Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Majikat A fun and feel good kind of film, a trip back to a childhood film, pulled off greatly by the comedy great Richard Pryor.

Michael_Elliott Brewster's Millions (1985) ** (out of 4)Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor) is a failed minor league ball player who gets the chance of a lifetime when a relative he didn't know he had dies and offers up a $300 million dollar inheritance. The only catch is that he must enter into an agreement where he gets $30 million and must spend every penny of it without having any assets after a thirty day period.If you're going through the career of Pryor then it's easy to see why he'd want to make this movie. It was a PG-rated comedy that would allow him to play cute and charming and get away from his foul-mouthed R-rated pictures. Pryor was certainly trying to change him image a bit and this was a good place to start. If you look at the film through the filmography of director Walter Hill then you have to guess that he made the film for the money or a chance to have a box office hit, which it turned out to be.The George Barr McCutcheon play that this is based on has been filmed countless times since the silent era. There's certainly nothing ground-breaking done with the material here but there are just a few too many problems for it to overcome. For starters, the story itself is a rather interesting one because the viewer can put themselves into the situation and wonder what they'd do if they were in Pryor's shoes. That's the good thing but the only problem happens when there's nothing more to do.I mean, the film starts off quite good as Pryor is in good form and his wild and maniac-style works very well early on when his character first gets the money and starts blowing it. However, this charm in the screenplay quickly runs out because there's nothing else for him to do but spend money. The love interest with his accountant is incredibly boring. The whole backstabbing of a certain cast member isn't all that interesting. Even the comedy runs out because how many times can you get the same laugh from the same type of joke?As I said, Pryor is in fine form as is John Candy. One wishes the screenplay was a bit better at exploiting Pryor and Candy together. Hume Cronyn, Pat Hingle and Jerry Orbach are all fine in their roles and look quick for a young Rick Moranis.

FlashCallahan Brewster has an unknown distant, but wealthy relative who has just passed on. In order to test if Brewster knows the value of money, he is given the task of disposing of $30m in 30 days. Brewster isn't allowed to have any assets to show for the $30m or waste the money in any way. If successful, Brewster gets to inherit $300m. The biggest problem of all however, is that Brewster can't tell anyone what he's doing, so everyone thinks he's crazy. But I'd Brewster fails, two scheming trustees will get their hands on the money, so Brewster's task is not an easy one......It's the old story isn't it, little man overcoming the bigwigs. Everyone likes a long-shot, the poor man outsmarts the rich, its Robin Hood for the fat cats, and we have the profanity free Richard Pryor in the drivers seat.It's the most predictable type if comedy you can imagine. He's starts doing well, he silly but good spirited friend messes it up a bit, he gets back on track, the villains of the film mess it up big time for him, and just at the last minute, something wonderful happens.It's been done literally hundreds of times in these sort of family comedies, and in can understand that its a winning formula, but oh to see something different just for once, to see the hero of the piece fail, it would be so refreshing, but seeing that this is almost thirty years old, you can forgive its laziness.Pryor is as good as he always is, and Candy offers wonderful support, but one cannot help but think that if Trading Places wasn't such a hit two years 'Pryor' (he he), would this have been made?Worth watching...

morrison-dylan-fan With a friend having greatly enjoyed a DVD of the 1988 Comedy film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels that I gave her for a Birthday present,I started searching around for Comedy movies with a similar feel,which she could enjoy watching on the upcoming May Bank Holiday.Frantically searching round online,I suddenly remembered a fun looking Comedy which I had seen 30 minutes of on TV around 10 or so years ago!,which led to me deciding that it was about time to fully witness Brewster count out his millions.The plot:Heading out to a bar to celebrate their (minor league) baseball team the Hackensack Bull's latest win,star team mates Montgomery 'Monty' Brewster and Spike Nolan quickly get into a fight with fellow customers at the bar,and end up getting sent to jail.Being left completely speechless at their bail hearing (where the judge sets the bail amount at a level that they can never afford)by a stranger sitting in the court who announces that he will pay their full bail cost,the stranger tells Nolan and Brewster that they both must visit a law firm that he's working for called Granville & Baxter.Attending a private film screening at the law firm whilst Nolan is ordered to wait outside,Brewster discovers that he has a recently diseased great- uncle called Robert Horn who he never knew existed.On the film,Horn reveals that due to him being the only surviving relative,that Brewster has a chance to get his full savings.Not wanting to give Brewster an easy shot at the money,Horn tells Brewster that he has 2 options:1-he can accept 1 million and allow the rest of Horn's $300 million estate to go to the law firm,or he can go for option 2,which is that he must spend 30 million over 30 days in order to get the 300,but must not tell anyone where the 30 came from,or buy any items that he can keep.Initially being tempted by the $1 million offer,Brewster decides that he is going to instead try and hit a home run,and go straight for the $300 million jackpot.View on the film:Despite the Universal full-frame DVD taking away some of its jazzy style,director Walter Hill and cinematographer Ric Waite (who had both earlier worked together on the movie 48 Hours) dazzling style is still able to shine,thanks to Waite and Hill showing the contrasting appearances between Brewster's faded and dusty Minor League Baseball lifestyle,with the high-end,crystal clear one that he finds himself suddenly forced in.For their adaptation of George Barr McCutcheon's novel,the screenplay by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod takes some delicious swipes at the 'greed is good' attitude that was starting to strike at the time,with the writers brilliantly showing the insane amount of influence Brewster can get,just by chucking money at anything that moves. Smartly deciding not to make the film be a sheer display of excess,the writers keep the movie strongly rooted to Brewster's blue collar big ground,which despite stopping the movie from fully tipping into the over exaggeration that it delightfully seemed to be heading towards,does allow the viewer to feel the full force of what has landed on Brewster's shoulders.Entering the movie without a dime in his pockets,Richard Pryor gives a highly spirited performance as Brewster,with Pryor showing Brewster holding his working class background dearly,even as he's desperately trying to spend cash left,right and centre.Joining Pryor,John Candy gives an excellent performance as Nolan,with Candy giving the movie a shot of lightning every time he gleefully sets his sights on cash,as Brewster discover who really wants to be a millionaire.