California Suite 1978 PG, 103 min. Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Herbert Ross Cast: Alan Alda, Michael Caine, Bill Cosby, Jane Fonda, Walter Matthau, Maggie Smith, Elaine May, Richard Pryor, Herb Edelman, Denise Galik, Gloria Gifford, Sheila Frazier, Kelly Harmon, David Sheehan, Michael Boyle
Based on Neil Simon's Broadway play, there are four stories about couples visiting a Beverly Hills Hotel. In this film version of the play, the stories are interwoven. First, divorced couple Bill and Hannah Warren (Alan Alda and Jane Fonda) rent a suite to talk to each other about the custody of their child. Then, Hollywood stars Sidney Cochran and Diana Barrie (Michael Caine and Maggie Smith) use the suite while waiting for the Academy Awards and use sex to fill their time. In the next episode, Willis Panama and Chauncy Gump (Bill Cosby and Richard Prior) bring their families to the hotel for a great vacation that turns out to be anything but. Finally, Marvin Michaels' (Walter Matthau) wife Millie (Elaine May) catches him in the suite with a hooker, and he is placed in the impossible position of explaining his behavior. The cast is great, and the film is worth watching. Maggie Smith won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
|  | |
Cracking Up 1983 PG, 83 min. Genre: Comedy aka: Smorgasbord
Director: Jerry Lewis Cast: Jerry Lewis, Herb Edelman, Zane Busby, Dick Butkus, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis Jr., Foster Brooks, Buddy Lester, Francine York, Robin Bach
This is not one of Jerry Lewis' best by a long shot, but there are a few funny scenes as Jerry plays various characters–all tied to a suicidal chump seeking help from the shrink (Edelman).
|  | |
Hearts of the West 1975 PG, 103 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Howard Zieff Cast: Jeff Bridges, Alan Arkin, Blythe Danner, Andy Griffith, Donald Pleasence, Richard B. Shull, Herb Edelman, Alex Rocco, Frank Cady, Matt Clark
Jeff Bridges aspires to be a writer of Western lore and takes a correspondence course; the course turns out to be a fraud. Through a series of twists and turns, he ends up with stolen cash and, as an escape route, becomes a cowboy on a movie set.
|  | |
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas 1968 R, 95 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Hy Averback Cast: Peter Sellers, Jo Van Fleet, Leigh Taylor-Young, Joyce Van Patten, David Arkin, Herb Edelman, Grady Sutton, Sidney Clute, Roy E. Glenn Sr., Joe Dominguez
During his midlife crisis, a Jewish lawyer (Peter Sellers) becomes a hippie and drops out of society after eating some marijuana-laced treats. Sellers at his very best.
|  | |
In Like Flint 1967 N/R, 114 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Gordon Douglas Cast: James Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, Jean Hale, Andrew Duggan, Anna Lee, Hanna Landy, Totty Ames, Steve Ihnat, Herb Edelman, Yvonne Craig
In this poor sequel to "Our Man Flint," our hero (Coburn) is coaxed out of retirement as a secret agent to deal with a secret society of women who are out to take over the world.
|  | |
The Naked Truth 1992 N/R, 92 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Nico Mastorakis Cast: Robert Caso, Kevin Schon, Courtney Gibbs, M. Emmet Walsh, Herb Edelman, Erik Estrada, Shannon Tweed, Billy Barty, Little Richard, Yvonne De Carlo, Norman Fell, Zsa Zsa Gabor
Many old-time (and newer-time) Hollywood stars show up in this comedy in which Frank and Frank (Robert Caso and Kevin Schon) head to Hollywood to try getting into show biz. The Mob sends hit men on their trail after they inadvertently witness a hit and come upon a suitcase with more evidence. Meanwhile, the FBI needs their help as witnesses, so Frank and Frank disguise themselves as women working on an upcoming beauty pageant. Unfortunately, the pageant is also run by the Mob. And so it goes.
|  | |
The Odd Couple 1968 G, 105 min. Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Gene Saks Cast: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Monica Evans, Carole Shelley, John Fiedler, Herb Edelman, David Sheiner, Larry Haines, Iris Adrian, Patricia D. Bohannon, Billie Bird, Ted Beniades, John C. Becher, Al Barlick, Matty Alou
This is one of Neil Simon's best and most popular comedies. Felix Ungar's (Jack Lemmon) wife has thrown him out, and, after contemplating suicide, Felix decides to move into his best friend Oscar Madison's (Walter Matthau) apartment. Oscar's wife is also divorcing him, and the temporary move makes sense. But, Felix is a compulsive organizer, and Oscar is an excessive slob. Will their opposite personalities make or break the possibility of their living in the same apartment?
|  | |
The War Between Men and Women 1972 PG, 105 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Melville Shavelson Cast: Jack Lemmon, Barbara Harris, Jason Robards, Herb Edelman, Lisa Gerritsen, Severn Darden, Lisa Eilbacher, Moosie Drier, Ruth McDevitt, Joey Faye
Based on James Thurber's stories, this is the story of Peter Wilson (Jack Lemmon) and his new wife, Terry (Barbara Harris), who find rough going along the marital road.
|  | |
The Way We Were 1973 PG, 118 min. Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Sydney Pollack Cast: Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand, Bradford Dillman, Lois Chiles, Murray Hamilton, Patrick O'Neal, Viveca Lindfors, Allyn Ann McLerie, Herb Edelman, Sally Kirkland, Diana Ewing, Don Keefer, George Gaynes, Eric Boles, Marcia Mae Jones
This story follows the lives of activist Katie (Barbra Streisand) and writer Hubbell (Robert Redford) through their days in college, subsequent marriage, and inevitable divorce as each one has diverse political views. The title song won an Academy Award, as did the Musical Score by Marvin Hamlish. Streisand was nominated for Best Actress.
|  | |
Wheels on Meals 1984 N/R, 100 min. Genre: Action / Comedy
Director: Sammo Hung Cast: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Lola Forner, Benny Urquidez, Keith Vitali, Herb Edelman, Susana Sentis, Paul Chang, Wu Ma, Jose Sancho, Richard Ng, Sau Leung "Blacky" Ko, John Sham
Thomas (Jackie Chan) and David (Yuen Biao) operate a Chinese lunch wagon in Barcelona. David falls for street hustler Sylvia (Lola Forner) who manages to steal their wallets. Later, Sylvia is kidnapped; it turns out that she is an heiress who must claim her inheritance within two weeks of the death of a Count–she is his illegitimate daughter–or the fortune will go to the Count's evil brother (Herb Edelman) who is responsible for her kidnapping. Thomas and David join forces with inept private detective Moby (Sammo Hung), rescue Sylvia, and end up hiring her to help with their food business.
|  | |
The Yakuza 1975 R, 112 min. Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller aka: Brotherhood of the Yakuza
Director: Sydney Pollack Cast: Robert Mitchum, Ken Takakura, Brian Keith, Herb Edelman, Richard Jordan, James Shigeta, Keiko Kishi, Eiji Okada, William Ross, Denis Akiyama, Kyosuke Mashida, Christina Kokubo, Eiji Go, Lee Chirillo, Akiyama
Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum) is a detective who answers the call of his friend, George Tanner (Brian Keith). Tanner's daughter has been kidnapped in Japan by the gangsters, Yakuza, who are the Japanese Mafia. In order to save George's daughter, Harry knows that he must show great power and seeks out his old nemesis Tanaka (Ken Takakura) to aid him in the rescue efforts that, before all is said and done, involve uncovering an espionage plot.
|  | |
| 1. Barefoot in the Park (1967)
2. California Suite (1978)
3. Cracking Up (1983) aka: Smorgasbord
4. Hearts of the West (1975)
5. I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968)
6. In Like Flint (1967)
7. The Naked Truth (1992)
8. The Odd Couple (1968)
9. On the Right Track (1981)
10. The War Between Men and Women (1972)
11. The Way We Were (1973)
12. Wheels on Meals (1984)
13. The Yakuza (1975) aka: Brotherhood of the Yakuza
In The News
|