A Remarkable Performance by Hoffman

"Tootsie" is about a down and out actor named Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) who cannot land a role because he's considered "difficult." In an act of desperation, Dorsey tries for the part of a hospital administrator on a popular soap opera. But the part is for a female. He ends up cross dressing for the role, and becomes hired! Dorsey justifies taking the role because it pays great money and he needs the funds to finance a play he's written. Hoffman has shown his versatility and talent over the years, but I have to admit that playing "Dorothy Michael" has to be his best performance yet. As Dorsey playing Dorothy, he gets a glimpse of life from a woman's perspective and discovers that women are not taken so seriously, especially when having to deal with a letcherous director. While "Dorothy" is not young and beautiful, "she" sees how limited women are when youth (and an amorous director) are the key to success.
Dorothy's life becomes complicated when "she" finds herself falling for Julie (Jessica Lange) another actress on the soap opera. Julie tells Dorothy that she likes her, but not in that way. To further complicate matters, Julie's father (Charles Durning) starts to fall for Dorothy and eventually proposes to "her"! And Dorsey's close friend Sandy (Teri Garr) is upset that some frumpy actress (Dorsey) got the part she auditioned for. Dorothy has become a very popular character on the show and finds herself on the cover of magazines. Dorsey's roomate (Bill Murray) and his agent (Sydney Pollack) are the two allys who support what he's doing. Events are spiraling out of control, and Dorsey has to finally "reveal" himself for what he is. "Tootsie" is a wonderful movie with many brilliant performances, but especially Dustin Hoffman's. After years of serious roles in movies like "All the President's Men," "Kramer vs. Kramer," and "Midnight Cowboy," "Tootise" is his breakout comedy role.

The Blues Brothers: Classic Musical Comedy

If you're of the generation who grew up with the "Not Ready for Primetime" players, also known as the original talent on Saturday Night Live, you can appreciate this movie. Seeing the Blues Brothers on the big screen is awesome. It started as a musical skit by Dan Akroyd and John Belushi playing Elwood and Jake Blues on SNL. What a talent Belushi was. What a waste that he died so young. In the movie, which is a who's who from the R&B world, Jake has been released from the prison. He and Elwood take it upon themselves to raise $5000 to pay off the tax debt of their childhood orphanage. This becomes a "mission from God." The brothers want to reunite their band. En route to convince the various band members to rejoin Elwood and Jake, they make enemies with the Illinois State Police, as well as a group of neo-Nazis. There's also a mysterious woman (Carrie Fisher) who appears often trying to launch attacks on the brothers, unsuccessfully. The musical talent in this movie is fabulous. James Brown plays a choirmaster. Aretha Franklin sings "Think." Cab Calloway performs "Minnie the Moocher." The Blues Brothers play an array of songs, and more. Not only are you entertained by the comic antics of Akroyd and Belushi as the collect their bandmates, and the all the trouble which follows them, the soundtrack itself can stand on its own. There's a hysterical scene where the band ends up at a country western bar with a discriminating audience. They're a blues band, and they don't play C&W. Luckily they start playing the theme from "Rawhide," before they're physically assaulted for offending the clientele. "The Blues Brothers" is very silly, but highly entertaining from a musical and comedic perspective. I loved the deadpan, straight-laced Elwood Blues character, and Belushi was great as the take charge Jake Blues. It's also fun to see the many cameo appearances throughout the movies. See if you can name them all.

Ghostbusters Delivers the Laughs

If Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd headline a movie, chances are excellent that audiences will love it. "Ghostbusters," written by Akroyd and Harold Ramis, who also starred in the movie, is about a group of scientists who fancy themselves "paranormal investigators and eliminators." In other words, "ghostbusters." After their grant from Columbia University is terminated, Murray, Akroyd and Ramis decide to set up shop on their own. They buy an old firehouse, dilapidated ambulance, hire a secretary, then advertise their special skills on television. Ghosts are coming out of the woodwork, and the scientists find themselves busy capturing hundreds of them while increasing the ghostbusters' visibility and popularity. In the meantime, something evil is brewing in a beautiful young woman's refrigerator. Murray's character becomes interested in a new client, Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver). She heard something growling in her refrigerator, then eggs started flying out and frying on her kitchen counter. The ghostbusters don't see anything unusual, but take readings with their equipment. Later, Dana becomes imprisoned and forced into her kitchen by some unseen force. Apparently the rooftop of Dana's building is the portal for an evil force to enter the world. The ghostbusters use all their resources to save New York. The chemistry among the characters is fun to watch, especially while they're in the middle of a "job." Rick Moranis plays the supernerd neighbor of Dana Barrett. He only has a few scenes, but they're very funny. "Ghostbusters" is highly entertaining. If you're looking for laughs, this is the one to see.

Airplane goes for the funny bone

The movie "Airplane" is a laugh-out-loud, hysterically funny movie. I give it two arms up, way up. This movie doesn't have a political message or pull at the heartstrings or make you reflect on personal issues. Not in the least! It's simply one of those movies you watch for the pure entertainment value because sometimes it's nice to just laugh your head off. That is what you get with "Airplane." If you've ever watched airplane disaster movies, then you'll appreciate this spoof even more. Written and directed by Jerry and David Zucker and Jim Abrahams, "Airplane" stars several serious actors: Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Leslie Nielsen and Peter Graves. When you hear those names, you think drama, not comedy. Well this talented writing and directing team was brilliant to cast these men as the fall guys or the "butt of many jokes," as it were. That's what makes this movie work. The plot revolves around a young fighter pilot named Ted Striker who's lost his girl and lost his nerve to fly jets. He's a passenger aboard a domestic flight whose crew is stricken ill from food poisoning. Also on board is Striker's former girlfriend who's a flight attendant. It is up to Striker to overcome his fear and land the plane safely. It doesn't take a genius to figure out if Striker succeeds and gets the girl. Several cameo appearances include basketball legend Kareem Abdhul-Jabbar and Barbara Billingsley, the mother from "Leave it to Beaver" who plays a passenger who speaks "jive." You have to see it to believe it. So check out "Airplane" for a great time and prepare to be entertained.