Ciderborg

This film is funny. That's the first thing you need to know. The second thing is why? Take two safe crackers, a ruby, an incompetent Armenian, a hard boiled police chief, a corrupt diplomat and a host of stoopid hoods, give 'em all a sparklingly witty script and a spaghetti plot, and watch them sort it all out. Lambert and Lloyd are a great comic duo and the late J T Walsh is a joy to watch as he gets madder and madder. This is not a film that'll change your life but it will make you laugh for an hour and a half and the way the world is right now, there are few things more valuable than light relief. With memorable one liners and side splitting sequences, this is a gem that too few people know about. It's not even IN Leonard Maltin's 2002 movie guide. Do yourself a favour and rent it if you get the chance. You'll love it.

UHF is a fantastic movie. At first glance a cliche ridden poke at 80's TV and film but on further examination it is an original and skillfully made satire that ranks as highly as anything Mel Brooks or Monty Python have ever released. It stars Weird Al Yankovic, the man responsible for "Eat it" the famous parody of Michael Jackson's "Beat it" and it is clear from the outset that he loves the things he makes fun of. The movie outline provided by IMDB is sufficient as regards the plot and I'm not about to blow it for you, but there are one or two things I need to draw your attention to. The film starts with a parody of the opening sequence of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and the attention to detail is staggering. The scene in which Weird Al Attempts to steal the golden idol is a perfect ape to the original scene in "Raiders" right down to each stroke of an unshaven chin. It's clear that that this parody is not done to poke fun but instead to add comedy to a familiar and formulaic piece of action, and it is with this in mind that the rest of the movie connects with your head as much as it does with your funny bone. It's not just a series of parodies though. There is a well defined plot pitching hero against villain (enthusiastically played by Kevin McCarthy) and the story meanders perfectly between George Newman's (Weird Al's character)imagination and his reality giving the perfect platform for Weird Al to put in a terrific comedy performance. There is as much original material as there are references to other famous films (Blazing Saddles, Close Encounters and Rambo to name but a few..) and the whole thing adds up to a genuinely funny movie. If you've seen all Mel Brooks's films or you need a change from Monty Python and Jim Carrey doesn't quite do it for you, this film is a must.