The wide-audience crowd-pleaser “Splash” (1984) plays today like a homework assignment for a viewer going through the catalogs of director Ron Howard (his first hit)
John Candy would seemingly be a horrible documentary subject because there’s no controversy about him. Everyone liked him, and as the title “John Candy: I
“Spaceballs” (1987) is funny from start to finish, connecting on a high percentage of jokes and generally having an appealing sense of humor to carry
After the lightweight “Meatballs” (1979) and the entertaining “Caddyshack” (1980), I’m back in the mode of “How did these guys end up making the brilliant
“Career Opportunities” (1991) is an often likable but ultimately unfocused entry in writer John Hughes’ oeuvre. Like the two armed robbers being distracted by Josie
“Home Alone” (1990) is a simple crowd-pleaser on the surface, deftly crafted by writer John Hughes and director Chris Columbus (among the best directors of
If we started a debate over the greatest Christmas movie, it could go on until New Year’s, but “greatest Thanksgiving movie” is easier: It’s “Plains,
John Candy wraps up his trilogy of starring roles in John Hughes movies – following “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and “The Great Outdoors” – with
“The Great Outdoors” (1988) is the John Hughes movie I most watched as a kid, probably for the random reason that we taped it off
“National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983) both makes fun of and lauds the archetypal dad who wants to show his family a fun time but runs into