User reviews

Owen loves his Mamma...only he'd love her better six feet under in this dark, laugh-out-loud comedy that both stars and is directed by Danny DeVito, with admirable assists from Billy Crystal and Anne Ramsey in the title role.

"Throw Momma From The Train" is a terrific comedy, even if it isn't a great film. It's too shallow in parts, and the ending feels less organic than tacked on. But it's a gut-splitting ride most of the way, with Crystal and DeVito employing great screen chemistry while working their own separate comic takes on the essence of being a struggling writer (DeVito is avid but untalented; Crystal is blocked and bitter).

Crystal's Professor Donner believes his ex-wife stole his book (the unfortunately titled "Hot Fire") and can't write more than the opening line of his next book, which doesn't come easy. He teaches a creative writing class of budding mediocrities, including a middle-aged woman who writes Tom Clancy-type fiction but doesn't know what that thing is the submarine captain speaks through; and an upholstery salesman who wants to write the story of his life. Mr. Pinsky is probably the funniest character for laughs-per-minutes-on-screen, an ascot-wearing weirdo who sees literature as an excuse to write his opus: "100 Girls I'd Like To Pork."

Then there's DeVito's Owen Lift, who calls himself Professor Donner's "star pupil" even though the teacher won't read his work in class. Owen is a somewhat unusual character to star in a movie, a man-child in his late 30s who lives with his overbearing mother, Anne Ramsey, who calls him "lardass" and other endearing sentiments. In any other movie, we'd be asked to feel sorry for Owen, but "Throw Momma From The Train" piles life's cruelties onto this sad sack for laughs and expects us to go along. That's one big reason why this film probably loses a lot of people.

For those of us who enjoy the humor of this character, even identifying with him, and take the rest of what we see here as a lark, it's not as big a stretch to go along with the bigger gambit this comedy takes, asking us to watch in amusement while Owen enlists Professor Donner's help in a plan to kill his mother. Actually, he first goes to Hawaii to kill Donner's hated ex, then tells the professor it's his turn to kill Mrs. Lift, "swapping murders" as seen in Hitchcock's "Strangers On A Train."

As a director, DeVito not only complements his actors' performances with scene-setting that places the accent on dialogue, he makes some bold visual statements, throwing in bits of amusing unreality to keep the audience on its toes (and away from taking things too seriously.)

Also helping matters is writer Stu Silver, who keeps the laughs coming with his quotable patter. "You got rats the size of Oldsmobiles here." "She's not a woman...She's the Terminator." "One little murder and I'm Jack the Ripper." Those are all Crystal's words, but some of the funniest lines, which work only in context but absolutely kill, are DeVito's and Ramsey's. Apparently Silver never wrote another screenplay after this, according to the IMDb, and that's a shame, because he had real talent for it.

The best scene in this movie, when Crystal meets Ramsey, was actually used in its entirety as a theatrical 'coming attraction' presentation, the only time I've seen a movie promoted that way. Owen introduces the professor to his mother as 'Cousin Patty,' and when Momma says he doesn't have a Cousin Patty, panicky Owen loses it. 'You lied to me,' he yells out, slamming the professor's forehead with a pan.

Of course, in reality the professor wouldn't groan out something witty from the floor, but 'Throw Momma From The Train' works effectively at such moments, when playing its Looney Tunes vibe for all its worth. DeVito hasn't disappeared from films, of course, but it's a mystery why he hasn't really followed up on the directorial promise of this movie. Maybe it's because, as 'Throw Momma From The Train's lack of mainstream success shows, his kind of vision isn't to everyone's tastes. That's too bad for those of us who can watch this over and over, and like it.

Billy Crystal is Larry, a writer who hasn't written and is suspected of murder in "Throw Momma from the Train," costarring Danny Devito and Anne Ramsey. The phrase "black comedy" was invented for this insanity, which is a take-off on Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train." In fact, Owen (Devito) gets the idea of having Larry kill his mother in exchange for Owen killing Larry's ex from watching that famous film. "I saw the movie. Criss-cross," Owen tells Larry. Not that Larry knows what he's talking about until it appears it's too late - just like "Strangers." Larry, a writing teacher, claims that his ex-wife, played by Kate Mulgrew, stole his book and put her name on it. She has become a big celebrity, appearing on "Oprah," where she refers to Larry as "a beast." Owen is in Larry's class. He lives with an abusive Neanderthal mother (Ramsey) and has visions of poisoning her, sticking a scissors in her head - you name it. It's not long after seeing "Strangers on a Train" that he's in Honolulu, stalking Larry's wife. While she's leaning over a boat railing trying to get an earring, Owen stands behind her and creeps up...Soon the police are looking for Larry to question him, but he's at Owen's where he's being encouraged to live up to his end of a bargain he had no idea he made. You know, "criss-cross." There are several scenes copied from "Strangers," which are hilarious. I especially loved Larry's confession to the sleeping Mrs. Lift, Owen's mother, similar to when Guy thinks he's talking to Bruno's stepfather.

Crystal and DeVito are complete masters of comic dialogue and timing and will leave you laughing, often out loud. Ramsey is repulsively funny - a totally "out there" performance. Kim Griest and Rob Reiner also have roles - Griest is Crystal's girlfriend, and Reiner has what amounts to a cameo.

The ending is very clever, and the whole film will leave you laughing.

A deliciously nasty black comedy about a middle-aged schlub (Danny DeVito) who wants to bump off his mother and hatches a plan to do so with a bitter divorcée, who wants to bump off HIS ex-wife. The movie is completely unapologetic in its cynicism, and gives us no one to like, but for once that works in the movie's favor rather than as a turn off.

Anne Ramsey, as DeVito's battle axe mom, steals the show in a grotesquely funny performance. Even though she's a horror, you end up rooting for her, because it seems like she could kick both DeVito's and Crystal's asses at the same time with both hands tied behind her back.

Grade: B+

Throw Momma from the Train, could best be described as a newer version of Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train". Stu Sliver's script was creative and very darkly comic.

Danny DeVito stars (and also directs) as Owen, a sort of dim-witted writing student who lives with his monstrous mother (Anne Ramsey). Owen's writing teacher, Larry (Billy Crystal) is having trouble with his writing career because his wife (Kate Mulgrew) stole his first book and made it her own bestseller and lives the highlife in Hawaii. After Owen constantly annoys Larry for days about his first story, he wrote from class, Larry suggests that Owen see a Hitchcock movie in order to write the perfect murder mystery novel. Owen then gets the idea from "Strangers on a Train" that he will go to Hawaii and murder Larry's wife, while Larry will kill his mother. But Larry has the motive, and with the police coming after him, Larry now has the opportunity to kill off the meanest old lady, he's ever seen, but realizes that she is harder to get rid of than both he and Owen thought.

Throw Momma from the Train, I think is a fun comic adventure, both Danny DeVito and Bill Crystal are funny, while Anne Ramsey's Oscar-nominated role of Momma is hysterically frightening. There are a lot of laughs in this film, especially the classic "One Hundred Girls I'd Like to Fork" story. Kim Griest, Annie Ross and Bruce Kirby also star, with Rob Reiner, Oprah Winfrey and Danny DeVito's own father in law, Philip Perlman make cameos. This is a good example of classic black comedy.

The college teacher Larry Donner (Billy Cristal) is a blocked writer since his former wife Margareth (Kate Mulgrew) ruined him, stealing his novel that became a best-seller. He does not hide his hatred for Margareth, upsetting his girlfriend Beth Ryan (Kim Greist), who is an anthropologist teacher in the same college. While giving classes of Creative Writing, he is stalked by the student Owen (Danny DeVito) that wants to know his opinion about his crime tale. Larry tells that he did not like it, and explains that in every mystery tale, the murderer should eliminate the motive and establish an alibi, otherwise he would get caught. Further, Larry suggests Owen to watch Hitchcock's movies to understand the structure of a suspenseful story. Owen, who wants to kill his detestable mother (Anne Ramsey), watches "Strangers on a Train" and misunderstands Larry's advice, believing that his teacher wants to swap murders to eliminate the motive. Owen travels to Hawaii and while in a ship, Margareth falls overboard vanishing in the sea and is considered dead. However, Larry does not have an alibi and becomes the prime suspect, while the deranged Owen presses him to kill his mother as part of their supposed deal.

"Throw Momma from the Train" is one of the funniest comedies of the 80's and a great tribute to Alfred Hitchcock. The direct reference is "Strangers on a Train", but there are jokes with "Vertigo" (with the spinning camera), "Family Plot" (with the car without breaks) and other movies. The lines are excellent and there is an interesting point when Larry tells that every great romance or mystery has a train. Anne Ramsey is amazing in the role of a nasty and abusive dominating mother and the viewer will certainly feel sorrow and understand the insanity of Owen. Kim Greist is very beautiful and Kate Mulgrew is the perfect bitch. Billy Cristal performs an obsessed character with many silly and unreasonable attitudes but necessary to the plot. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Jogue a Mamãe do Trem" ("Throw Momma from the Train")

Very funny comedy version of Strangers on a Train. Billy Crystal plays a teacher named Larry struggling with writer's block after his ex-wife stole his idea and turned it into a successful novel. Danny DeVito is one of Billy's students named Owen, a middle-aged man living with his overbearing mother and daydreaming of killing her. After seeing the aforementioned Alfred Hitchcock movie Strangers on a Train, Owen gets the idea that he and Larry should swap murders. So he takes it upon himself to try and kill Larry's ex.

Up to this point the movie is excellent and paced very well. The scenes of DeVito in Hawaii calling Billy to let him know of his plan, each time from a different payphone with a different backdrop even though the calls take place seconds apart, are hilarious. Then the movie becomes about Billy freaking out and doing his routine for awhile. No offense to Billy, he's good in this really, but when the focus isn't on DeVito the movie just isn't as entertaining. So after a strong start it stalls a little, then the last twenty minutes or so feels a tad rushed. It felt like the climax should have been stretched out a bit more. Still, fun movie with lots of laughs. Both stars are in top form with a fine supporting cast backing them up. Some of the students in Billy's writing class are scene stealers. It should go without saying that Anne Ramsey's performance is probably the film's highlight. Every one of her scenes is terrific. This is definitely a movie you'll want to see if you have any interest in the actors involved or if you liked the Hitchcock film and want to see a movie that pays homage to it in a humorous way.

"Throw Momma from the Train" by Danny DeVito is a parody of the famous Hitchcock film "Strangers on a train." I saw this movie in the theater when it came out and it remained as dear memory, so thirty years after I decided to watch it again. Although it was 13th most successful movie of 1987 and I really like Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal, I was quite bored and last night I turned it off half an hour before it ended. Now I finished it and I have to admit that ending is not bad, but overall, the movie is mediocre at best. The only thing that stands out from that mediocrity is Anne Ramsey's performance, for which she was deservedly nominated for Academy Award.

6/10

I recently stumbled across this film again after many years while channel surfing and soon I found myself laughing to beat the band.I had seen it years earlier when it was new.I'm not sure why I steered clear of it in subsequent years.Maybe it's under-rooted disturbing theme of murder.At any rate,I found myself engrossed in this film.Despite being dark around the edges,it really is an entertaining film.Billy Crystal was still in his prime,as was DeVito,and Anne Ramsey was a delight as "Momma"..Now that I have revisited this comedy gem that I had apparently forgotten,I will be looking to put it on the DVD shelf in the near future.

The best black comedies are unapologetic, with skewed worldviews and characters who not only lack a moral compass, but don't know they lack one. They're desperate, sometimes grungy, and soaked in an acid bath of cynicism and misanthropy. Throw Momma from the Train promises us this type of film in all the ads and even sets it up well enough in the film proper, but ultimately can't deliver on the promise of a twisted good time. Instead, it flounders about in broad comedy and a plot structure more suited for a screwball comedy. It's still diverting, its characters are fun even if they're not truly malicious, but oh! What could've been.

The film follows Larry Donner, played by Billy Crystal, a writing teacher whose ex-wife has stolen credit for his best-selling book idea. One of his students, Danny DeVito's Owen, has woman problems too; his monstrous and abusive mother, played by Anne Ramsey in one of her final roles, makes his life at home a living hell. Through a misunderstanding, Owen agrees to murder Larry's ex-wife in exchange for Larry murdering Owen's momma. It's a concept mostly lifted from Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, and is forthright with this inspiration.

The film starts agile, using editing nicely to find humor and introduce us to Larry's writer's block, but it becomes lumbering as it goes on, souring once it's forced to deliver on its premise and title. It's also a wavering film, wavering in tone between sordid black comedy and goofy, Billy Crystal broad comedy. It's interesting and paced adequately, but one has to wonder what could've been if the film had chosen a lane and stuck to it.

Danny DeVito works in his usual mode of direction, using exaggerated wide angles and creating a sense of claustrophobia in many scenes. This approach is nothing new but it works for the film, balancing nicely between the absurd and the frightfully tense. While he may not be an incredibly versatile director, he always picks projects that match his strengths well, Death to Smoochy notwithstanding.

The performances are lovely too; Anne Ramsey was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her loathsome, fiendish portrayal as Momma, an even greater accomplishment considering she was suffering from late-stage cancer during filming. DeVito and Crystal play up to their usual mannerisms and temperaments, but, like the direction, it fits. Throw Momma from the Train is a movie well within its creators' comfort zones, but this is actually an advantage. It's a comforting, familiar film; probably counterproductive for a black comedy, but pleasant for a Crystal/DeVito joint.

The script, written by Stu Silver, is a mixed bag. It's dialogue crackles and it's running jokes are clever and insightful. Silver also understands the frustrations of writing, teaching, and domineering mothers, but his structure is sometimes plodding and random.

In addition to its tonal struggles, the script has a difficult time juggling all of its plot threads, foregoing internal logic at times for more slapdash comedy. Larry and Owen are one-dimensional too; funny at first, but more tiring the more time we spend with them, fitting less snugly into the story the darker it becomes.

Overall, Throw Momma from the Train is a diverting and brisk watch. It's not even ninety minutes and feels its length, jumping from scenario to scenario with energy and style. An injection of the macabre would've done the film some good, but it's perfectly watchable and enjoyable even with the tonal imbalance. It's also an interesting addition to DeVito and Crystal's filmography, showcasing the two's talents as performers and DeVito's idiosyncratic vision as a director. It's certainly not an example of either's best work, but it may be a quintessential example of what both had to offer in the late 80s and throughout most of the 90s. If you have ninety minutes to kill, it's worth checking out.

It's been 32 years since I saw this at its original release. At the time, I half-liked it but remember being kind of disappointed overall. Recently, on Amazon Prime, I gave it another look. In spite of some positive reviews, I have to say it wasn't any better on second viewing. The 2 leads are talented comic actors, Anne Ramsey was a gem---in her unique way---and there are a few good spots in between the duds. But overall, the script has a lot of weak dialogue and is often more stupid than funny. This is the kind of thing you can watch with one eye, while doing something else--you can get some laughs from the Crystal-DeVito-Ramsey slapstick while you're ironing or making out monthly bills.

Black comedy isn't always an easy sell. Every now and then you get a black comedy that is hugely successful, like Fargo, for example. But usually they don't often find big audiences. People seem to either set their minds for intellectual comedy, or for serious mayhem. There doesn't seem to be a big market for a good mixture of both. Throw Momma From the Train was a fairly decent hit, yet few people seem to remember much about it in this day and age. Danny DeVito just about hit this one all the way out of the park back in 1987.

DeVito plays an odd mamma's boy named Owen looking to rid himself of his outrageously overbearing and unpleasant mother whom he still lives with. The mother is played by Anne Ramsey, who passed away shortly after this was released, and she is quite a caricature. She is loud, ugly, rude, and overbearing. Though Owen hardly seems like he could take care of himself, he wants desperately to have his mother offed. He fantasizes about it in some truly weird scenes, but he clearly doesn't have the guts to actually do it himself. That's where Billy Crystal comes in. Crystal plays Larry Donner, Owen's creative writing teacher at a nearby community college. Larry is a paranoid would-be intellectual novelist who claims his ex-wife stole his novel and made millions off it. He is currently trying to write a new one, but cannot even come up with a decent first sentence. "The night was...." Owen hears Larry wish his ex-wife were dead during an outburst at the school cafeteria. And borrowing the idea from Strangers on a Train, Owen decides to travel to Hawai'i and murder Larry's ex-wife. Once it appears he has done so, he expects Larry to return the favor and kill his mother. The resulting action is often quite funny, and even poignant. It's certainly never dull and often full of surprises.

The acting is exceptional, even if Ramsey was a bit over the top. Crystal is as good as he can be, and DeVito has always been undervalued as a performer. The film relies on quite a bit of physical comedy which usually works, often painfully so. The film makes use of some truly innovative editing techniques in some scenes, and the off-beat tone is truly refreshing. I have often been critical of the late 1980s as being a time of artistic malaise and down right lazy film-making. Throw Momma From the Train takes chances. Both in how its characters are drawn as well as its general plot. How many comedies revolve around a son having his mother murdered? The film isn't too long, and it is chock full of laughs. Writers are apt to find it more interesting than the general public, but it can still be enjoyed by just about anyone. 9 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

'Throw Momma from the Train' is a hilarious spoof of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Strangers on a Train'. The casting couldn't have been more perfect - especially Anne Ramsey, who is absolutely fantastic as the overbearing Mother.

Billy Crystal stars as writer Larry, who suffers from writer's block after his divorce from Margaret. Margaret has just published a best seller, and Larry claims she stole his idea. He hates her.

Danny DeVito stars as Owen, one of Larry's literature students, who looks after his Mother - simply referred to as Momma. Momma never stops complaining and belittling Owen, and he fantasizes about killing her. Momma is a character you're going to love to hate, but also can't really.

Having watched the movie 'Strangers on a Train', Owen then suggests Larry must kill Momma, while he will kill Margaret, thus eliminating a motive. Hilarity ensues after a series of misunderstandings, and Larry finds himself a suspect in murder.

All is not what it seems, though, and will be revealed, but no spoilers here! This is an entertaining movie with interesting characters that's bound to put a smile on your face. By the end, its actually a really sweet movie.

Throw Momma from the Train is an interesting experiment. After all, not many people have tried to remake an Alfred Hitchcock film as a comedy. But any suspense this movie may have had is undercut by the comedic tone. Anne Ramsey is the highlight of the film, while Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito both seem to be coasting. This movie never quite gets off the ground.

For those that recall those lines, you also know how entertaining this film was.

What happens when you take Hitchcock style suspense and paranoia and mix it in with traditional ,theatrical style comedy. You get "Throw Mamma From the train.

This is the story about two guys with the same problem.

Larry Donner (played by Billy Crystal) is suffering from severe writters' block, brought on by the success of the novel that his Ex-wife (Make Milgrew) stole from him.

Owen Lift (played by Danny DeVito) is suffering from the ability to write because of his nasty, demanding, over-bearing mother (played by Ann Ramsey).

Larry, who is Owens' creative writing teacher, tries to advise him on the the fundamentals on writing a good murder novel. His one tactic is for Owen to see a Hitchcock film and understand the importance of motive and alibi. Owen takes the advise the wrong way and thinks that Larry wants him to participate in a criss-cross murder plot for the other. And the mayham begins.

Billy Crystral does some of his best work in this film as he goes through a rollercoaster of emotions from all the madness he endures.

Danny DeVito comes through, not only as the simpathetic Owen (who is quite distant from his popular Louie DePalma persona) but also as director. DeVito uses not only his keen understanding of comedy, but also some clever camera techniques.

Ann Ramsey is the quintessential mother from Hell. She's so mean and nasty that she makes you want to jump in and squeeze the life out of her yourself.

The film is also complimented by the Art Direction of Barry Sonninfeld (director of the Adams Family films) and a memerable musical score by David Newman.

"Throw Mamma From the Train" is slap-stick, suspense filled semi-classic that no fan of these talents should pass up.

THE GOOD - Anne Ramsey is a hoot as the brutal old lady whom Danny DeVito wants to "throw off the train." She is truly a unique character. The black humor in here and the classic film references are always fun to hear. The story moves fast with no real lulls, so the hour-and-a-half flies by.

THE BAD - Too much usage of the Lord's name in vain, especially for a comedy. Ramsey says GD at least four times while Crystal and Geiest exclaim way too many OMGs. This also is one of those films that diminishes a bit with multiple viewings. Once the shock of a few things seen in the first viewing is gone, is goes downhill somewhat. However, with all the references, audibly and visually, to Alfred Hitchcock films, it is always fun for a classic film buff to enjoy.

Throw Mamma From The Train is a dark comedy inspired by Alfred Hitchcock. While the premise has promise, Billy Crystal brand of uptight white guy grinds away at my patience. I thought Danny Devito was good and went against type. I'm just not a fan of Billy Crystal, his brand of comedy don't resonate with me and the types of characters he plays. I think he's a weenie. With all of that said, Throw Mamma From The Train is not a bad film. It's a decent timepasser and the only reason I have it is Rodney Dangerfield's comedy classic Easy Money is on the same DVD and is much better and nothing like this. However, this is decent and definitely watchable.

It started off well then bogged down and putzed along to the inevitable ending. Anne Ramsey was the ultimate "Mother from Hell" tho. I gave it a 6.

Inspired by Hitchcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN concept of two men swapping murders in exchange for getting rid of the two people messing up their lives, THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN is an original and very inventive comedy take on the idea. It's a credit to Danny DeVito that he both wrote and starred in this minor comedy gem.

ANNE RAMSEY is the mother who inspires the film's title and it's understandable why she gets under the skin of DANNY DeVITO with her sharp tongue and relentlessly putting him down for any minor infraction. BILLY CRYSTAL is the writer who's wife has stolen his book idea and is now being lionized as a great new author, even appearing on the Oprah show to bask in adulation he should be enjoying. Thus, DeVito gets the idea of swapping murders to rid themselves of these nuisance factors.

Of course, everything and anything can happen when writer Carl Reiner lets his imagination roam with unending ideas for how the plot develops. And it's amusing all the way through, providing plenty of laughs and chuckles along the way, as well as a good deal of suspense.

For devotees of black comedy, this one is guaranteed to please.

Larry Donner (Billy Crystal) has a crazy life: His wife (Kate Mulgrew) stole his book and left him, he has a new budding romance with a girl named Beth (Kim Greist), he doesn't know how to start his book, and his students of his screen writing class are stranger than most. However, one student (Danny DeVito) is extra strange. He lives with his evil Momma (Anne Ramsey) and he can't get up the courage to kill her. So than he goes to Larry for help, making his life go from normal crazy, to extra crazy!

Stu Silver should have done more! The dialog, the characters, the whole script is near perfect! And Danny DeVito has proved to me he's more than a great actor: he's a great director! His kid's movie Matilda is among my favorite family movies and now this is one of my favorite comedies.

It's a black comedy, most jokes are about murder, but it's damn funny! All of the actors are doing their full potential, whether they're main characters (Billy Crystal) or just one-bit minor characters (Olivia Brown).

If you like comedy (Who doesn't?) than you'll like this! 8/10 stars.

A lively comedy that was taken from Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" which has a clip showing at a Drive-In while they are on a kiddie train. Very entertaining and Devito's MOTHER!!! I'd a pushed the bitch of a train years ago!!! I give it a 6/10

In my view this film is criminally underrated! It's a lot more clever than many have given it credit for. "What are you people, stupid? There's a murderer on the train!". It's also a great idea to watch Hitchcock's Strangers On A Train not long before watching this film. This is a funny crazy Hitchcock tribute/parody with three great performances, including the Oscar nominated Anne Ramsey role. DeVito also directs the film.

The memories I have of this film are honestly about as crazy as the film itself. Some backstory is needed. I use to know these Asian gangsters through a school friend, they were based in a far different part of the city than where I lived. On occasion I would go and hang out and party with these guys. The leader of this group of guys that I knew, his favorite American film just happened to be this one, (He was only 16 at this time when I first met them, I was just about to turn 15. At 16 he was a lower level leader, but he was clearly involved in what was definitely a very organized and elaborate Asian gang I came to find out over time. Though there were also many white members, at least at the lower levels.). When these kids walked around their area of the city, believe me, most other kids just stayed the hell away from them, it was almost as if a sea of kids would part before them like Moses at the Red Sea. At the mall, at transit stations, just walking down the street etc, it was very noticeable. The odd kid would seem timidly friendly to them, but most just completely scurried away. Many girls were fairly friendly with them, but even they often seemed nervous at the same time. One of the reasons the kids would scurry became actually quite obvious to me after hanging out with them a few times. If Joe, the leader saw a kid with a hat or sports jersey he liked, it was a simple his or else kind of deal. They'd give him the shirt right off their backs. Joe wouldn't even do anything but talk, his guys did all the dirty work 100% of the time from all I ever saw. I could tell quite a few crazy stories about hanging with these guys, but only one really relates to this film, so I'll leave it at the one.

I recall one time being with some of them by a mall mid-evening and Joe said to one of his guys, "Go get us a copy of Throw Momma From The Train.". So this kid went into a store and stole a copy, (It's not as if he had much choice of course, that's the way they were. None of these kids said no to Joe without severe consequences, so honestly, I never noticed even one of them not do exactly as he said, and he often had demands for them.). Joe said he had lent his last copy to someone else, and they had not yet returned it. We all, about 8 or 9 of us that night went back to Joe's house, started smoking some bowls of hash while Joe had someone put the film on. The hash we had actually scored earlier in the day when Joe traded in some goods at one of his regular fences. At any point in the film, if one of the guys started to pass out, Joe would hairspray their pants and set their legs on fire. Which of course got about as many laughs as the movie was getting. Watching a kid wake up out of a stoned stupor and frantically pat his legs out was pretty hilarious. Anyway, this is just one of my many memories of watching this film in the late 1980's. I actually ended up watching this film probably at least 3 different times at Joe's place.

For whatever reason and I'm really not sure why, but right away Joe seemed to like me and the guy never once tried to pressure me into anything. He treated me entirely different than any of his gang members. I worked a lot of construction with my father as a kid, so I was quite strong as well as always one of the bigger kids my age, so perhaps he liked the look of a stranger like me in his area of the city just walking around with his gang, but really that's just a total guess. I really have no idea why we got on so well exactly, but I also noticed that he had many sides and strategies going on in his mind and in his actions. For instance in the vicinity of where Joe actually lived, he was super polite and respectful to everyone in the neighborhood. The common people there would likely tell the police he was a very respectful boy, lol. He would even tip the clerk at the corner store down the street from his place when buying smokes or whatever. However you get a few blocks away from his house, and he seemed like a totally different animal. In these areas he demanded respect or else, and he seemed to have respect for very few people out of his own neighborhood, but in his general area of the city. Joe, for all his criminal faults, (And believe me he had a ton of them.) was a pretty sharp guy for sure, and he just loved this film. I too had a great appreciation for this film before I had even met them, and I still do to this day.

"Wanna see my coin collection?"

8/10.

I did see this when it was first out and I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. I can appreciate the feelings of the many who do like this but my feeling is one has to be a MAJOR fan of black humer in the form of "war of the roses" to really appreciate this. As I am not a major fan of that humor(although there ARE a few exceptions) I found this almost offensive.

The characters were unlikeable, the story wasn't just twisted(sometimes twisted can be fun) but irritating as well. And it was one of those movies that had me scratching my head, trying to figure out-what's funny about this?

This would not make it on my top three worst movies ever but maybe on my top 10 worst ever. It has a relatively low ranking on here but some really positive reviews as well so it seems kind of "love it or hate it". I hated war of the roses to, probably more then this so maybe the humor is just not my type. I would give this a 2 out of 10. But fans of the dark DARK comedy will probably love it.