Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Scotty Burke It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

wilsonstuart-32346 I became acquainted with Neighbors through Bob Woodward's controversial 'Wired: The Short Life And Fast Times of John Belushi' (in turn, I read a review of Wired in the long defunct lads mad Loaded!). Anyway, regardless of the disputed accounts and allegations of inaccuracies, I finally got to see Neighbors in the early days of the newly launched UK TV station Channel 5 (itself no stranger to scandal thoroughout the Nineties - due to a schedule of football, films and fornication).Almost from its inception Neighbors was affected by every sort of problem that could conceivably affect a movie; I have no intention of rehashing these, but I will say that Neighbors is a strangely compelling comedy; John Belushi is quite effective as frustrated, ineffectual, conservative surburbanite Earl Kesse, whose steady life rapidly unravels under the relentless psychological and emtotional assault (temptation?) from his provocative new neighbours Vic and Ramona, both played with an obvious relish by Dan Ackroyd and Cathy Moriarity (the decision by Belushi and Ackroyd to switch roles was the project's shrewdest move) ; there are good turns from Kathryn Walker and Lauren - Marie Taylor as Belushi's repective wife and daughter.Contemporary audiences were left frustrated with Neighbors - instead of Animal House or 1941, they got a black comedy of suburban life that doesn't quite work despite the best efforts of its cast. Whilst I though John Alvidsen did not a bad job, given the circumstances, perhaps a sharper script,less studio interference and a more suitable director might have gotten something closer to Gelbert's dark, caustic satire on middle American life. The endless fights and backstabbing took a toll on the finished product.A final point, as a comparison with Sid Vicious, was by Alex Cox in his book 'X Films: True Confessions of A Radical Filmmaker' that struck a cord with this reviewer; no one disputes that John Belushi's on set behaviour, fuelled by a serious cocaine addiction, which would tragically kill him months later, was outrageous; yet his lobbying for a soundtrack by punk band Fear perhaps showed a better instinct for the film than the studio professionals around him - not that we will ever know.

planxan2 Sure it is a hated film. Why? Because the underlying message is a direct assault on the most sacred of American institutions - the "American dream".Here's a guy who seems to have it all, at least according to American mythology. A big house. A good job. An attractive wife. A daughter in college. What could possibly be wrong just beneath the surface of this Norman Rockwell portrait of American perfection? Along come the new neighbors to reveal what's wrong. The guy's wife doesn't love him, or even respect him. He's basically miserable working far too much. His daughter is a slutty punk. He's ready to have an affair as soon as the opportunity arises, and to cap it off, he's also a cowardly a-hole who is the butt of every joke by everyone around him. His staunch right wing lifestyle explodes in his face.In the end, he comes around and realizes all of this. Now here's where the film really kicks the brainwashed American in the face - he realizes that his entire life has been a lie, and actually decides to abandon it. For the first time in the entire film, he's joyful. He's actually giddy at how happy it makes him to destroy everything he had worked his entire life for and flee to parts unknown with a couple of lunatics, because anything would be better than another day in suburban America pretending that's a life worth living.For those who wrote saying that the film's events did not connect together, this is simply absurd. The film is a roller-coaster of surprises and twists that make it highly entertaining, especially the first time. When I first saw this in theatrical release, I was stunned because finally there was a film that didn't follow the very, very tired three-act formula. Here was something that actually kept you in suspense because you didn't know what would happen next. That's the mark of a great film in my opinion. I want to be surprised. I don't want to know everything that's going to happen 5 minutes into the film, the way you can with most of the crap that's being cranked out these days. This is a masterpiece and deserved far more attention than it received, but of course it pushed a lot of buttons among the general public.

capone666 Neighbors The irony of neighbours is that you often kill them with the same tool you borrowed from them.However, the aggravated neighbour in this dark comedy is liable to use his bare-hands.Despondent suburbanite Earl (John Belushi) is jolted from his mundane existence when an unconventional couple (Dan Aykroyd, Cathy Moriarty) moves in next-door.Unnerved by his forwardness and her flirtatiousness, Earl is confused as to why they moved into his quiet community.He soon begins to draw his own conclusions, which ultimately leads to paranoia and self-destruction. A satire on suburban bliss, Neighbors finds both its SNL alumni playing against their type in order to create a truly eccentric comedy.Based on the delusional bestseller by Thomas Berger, this undervalued psychological comedy from the '80s is an excellent commentary on the confines of safety and sanity.Furthermore, you should only interact with your neighbours if they have a pool.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

thesar-2 Is it too soon to say I wish George Zimmerman lived on this city block? I guess so, since Georgie Boy wasn't even born when this movie came out.Neighbors is a movie I vaguely recall from my childhood. I might have seen it with my parents at a Drive-In as one of those double features. Back in 1981, I could've cared less what we were going to see, just the fact we were seeing something on the big screen.That said, probably, I would've been bored with this feature of battling neighbors as it was 100% adult humor, way over my 7-year-old head. The only thing that changed back then and now, is that now I get the humor but…I'm still bored.This movie was all over the place and was an obvious attempt to get Blues Brothers Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi back together again. Bad for us due to the rush, but good for them to green lit this speedily as Belushi wouldn't be with us much longer. (In fact, he would die roughly four months after this was released.)If the writer, Larry Gelbart, was going for an odd-couple type of movie pitting straight-laced vs. a bum, he was slightly off. Sure, Belushi and Aykroyd reversed Blues Brother roles here, with Belushi barely playing the straight man to Aykroyd's weirdo, but Belushi's Earl does such outrageous actions that, for the most part, doesn't even make any sense. At least Aykroyd's Vic is supposed to be psycho, giving him full range of craziness."Normal couple" Earl and Enid live in what seems to be the dead-end cul-de-sac of Nowhere, USA, and the 6-month vacant house next door is being occupied by a sex-crazed (but wonderful Cathy Moriarty) woman, Ramona and Vic who invite themselves into Earl's home. Well, that "self-invite into the home" is putting it mildly. Pretty soon, it's as if the foursome have known each other their entire lives. Or sadly, it feels like we've known them for far too long.It's hard not to put ourselves in the shoes of these characters, namely Earl, and see what we would do in the countless of scenes of weird behavior Vic and Ramona cause on their new neighbors. If you did that, like I did, you'll find practically every single decision Earl makes 100% opposite of what you'd do.Slap stick comedy is like that. Dark comedy, too. So, I guess you kinda have to give it to them, but that doesn't make the endless mess of a movie any better. Or any less painful to watch as the majority was.It's a 31-year-old movie that's long since forgotten and probably should stay that way. Even fans of Belushi would be disappointed. I know I was…well, except whenever his shirt was off.Side Note: I have an update! Today is Father's Day, and I asked him at dinner if he just HAPPENED to remember our family going to the drive-in 30 years ago and seeing Neighbors. Unbelievably, HE DID. I said I didn't think he liked it, and he said he didn't but we saw it because he liked the Saturday Night Live actors at the time "when it was funny." That was funny.