(2013-05-17 19:36:43)

Life Stinks - Mel Brooks

I found this movie to be very very funny and I've seen it 3 or 4 times, laughing more and more. Ray

merklekranz

(2013-05-17 17:08:29)

Mel Brooks movie with a message ........

"Life Stinks" is a somewhat uneasy mixture of drama, dark comedy, andslapstick. As opposed to many of Brooks other movies, there is anactual story being told, rather than just a series of almost unrelatedsketches. The first half (dark comedy and drama) is much better thanwhat follows, which is mostly slapstick. Brooks is believable as thedisplaced millionaire living among derelicts in order to win a bet.Lessley Ann Warren is also very good as a bag lady. Although somewhatdamaged by the uneven script, "Life Stinks" is entertaining, and youcannot help but come away with a sympathetic view of the homelesspeople. I say this, go in expecting drama, with some laughs, and youwill be pleasantly surprised. - MERK

(2013-05-17 17:35:38)

Great

This review is from: Life Stinks (DVD) This is one of the Funniest Movies Ever!! Finally, a story that hasn't already been done a million times. Thank you Mel Brooks!

michael thompson

(2013-05-17 07:53:50)

Look past the humour and see the reality of life for America's underclass today.

Don't read this review if you haven't seen this film, but please seeit.Life Stinks was very very very funny, and they say that the best way toget a point across is to do it with humour.This film had billionaire business man Mel Brooks via a bet with hiscolleagues, thrown into the dark hidden world of America's underclass,their homeless, with stark, hilarious and very moving moments.Mel Brooks learned what being alone, hungry, and helpless felt like, healso learned that there was much more community among the homeless thanthere is among suburbia.And at the end of the film he realised that people needed homes, so hebuilt low cost homes for the homeless and other facilities they needed.What I got from this film was the darker unseen side of America's freemarket, and Britain is the same.I was left wondering if Mel Brooks made this film to highlighthomelessness in America, or whether homelessness is an accepted part ofcorporate America, and that Mel Brook just wanted to make just anothercomedy ?Either way, this film said much more about America's awful politicalsystem, than it did Mel Brooks as a comedian.

vchimpanzee

(2013-05-15 07:15:36)

Dark comedy not Brooks' best work, got better toward end (SPOILERS)

Goddard Bolt is one of the richest men in the world, if not therichest.He owns half of a slum district, and Vance Crasswell, who owns the otherhalf, grew up there. Both men want to redevelop the area, where a lot ofhomeless people live. In fact, in the movie's opening, Bolt's limo runsthrough a puddle, splashing water on several of these people. As Bolt andhis entourage enter his building, they step on several workers, showing thatthey just don't care about those who are beneath them.As Bolt and Crasswell look down on the area and talk about their plans,Crasswell comments to Bolt, who grew up with all the advantages, that Boltprobably could not make it 30 days without his name and his money. Boltbets that he could, not realizing Crasswell is serious. Rather than admithe couldn't do such a thing, Bolt agrees to the bet and gets his attorneysto draw up papers saying that if Bolt survives 30 days living as a homelessman, within the confines of a specific area (using an ankle bracelet plussurveillance of his activities to confirm where he is), Bolt can have theentire district to develop it. If not, Crasswell getseverything.Bolt is left with nothing but his clothes. Although he offers a bribe tothe manager of a building with a neon sign that says 'ooms', the managerdoes not believe he will have the money in 30 days as he claims. So Bolt isleft to deal with the elements, including rain, rats, and crazed drugaddicts. He is rescued by Molly, a former dancer who has found herselfhomeless after a bad marriage, and befriended by other crazy charactersincluding Sailor and Fumes.The movie is funny at first but then manages to get quite depressing. Lifeis hard for the homeless, and the movie doesn't sugarcoat their troubles, atleast not much. Crasswell is surprised at Bolt's ability to get along onthe streets, and while at first he appears to be quite concerned, he putsother people's lives at risk just to make things harder for Bolt. Towardthe end, the movie takes a more positive tone.Brooks is wonderful, but I've seen better work from him. Most of his othermovies put more emphasis on comedy, and I would have preferred to see thatdone here. Jeffrey Tambor was good at first but seemed more like a cartoonvillain as the movie continued. Nothing wrong with that in a cartoon, butthis was too dark for that. Lesley Ann Warren was quite good both at beingwacky and being 'normal', but I didn't enjoy her performance that much. Howard Morris was great, and I liked Teddy Wilson too.Highlights that are not spoilers:-Bolt is pushed into a dumpster (it just wasn't expected, and the timing wasgreat).-The bride and groom leave after a wedding, and the minister wishes themluck, while a Spanish interpreter just has to repeat everything, in Spanishof course, which gets on the minister's nerves.-Bolt and Molly dance in a warehouse to a pretty song on the radio. Mollyis quite a dancer, and Bolt isn't bad. The music is good in that scene too.-A hilarious fight between Bolt and a man claiming to be J. PaulGettywho says he is richer than Bolt. Getty shows up later and imitateseverything another man says.Highlights that are****************SPOILERS****************-When the drug addicts get revenge on Molly by burning her 'place', Bolttries to make a citizen's arrest and ends up getting chased.-After Sailor dies, his friends try to scatter his ashes but end up havingthem blown back in their faces.-When Bolt brings Molly to his house and discovers Crasswell has soldeverything out from under him by bribing Bolt's lawyers, who were givenpower of attorney, Bolt is so funny when he starts trying to 'steal' artwork that is really his.-After the fight with Getty, Bolt ends up in a hospital where a doctorbelieves the solution to every problem is 500 mg of a particular drug, andthe doctor pays no attention to who is getting the medication, yet wonderswhy Bolt ends up overmedicated.-When Crasswell has a party to mark the start of his project in the slumdistrict, the homeless come in and take over, turning the whole thing intochaos. Bolt gets a short man played by Billy Barty to pretend he was runover by one of the machines, and Bolt and Crasswell get in a fight using twoconstruction machines that, with the appropriate sound effects included,appear to be dinosaurs.

(2013-05-14 13:24:26)

Life's Funny

I honestly thought this movie would stink ... It wasnt very popular when it came out .. We watched it on satellite TV and I predicted we would watch only 5 minutes before we changed channels ..Wrong.. Life Stinks turned out to be one of our favorite movies ... . A lot of great themes touched upon, some very real life situations (more than Trading Places did), and over a dozen very funny scenes .. add up to a great movie .. Thanks Mel ..

(2013-05-09 16:18:55)

Will use you again in the future.

This review is from: Life Stinks (DVD) It came at a good price and it got to me quickly. Will use this service again. Ordered using a Smart Phone and it was the first time I had ordered from Amazon.

Amy Adler

(2013-05-09 04:30:09)

Even a genius like Brooks can make a so-so film

Goddard Bolt (Mel Brooks) is a wealthy businessman who doesn'tunderstand why cutting down a rainforest or tearing down an old folkshome might create problems, if such a thing is counter to his plans. Helives in a mansion and has three lawyers at his beck and call. However,he only owns half of a homeless neighborhood in LA and he wants it all,greedy man! Of course, his plans are to raze what's there and make anew neighborhood in its place. Although Bolt is willing to buy theother half of the neighborhood, the present owner convinces Bolt to dothings a little differently. If Bolt can live for 30 days, as he hasbragged, in the rundown neighborhood, he will win the land. If Boltcan't make it, he'll forfeit his own land. Bolt is game. He lands inthe neighborhood and begins a journey to experience life as a homelessvagrant. Can he really survive this treacherous territory? This moviehas some good ideas and some good scenes. Watch Brooks try to earn somemoney by tapdancing or attack his opponent with a construction shoveland you will be laughing plenty. But, the overall film is just average.It takes a good look at the homeless and the instrinsic worth of ahuman being, yes. But, the humor is just not there in abundance, unlikeother Brooks' movies. Brooks tries hard, though, and Warren is winningas the most beautiful homeless woman ever on screen. If you like MelBrooks, do not shy away from this film. Just be prepared to sit down toan only mildly entertaining film and one that is not particularlymemorable.

evening1

(2013-05-09 08:55:30)

Very wise film

Little did I suspect when I saw this wonderful film for at least thethird time that it would help to bring my latest relationship intoclearer psychological focus.Yes, this is a serious Mel Brooks movie and it's probably the bestthing he's done."Life Stinks" is full of fun but it's also loaded with heart.Mel Brooks's interaction with Leslie Ann Warren is the surprisinglymoving center of this film. She'd given up a career and sexualsatisfaction to a self-centered cad. A billionaire real-estatedeveloper, he'd been selfish, too -- only Mel's misdirection was thathe worked too much. On the surface they only looked like strangecardboard bedfellows.The undressing scene is just the most memorable of this wonderfulfable. Sailor added plenty of charm, as did his sidekick, Fumes. Andhow 'bout the proprietor of that flophouse? Look up Carmine Caridi'sprofile on Wikipedia...now there's a surprise!

Steven Bailey

(2013-05-08 20:25:46)

A sad comedown for Mel

Another chapter in the ongoing question, whatever happened toMel Brooks's sense of humor? It starts out nicely enough, withMel as Trump-like mogul Goddard Bolt ("You can call me God"),who accepts a bet that he can't live on the streets for 30 days.But the moment the movie hits the streets, it turns into apathos-laden mess, with occasional "funny" bits interjected (Melsees a black kid break-dancing for money and tries to do avaudeville buck-and-wing, yuk, yuk). Leslie Ann Warren isnothing short of wasted. The worst part is this movie's musicalnumber, in which Brooks and Warren do a silent dance to ColePorter's "Easy to Love." Brooks's musical parodies are usuallythe highlights of his movies; here he plays the whole thingstraight, like a dancing excerpt from an aging guest star on"The Carol Burnett Show" (on which Rudy DeLuca, this film'sco-writer, began his career). Go rent Charlie Chaplin's THE KID,which covered the same ground 70 years before and did a lot

hintjens

(2013-05-04 07:52:13)

This movie just gets better

Brilliant over-acting by Lesley Ann Warren. Best dramatic hobo lady Ihave ever seen, and love scenes in clothes warehouse are second tonone. The corn on face is a classic, as good as anything in BlazingSaddles. The take on lawyers is also superb. After being accused ofbeing a turncoat, selling out his boss, and being dishonest the lawyerof Pepto Bolt shrugs indifferently "I'm a lawyer" he says. Three funnywords. Jeffrey Tambor, a favorite from the later Larry Sanders show, isfantastic here too as a mad millionaire who wants to crush the ghetto.His character is more malevolent than usual. The hospital scene, andthe scene where the homeless invade a demolition site, are all-timeclassics. Look for the legs scene and the two big diggers fighting (onebleeds). This movie gets better each time I see it (which is quiteoften).

Patrice H

(2013-05-03 10:42:36)

Great Date Movie!

I LOVED this movie. It is really hillarious. My (then) husband and I laughed 'til we cried. I would recommend this for a Blockbuster night or an at home date. It'll help break the ice. Nothing's better than laughter. Enjoy!

evening1

(2013-05-02 13:36:47)

Very wise film

Little did I suspect when I saw this wonderful film for at least thethird time that it would help to bring my latest relationship intoclearer psychological focus.Yes, this is a serious Mel Brooks movie and it's probably the bestthing he's done."Life Stinks" is full of fun but it's also loaded with heart.Mel Brooks's interaction with Leslie Ann Warren is the surprisinglymoving center of this film. She'd given up a career and sexualsatisfaction to a self-centered cad. A billionaire real-estatedeveloper, he'd been selfish, too -- only Mel's misdirection was thathe had worked too much. On the surface they only LOOKED like strangecardboard bedfellows.The undressing scene is just the most memorable of this wonderfulfable. Sailor added plenty of charm, as did his sidekick, Fumes. Andhow 'bout the proprietor of that flophouse? Look up Carmine Caridi'sprofile on Wikipedia...now there's a surprise!

(2013-05-02 05:04:19)

Melissa

This review is from: Life Stinks (DVD) We love Mel Brooks movies. This is a great one for the economy we are in. It really makes you appreciate what you DO have. It brings you down to Earth.

Qanqor

(2013-05-01 16:16:55)

Movie Stinks

Whenever I make up a list of the absolute worst movies I've ever seen,this movie is always on it. It has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.It took an act of will to sit through the whole thing, and I wouldsooner spill my own blood than have to sit through it again.What's wrong with it? Let me tell you the story of my trip to go see itin the theater.I went to a midnight show, on a Saturday night. I the only ones in thetheater were myself, and a bunch of loud, boisterous, rather unrulyteenagers, sitting somewhere behind me. They were obviously out havinga good time on a Saturday night, and had come to this "comedy" for somelaughs. Before the movie starts, during the previews, they werelaughing and joking and making loud comments having a grand old time.It was borderline annoying; had they continued their unbridledenthusiasm into the actual movie, I might've said something, but I wasfeeling tolerant and empathetic of their spirited fun, so I let it go.And they did settle down once the movie started.Why am I telling you all this? Because you can judge this alleged"comedy" by the effect it had not just on myself, but on this rowdybunch.During the entire run of the film, not one person in the theaterlaughed. Not once. Not myself, not the boisterous kids. Absolutesilence, aside from the soundtrack. And when the film was over and thelights came on, we all, all of us, slowly filed out of the theater inslow, somber, absolute silence. It could've been a funeral.This was the effect that this "comedy" produced. Not laughter, notenjoyment, but absolute DEPRESSION. It was a depressing, depressingmovie, and not the tiniest bit funny. Preachy, self-indulgent,depressing, but not funny.I consider Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" to be on the short list forFunniest Movie Ever. It still absolutely blows my mind that the samegentleman could be responsible for quite probably the Least Funny MovieEver.In short: if you're feeling too happy, give this movie a whirl;otherwise, don't say I didn't warn you.

AO

(2013-05-01 03:58:33)

best scene

the construction machine/dinosaur duel is hilarious+ loved the dance!the site won't let me post this without writing a longer review so here is a longer review' why is brevity so bad?

Leon aka Pretender

(2013-04-29 09:39:37)

The best Brooks movie yet!

The most hillarious and funny Brooks movie I ever seen. Icanwatch and re-watch the tape 100 times. I laugh my a** off andIcry on some moments. It is really good and funny movie, and if you likeBrooks - this is a must!In short - Brooks (billionare) gets to the streets as homeless for 30 daysin order to win the entire poor district from his competitor. The realitybites, but in the end - it is about warm relations between humans...Hightlyrecommend!

Robert D. Ruplenas

(2013-04-28 19:44:04)

...and so does the movie

Woody Allen made "September", proving that even a genius could screw up.This is Mel Brook's "September". Monumentally stupid, boring, and unfunny,Imust confess I did not watch it through to the end. The flick ranks amongthe dishonored few (e.g., "The Money Pit", "Out to Sea", "Spitfire Grill")which either put me to sleep or forced me to reach for the "rewind"button.And I say this, sadly, as a devoted Mel Brooks fan. He should stick tostraight comedy and leave social commentary alone. How the same fellowthatmade "Young Frankenstein" and "Spaceballs" could crank out a dog like thisis beyond me. To be avoided at all costs.

(2013-04-22 07:35:15)

Great

Well, it is like a musical. Mel Brooks is a theater man (think "Producers") and a musical man.I thought it was great, in fact me and my husband must be old bores because we watched it at least 4 times over the past several years.It is a great story, even if not as funny as some other Mel's efforts.I love Mel Brooks.

(2013-04-21 21:59:20)

This Movie Stinks

This movie was barely funny, I only laughed twice and they weren't very heavy laughs either. This movie had a weak story line and an over lengthed dance scene which is suppose to be funny... I think. This movie seems like it can just stop anywhere near the end. So using a rating system like Leonard Maltin's I would give this movie * 1/2 stars. That 1/2 saves the movie from being BOMB.