L'erba del vicino

This is a great example of what Tom Hanks was doing in his former career of a comedic actor, before he returned to serious acting.

The story follows three incredibly nosey suburbanites, spying on their new neighbours the Klopek's as they expect them to be murderers.

Winning performances all round, but especially from Hanks. He is well supported by the likes of Carrie Fisher, as his wife, and ex-army man Bruce Dern, with Henry Gibson giving his usual solid performance.

A greatly funny movie which leaves you wondering why Hanks ever turned his back on comedy.

Okay, I know Tom Hanks has done some greater than great work. Forest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, and The Green Mile are truly American classics. For some reason (maybe I AM a weirdo) this is my favorite movie of his. It has a simple plot, a light tone, shades of horror, and some GREAT one-liners that have stayed in my memory since I was nine years old. This is one of those movies that never gets old. I especially like Corey Feldman as Ricky Butler. He played the best burn-out I have ever seen and he truly is an underrated actor. Rick Duccoman is great as the obnoxious neighbor, Art and his laid back manner continues to bring a smile to my face. Bruce Dern is flat-out awesome as the war-crazed vet who has all the right gizmos for the job, but always fails miserably. Almost every line out of his mouth is memorable and his response when he steps in a pile of dog crap is a classic quote.

Obviously this is a satire on Suburban life and nosey neighbors, but I could care less about all that. This is a classic that ranks (in my mind) with the likes of "The Goonies" and "Smokey and the Bandit".

If, for some reason, you missed this one, PLEASE see it. You have no clue what you're missing.

Rick Ducommun is my cousin. I have not seen this movie in years, but remember enjoying it when I was in college and it was just released. I love to watch anything he is in, since it brings back memories of my childhood and times when he would pop in for a visit and keep my brothers and I in stitches. He sent me a big autographed glossy of he and Tom Hanks from when they were filming this movie. It seems to impress many of my friends who find out he is my cousin.

He is a wonderful man and I want to eventually allow all of my children to see all of the things he has been in. The entire family is very proud of "Big Rick" and excited about all that he has done. He is a very talented person and has always kept our entire family entertained. I am glad that he was able to entertain many more as well.

He is sick right now and has moved back to Canada, where we were born and raised. I hope to go visit him very soon.

The first time I saw THE 'BURBS, it was a special unannounced sneak preview following another film. Having heard nothing about this film and not even knowing of its existence until the film started, I was immediately worried I was about to see a horror film. Hey, I was only ten at the time, when I was still scared of horror movies. But what I ended up seeing was one of the most hilarious movies ever made, a movie that had the entire theater laughing all the way through. We later bought the video, and more recently the DVD, and over the years since it's release I've watched it countless times (the exact number probably somewhere in the 50s or so) and have never grown tired of it.

While managing to be both suspenseful and funny at the same time, the film also does a great job after capturing the day-to-day life of a small suburban street, with a variety of characters so simple and life-like, it seems like they could actually live on your own street. The grumpy old guy down the street, the teenager who likes to throw parties while his parents are gown, the guy next door who comes over all the time and mooches food, and the average Everyday Joe who experiences it all at his own pace. The cast is an excellent combination, with everybody working great together, particularly Bruce Dern as the Vietnam vet who always has the right tool for the job and Tom Hanks as the average guy who's curious about his strange new neighbors, but not enough to really want to bother finding out more about them. If you've never seen it, I suggest giving it a look. It really is quite funny and has many quotable lines.

Wanna' sit down and watch a movie that doesn't take itself seriously and stars Tom Hanks? Here ya' go!

The basic plot to this not-quite-funny comedy is that a group of suburbanites think that a family of creepy new neighbors are actually sick killers who offed another neighbor. They go through all sorts of adventures and situations, trying to get to the bottom of the mystery that, it seems, only exists within their minds.

Who cares if the ending is cliche? Well, I do, but not in a movie like this where there is no underlying meaning or message and is just in existence to have a little bit of fun. Which is, by the way, what you'll have: a little bit of fun.