in 19 (which, as far as I know, were only different in that one was a "flipper"). Its uniquely particular charms, Night Shift still works well enough as a straightforward comedy full of decent to memorable performances.Ī modest hit at the box office in 1982, it's remained somewhat elusive on home video despite the appearance of two separate DVD releases by The end product scratches a very specific itch and will appeal to comedy fans of this particular era. Starters) and well-known character actors (Vincent Schiavelli, Clint Howard, Charles " Roger Rabbit" Fleischer) adds a bit of spot-the-cameo fun. Workers is refreshing, and the appearance of other future stars (Kevin Costner as "Frat Boy #1" and Shannon Doherty as a zealous Girl Scout, for Product isn't quite strong enough to be "lightning in a bottle", Night Shift has aged surprisingly well: its surprisingly fair treatment of sex Why Keaton would go on to bigger things later in the decade, both were unfortunately never paired together on the big screen again. Night Shift's best weapon is undoubtedly cast chemistry: the lead duo of Winkler and Keaton is fantastic and, while it's easy to see Terrific one-liners, even while still serving up a fever-dream atmosphere that would be explored later in Martin Scorsese's After Hours (long overdue for Blu-ray). The story itself holds mainstream appeal with accessible laughs and Night Shift is at its best when it wanders through the nooks and crannies of a city emerging from the turbulent and grimyġ970s, yet one that's still just colorful enough to be weirdly inviting. This makes his ultimate character arc a pretty satisfying journey, and one that's framed by an excellent time-capsule backdrop of New York CityĬirca 1982. ![]() Nepotistic boss (Floyd Levine) - only adds to mounting stress that he's got to overcome, and fast. Outside forces - including his doomed relationship with overly sensitive fiancée Charlotte (Gina Hecht) and her uptight parents, as well as his Has the hots for Belinda, and the two even make an early connection before her refusal to leave the business drives a wedge into the relationship.īut he's too timid to step up, anyway: Chuck is one stammer away from a Woody Allen stand-in, and his total reluctance to defend himself from all Later in the film, and it could be argued that it feels kind of shoehorned in to what mostly plays out as an awkward romantic comedy. pimp" rivalry - that element of the plot isn't even introduced until Truth be told, Night Shift isn't driven by this "love broker vs. except a few rival pimps who don't competition. Chuck's good financial sense and strong moral backbone makes it a successfulĮmployee-owned business (with medical benefits, even!), so everyone's happy. Their quiet morgue the new headquarters for Belinda and her girls. Graveyard shift and works alongside obnoxious but motivated newcomer Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski (Michael Keaton, in his big-screen debut).Īfter the death of a low-level pimp, Chuck's prostitute neighbor Belinda (Shelley Long) is in need of representation, so Bill convinces him to make Stockbroker-turned nebbish morgue employee Chuck Lumley (Henry Winkler) and the new chapter in his life: he's recently been "promoted" to the ![]() Reviewed by Randy Miller III, November 2, 2021ĭirector Ron Howard's early career highlight Night Shift - released five years after his first film, the forgotten 1977 road comedy Grand Theft Auto - is the scandalous but sweet story of
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