wjones-57006

Everybody loves a hate list. Worst cars. Worst Movies. Worst Presidents. The problem with these lists is they're mostly subjective. Perhaps the most blatant example is TV shows. Sure, ratings are a part of it, but plenty of TV and movie bombs were adored by critics. Not that My Mother the Car was. But it lasted an entire season of 30 episodes. How many shows have been canned after 13? Or 6? Or ONE? In a season that had Giiligan's Island, I dream of Jeannie, Bewitched and several other improbable concepts, was this so bad? Not really. I loved it...though I was 11 at the time. But seeing it again on DVD some 60 years later (!) hasn't changed my mind. It was a funny show with a great cast, high production values and an ear worm of a theme song. Was it a Cheers or Seinfeld? No, but how many shows are? Jerry Van Dyke is a hoot no matter what he's in. It's a shame it took a couple decades for him to reappear as the irrepressible Luther on Coach. And no other voice actor could replace Ann Southern as Mother.

So ignore the naysayers, leave your logic at the door, and pop in the DVD. Welcome back to the comic weirdness of the '60s.

The summer of 1980 gave us two of the greatest comedies of all time: Airplane! And Used Cars. I have to say these are surpassed only by Blazing Saddles on my top three list. It's a shame that Columbia changed the release date to the week after Airplane!. What turned out as a modest success could have been huge. According to IMDB it was the highest testing comedy in Columbia history up to that point. I first saw it in a drive-in when it came out and have had it on VHS and DVD since the mid '80s. Have probably seen it 25 or 30 times. The cast is impeccable: Kurt Russell as a slimy salesman/would-be senator, Jack Warden as rival good brother/bad brothers, and Gerritt Graham as Russell's even slimier co-salesman. And how can you not love a film that casts Al Lewis, David L. Lander and Michael McKeon in supporting roles? Grandpa, Lenny and Sqiggy for goodness sake! And strippers!

A dark story to be sure, but lightened up by everyone involved. Greed, death and shady business has never been funnier. With the dark comedy, bad language and nudity it's not a family film for sure. Heck, your wife/girlfriend/partner may even be offended. Or laugh their asses off!

A nostalgic trip with a few new detours. The movie succeeds as a throwback to the old BHCs in present day Beverly Hiils. Murphy still shines as a more mature Axel. The new cast is a mixed bag. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Kevin Bacon are great additions as the good and the bad...then there's the ugly: Taylor Paige is just horrible. The only thing worse than the miserable character she plays is her wooden and emotionless portrayal of it.

The returning cast is enjoyable; even if Reinhold and Ashton are almost comically old they still have some of the old spark. Paul Reiser is enjoyable as, well, pretty much Det. Paul Riser. For my money the standout returnee is Bronson Pinchot. He's still a riot as Serge 30 years later with no discernible improvement in his English skills.

While the plot is predictable, the action and old-school (non-CGI) effects are great. It all adds up to an enjoyable trip back to Beverly Hills.