Night Shift

"Chuck Lumley" (Henry Winkler) is an unassertive, mild-mannered New Yorker who has a bossy girlfriend and works at the city morgue. He is a genuinely nice guy who simply wants to live a normal life. As luck would have it, however, two unexpected events suddenly turn his life upside-down and things will never be the same for him afterward. The first major change is when he gets a new office worker by the name of "Bill Blazejowski" (Michael Keaton) who is the complete polar opposite of Chuck. Whereas Chuck is quiet and considerate, Bill is totally loud, spontaneous and unpredictable. The second person to suddenly appear in Chuck's life is a prostitute named "Belinda Keaton" (Shelley Long) who has just lost her pimp and needs someone to help her out. While Chuck is sympathetic to her plight, Bill sees an opportunity and soon all three of them become part of something that none of them can control. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an exceptional comedy which benefits from the great chemistry displayed by the three aforementioned actors. It was like each of them tailor-were made for their specific characters. Be that as it may, while the subject matter might be a little risqué, I found this to be an enjoyable film and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

Adam Sandler and Pauly Shore can only DREAM of being as funny as Michael Keaton in "Night Shift." Keaton's hilarious performance only serves to underscore the fact that he's never been near as funny since.

Sure, the movie will never be in the AFI's top 100 list. But when I was 18, a loony pre-college me dreamed of being as funny as Billy Blaizejowski, Keaton's character in the film. I credit the script for great lines, but I doubt anyone could have made an annoying character like Billy loveable - except Keaton.

Henry Winkler does a bang-up job with a straight role that affords audiences little to get excited about. He is completely convincing as an in-over-his-head nebbish with a nervous stomach, and deserves credit for pulling it off without seeming whiny. We identify with Winkler's character even though we can see how cowardly he is.

The plot, of course, is contrived, as is any plot involving hookers with hearts of gold. It's hard to see Shelly Long as a prostitute, but she plays it gamely and has fun with the role.

I recommend this film if you have any craziness to your sense of humor, or just if you're a male between the ages of 17 and 25. That's the target audience, but even in my mid-30's, I still find Keaton's performance refreshing and laugh-out-loud funny.

They don't seem to make comedies like this anymore, but thankfully, they did once. "Night Shift," directed by Ron Howard, stars Michael Keaton, Henry Winkler, and Shelley Long. Winkler plays Chuck Lumley, a securities broker who may have had a nervous breakdown - anyway, he has taken a job at the morgue so he can be in a quiet place. When he's transferred to the night shift, it ruins his time with his eternally dieting fiancée (Gina Hecht).

Worse than that, Chuck's quiet is shattered by a new employee, Bill Blazejowski (Keaton), who talks into a tape recorder and runs a limo service using the hearses. When Chuck's attractive neighbor, Belinda, a hooker, is in need of a pimp, Bill gathers her and her friends, and he and Chuck run a prostitution service out of the morgue. They take much less of a cut than the average pimp, and Chuck invests their money for them, and gets health insurance for them.

This is a really fun movie, with a terrific performance by Keaton as a wild man whose sense of adventure is infectious to the down and out Winkler. Winkler is the anti-Fonz, and he's wonderful. I had the pleasure of interviewing him once. He's one of the warmest, most natural people one could ever meet. Shelley Long is both funny and sympathetic as Belinda.

Very entertaining.

NIGHT SHIFT (1982) ***1/2 Henry Winkler, Shelley Long, Michael Keaton, Richard Belzer, Clint Howard. Fast paced and funny black comedy about a prostitution ring run from a NYC morgue and odd couple attendants Winkler and Keaton (in an amazing and hysterical film debut) as their pimps. Great dialogue and sharp direction by Ron Howard in this, his first big-budgeted directorial debut*. Look sharply for Kevin Costner as a frat boy in the morgue party scene. Best line: Keaton's Billy Blazejowski: "Is this a great country or what?!" Interesting note: closing song "That's What Friends Are For" sung by Rod Stewart is the same song later sung by Elton John & co. for AIDS benefit proceeds. * I know... Howard directed previously "Grand Theft Auto" for Roger Corman, so lighten up , Francis!

Very funny comedy from Ron Howard. Winkler and Keaton are a great duo and they team up very successfully from what I see. The whole premise is completely absurd, but you never know, it could happen. Nonetheless, engaging performances and great humor serve up a very good film. 9/10