I just bought Biloxi Blues without seeing it but it seemed like it was going to be good but the discription on the back of the box called this movie Hilarious?!? I only found my self laughing once. It seemed to be more of a drama than a comedy what did everyone else think??? I did enjoy it but if I were going out to rent a comedy for a few laughs this movie would defintly not be it!!! Posted by Ali_with_an_i (Member # 27) on :
I played Daisy when we did the play in college. I thought it was funnier played out on the stage, rather than the screen.
Haven't seen the movie version for a long time though. I remember thinking it was good. I guess I'll have to see it again to form a better opinion.
Posted by Devolution (Member # 1731) on :
Devolution here,
I couldn't disagree with you more. Hilarious, I peed when I was 13 and I saw it in the movies, you have to see brighton beach memoirs to really appreciate the movie, that is the first of the two, it helps define the character of Eugene Morris Jerome.
But in my opinion, great movies.
We are DEVO
Posted by McFly (Member # 354) on :
I always thought of it as basically as Ferris Bueller Goes To The Army, with Broderick playing the same kind of wisecracker.
Lot of 80s faves in that: Casey Siemaczko, Matt Mulhern (Teddy from One Crazy Summer), Corey Parker (Scream for Help, small part in Friday the 13th 5, How I Got Into College), forget the actors name but he went on to be Phoebe's short-lived boyfriend on Friends who always has his "fun parts" hanging out of his shorts.
Not hilarious, but a great comedy/drama. Walken steals it. "Cuz you're the sh*thead who said let's surrender so I can some sleep!"
Posted by TresFoxy (Member # 542) on :
Wel I guess this film deserves another viewing. I enjoyed it but just did not find it to be hilarious maybe I overlooked some of the humorous parts or wasn't paying full attention...
Posted by HipsterMom27 (Member # 2161) on :
I agree with McFly...I don't think Neil Simon movies are meant to be "hilarious" in the sense of a true comedy. The term "dramedy" is often used to characterize films like BB. Sometimes people don't like New York Jewish humor -- Woody Allen, Seinfeld, etc. -- and Neil Simon preceded them, so I can see where the story wouldn't grab some people.
I enjoyed the movie...thought Mulhern was totally hot at the time. Don't recall seeing much of him after BB though.
I think you have to carefully read through the hyperbole on those movie covers -- the people who write them get paid to make any movie seem watchable, even something like "Hudson Hawk."
Posted by StevenHW (Member # 509) on :
To Tres Foxy:
Probably the best way to appreciate "Biloxi Blues" is to realize a few things:
The movie was actually the second part of Neil Simon's semiautobiographical trilogy, with the lead character (Eugene Jerome) playing the part of Simon's persona.
The first of the trilogy was "Brighton Beach Memoirs".
The final part of the trilogy was the 1992 TV-movie "Neil Simon's Broadway Bound".
It was not meant to be the "laugh-riot" brand of comedy that Neil used to specialize in.
Instead, it was supposed to be a nostalgic look of a time and place seen through Neil's point of view.
Perhaps you could rent all three films at the same time, then see them back-to-back-to-back, to get a better perspective.
In my opinion, Neil Simon's approach to comedy has really changed since he was writing hit-after-hit comedies on Broadway in the 60's. He later turned to movie screenplays fulltime in the 70's, but his comedy became increasingly personal and introspective. Very much like what Woody Allen was doing at the same time.
Nowadays, I no longer find Neil Simon's more recent work in films very funny anymore. He is either writing retread stuff of his earlier and better material (such as "The Odd Couple" remakes).
Yes, Neil Simon is a legend and rightly so. But he has now lost his comedic edge, and prefers to play it safe now. Posted by American Metal Maniac (Member # 2214) on :
I also saw this, thinking it was supposed to be a comedy. I did not think it was that funny, but there are a few good scenes. Not what I expected, though.
Posted by McFly (Member # 354) on :
Steven, what is the third chapter like? I have never seen it.
And...could you picture Johnathan Silverman playing Jerome in BB? I don't think I could, I felt he was a much nerdier Jerome in BBM.
Posted by TresFoxy (Member # 542) on :
Thanks for all the info on this movie. I just want to say it wasn't that I didn't enjoy this movie. It was just that I didn't find it hilarious. I guess I consider hilarious to be a laugh out loud type comedy. I didn't find it to be quite laugh out loud. I do enjoy watching this film and I have watched it several times since my first post. THanks everyone!!! and Happy Holidays!!! Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Just watched Biloxi Blues, what an excellent movie!
I think that this is basicly a drama with some intelligent humor thrown in.
The actors are great and the time just flew when i watched the flick. I agree that Broderick still had some "Ferris" in him during the filming of this movie
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
Biloxi Blues is excellent. It's very much a drama, but it's also amusing. It's one of my favourite Neil Simon movies.
Posted by Earl Keese (Member # 7986) on :
I guess I had better watch this one again too. I haven't watched it since the 80's and remember it being a bit of a drip as I do with most of Simon's work (except for Seems Like Old Times...buuuut, yeah, that was a Chevy Chase/Goldie Hawn movie anyways).
I have however come to very much respect the people and their posts on our board and everyone brings a good deal of perspective to the movies we love, so I will give this one another try, bringing a lot more age to the screening myself. Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
I love Neil Simon's stuff, so I may be biased. I don't mind a little sentimentality in movies. Neil Simon is one of the best dialogue writers Hollywood ever had. When he was on he was on. 'The Goodbye Girl' is one of my favourite movies of all time, and I even have a major soft spot for his less perfect scripts like 'Only When I Laugh' and 'I Outta be in Pictures'. His weakest aspect was always the third act; he tends to wrap things up in a 'pat' way. With 'Brighton Beach Memoirs' and 'Biloxi Blues' he was writing from experience so the stories have a solid and believable through line.
Posted by Earl Keese (Member # 7986) on :
I didn't know that Goodbye Girl was a Neil Simon. That one I did like! Always liked Richard Dreyfus and Marsha Mason (particularly as Gunny Highways Ex in Heartbreak Ridge!)...
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
Marsha Mason was great! She was Neil Simon's wife at the time. He wrote The Goodbye Girl with her in mind. He also wrote 'Only When I Laugh', 'Chapter Two' and 'Max Dugan Returns' (all with Marsha). She was Oscar nominated for 'Goodbye Girl', 'Chapter Two' and 'Only When I Laugh'.
I got her autograph many years ago when she and Richard Dreyfuss were in 'Prisoner of Second Avenue' (also Neil Simon) in London (I got Richard's autograph too).
Posted by The Pyromantic (Member # 7658) on :
I've seen this one being played alot lately on the Encore Movie channels. So I finally sat down to watch it again. I had seen it a couple times before, but never thought that much of it. But after watching it again, I've come to appreciate it a bit more than I did before. Broderick's dry laid back humor seems to fit the story very well. And he sells the partof a naive city boy coming of age in the military very well. The rest of the cast play their parts well in it too. I didn't find Christopher Walken too convincing as a bad *** drill sergeant, though he does tap into his trademark creepiness at the end of the film which was pretty cool. Overall it can be agreed upon that this is definitely more drama than comedy. But it does have a couple funny moments. The part where Jerome (Broderick) loses his virginity was even funnier than I remembered it to be and it had me laughing out loud. But even though the film has only a couple tidbits of subtle humor, it's still a good watch and I enjoyed watching again.
Posted by Muffy Tepperman (Member # 1551) on :
Oh man I just started this last night and finished it just now......what a great movie!!
So many of my favorite 80's actors....Siemaszko and Corey Parker too!
I agree with Atomik it flew by for me too and totally "Ferris" I'm also with Logan....I always end up liking Neil Simon's stuff....i'm only mad that I bought a VHS of Brighton Beach Memorirs last year, when I went to pop it in the VCR it was someone taped copy of a snake exhibit erggggh. haha creeepy!
Posted by JAY LEE (Member # 6345) on :
Actually... Brighton Beach Memoirs... Snake Exhibit... I'll take the snakes Posted by Muffy Tepperman (Member # 1551) on :
Oh my Jay Lee you brat! Brighton Beach is gooooood haha if you could have seen my face when I pulled out the copied tape....and put it in the VCR anyway, not even knowing what was gonna pop up???? I ALWAYS check the tapes now.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Muffy .. I feel worse for the guy that gathered all his buddies around to show them his cool video of the snake exhibit .. and instead shocked them all with "Brighton Beach Memoirs".
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I only found my self laughing once. It seemed to be more of a drama than a comedy what did everyone else think??? I did enjoy it but if I were going out to rent a comedy for a few laughs this movie would defintly not be it!!! ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
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