I love it.

Despite all the crap it gets I think it's pretty good. It gets off to somewhat a slow start and the comedy doesn't work too well (Spielberg isn't very good at poking fun of himself) in the first 45 minutes, but once we get to the jitterbug competition the film really begins to pick up some steam. That sequence is choreographed very nicely. And then all hell breaks loose. I know some people think the film is a little too chaotic for it's own good, but that's what I like about it. It's loud for the sake of being loud. It's fun to watch the documentary to see Zemeckis and Gale talk about how the film originally started off as a small dark comedy, and how that got thrown out the window as soon as Belushi and Aykroyd signed up. It's odd that they're apparent achilles heel, yet wind up being the funniest parts of the film, except for maybe Robert Stack weeping during Dumbo.

It's not as clever as it could've been, and it starts off kind of slow, but it's loud and it's fun. When I watched it again today for the first time in years that's all I wanted it to be.

***

This film also desperately needs either a new DVD or Blu-ray release. The picture quality on the DVD I have (and it's the only version there is despite there being two DVD's available with different covers) is almost pure shit. Hopefully as more and more Spielberg films make their way onto Blu-ray this one won't be forgotten about.

One of the two Spielberg movies I don't need to watch more than once. Its ok, but everything including Akyroyd and Belushi are average.

Rather watchable, I guess, for being such a fuckin' train wreck. Probably because of how handsome everything is. But, my god! It's just two-and-a-half hours of people falling down on gigantic sets.

Where did Spielberg learn comedy? I don't mean that as a cliched, off-handed dismissal of his chops...I'm really asking. Because I don't see what influenced the bizarre, graceless slapstick that is this movie. What did he watch that inspired this? It is no school of comedy I can recognize.