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Weekend at Bernie's [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
![Weekend at Bernie's [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BJ0S39NEL._SL160_.jpg)
Our Price: £9.99 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Weekend at Bernie's starts when two lowly clerks at an insurance agency uncover a $2 million fraud and report it to their boss, Bernie (Terry Kiser). Unfortunately for them, Bernie is the one behind the fraud and he invites them to his island beach house for the weekend, where he intends to have them killed by his mob contacts. Unfortunately for Bernie, the mob decides to rub him out instead--that's when the clerks, Richard (Jonathan Silverman) and Larry (Andrew McCarthy), arrive and discover Bernie's body. At first they panic and start to call the police but when a party of islanders sweeps in, Richard and Larry also discover that the local residents are so self-absorbed they don't notice that Bernie is dead. So if our heroes can just convince everyone that Bernie is still alive for the weekend, they can have a splendid time. Unfortunately, they also convince the mob hitman, who keeps trying to take Bernie out. Weekend at Bernie's was made at the height of 1980s fashion and features many amusing outfits and hairstyles--often the styles are funnier than the dialogue and the characters are tissue-paper thin. Still, there's no denying that the movie chugs along from bit to bit and never takes itself more seriously than it should, which is a cheerful, disposable piece of fluff. --Bret Fetzer
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Weekend at Bernie's starts when two lowly clerks at an insurance agency uncover a 2 million dollar fraud and report it to their boss, Bernie (Terry Kiser). Unfortunately for them, Bernie is the one behind the fraud, and he invites them to his island beach house for the weekend, where he intends to have them killed by his mob contacts. Unfortunately for Bernie, the mob decides to rub him out instead--and thus begin the murderous high jinks. The clerks, Richard (Jonathan Silverman) and Larry (Andrew McCarthy), arrive and discover Bernie's body. At first they panic and start to call the police, but when a party of islanders sweeps in, Richard and Larry also discover that the local residents are so self-absorbed they don't notice that Bernie is dead. So if our heroes can just convince everyone that Bernie is still alive for they weekend, they can have a splendid time. Unfortunately, they also convince the mob hitman, who keeps trying to take Bernie out. Weekend at Bernie's was made at the height of 1980s fashion and features many amusing outfits and hairstyles--often the styles are funnier than the dialogue, and the characters are tissue-paper thin. Still, there's no denying that the movie chugs along from bit to bit and never takes itself more seriously than it should. A cheerful, disposable piece of fluff. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com
The Silver Screen's Finest Hour
Review date: 2008-09-17 Rating: 10 out of 10
"Weekend At Bernie's" is, quite simply, the greatest film of all time. The central gag is so outstandingly good, so exceptionally funny, that the entire thing is swept along on a tide of comedic euphoria never before seen on celluloid. Once Bernie makes the cinematically painless transition from embezzling insurance executive to `corpse of mayhem', the laughs go down like so many sweet banana daiquiris. One never tires of seeing Bernie speeding in his golf cart, Bernie running for the ferry, Bernie chilling on a moonlit beach, Bernie water-skiing, Bernie sprinting home to collect some forgotten speedboat keys - all in the stimulating company of those quintessential `80s go-getters Larry and Richard. Not one to be hindered by such a trivial matter as his own death, Bernie's posthumous achievements include: hosting one of the finest house parties of the year, closing an astute car deal, placating an infuriated girlfriend, and engaging his own killer in a complex game of cat and mouse, leading ultimately to the culprit's arrest and descent into madness.
WAB also constitutes the only successful revival of the classic physical comedy of the Chaplin-era. All in all a wonderful phantasmagoria of hilarity that single-handedly raises the medium of film to high art.
Similar Products
- Weekend at Bernie's 2 [1994] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Death Becomes Her [1992]
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off [1987]
- Weekend At Bernies [1989]
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil [1989]
Reviews
A one-gag movie which soon gets boring
Review date: 2007-01-17 Rating: 4 out of 10
I remembered this film being funny when I was a kid, but having just purchased and re-watched it, I've changed my mind. The central idea - pretending someone is alive when they are really dead - seems like a good one in all its lunacy, but in fact it's just one gag, and after a whole movie soon gets boring. The implication that Bernie's girlfriend has sexual intercourse with his corpse (and says the experience is "better than ever") is still funny though!
A hilarious farce!
Review date: 2005-09-06 Rating: 10 out of 10
Richard (Jonathan Silverman) and Larry (Andrew McCarthy) are two working stiffs trying to get ahead in corporate world. While working overtime, they find evidence that someone has been defrauding the company, and they take their evidence to their boss Bernie Lomax (Terry Kaiser). Bernie is so impressed with them that he invites them to his weekend house on the coast. Yep, things are looking up for our heroes...or are they? It turns out that Bernie is the thief, and he arranges to have them killed! When the boys arrive at Bernie's they find him dead, and soon find out about his plans for them. Fortunately, none of Bernie's party-hardy friends seem to realize that he is dead. If the boys can keep up the pretext that Bernie is alive, they just might survive. Now, how do you keep anyone from finding out that your boss is actually dead? [Color, released in 1989, with a running time of 1:37.]
OK, no matter who writes the description, this movie is going to sound implausible to the point of silliness. Well...yeah, this is not a movie to be taken seriously. What it is is a hilarious farce, with Terry Kaiser doing a surprisingly funny imitation of a dead guy! The movie is generally clean with one off camera sex scene and one scene with a practically naked woman (Tawny - Elois DeJoria, Playboy Miss April 1988). But, that said, it's a very funny movie that you can watch with your whole family. We love this movie and highly recommend it to you!
Absolutely Hilarious!
Review date: 2004-03-21 Rating: 10 out of 10
Weekend At Bernies has to be one of the funniest comedies ever. The antics of Larry (Andrew McCarthy) & Richard (Jonathan Silverman) carting around their dead boss Bernie (Terry Kiser) have to be seen to be believed. What they get upto really shouldn't be funny, but oh boy! it is.
Special mention must go to Terry Kiser, who would've thought that someone could've got a part of being a corpse for most of a movie? Sounds like an easy gig, but he does it wonderfully!
If you've never seen this film, get it now......you definitely won't regret it, it'll have you in stitches - guaranteed!
Bernie may be dead, but he's still the life of the party!
Review date: 2002-07-04 Rating: 8 out of 10
Jonathan Silverman and the now elusive Andrew McCarthy star in this eighties cheesefest comedy as Richard and Larry- two wannabe yuppies intent on schmoozing their way up the corporate ladder. When they realise someone is trying to defraud the company they eagerly reveal their discovery to the boss Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser) who in turn invites the pair to his place in the Hamptons for the social event of the summer- Bernie's beach house party. However, it seems that it was Bernie himself who was making a killing from the company and when he turns up dead, Richard and Larry decide that a mere murder shouldn't spoil their weekend and the fun really begins...
What follows is basically 101 ways to humiliate a guy who's already dead with poor Bernie being buried, hoovered and stapled throughout the 'dream' weekend. Silverman and Kiser should have known better than to sign up to this but the same cannot be said of McCarthy. "Weekend at Bernies" is like Shakespeare compared to his previous movie "Mannequin" in which he marries a model of the plastic not super variety. McCarthy revels in roles like these however, all cheeky frat-boy humour and hideous check suits, giving a much better performance than in his more serious roles of the nineties.
The dead guy jokes are more or less flogged to death so to speak (see the lame sequel for proof) and the naff reggae soundtrack grates throughout but although you know you shouldn't laugh, you will. Light on the head and not outstaying its welcome, "Weekend at Bernies" is the perfect Sunday hangover movie.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Terry Kiser
Jonathan Silverman
Don Calfa
Andrew McCarthy
Catherine Mary Stewart
Creators:
Andrew McCarthy (Primary Contributor)
Jonathan Silverman (Primary Contributor)
François Protat (Cinematographer)
Bruce McNall (Producer)
Courtney Silberberg (Producer)
Malcolm R. Harding (Producer)
Robert Klane (Producer)
Robert Klane (Writer)
Director(s):
Recording label: Live/Artisan
Manufacturer: Live/Artisan
EAN: 0012236114338
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen,
Release date: 2001-08-14
Universal product code (UPC): 012236114338
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 1
Running time: 97 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1989-07-05
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)