Hey_Sweden

Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathan Silverman) are two low-on-the-totem-pole insurance company employees who discover a case of fraud. Their boss Bernie (Terry Kiser) rewards them by inviting them to his swank beach house for the Labor Day weekend - and when they get there, they discover that he's died. ("Bumped off" would be more accurate.) Larry gets the "bright" idea to pretend that Bernie is still alive so that they can enjoy the rest of the weekend.

For such a cheerfully ridiculous, over-the-top farce, "Weekend at Bernie's" does deliver a decent amount of genuine laughs, mostly at the expense of Bernies' dead body. It takes a LOT of punishment before this is over. (Kisers' stunt double would suffer several broken ribs in the process.). Larry is actually a pretty repulsive character, and Richard at least has something resembling a conscience - but he tends to get distracted by the presence of summer intern Gwen (the lovely & appealing Catherine Mary Stewart), whose parents happen to live on the same island.

Some other good laughs arise from the dilemma facing mob hitman Paulie (Don Calfa), who has to keep returning to the island to "finish" a job that he thinks he is botching.

Calfa & Kiser, two great character actors, very much steal the show in this genial comedy, which adds an element of satire in showing us how clueless Bernies' affluent, party-hearty island neighbors can be.

The lively score is by Andy Summers of The Police; director Ted Kotcheff ("Wake in Fright", "North Dallas Forty", "First Blood") has a cameo as Richards' father. "How about I lay YOU out."

Overall, "Weekend at Bernie's" is a pretty good time at the movies provided that viewers just want to shut their brain off for 99 minutes and laugh.

Followed by a completely unnecessary sequel.

Seven out of 10.

One of the most hysterical 'Fawlty Towers' episodes has Basil trying to run the place by himself while Sybil is in the hospital having an operation. There will be a group of German guests, an utterly dismal fire drill, and a tacky moose head to be hung up in the lobby. Basil, unfortunately, has the idea that the place simply can't function without him.

The comedy highlights are plenty, especially that aforementioned fire drill, which is paid off with a predictable but priceless twist, the fate of the moose head, and what happens when Basil suffers a concussion, escapes the hospital, and proceeds to make a shamble of things trying to impress the German guests while obviously suffering the effects of the concussion.

Cleese is a joy to watch, as he gets all tongue-tied, says all the wrong things, and even indulges in a "funny walk", leaving the Germans feeling quite perturbed indeed. Andrew Sachs (Manuel) is hilarious as always, and Ballard Berkeley ("Stage Fright") as Major Gowen is given more to do than usual, including a memorable conversation that he has with Cleese early on.

The whole thing is so blissfully un-P. C. and lively, and just gets better & better as it goes along. It's a must for all fans of British comedy.

Nine out of 10.

"Juice" is an engaging early-90s urban drama of four streetwise young black men looking for that elusive thing known as "juice" - meaning power and respect on the street. Q (Omar Epps) thinks he can rise above his situation by achieving success as a DJ. But his pal Bishop (Tupac Shakur) is willing to resort to more ruthless methods; specifically, robbing a convenience store at gunpoint.

"Juice" is a good film of its type, even if it doesn't have quite the impact of "Boyz N the Hood" or "Menace II Society". It benefits from its authentic location work, and a cutting-edge and catchy hip-hop soundtrack. The young cast does creditable work, with Shakur rating as the MVP: he has natural screen presence as the unhinged member of the crew who ultimately gets much too trigger-happy. Also turning up in solid supporting performances are Cindy Herron (from the singing group En Vogue), Queen Latifah, Samuel L. Jackson, and Vincent Laresca. There are also cameos from various hip-hop celebrities.

Co-written by Ernest R. Dickerson, who was Spike Lees' regular cinematographer at the time, this saw the talented D. P. making his directing debut as well. And it does bear his stamp, as it is a stylish film with a particularly memorable interrogation scene.

Overall, "Juice" is worth a look for fans of the cast and the genre.

Seven out of 10.