Nuit de folie

Why does this movie have such a low rating on this site? This is such a good movie! Ok, I'll admit, the story is pretty odd, but it's still very good, and it's a great adventure.

All the actors do a great job in the film. Elizabeth Shue looks as beautiful as ever and does a great job as Chris Parker. Keith Coogan does a great job as well. Other notable cast members are Vincent D'Onofrio, Penelope Ann Miller, Geroge Newbern, Bradley Whitford, and Lolita Davidovich. Also, I have to hand it to director Chris Columbus, he did a superb job with this film. Amazingly enough, this was his first directorial effort too. Good job Chris! It's always good to see where directors come from, if you didn't know, he went on to do "Home Alone", "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York", "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Bicentennial Man", and "Harry Potter: The Sorcerer's Stone", just to name a few.

There are so many good things about this film! This movie's got action, adventure, and comedy. The comedy in the film is absolutely fantastic! There are a few scenes that crack me up just thinking about them. ...And there are a great number of quotable lines that everyone that has seen this movie will remember.

Anyhow, I strongly suggest you see this film! I really hope that you enjoy the film if you haven't seen it already. Thanks for reading,

-Chris

The 1980s saw a proliferation of "teen movies". About 90% of them had nothing new to really say, starred teen "heart throbs" and were marketed ONLY to younger, dumber audiences. I was in my teens and twenties in this era, but even I thought these movies were awful==obviously I was the correct age but just "didn't get it". Uh, huh.

Many of these movies featured crude and dumb humor, ample boobies (which is odd, considering the audience technically was too young to be admitted to many of these dreadful films) and low production values. As I said before, the movies seemed to be marketed to dumb people. Don't believe me?! Well think back to such films as the PORKY'S movies, Freddy Kruger films, HALLOWEEN, the later ROCKY films, etc. These films truly were awful.

So, with all this dreck, it was nice to see a few teen-oriented films that didn't insult the audience or feature mind-rot. ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (as well as films such as BETTER OFF DEAD) was a decent film that actually had something to say to teens--and it could be enjoyed by adults as well (what a concept). While the story does have its sexy jokes, teens who know more than adults and silly escapades, it manages some originality and some genuine laughs. It's cute how an innocent little trek into the city results in a long series of unbelievable and dangerous consequences--many of which are quite funny. Give it a try--it's not "rocket science" or Masterpiece Theatre, but it's good old fashioned silly fun.

PS--watch ALL the movie--including the very end. Many times on TV they cut off the very end, but on video or DVD it's there. So, DON'T turn it off when the credits roll.

In the suburbs of Chicago, the seventeen year-old Chris Parker (Elisabeth Shue) is in love with her boyfriend Mike (Bradley Whitford). When Mike stands her up and cancels their dinner in Chicago, Chris accepts to babysit the siblings Sara (Maia Brewton) and Brad (Keith Coogan). But her friend Brenda (Penelope Ann Miller) calls her telling that she decided to run away home but now she has repented; she begs Chris to rescue her from the bus station in downtown Chicago. Chris makes a deal with Sara and Brad and when she is ready to drive to downtown, Brad's friend Daryl (Anthony Rapp) overhears the negotiation and blackmails Chris to go with them. However, when they are on the expressway, Chris has a flat tire and she realizes that she has forgotten her purse in the house. The mechanic Pruitt (John Ford Noonan) stops this tow truck and offers to truck the car to his garage. Chris sees no other option and accepts the offer in the beginning of an unforgettable night of adventures in Chicago.

"Adventures in Babysitting" is one of those adorable cult-movies for the entire life. I saw this movie in the 80's and since then, it has become one of my top movies ever. There are unforgettable scenes and maybe my favorite is when Albert Collins says that nobody leaves the club without singing a blues. The 25th anniversary Blu-Ray is really a worthwhile shopping. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Noite de Aventuras" ("One Night of Adventures")

Note: On 16 April 2019, I saw this film again.

I grew up with this movie and always wanted to be like Chris. She was so beautiful and handled the toughest situations so well. She took the deadliest situations and got the kids out of them so safely. Well, now I babysit and I'm glad I never got in the same situation, but it still made for a great and fun movie.

Chris is a senior who has a big date planned with her boyfriend, but when he cancels, she is forced to babysit the Anderson's daughter, Sara. They also have a son, Brad is a couple years younger and has a huge crush on Chris and decides to cancel on his friend, Darrel to stay home with Chris. But when Chris's best friend, Brenda, calls her from the Anderson's, she finds out her friend is stranded at a bus station and can't get anyone else to help her. So Chris takes Brad and Sara and is forced to take Darrel since he won't leave them alone, they all go into the city of Chicago and end up getting a flat and get into one deadly situation after the next, even getting chased by the Mafia!

This is a fun flick that I still watch 'til this day and have so much fun with. I would always recommend this also for anyone, I truly hope it is discovered by new generations. I still enjoy singing along with the "Babysitting Blues", I think I finally feel Chris's pain, after all, I'm too old to babysit. :D

7/10

For an unknown (to me) reason, when I saw this on British TV, it was called "A Night On The Town", a far inferior title than 'Adventures in Babysitting', although maybe they figured that parents would think this a children's movie...

Anyway, the movie itself is charming in that way that only 1980s US comedy films are. There is an air of innocence to the whole thing, before these more conscious and overtly cynical days that we know and hate now - maybe a reason why 1980s retro is all the rage now... that, and things are cyclical.

I thought the film WAS charming, although entirely far-fetched in its plot lines, although I think that was kind of the point. The characters, while not being very complicated, were warm and at least not entirely two-dimensional, and the little girl was quite cute and not extremely annoying as could have happened.

Overall, I'd recommend it to hounds who love to watch 80s films.