My Favorite Movies: 9 to 5

Image from source, Wikipedia

On a grocery run for The Other Half, I picked up a box of "the pink stuff," aka Sweet 'N Low. Yes it's saccharine, supposedly responsible for the death of countless laboratory rats. And the two things always get me to thinking about the classic 1980 movie, 9 to 5.

If you're too young to remember (or live in a pop culture void), 9 to 5 stars Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dabney Coleman. It is a workplace revenge comedy, with a "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot" boss, and the three put-upon ladies who are his undoing. And in the film, a confusion between artificial sweetener "Skinny 'N Sweet" and "Rid-O-Rat" spins the revenge fantasy part of the film into motion.

9 to 5 is one of those films I can watch over and over again, probably at least once a year. It is in elite company among my many DVDs, along with Terminator 2, What's Up Doc? and Aliens (how is that for a combo?). All of those films are in regular rotation at my house. But finding legal clips of these films to post on my site is a little tricky. What I did find is a link to American Movie Classics (AMC), which has a brilliant "movie in a minute" montage clip that condenses the whole movie down to sixty seconds. You can find it here: 9 to 5: Movie in a Minute

This was Dolly Parton's first--and by far best--film. I wonder if her freshness to movie acting was as big an asset as her. . .um. . .assets. Because she never came off this warm and genuine in any other film. Oh, and hilarious. Favorite line: "I got a gun out there in my purse. . .I'll change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot! Don't think I cain't do it!" Closely followed by, "Well I say we hire a couple of wranglers to go upstairs and beat the shit out of him!"

Lily Tomlin is one of my favorites, and has a very funny role too. Jane Fonda is a great actress, though she was never in my top 10. But the movie wouldn't be the same without her. Dabney Coleman--who always seems to play a jerk--does not disappoint here. It's a shame they never regrouped for a sequel, though that may have been prevented by resolutions that were captioned for each character at the end of the movie--a coda the film could have done without.

If you haven't seen the film in a while, check it out again. You'll laugh yourself silly, and you'll marvel at what an office looked like in 1980 (Smith-Corona Typewriters, Dictaphones, Rolodexes and NO desktop computers).

Since I cannot display a legal scene from the film, how about this?

UPDATE: Just found this! Believe it or not, this is the original movie trailer. It is hilariously dated (far more so than the film), and features almost nothing of the original film. They sure don't do trailers like this anymore, thank goodness.

My Favorite Movies: Comedy Edition #2

It's that time again. Time to get away from the politics, and on to something fun. A while back, I brought you some clips from four of my favorite comedy movies. But there are so many more. Of course, I'm limited by the clips that are available, but I've found a great batch for you. If you haven't seen one of these (or even if you have), this might provide you with a movie night idea this weekend.




#1 - 9 to 5 - Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are the perfect comedy trio in this classic from 1980. Offices have changed a lot since then--there's no computer in sight--but bosses like Franklin Hart haven't gone away. What's your fantasy for doing in the boss? This clip is the trailer for the movie, proving once again that the art of movie trailer making has only improved with time.

#2 - Airplane! - The granddaddy of all spoof movies. Oh sure, Mel Brooks got there first, and many of his are terrific, but this one takes the cake. Hilarious from beginning to end, through and past the credits. Demands many, repeated viewings to catch all the gags. And it set Leslie Nielson up on a whole second act to his career.

#3 - Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Surely the best John Candy movie, and one of Steve Martin's best. It suffers from a sappy ending, and an extremely 80s soundtrack. But it might help you win Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, and you'll be quoting it years later. "Her first baby come out sideways, and she didn't scream or nothin'" "Wow. What a trouper!"

#4 - What's Up, Doc? - Barbra Streisand's funniest role, Ryan O'Neal's as well, and it introduced us to the immortal Madeline Kahn. Marvelously funny, a great historical view of early 70s San Francisco, and some of the best lines in any comedy movie ever. A must see.

Previously:
My Favorite Movies: Comedy Edition #1

My Favorite Movies: Comedy Edition #1

It's been a while since I posted one of these types of posts, and it's long overdue. Politics are important to me, but it can be dreadfully dry, and make me seem single-minded and screechy. So, here's something fun you can enjoy.

Some of my favorite movies are comedies. But in my opinion, they just don't make them like they used to. Whether they're straight-ahead comedy or spoofs, most of today's funny films don't seem to me like they'll hold up to the test of time. Spoofs in particular--while still full of funny moments--are so scatter shot these days. You have to go back to the days of Airplane! or early Mel Brooks to find some of the truly inspired comedy films. Here are some of my favorites.




#1 - Hot Shots! - By some of the makers of the original Airplane!, this parody of Top Gun never lets up, and is funny from beginning to end. Charlie Sheen really shines in this type of comedy, and Lloyd Bridges is inspired casting. This one must be watched repeatedly to catch all the gags.

#2 - All of Me - This is one of Steve Martin's best comedies, chock full of comedy gold, and quotable lines. Lily Tomlin was also at her peak. But check out how they made movie trailers in the early 80s. . . There is an art form that has only improved.

#3 - High Anxiety - Not one of Mel Brooks' most popular films, but one of my favorites. Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman. . .who could ask for more? In this extended clip, watch for the infamous obscene phone call bit at about 3:20.

#4 - Top Secret! - Another one from the makers of Airplane!, but surely one of their more obscure ones. Val Kilmer is dynamite in his first role, and the gags here are loopier than in the other spoof films. This film demands repeated viewings. Even the trailer for the film is funny.