lastliberal

(2013-05-22 16:57:01)

You might be a redneck...

You might be a redneck if you go to family reunions looking for a date.Jerry Lee Lewis (Dennis Quaid) scandalized the world when he hooked upwith the 13-year-old daughter (Winona Ryder) of his cousin.That story and the musical genius of Jerry Lee pretty much sums up thisfilm. Oh, yes, there is the conflict with his other cousin JimmySwaggart (Alec Baldwin).Quaid follows up what I consider his best role as Det. Remy McSwain inThe Big Easy with a rocking, rollicking role as The Killer. Like TheBig Easy, the music is an essential and most enjoyable part of thefilm. Winona Ryder, who will go one to play many excellent roles, wasrecognized for her performance in this picture as a young newcomer.You can't help but be in a toe-tapping'mood when the credits role.

Mary

(2013-05-22 00:56:40)

It Was Awesome

This movie is so good. The story was so interesting.I almost cried in the part where Myra tells Jerry she's pregnant. But I still think Jerry should have waited a few years before he married her. She was way too young. He didn't even ask her father's approval.

classicsoncall

(2013-05-19 03:15:53)

"It's the devil's music. I can feel it".

About the time Myra Gale Brown would have been worrying about thehydrogen bomb destroying mankind, I was in parochial school doing duckand cover drills for the same reason. So even while Jerry Lee Lewis wasbecoming the Wild Man of Rock and Roll, I don't recall what a stir hewas causing with his 'savage animal rhythms' back in 1957. What I doknow is that it's impossible to sit still with a whole lotta shaking'going' on, and the rock and roll world is a lot better off for JerryLee having made his contribution.With that said, the film comes across as somewhat disappointing. Maybeit's Dennis Quaid's pouty and exaggerated portrayal, or maybe it's theseverely restricted view one gets of virtually a single year in thelife of the rock star. Perhaps a treatment in the style of "The BuddyHolly Story" or "La Bamba" might have fleshed out the singer a littlebetter, instead of subjecting us to the one dimensional character thatappears here from open to close. Some reviewers on this board insistthat this was Jerry Lee right from the get-go, but I find it hard tobelieve that his life wasn't more nuanced than the picture we get here.Not only that, but if comparisons were going to be drawn along sideElvis and Chuck Berry, then maybe we could have seen some interactionbetween Jerry and his contemporaries instead of the flip brush off hegave them in the story. Jerry and Berry jamming would have been a wholelot more fun to watch.But if you dig Jerry Lee's style of manic raunch and roll, you won'thear any better than what's on display in "Great Balls of Fire". JerryLee himself provides the vocal power to Quaid's ferocious delivery, theonly part of his over the top performance that rings true throughoutthe film.

Jace

(2013-05-18 13:40:13)

You Broke My Will Oh What A Thrill

Goodness Gracious Great Balls Of Fire!Energetic performance from Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis makes the movieworth while watching. Unfortunately I found the rest of the castsperformance not much better than adequate. (Could be due to characterdevelopment). I also may be a bit hard on Ryder, but definately not onBaldwin's Jimmy Swaggert. Found the ending of the movie a bitdisappointing - but just for the music performance by Quaid, this movie isworth a watch.

(2013-05-17 22:00:38)

Terrible Film - Wonderful Soundtrack

The film this soundtrack comes from is uneven and disjointed.At times comic-book frivolous, with bad lip synch from its stars; at times an unvarnished look at a man with some issues.But oh, the music.The story is that Quaid was going to sing all the music himself. The Killer objected, and the studio as a courtesy gave him a last-minute audition to play his own music, one shot in a studio working with session guys he didn't know. Apparently, Jerry Lee rose to the challenge, the studio suddenly realized why it was worth making a movie about Jerry Lee Lewis, and now Mr. Quaid's voice is only heard in the background on some duets.Jerry Lee laid down fresh recordings of his classics, and the old man still has it. Great recordings of great songs by the only man who should play them. Follow that act, if you can.

Lucien Lessard

(2013-05-17 18:41:08)

Wildly entertaining biography flick that doesn't take itself seriously.

Jerry Lee Lewis (Dennis Quaid) is a wild young man... who certainlyloves to sing, playing hard on his piano and rock & roll music. JerryLee wants to change the ways of Rock & Roll by playing on his piano,which most people thinks it's wouldn't work. Since Jerry Lee isambitious and he knows the music is changing. When he recorded an demorecord for a music producer Sam Phillips (Trey Wilson). Which Mr.Phillips loves as soon as he heard it. Mr. Phillips wants to make JerryLee is a big music star and maybe even bigger than Elvis Presley. WhenJerry Lee's career hits sky high and the future looks bright for himuntil Jerry Lee falls in love with his underage second cousin Myra(Winona Ryder). Which Jerry Lee later married her but when the publicfinds out that his underage bride. He finds himself fighting for hiscareer if not always for the better.Directed by Jim McBride (Breathless, The Big Easy) made an enjoyablebrash and very board feature that has an memorable lead turn by Quaidin one of his best roles. "Great Balls of Fire" was probably the firstfilm that doesn't take the usual Biography feature seriously. McBride'sfilm keeps everything moving and it never slows down, even the flawsstarts to show up. There's strong supporting performances by Ryder,J.W. Brown as Jerry Lee's cousin and Alec Baldwin as Jerry Lee'sevangelical cousin.DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer (Also in Pan &Scan) and an terrific Dolby Surround 2.0 Sound (It would have beengreat if the sound was remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1). DVD's onlyspecial feature to this fascinating film is the original theatricaltrailer. "Great Balls of Fire" was an box office disappointment, whenit was release in the summer of 1989. Which it is a shame that theaudiences were not interesting in this movie until it becomes an majorcult classic on video. The music in this feature are excellent and even"Walk Hard:The Dewey Cox Story" pays some loving tribute to this movie."Great Balls of Fire" is a one of a kind film that certainly lived onfor nearly 20 years. Don't miss it. Based upon the book by Myra Lewisand Murray Silver, Jr. (****/*****).

(2013-05-14 07:20:48)

Another Skyrocket Flames Out

Great Balls of Fire!, 1989 filmThe story begins in Christmastime 1944. Two boys visit a forbidden place. Jerry Lee Lewis watches attentively. Years later he plays the piano with amazing flourishes (1956). He is sent to Memphis Tennessee and want to record for Sun Records. Jerry explains his marital history. Sam Phillips listens to his demo tapes; he can sell that! "Crazy Arms" is a hit. Money is needed to popularize a product. Jerry Lee is advised to serve God by his cousin. He revives an old song "Whole Lot of Shaking"; too risquГѓВ©? We see why they put chicken wire in front of the musicians. Jerry appears on a NY television show. He is now a star! "Savage animal rhythms"? Who will guard him from his fans? [No scandals to keep the money rolling in.] Some worry about the H-bomb because of what they are told in school. Jerry comforts his cousin Myra.Hooking up with Jerry was a good business decision. "Great Balls of Fire" is a big hit with its pumping piano style. Alan Freed's Rock and Roll shows at the Paramount in Brooklyn attract crowds. Girls go crazy over Jerry! He stops by a high school. [Note the clothes.] Jerry gets a Marriage License. Should they wait? Myra Gale Brown gets married in Mississippi [legal age?]. They plan to tour in England, Jerry Lee is bigger there than Elvis. Myra's father is armed and angry, Sam Phillips talks to him. Myra leaves her parents to live with Jerry in a pink house with a blue door. Jerry sings "Breathless". Myra shops to furnish their home. Does Jerry have any remorse? No. They will tour England together. A four-engine Constellation flies across the Atlantic. A reporter learns about Myra's age. "She's only a baby." There is unfavorable publicity. "This is a big deal!" The audience is cool and quiet when Jerry plays.This tour is a financial flop. They are not wanted there. Expelled from Britain! There is a cold reception back home. [This tells you something about the culture then.] Do people need to look down on the rich and famous? That explains the weekly scandal magazines.] Can Jerry's career be saved by an apology and a full page ad in `Billboard'? Should he apologize for his marriage to a girl? His audience and appeal shrink. He starts to act crazy after this. [The stress?] He is angry with his wife too. Then they have a child, Steve Allen Lewis in 1959. The story ends here. Jerry Lee continued to perform in small venues for the rest of his life. [What would've happened to Mozart if he lived longer?]Before Rock `n' Roll in the early 1950s three record companies owned 90% of the market. Afterwards thirty companies owned 90% of the market. The stock of those big three corporations dropped a lot. They struck back. Elvis was drafted (yet remained popular). Chuck Berry was arrested because his tour bus carried a woman across a state line (his career never recovered). Buddy Holly had a fatal accident, so did Eddie Cochrane. We just saw Jerry's fate. But there were new stars in the 1960s, like the Beach Boys and their Surfing Sound. Then the groups from England had were quite successful for a time. That 1959 Congressional Investigation into `payola' created headlines and changed management policy at radio stations. The decay of the movie business went on as television corporations prospered and took away advertising from the weekly magazines that began to fail. "Change is the only constant in this world" said Heraclitus 26 centuries ago.

(2013-05-13 18:17:36)

JERRY LEE COMES ALIVE

This movies brings to life a fun-loving, daring, and most-of-all talented young artist of his time!! Jerry Lee Lewis's music rocks and his fans adore his music, his style of playing those piano keys and love his cute little mug! And this move does a wonderful job of bringing the spirit of JLL to to life!!

(2013-05-12 23:21:17)

This is a bum copy....

This review is from: Great Balls of Fire! (DVD) We are unable to view this copy. I need information on exchanging it. This was a gift for my Daughter, and she was so excited to receive it, and saddened when she could not see it.

(2013-05-12 14:22:14)

AWESOME ITEM!!!!!

This review is from: Great Balls of Fire! (DVD) This was a gift and it was an awesome buy and it shipped so fantastically fast and it was packed great!!!!

(2013-05-07 23:40:02)

Like the Killer,this movie left me Breathless!!!!!!

This movie defines what Jerry Lee Lewis is all about:An enigma in allsense of the word. Dennis Quaid gives his finest performance,in thisreviewer's humble opinion,as the Killer himself. The hair,the clothes,theaccent are strike an uncanny resemblance. Winnona Ryder is absolutelymarvelous as Myra. This movie depicts Lewis's life from his first hit,"CrazyArms",to the scandal that almost shot his career down the toliet quickerthan Elvis could eat a cheeseburger. What really makes this movie go is thesoundtrack,including new performances by the Killer. It has humor,tons ofdrama,and some really revealing glimpses into the man,the myth,the legendthat is Jerry Lee Lewis. I give this movie a 9 out of 10. It is with greatsadness that I report that this movie is out of print and I pray to God thatit will be re-released at the time of this writing. Get it if you can,because,WOOOOOOOOOOO,this movie's got the bull by the horns!!!!!!!

(2013-05-07 13:14:38)

Whole Lotta Shakin

I loved Great Balls of Fire! I liked all the songs in Great Balls of Fire! I like Jerry Lee, Myra, J.W., Lois, Rusty, Sam , Judd, Steve Allen and Jerry and Myra's baby Steve Allen Lewis. I have Great Balls of Fire on DVD and I watch Great Balls of Fire! Dennis Quaid and Winona Ryder did a wonderful job of playing Jerry Lee and Myra.

(2013-05-02 03:10:50)

Goodness, gracious...great music.

To those who are enthralled by Jerry Lee Lewis's music (and I'm one), the music in this movie makes up for some flaws that might have been more detracting in another film. Specifically, the music is great because the soundtrack was performed by the Killer himself(as new recordings,I believe)...but the acting is overwrought with Dennis Quaid missing the mark, in my humble opinion, due primarily to his overly exuberant portrayal of Jerry Lee which obviously is intended to convey the Killer's over-the-top personality and on-stage antics but which, to my eye, comes off as more cartoonish than exuberant. Ryder's portrayal of his first cousin once removed and, ultimately, his wife is too pouty and babyish even for the thirteen year old she's supposed to be.Oddly enough, despite these criticisms the movie remains thoroughly enjoyable due in no small part to the genius of Lewis's musical performances which are rock and roll epitomized.One final thought here is how this movie reveals how drastically we have changed as a society (and probably not for the better) in that the music industry and the public destroyed Lewis's career over the indiscretion of falling in love with and marrying his underage cousin. Yet, today, much more despicable behavior in the current generation of pop musicians, such as rape,violence,drugs,suicide,intollerance and sexual immorality is more likely to rocket them to superstardom then to oblivion. Goodness, gracious....C'est la vie! To sum up: The movie's worth the fourteen bucks, even if they have the nerve not to include a single word of liner notes. Enjoy.

(2013-05-01 13:55:31)

My Favorite movie of all time!!

I can't explain what it is about Jerry Lee Lewis. Even though I was no where near being alive during the time of his greatest success. I have been a fan of his music & antics as long as I can remember. All of my love for Jerry Lee Lewis was sealed up when I saw this movie. I remember the first time it aired on VH1 & I happened to catch it. The songs make you want to jump up & dance forever. The love story is amazing (even though you aren't sure when you become okay w/ the fact that this young woman is not only just 13 but his cousin). The story is amazing & the acting is brilliant. If you love Jerry Lee's movie then I can't imagine you wouldn't love this movie!

Samantha

(2013-05-01 11:38:31)

I love It

First of all, I love Jerry Lee Lewis. This movie is a great dipiction of his life and his love for his music career and family. It showed that what he thinks about himself is all that matters. Anyway great movie, I can watch it a million times.

(2013-04-30 12:36:42)

Not bad, but then not good

This is okay. Dennis Quaid is rather over the top and Winona Ryder is her usual humdrum self. Looks good and there are some good comedic touches. However, rather than his career being trashed by the scandal depicted here, in that he marries his 13 year old cousin, and then she gets pregnant, and slaps her about, he should have been jailed. Sorry, distasteful is not the word for it.

tedg

(2013-04-30 08:52:06)

Performance

Spoilers herein.Here's what I like about this: it is a story about a quirky performer, wholives life as if it were one of his quirky shows. At the same time, Quaid's performance isitself quirky - along the lines of Depp's `Fear and Loathing.' The whole thing is a Punchand Judy doing a Punch and Judy.It gets my appreciation for that. But at root, it just isn't a veryinteresting story: part rock history, part trailer trash romance, and part holy/nasty metaphor. But then,that's pop music I guess.There is a scene that sticks: Jerry Lee opening for Chuck Berry. Chuck is anordinary guy, someone whose life is not his performance. Music is just a job, and he wouldnever get the whole reflexive passion thang. Jerry goes nuts, literally setting thepiano on fire. Then he marches off with `Follow that, Killer!`The actor's expression is priceless. Almost worth the admission by itself.He is supposed to be the surrogate anchor for us, watching from the sidelines.There's another image worth keeping. Our vulnerable Winona packs up to movein with her new `husband.' Her luggage is a dollhouse. That's a sweet keeper, justlike Julia Style's little box of `needful things' in `Hamlet.' And for the samereasons.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

suplexx

(2013-04-29 16:17:13)

Worst acting I have ever seen

It's really just terrible. Quaid overacts more than Shatner. The partwhere Elvis walks in and says "You can have it all" just kills anythingthat might have been good in this movie that's bad enough as it is.Drug use was completely snow coated, the only thing that had anythingto do with his life was the bit about him wedding his cousin. Quaidalso looks nothing like Lewis and has dark roots and eyebrows. I wishthis could be re-made in the future with someone who doesn't try sohard. A bigger budget wouldn't hurt and maybe more about his actuallife. I was very, very disappointed in Quaid. Don't watch this movie oryou will be too.

(2013-04-28 00:00:41)

Great movie!

I saw this movie on tv once(I haven't been able to find it on the television since) and loved it. I didn't even know who Jerry Lewis was! It is such a great movie. Everyone should see it.

(2013-04-27 15:13:37)

?

If your divorced next door neighbor in his 20's married a 13 year old girl, you might consider moving, or having him arrested for child molestation. But this movie shows how anything can be made palatable, because you are made to believe that Jerry Lee Lewis (once divorced) marrying his 13 yr. old child-bride cousin was innocent love, and that they were just facing a big bad world. I mean, Joey Buttafucco served prison time for having an affair with a girl older than Jerry Lee's wife! But the movie kind of forces you to set aside such thoughts, and I admit I found it entertaining in a fictional way. (Legendary opera "Madame Butterfly" is about a 15 year old girl marrying an adult man. It's funny what we tolerate, when and where.) But to compare it to the real Jerry Lee Lewis: a man who shot his bass player in the chest; a man who "Rolling Stone" magazine asserted--with strong evidence--murdered his 5th wife, is ridiculous. This movie is a monumental puff piece. Often outright fiction. But Jerry Lee made great music. He had/has charisma. Dennis Quaid does a fine job acting. Hey, I even bought the soundtrack album.