Next Door - Zur Hölle mit den Nachbarn

Randy Quaid could most likely play the part of an obnoxious neighbor in his sleep. It is interesting however, to see the usually smarmy James Woods playing a meek college professor. What starts out as Quaid's sprinkler soaking Wood's azaleas, eventually escalates to macho competitions, and finally gets nasty with a dog killing, attempted rape, and a completely unhinged Randy Quaid. Make no mistake, "Next Door" is not a "black comedy", because it is so mean spirited. What it really is, is two abrasive actors, playing two abrasive characters. Both wives, Kate Capshaw and Lucinda Jenny, more or less simply blend into the background, while Quaid and Woods do battle. - MERK

This 1994 movie has the makings of a good film; its not a tale of feuding neighbors, more about the bully next door, whom we hope as viewers and as the story unfolds will sooner or later get his 'reward'. I enjoyed the picture and my main quibble is it cannot be described in any way as a 'comedy' and even 'black comedy' would be stretching it.If my neighbor attacked me violently, poisoned the family dog or attempted to rape my spouse.... how can that be said in any way to be funny?! One significant feature of the film was how the police often fail to act with violent neighbors, and such unjustified non-action has the ring of truth about it. A good cast were hampered by the film makers failing to realize that this movie deserved to be pure drama.

Next Door starts out like an after school family special. The direction and the introduction to the actors are comical and pleasant. As th movie progresses, the comedy becomes a drama when neighbors begin to fight. From petty arguments to life mattering issues, Next Door quickly turns into a modern day horror movie where your simple neighbor can be the cause of death and destruction. Both Quaid and Woods are terrific. Both actors could have played either one of their roles. Both are funny and at times scary. From broken patio furniture, a murdered dog, fighting kids, and then a possible rape, the movie moves close to death of one of the neighbors, which all began because somebody was watering their lawn with too much water. A great film about your typical suburbs with feuding neighbors.

This ranks right up there among the four or five WORST movies I've ever seen.

How they talked good people like Quaid, Woods and Capshaw into this appalling script I cannot imagine.

If it was supposed to be a 'dark comedy' there should have been even one good laugh in there somewhere.

On the other hand, if it was supposed to be a psychological drama, some effort might have been made to have even one character behave in ways we might see as remotely believable.

For me, the worst thing about this stinker was the fact that the story line (nice couple is cursed with neighbors from hell) is banal....most of us have had neighbors from hell, and, as Peewee Herman once said "I don't need to watch it Dottie, I LIVED it".

What would you do if your neighbor was killing your flowers with too much water? James Woods takes justice into his own hands when Randy Quaid won't turn his water off because he's killing his flowers. Woods takes it upon himself by stepping into Quaid's yard to turn his water off causing a war between the two families. Kate Capshaw & Lucinda Jenney are the wives that seem to have the only sense of ending the war. I just don't like seeing the tough and mean James Woods character taking hits from Randy Quaid.

The main reason I disliked the movie is everything Randy Quaid did would come back and hit James Woods in the face. Like Woods would hose down his lawn with water and then Quaid would fill up his car with water. So when Woods learns his lesson and wants to stop the feud, Quaid acts like nothing ever happened. And where is the police in all this? They never show up until the end and then they think their all psycho fighting over something childish. It had its moments and maybe if the silly background music didn't exist, it might of been good. Showtime Pictures has its moments too. Sometimes they can release a great movie and next its a dud.