGHT, I admit it; I love this movie. I have never so unapologetically laughed until I cried at a more stupid movie in my entire life before seeing this flick! Somehow some people in Hollywood got together and found a creative team to create the perfect vehicle for a succession of some of the most stupid, implausible, and absolutely hilarious sight gags and jokes and bits I have ever seen. the runnig gag in my family, every time we bring this up is "...I'm blind..." Awww BERNIE!

Trust me, I love a good Gore vidal or Toni Morrison novel as much as the next guy, and there's nothing like a Foreign or Spielberg or classic film from the 40's or 70's to challenge your mind body and soul... and then every now and then you need something that you can just pop in a VCR and laugh until you cry, rolling off the couch onto the floor, spilling popcorn and the whole nine! Where many comedians and much of Jim Carrey's stuff attempts this (and misses for me), WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S did it.

Funny. Like, for real.

Rating:
Summary: Best movie ever.
Review: Anyone with cable has probably seen and will see at least a few minutes of Weekend at Bernie's every week for their entire life. It's so a part of our culture that we don't question it anymore. But imagine having never heard of Weekend at Bernie's, and through the filter of a modern sense of irony, seeing a preview for it in the movie theater. "Hey, this looks sort of funny. I like these movies about partying at the beach... hold on... are those two dudes playing with a corpse? Oh my god - they're dressing it up and taking it to the party with them. I hope it leaks something infectious onto their sick asses!"

Anyways, Weekend at Bernie's is the awesomest, eightiesest, most radical movie of all time. Rent it. Buy it. Sleep with it. Just watch it. Sheer 80s awesomeness. *thumbs up*

Rating:
Summary: Best weekend of my life
Review: Boy, when I rented this movie, I had no idea whatsoever that it would be this funny.

When Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Johnathan Silverman) uncover an embezzlement scam at their office, they report it to their boss, Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser), expecting a promotion, not expecting that Bernie himself is the culprit. Bernie invites them to his beachhouse that weekend, planning to have them killed by a mafia hit man. But, the mafia bad guys have other plans, and they have him killed before Larry and Richard arrive. When they discover Bernie's dead, they at first want to tell the police, despite the fact that they may inadvertendly frame themselves. They soon decide to keep up the face the Bernie's still alive and kickin'.

Did I laugh? HELL YEAH!! WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S has got to be one of the funniest movies ever. It's hilarious to watch Larry and Richard desperately trying to make Bernie's corpse appear to still have a spark, like in the scene where they try to get on a boat with Bernie's body. How they make it appear that he's walking is hard to describe, and even harder not ot laugh at.

Another great scene, involving Bernie's girlfriend from NYC, who goes into a room where Bernie's body is waiting. She emerges from the room as a necropheiliac without even knowing Bernie was dead. This was somewhat overlooked by the critics, but it is worthy of positions held in the "greatest movies of all time list" by movies like VERTIGO or TITANIC, which aren't very good.

That's more than I can say for the sequel, WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S 2, but if you can laugh at things like a corpse jetskiing (so to speak), and I'm sure you can, than stop by BERNIE'S this WEEKEND. As I said above, it was the best WEEKEND of my life.

Rating:
Summary: a personal favorite
Review: Critics be damned, I've always found this movie to be enjoyable. It's right up there with my other favorite, "Clue". Sure, it isn't essential watching but it is quite an amusing concept that I still laught at even today. Throw in some very witty lines and scenes and a nice beach scenery and I'm entertained.

Rating:
Summary: This is tha best movie ever!
Review: Everyone... go out and buy this movie! This is the best movie I have ever seen, and andrew mcarthy is so cute! If you like laugh (alot), then go out and buy it even if you havent seen it! And Andrew Mcarthy is like the cutest guy ever, so that doesnt hurt!