The 'Burbs

In life sometimes a bizarre comedy hits just the right notes with me and can hit the sport no matter the time of day or the mood I am in. I remember though as a little kid, we were over at my great grandma's and it was being watched. I can only remember from that viewing of The Burbs was that it gave me nightmares. After growing older I came to truly appreciate the magnificence of this bizarre comedy. Too many of Hollywood's more recent offerings feature truly tasteless gags that poke fun at subjects that should simply be left well enough alone. Well I have to say that Hollywood could learn a thing or two from its own past in this department

An interesting aspect of this film is that it is not so much about the plot. The plot which is pretty thin, and while this is a major things critics look for, it is about the characters who become entangled within it. The chemistry between everyone of the characters is simply impressive, and much of the humor of the film can be found in the often ludicrous way the director portrays their interactions.

While this movie has quite the all star cast of well known 80's stars. While Tom Hanks, really showed that he can be goofy and have fun with a role, Rick Ducommun really outshone everyone else. His wackiness and his portrayal of the annoying neighbor are spot on. While the Lopek's are cast brilliantly once we finally get to see them. They give a great creepy feeling that only helps with the dark, bizarre aspect. That makes you question over and over again if the movie is really a horror movie disguised with the comedic one liners.

While The 'Burbs may not be for everyone this is definitely one of my favorites. Because of the great way to entangle the characters I am giving this movie three buckets of popcorn out of five. Make sure to do all that you can to see this movie if you have not seen it.

-The Movie Man-