A designer makes a grievous mistake when he rejects the friendship of a borderline cable guy.A designer makes a grievous mistake when he rejects the friendship of a borderline cable guy.A designer makes a grievous mistake when he rejects the friendship of a borderline cable guy.
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- 3 wins & 2 nominations total
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Featured reviews
The Cable Guy has now all but been forgotten by the movie world. It was released when Jim Carrey was on his way to being the new A list comedian, and thus, was considered only a slightly funny version of 'Ace Venture'. or The Mask' Or whatever. Personally, I don't consider The Cable Guy a comedy at all. Sure, there are some side splitting moments - Carrey is hilarious alongside Matthew Broderick's by the numbers 'average Joe', but id suggest that anyone who was not taken in by this film to look at it a little differently...
This is a horror film. I swear!
For me, Chip Douglas does not come across to me as a harmless lisping clingy chump - HELL NO! The guy is a maniac. An obsessive, intelligent, controlling, stalking "Fatal Attraction" styled nutter!
Watch it again!
For me, this is Jim Carrey's career launching performance. He has a lisp right? after a while, you don't really notice it do you? Right. This is an incredibly difficult task for an actor - maintaining a speech impediment for an entire film, keeping it level, and not exaggerating it, its really something to take a look at. Carrey's character is sick, and very very creepy. With Broderick et al giving relatively standard performances, Carrey's performance is a stand out, and Ben Stiller should be proud of this film and what it lead to in terms of Jim Carrey's career.
Trust me, if you didn't like this, take another look, and prepare to be freaked out by a very not funny, very creepy Carrey performance...
8/10
This is a horror film. I swear!
For me, Chip Douglas does not come across to me as a harmless lisping clingy chump - HELL NO! The guy is a maniac. An obsessive, intelligent, controlling, stalking "Fatal Attraction" styled nutter!
Watch it again!
For me, this is Jim Carrey's career launching performance. He has a lisp right? after a while, you don't really notice it do you? Right. This is an incredibly difficult task for an actor - maintaining a speech impediment for an entire film, keeping it level, and not exaggerating it, its really something to take a look at. Carrey's character is sick, and very very creepy. With Broderick et al giving relatively standard performances, Carrey's performance is a stand out, and Ben Stiller should be proud of this film and what it lead to in terms of Jim Carrey's career.
Trust me, if you didn't like this, take another look, and prepare to be freaked out by a very not funny, very creepy Carrey performance...
8/10
Matthew Broderick asked his girl to marry him and she asked him to move out. The eccentric guy who shows up to install cable in his new pad arrives just at the right time to become his friend. Only The Cable Guy (Jim Carrey) wants to be a little closer than Broderick is comfortable with...
The Cable Guy is a brave and daring tragi-comedy, a rare sort of movie where you're laughing one minute and scared the next.
I'm not sure if we'll ever get another chance to see Jim Carrey go this far out on a limb: director Ben Stiller has seemingly given him total carte blanche, resulting in a seemingly completely over-the-top characterisation, yet not so over the top that we can't get involved in the plot and take what his character does as really happening.
Notice the way that the cable guy often mimics moments from his favourite movies and works them into his controlling of the plot of this movie - or how he starts humming movie-music along to certain scenes, while the actual music of the movie mirrors the music the cable guy is creating. This will clue you into the other subtle elements which add towards this movie's satire of the effect TV has had on the modern psyche.
Its worth the price of rental alone to see Carrey's rendition of "Don't You Want Somebody to Love" in the famous karaoke scene.
After repeated viewings since its initial release, its one of the most memorable Carrey comedies, and one of the most memorable flicks of the 90's. 4/5.
The Cable Guy is a brave and daring tragi-comedy, a rare sort of movie where you're laughing one minute and scared the next.
I'm not sure if we'll ever get another chance to see Jim Carrey go this far out on a limb: director Ben Stiller has seemingly given him total carte blanche, resulting in a seemingly completely over-the-top characterisation, yet not so over the top that we can't get involved in the plot and take what his character does as really happening.
Notice the way that the cable guy often mimics moments from his favourite movies and works them into his controlling of the plot of this movie - or how he starts humming movie-music along to certain scenes, while the actual music of the movie mirrors the music the cable guy is creating. This will clue you into the other subtle elements which add towards this movie's satire of the effect TV has had on the modern psyche.
Its worth the price of rental alone to see Carrey's rendition of "Don't You Want Somebody to Love" in the famous karaoke scene.
After repeated viewings since its initial release, its one of the most memorable Carrey comedies, and one of the most memorable flicks of the 90's. 4/5.
When first released, Cable Guy was such an unusual departure for Jim Carrey and his usual slapstick, manic, goofy comedies that people just didn't understand it or like it. When word of Carrey's enormous $20 million paycheck for this film spread, hopes were high that Cable Guy would be smothered in Carrey's slice of hilarious dementia to the extreme.
Carrey certainly brought an air of craziness to Chip Douglas, a lonely, TV-addicted, and creepy cable installer who befriends the unwilling Matthew Broderick (here, looking just nervous and bewildered for the entire film). But something was missing from this Carrey vehicle from the others: he was not all fun and games. In fact, he was downright funny weird, not funny haha.
So here lies one of the major problems people have with this film: it veers from dark comedy into darkness, period. Carrey isn't making an ass of himself in every scene. No. Instead, Carrey's Chip Douglas is an obsessive, extreme, two-faced sociopath. The result? What would be Jim Carrey's best performance to date, surpassed only by his Truman Burbank in The Truman Show.
Sure, it's got a story that's been done to death: normal guy meets psycho and is stalked. But oh, what fun it is to see Jim drag Matthew Broderick into such uncomfortable situations as playing Porno Password with his parents (Carrey whispering "Nipple" into Broderick's ear is absolute brilliance).
Cable Guy is definitely not for fans who want to see Jim Carrey do what created his career; that is, silly, goofy, and flailing comedy. However, avid fans of black comedies will love seeing Carrey's first step in his evolution as a gifted, serious, and undeniably interesting actor.
8 out of 10.
Carrey certainly brought an air of craziness to Chip Douglas, a lonely, TV-addicted, and creepy cable installer who befriends the unwilling Matthew Broderick (here, looking just nervous and bewildered for the entire film). But something was missing from this Carrey vehicle from the others: he was not all fun and games. In fact, he was downright funny weird, not funny haha.
So here lies one of the major problems people have with this film: it veers from dark comedy into darkness, period. Carrey isn't making an ass of himself in every scene. No. Instead, Carrey's Chip Douglas is an obsessive, extreme, two-faced sociopath. The result? What would be Jim Carrey's best performance to date, surpassed only by his Truman Burbank in The Truman Show.
Sure, it's got a story that's been done to death: normal guy meets psycho and is stalked. But oh, what fun it is to see Jim drag Matthew Broderick into such uncomfortable situations as playing Porno Password with his parents (Carrey whispering "Nipple" into Broderick's ear is absolute brilliance).
Cable Guy is definitely not for fans who want to see Jim Carrey do what created his career; that is, silly, goofy, and flailing comedy. However, avid fans of black comedies will love seeing Carrey's first step in his evolution as a gifted, serious, and undeniably interesting actor.
8 out of 10.
I divide movie fans into two types - those that love The Cable Guy, and those that don't. The latter I try and avoid.
Welcome to the most misunderstood, unjustly dissed movie of the 90s! Even Homer Simpson hates it! I'm not going waste time trying to change anybody's mind on this gem. If you don't see the sheer brilliance of this you're beyond hope. All I can say is that it ROCKS in every way. Jim Carrey has never been better as the creepy, psycho stalker "Chip Douglas", and Matthew Broderick is wonderfully likeable as Chip's unsuspecting customer. Add to that a tremendously cool supporting cast of cult legends including Charles Napier, Janeane Garofolo, Eric Roberts, Mr. Show's Bob and David, Sean Whalen,Owen Wilson, Andy Dick and BOTH members of Tenacious D, among others.
Full of memorable sequences - the Karaoke jam, the Medieval theme restaurant, director Ben Stiller's recurring duel role - The Cable Guy is smart-as-a-whip, black, surreal, FUNNY, FUNNY stuff!
Welcome to the most misunderstood, unjustly dissed movie of the 90s! Even Homer Simpson hates it! I'm not going waste time trying to change anybody's mind on this gem. If you don't see the sheer brilliance of this you're beyond hope. All I can say is that it ROCKS in every way. Jim Carrey has never been better as the creepy, psycho stalker "Chip Douglas", and Matthew Broderick is wonderfully likeable as Chip's unsuspecting customer. Add to that a tremendously cool supporting cast of cult legends including Charles Napier, Janeane Garofolo, Eric Roberts, Mr. Show's Bob and David, Sean Whalen,Owen Wilson, Andy Dick and BOTH members of Tenacious D, among others.
Full of memorable sequences - the Karaoke jam, the Medieval theme restaurant, director Ben Stiller's recurring duel role - The Cable Guy is smart-as-a-whip, black, surreal, FUNNY, FUNNY stuff!
Some people really hated the movie. I saw it, I'll note I saw it on video and frankly I loved it. I think this was the start of Carrey really coming out although it has a couple of crude jokes I could have done without. You really feel for Broderick who starts out having a slightly annoying friend and ends up dealing with a stalker! Somehow the stalker goes from being exceedingly annoying to outsiders gaining acceptance from everybody around his victim. He casts a spell having his victim believe that he is in danger of losing everything if he does not co-operate with his tomentor. Anyway, if you like a bit of light dark comedy and order a pizza, I think the movie is worth a watch.
Did you know
- TriviaWhile filming of the scene in which The Cable Guy plays basketball, it became obvious that Jim Carrey could barely dribble a basketball, let alone throw a basket. Ben Stiller had Carrey mime the action, and the basketball was added in post-production.
- Goofs"The odds that Steven would have been in jail (the prison scene) for "receiving stolen property" are slim to none, and after an interview Steven would have likely been cited at the police station and given a court date. Some states have a separate but similar charge called "possessing stolen property" or "possession of stolen property." The distinguishing factor here is when the accused learned the goods were stolen. If he knew at the time he acquired the property, then it is receipt of stolen property. It is possession of stolen property if he only learned the property was stolen after he obtained it. All Steven had to do was tell the police who Chip Douglas really was, and Steven would have been sent home and it would have been The Cable Guy who would have been arrested." ... but the Police Officers and Guards seen in these scenes are all "Preferred Customers" and they clearly went outside the law to lock up Steven at the request of Chip. Since this is still a comedy film, the suspension of disbelief is held when it is acknowledged at least twice in these scenes that Chip is manipulating the authorities with his connections via long-time cable hook-ups; and we'd seen the arresting cop at the karaoke party earlier in the film, too.
- Quotes
Chip Douglas: The future is now! Soon every American home will integrate their television, phone and computer. You'll be able to visit the Louvre on one channel, or watch female wrestling on another. You can do your shopping at home, or play Mortal Kombat with a friend from Vietnam. There's no end to the possibilities!
- Crazy creditsThe Columbia logo at the beginning of the movie segues into static from Steven's cable TV.
- Alternate versionsIn order to qualify for a 12 certificate, the UK releases (prior to its July '17 Blu-ray release) were ordered by the BBFC to cut 4 seconds by removing some imitable violence. The cut occurs when Steven and The Cable Guy are fighting on top of the TV satellite, towards the ending. A shot of Guy headbutting Steven, as well as a brief ear-clap, has been omitted.
- ConnectionsEdited into Jim Carrey: Somebody to Love (1996)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Dr. Cable - El desastre llama a la puerta
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $47,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $60,240,295
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $19,806,226
- Jun 16, 1996
- Gross worldwide
- $102,825,796
- Runtime
- 1h 36m(96 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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