Chris Farley

Tommy Boy (Holy Schnike Edition)

Before his death, comedian Chris Farley made a pair of surprisingly successful comedies that teamed him with Saturday Night Live colleague David Spade. Their relationship in each film was pretty much the same, but then so was Abbott and Costello's or Laurel and Hardy's (not that Farley and Spade are in their league). In Tommy Boy, Farley plays the ne'er-do-well son of a successful auto parts manufacturer (Brian Dennehy). When Dad drops dead just after marrying a young new wife, it's up to Tommy (aided by sarcastic bean-counter Spade) to rescue the company by taking over for his father. Black Sheep features a slightly different plot: This time, Spade is hired by Farley's brother (Tim Matheson), a candidate for governor, to keep Farley (an accident-prone buffoon) out of sight until after the election. Farley has a likable quality that is exploited by continuous slapstick centered on his clumsiness, both physically and socially. --Marshall Fine

When the family business starts to fail Tommy must hit the road as a salesman with a smug family accountant.
No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: FARLEY/SPADE
Title: TOMMY BOY
Street Release Date: 08/30/2005
Domestic
Genre: COMEDY VIDEO

Coneheads

Saturday Night Live - The Best of Phil Hartman

They called him "the glue" of Saturday Night Live the man who held it all together. Phil Hartman was one of the most respected performers ever in SNL history. See why in this hilarious look at his eight memorable years on the show. You'll see the best of Frank Sinatra Bill Clinton Anal Retentive Chef Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer and many more. Plus there's extra material including scenes that were cut after Dress Rehearsal and never seen until now.System Requirements: Running Time 84 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR UPC: 031398115045 Manufacturer No: LG1150D

Phil Hartman was one of the most versatile comedians of his time: whether he was playing the voice of Troy McClure on The Simpsons or portraying the pompous Bill McNeal on NewsRadio, his comedy was always fresh and outrageous. His breakthrough was as a cast member of the late-night program Saturday Night Live, where he satirized everything from politics (Bill Clinton, Admiral Stockdale--Ross Perot's misguided running mate--and Barbara Bush) to entertainment (Frank Sinatra and Phil Donahue), creating unforgettable characters along the way. This "best of" video captures his funniest SNL moments and includes the TV special Saturday Night Live Remembers Phil Hartman plus more. Among the highlights are the commercial Compulsion; Bill Clinton jogging to a fast-food joint (which, filmed long before the Lewinsky incident, seems surprisingly prescient as Clinton comments, "There's gonna be a whole bunch of things we don't tell Mrs. Clinton. Fast food is the least of our worries."); Discover the World of Science, where Hartman portrays an annoyingly daft TV host to Jon Lovitz's scientist; Barbara Bush hosting Nancy Reagan at tea in the White House; Cooking with the Anal Retentive Chef; and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer. Brief snippets of Hartman in a variety of his roles show some classic moments without slowing down the pace of the collection. This video also features SNL cast members Dana Carvey, Jan Hook, Chris Rock, Chris Farley, Victoria Jackson, and more. Of all the Saturday Night Live retrospectives, this is one of the most consistently funny compilations and truly showcases the best of Phil Hartman. --Jenny Brown

Saturday Night Live - The Best of Mike Myers (Bonus Edition)

From "Wayne's World" to the creepy hilarity of "Sprockets" and its slinky German host Dieter, this 16-sketch compilation showcases Mike Myers in his Saturday Night Live prime. Wayne Campbell and his sidekick Garth (Dana Carvey) are featured in two memorable sketches, jamming with Aerosmith and enjoying a sexy dream sequence with the babelicious Madonna. The Material Girl shows up again as the daughter of "Coffee Talk" hostess Linda Richman (who was inspired by Myers's mother-in-law), in a choice sketch with Roseanne, featuring a cameo by Barbra Streisand which is, as Linda would say, "like buttah."

More obscure sketches show Myers at his most bizarre, charming, and experimental. "Lothar of the Hill People" challenged network censors with not-so-subtle allusions to masturbation and female genitalia, while Myers's penchant for all things British is frequently indulged, including spot-on send-ups of Ron Wood and Mick Jagger. His portrayal of a hypoglycemic, hyperactive 6-year-old--complete with safety helmet and restraining harness--is both outrageously funny and more than a little dangerous. (It's a miracle that guest host Nicole Kidman keeps a straight face as she feeds the "kid" a chocolate bar, with the expected results.) And while other sketches such as "Middle Aged Man" were not likely to follow Wayne and Dieter to big-screen success, they show Myers doing what he does best: conceiving original characters and pushing them to comedic extremes. --Jeff Shannon

Mike Myers is a genius at creating original comic characters and it all started at Saturday Night live. Party on with Wayne on Wayne s world Dieter on sprockets Linda Richman on coffee talk and the best of all the others. Plus there s extra material including scenes that were cut after Dress Dehearsal and never seen before now System Requirements: Running Time 76 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR UPC: 031398115649 Manufacturer No: LG1156D

Airheads

Spinal Tap it ain't, but Michael Lehmann's good-natured comedy of errors, about a garage band whose unannounced visit to a local radio station escalates into a hostage situation, is pleasant diversion with a fair share of laughs. Brendan Fraser plays the singer-songwriter of the unknown heavy metal band the Lone Rangers, a trio of socially challenged musicians rounded out by dimwitted but sweet bass player Adam Sandler and aging drummer/toy-store employee Steve Buscemi--who just happens to be packing a lifelike toy machine gun from work. Needless to say, the friendly visit is misinterpreted as a hostile takeover, but all the Lone Rangers want is to play their music on the air--and they sabotage themselves again by destroying their own demo tape! Joe Mantegna plays a burned-out deejay who tries to help the muddled metalheads as the media surrounds the building and asks the question on everyone's lips: "How can you be the Lone Rangers if you're always together?" --Sean Axmaker

In this hilarious spoof of the music industry, three intelligence-challenged rock'n' rollers (Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler decide to take drastic action after their music continually falls on deaf ears. They break into a radio station, hoping to get their demo played on the air. But when the deejay (Joe Mantegna) and station manager (Michael Mckean) refuse to play their song, the boys have no choice but to take the entire radio station hostage.

Wayne's World

TV's Saturday Night Live has been like the evil twin of the legendary alchemist's stone, which supposedly could turn lead into gold. SNL usually does the opposite, taking rich comic premises from short skits and extrapolating them into overblown and unfunny full-length films. ("The Coneheads"? Puh-leeze!) But this film proved to be the exception, thanks to Mike Myers's wonderfully rude lowbrow humor and his full-bodied understanding of who his character is. Wayne Campbell (Myers) and his nerdy pal Garth (Dana Carvey) are teens who live at home and have their own low-rent cable-access show in Aurora, Illinios, in which they celebrate their favorite female movie stars and heavy-metal bands. When a Chicago TV station smells a potential youth-audience ratings hit, the station's weasely executive (Rob Lowe) tries to coopt the show--and steal Wayne's new rock & roll girlfriend (Tia Carrere) at the same time. It's filled with all kinds of knowing spoofs of movie conventions, from Wayne talking to the camera (and forbidding other characters to do so) to hilariously self-conscious product placements and labeling a moment a "Gratuitous Sex Scene." Dumb--and very funny. --Marshall Fine

Temptations abound when Wayne and Garth are offered a fat contract to tape their late night show at a sleazy TV executive's network.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 24-JUN-2003
Media Type: DVD

Almost Heroes

It was a time of heroes. Well almost. They were hearty men in those days. Men who like Bartholomew Hunt and Leslie Edwards made sure that when adventure called it got a wrong number. Chris Farley and Matthew Perry team with director Christopher Guest (Waiting for Guffman Best in Show) to venture into uncharted comedy territory. Where explorers Lewis and Clark go Hunt (Farley) and Edwards (Perry) follow hoping to overtake the famed expeditioners and be the more fiery trailblazers. In a land dotted with bears native tribes pioneer outposts and wandering conquistadors having a bad hair day is there not also room for two more adventurers eager to make a name for themselves? Westward ho-ho-ho!Running Time: 90 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 053939733525

Black Sheep

An aspiring gubernatorial candidate tries very hard to keep his bumbling brother out of the limelight and from helping with his campaign.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 16-JUL-2002
Media Type: DVD

Chris Farley plays the disaster-prone brother of a gubernatorial candidate in Washington State. Though he is well meaning, the havoc he creates on the campaign trail is drawing press attention, so a snotty aide (David Spade) to the politician is dispatched to keep the big lug under control. Spade's character initially insults his charge as often as possible, but over time, the two bond and end up becoming a part of the final election push. Farley and Spade have some very funny moments, but overall the film feels rushed and poorly planned. Constant changes in character and script happen recklessly and randomly so that nothing ever really makes sense; the film keeps changing the rules by which it plays. --Tom Keogh

Tommy Boy (1995) / Black Sheep (1996) (Double Feature)

TOMMY BOYTommy Callahan Jr. is a slow-witted clumsy guy who recently graduated college after attending for seven years. His father Big Tom Callahan owns an auto parts factory in Ohio. When Tommy arrives back home he finds he has a position at the factory waiting for him. His dad also introduces Tommy to the new brake pad division of the factory and to Tommy's soon-to-be stepmother Beverly and her son Paul. But when Big Tom dies the factory threatens to go under unless the new brake pads are to be sold. Therefore Tommy must go on the road to sell them along with the assistance of Richard Big Tom's right-hand man. Will Tommy save the company or will the factory and the town go under?BLACK SHEEPComedy about the prospective Washington State Governor Al Donnelly (Matheson) whose only stumbling block on the road to power is his embarrassing younger brother Mike (Farley). To keep him out of mischief Al forces one of his aides Steve Dodds (Spade) to keep an eye on him during the election. However this is easier said than done...Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 097361242347 Manufacturer No: 124234

Beverly Hills Ninja

A slapstick comedy starring Chris Farley, Beverly Hills Ninja is part prop-gag movie and part testament to the late comedian's physical comedic abilities. As a baby, Haru (Farley) appeared on the coastal shores of Japan. Legend has it that a foreigner would arrive and become the greatest ninja ever, known as the "Great White Ninja." As Haru grew, it became apparent: he was not the one. But when a beautiful stranger named Sally (Nicollette Sheridan) appears at the dojo seeking a ninja's help, Haru finds his calling. Through a series of mix-ups (generally caused by Haru himself), Haru is framed for murder and he follows Sally to Beverly Hills to set things right. Finding out Sally's boyfriend is a counterfeiter and murderer, Haru with the help of hotel bellboy Joey (Chris Rock) and unknowingly with the help of his ninja brother Gobei (Robin Shou) takes down the counterfeit ring and finds his place among the ninja clan.

Beverly Hills Ninja is full of individual comic gags that are hilarious in their purity--call it sadistic, but sometimes it's just plain funny watching a guy unwittingly walk into a lamppost while carrying on a conversation. Farley was a master at these tried-and-true gags, which reach right back into the origins of comedy. But it's not all slapstick; a scene where Haru is so taken by dancers at a local strip bar that he joins in is reminiscent of the mud-wrestling scene from Stripes. Beverly Hills Ninja may be considered a low-brow romp, but a romp it is nonetheless. --Shannon Gee

Chris Farley Nicollette Sheridan Chris Rock and Robin Shou star in this comic crash of cultures about a talentless Ninja determined to save a mysterious damsel in distress. Farley stars as Haru an orphaned American who washes ashore in Japan and is mistaken for the great White Ninja of legend. Raised among the finest Ninjas Haru grows strong and big - very big. With the grace of all Three Stooges rolled into one body Haru is an embarrassment to his clan. But when a beautiful blonde pleads for his help Haru is given one dangerous disastrously funny chance to prove himself.System Requirements:Starring: Chris Farley Nicollette Sheridan Chris Rock Robin Shou and Nathaniel Parker. Directed By: Dennis Dugan. Running Time: 89 Min. Color. This film is presented in both "Standard" and "Widescreen" formats. Copyright 2000 Columbia TriStar Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 043396039506 Manufacturer No: 03950