Night Shift - Turno di notte

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.

I was watching this for the second time on the telly when my dad came in after a hard day's work to wish me good night. He started watching, sat down and stayed transfixed to the end, finally declaring it one of the funniest films he had ever seen. I agreed with him. Then I sent him off to bed. I couldn't bear to look at those red spandex trousers for a minute longer.

The basic structure of Night Shift is really familiar stuff but the main idea here is really unique and results in a really good comedy that gets enough good laughs out of it across the run time bolstered by a strong central trio and easygoing direction that makes the whole thing more enjoyable.

Henry Winkler's mild mannered nature is ideal to lead the film in contrast to everything around him and his growing confidence is really fun. Shelley Long really humanises a character who could have easily been two dimensional and Michael Keaton rounds out the core three in terrific fashion.

In his first film role Keaton shows why he's become and remains a truly dynamic screen presence with an incredible amount of energy from his first appearance and a level of comedic timing that is impeccable every single time. Almost all of the best jokes here are his.

Ron Howard's direction compliments everything else nicely, there's nothing groundbreaking here but there's some clever flourishes and framing that enhances the humour. It opens pretty strong as well, setting up a lot of different aspects with an engaging chase sequence.

In my humble opinion, Ron Howard should have tried directing R rated comedies more often during his career as he shows here to have a real knack for it. Written by frequent collaborators Lowell Ganz and "Babaloo" Mandel, and marking an early joint effort for him and producer Brian Grazer, "Night Shift" is not only an agreeably saucy film, but the writers and director are also able to mine this material for a lot of heart, and the actors create likable, memorable characters. Howards' 'Happy Days' co-star Henry Winkler shines in a part far removed from that of the ultra-cool Fonz. He's Chuck Lumley, a timid, nerdy type who got stressed out working as an investment counselor and sought the peace and quiet of working in the city morgue. This doesn't last long when he's forced to work the night shift and partnered with wild man Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski (Michael Keaton, in one hell of a film debut), a talkative "idea man". Among his ideas are edible paper, therefore cutting down on garbage, and feeding mayonnaise to tunafish. Anyway, things take a bizarre turn for Chuck after he's made friends with Belinda (Shelley Long), a sweet hooker who's moved into his building. Her pimp has been knocked off and now her johns are taking advantage of her. So after some thought he agrees to Bills' idea that they should become the pimps for Belinda and all of her gal pals. This is great fun all the way through, with Keaton completely stealing the show as Blaze, and getting most of the good lines. Long admittedly makes for a rather unlikely hooker, but she still has a lot of appeal here and does look very nice cooking eggs in her underwear. The film does go on for quite a bit but is entertaining enough that you don't feel that much time going by. An impressive amount of familiar faces fill out supporting and bit parts: Gina Hecht, Pat Corley, Bobby Di Cicco, Nita Talbot, Howards' brother Clint, Joe Spinell, Richard Belzer, Grand L. Bush, Charles Fleischer, Vincent Schiavelli, Michael Pataki, Howard himself in dual cameo roles, Shannen Doherty, and Kevin Costner (you have to be quick to spot him) as a frat boy. Good score (by Burt Bacharach) and songs (by Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager); the songs include "That's What Friends Are For", sung by Rod Stewart, years before it was a hit for Dionne Warwick & Friends.

Here's just a couple of lines to pique your interest:

"This is Chuck to remind Bill to SHUT UP!" "Call Star-Kist." "Oh, that Barney Rubble...what an actor!" "LOOOVE brokers!"

All in all, it's an 80s comedy worth seeking out or rediscovering.

Eight out of 10.

... well actually several of them are. The film is based on a true story of a couple of morgue employees caught running a brothel out of the morgue at night.

You have Michael Keaton in his breakout role acting like...well..Michael Keaton, at least pre "Clean and Sober" Michael Keaton, with his smart remarks and cheery yet loser persona. You've got Henry Winkler as a guy who just lets people walk on him to the point that he's engaged to a woman he really doesn't love because she is there, and just takes it when he's moved from his day post at the morgue to the night shift with Keaton's Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski. Winker's character, Chuck, got to this sad state of affairs when he had a nervous breakdown working on Wall Street, even though he is a talented investor. Since then he's decided the best way to get through life is keep his head down and keep a low profile.

But then his night shift brings a little sunshine his way in the person of prostitute Belinda (Shelley Long), who is getting home about the time that Chuck does, and they begin to have breakfast together and get to know each other. When Belinda is injured by a client because she doesn't have a pimp, Bill talks Chuck into letting Belinda and her friends work for them, and Chuck agrees to invest the girls' money so they'll have a nest egg.

Eventually Chuck and Belinda fall in love, with Chuck assuming Belinda will quit prostitution. Belinda asks the pertinent question - "And do what?". She asks it tearfully, because of course she doesn't like this life, we really never get any background as to how she got here, but future employers would want to know what she was doing with this big blank space on her resume and she knows she has no acceptable answer.

The whole situation comes to a head when other pimps don't care for Bill and Chuck cutting in on their territory. And then there is the little matter of undercover cops. I'll let you watch and see how this all works out.

This would probably just be a six if it weren't for the important place it holds in film history. It is the first feature film directed by Ron Howard at only age 28, and he did a very able job his first time out. It boosted the careers of both Michael Keaton and Shelley Long, who was less than a month away from beginning her star making role on Cheers. And then there is the film's theme song "That's What Friends are For" that was rerecorded in 1985, became a hit, and whose proceeds went to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS.

And what of Henry Winkler who was top billed here? Well, even though he was nominated for awards for this performance, it was pretty much downhill from here professionally. Since 1973 Winkler had built the reputation as the ultimate Eisenhower era alpha male - Fonzie - on the long running TV show "Happy Days". He was a cross between Brando and Elvis. People stepped out of his way when he walked down the street, and he would snap his fingers and several beautiful girls would come running just to be on his arm. A great performance as a man who is a walking doormat through most of the film does not mean that it enlarged his fan base.

I'd say watch it for its place in film history for all the reasons I gave. Even if you weren't alive at the time, the film is at least mildly amusing. Also watch out for cameos by Richard Belzer (Munch on Homicide and then Special Victims Unit), Kevin Costner, and of course Clint Howard who I don't think ever got an acting job without big brother's help, with the exception of maybe his part on TV show Gentle Ben.