Neighbors - Retro VHS Style

This movie blew my mind when I saw it when it was first released, because John Belushi just doesn't give the impression of being anything but a broad comic or goofball but between him and Dan Akroyd, the characters came alive and believable in a very unexpected way.Don't misunderstand, it's comical, but in a very different way than these two usually portray comedy- it's much more sophisticated than Animal House (I was grossed out by that one) ..more along the comedy lines of the Blues Brothers movie but not a musical. Belushi plays a middle aged suburban man with a ho-hum dreary life and Akroyd moves in next door and proceeds to turn Belushi's life upside down in the most bizarre ways.I'm given to understand that there's a remake (that I've never seen) but I 100% guarantee you THIS is the ultimate version of Neighbors that can't be duplicated.

I'm glad to see so many people love this film. It truly is brilliant. I have loved it since first seeing it on HBO in the early 80's. I remember when it first came out, all my friends were so disappointed that it wasn't like Animal House. In fact, it got so many bad reviews that I never went to the theater to see it.It has since become my most loved film; I know every line. The reviews I have read here already expound beautifully on the movie's brilliance as a Black Comedy, so I won't try to elaborate any further.Rather, my main reason for writing is because no one has mentioned Bill Conti's wonderful musical score. (Bill Conti wrote the theme from "Rocky," among many other things) This is some of the most brilliant and creative film music I've ever heard. When I was a student at Berklee College of Music in the 1980's, this score was used as a "textbook" case study by the Film Scoring department. The masterful use of leit motifs and "Mickey Mousing" (taken from cartoon scoring of the 40's and 50's where the music mimicks the on-screen action), along with the multitude of original melodic and harmonic compositions, makes it, in my opinion, one of the finest and most ambitious film scoring efforts of its time.In fact, I would go so far as to say that the score for Neighbors IS cartoon music. It was probably intended to be as such.This is the classic film scoring "style," if you will - played in orchestral form, usually conducted "to picture" by the composer. This means that the entire orchestra is seated in a big recording studio with a screen behind them on which the movie is played. The composer then conducts the ensemble by watching the "live" action.There is so much going on musically here, that I would really need part of a semester to disseminate it, but next time you watch the movie, listen to all the incredible detail in the music. I especially love the minor-key reharmonization of "No Place Like Home," and all the other themes and leit motifs he created, often with 2 or more variations of each. (A leit motif is essentially a character's own theme music - Earl's is always played with a trombone to impart the feeling that he's a chubby, hapless victim, while Vic's is played with a creepy Theremin sound).I also love the scene where Earl comes out of "The Swamp" - this is classic 1950's Sci-Fi thriller music - maybe even borrowed from "The Creature From the Black Lagoon" or some other film of that era.While watching this film recently, I realized just how important Mr. Conti's music really is to the film. It wouldn't be the same movie without it, and that is the film composer's ultimate goal - to create a score that becomes as much a part of the film as the visual elements, while also supporting character development and providing continuity that binds the whole story together.Bill Conti achieved that and so much more in spades here.

A true and totally odd gem. Dan Akroyd and John Belushi at their comic best.

Back in the 80's, I used to love this movie as a teenager. Watched it multiple times and recorded it on VHS. I recently acquired this on blu-ray and I still enjoy this movie all the same. It's funny! Both John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are superb and play off eachother extremely well, but it's fair enough to say that Aykroyd steals the show. This is Belushi's final movie before he passed away.Note on the blu-ray - it's homemade. Not a manufactured pressed disc. Not sure what that's all about, but picture and sound quality are acceptable. Perhaps an upscaled DVD at best.

It's great to see this in a widescreen, clean, beautiful transer. If you know what it is/have seen it, a pecular sort of "anti-Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," this is a treat. If you've never encountered this film before it probably isn't something you'll enjoy so feel free to move along. I rate it five stars as a fan, watching it presented as nicely as possible was glorious. Of the film, it's a beautiful mess, a surreal hodgepodge of ideas bouncing against each other like bumper cars, cemented by all-in performances from the cast, who must have been as confused about what they were performing in as someone watching it for the first time inevitably is. There are more questions than answers, and the film has the tonal stability of a melting icecube. But it grows on you, and individual moments start to take on a strange charm, like individual videos in a berserk 80s MTV musical film perhaps...and the logic of it starts to work on you the more you watch it too, I think (it's fun to try and plot where everyone is at any given time, and who knows what, and at what point, and with which and with whom, for example, or even what the point of it all is).Oddly, the book on which this film is based feels as abstruse as the film does, meaning, for all the problems that apparently plagued the production, it was about as effective an adaptation as was perhaps possible. HIghlights are the ridiculous, over-the-top cartoon score, beautiful and sultry Cathy Moriarty and the deliciously over-it Kathryn Walker as a bored suburban kids-are-gone-now-what mom ("...so there was this Indian, and..."). Again, if you're a fan, now you can see it with a beautiful transfer, if you're not a fan, don't blame this reviewer if you didn't get into it, you were warned...

Great movie. Classic/hilarious!

A great release of a rare film from 1981. This film was unavailable in the U.S. for years (except as a VHS tape). The film is in widescreen, sound is good (including the goofy cartoon-ish soundtrack by Bill Conti). There are no film extras here, but just having the film in clear color and sound is quite enough.

People complain about this film but John Belushi was a true genius, and he sadly got to make very few films so I appreciate this film.It is twisted, dark and not the film you would expect from the DVD cover.I found it genuinely funny, well paced and with great performances from all involved.Neighbors is a truly unique film - ruined only by Bill Conti's ridiculous in your face/ears score that tries to destroy the film.Overall, a true original that I'm glad I finally got round to seeing, I purchased it on DVD straight after!

Much wanted present for my other half. Very happy

it feel good to see john belushi in his last movie and his best friend dan.its an average movie but still.