Night Shift (1982)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

This film is about a man who works night shifts in the city morgue. He has an annoying new colleague, and soon they forge a new way to create sparkle in their lives."Night Shift" is set in a morgue and has lots of prostitutes, but the film is not as gruesome as it appears. "Night Shift" is light, fun and uplifting. Chuck is a likable character, while his fiancée is so neurotic that makes people laugh. Chuck breaks out of the mold by introducing drastic changes to his life. He helps prostitutes to make more money than they earn, fighting exploitation from pimps. It is funny to watch on screen, but it also reminds people that prostitutes are constantly being exploited and are subjected to much violence. The romance between Chuck and Belinda is well developed, and has much chemistry which makes "Night Shift" a satisfying to watch. It may even qualify as a romantic comedy!

1982's "Night Shift" which was one of legendary director Ron Howard's first works can now be considered a comedy classic. The film is certainly funny and it has plenty of funny memorable one liners and it was sharply written with intelligent wit. Yet it is most respected for it's off beat plot and clever nature of opening up a business(an escort service)which will lead to an unlikely friendship and it shows one man that love is possible for anyone.Set in New York City you have ex Wall street guy Charles Lumley(Henry Winkler)who's a worried and uptight type who now makes his living at the city morgue on the night shift. Things change enter Billy Blazejowski(Michael Keaton in one of his earliest roles)who's hired to be Lumley's night shift partner. And Billy is an opposite as he's more a party animal and care free type who wants to change things and he comes up with a clever ideal. That is he gathers up a group of women and you guessed it they run an escort service for profit! Shelly Long stars as a working girl and strikes up a friendship and even a love making encounter with the uptight Lumley who breaks free of some of his tightness, which was needed especially when he had a sweet tooth wife who loved chocolate! In the end a lot is learned as unexpected love is discovered and all three form a bonding friendship that's memorable and should last so special when it seemed so unlikely. Overall good and well done comedy a now remembered classic.

Very funny, often hilarious comedy from regular writing team Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. "Night Shift" tells the tale of two young men, one very nervous and reserved, the other loud and over confident, who both work the night shift at the city morgue. All hell and hilarity break loose when the boys decide to go into business as pimps.Director Ron Howard is always in control of his stars and works the humour well, showing signs of a fine director. Although Michael Keaton is occasionally annoying, Henry Winkler is extremely likable as Charles Lumley III, a timid but brilliant financial wizard. Also starred Shelley Long. Comedy fans, don't miss this one.Tuesday, July 2, 1991 - Video

The placidly square Chuck Lumley works at the morgue, but his boss slants him into doing night shifts and the boss's nephew gets his day shift. His personal life isn't much better, as he's run by an over-obsessive fiancée. During his first night shift, he meets his new job partner Billy. A real upfront, idealistically nutter who eventually drives Chuck up the wall with his constant talking and ridiculous ideas. But the two eventually come to terms with each other, especially when Chuck informs Billy that's his prostitute neighbour Belinda is on the lookout for a pimp. Billy gets an idea, which would see them pimping and using the mortuary at night as their place of business.Ron Howard's second stab at directing brings us a crazy, maniac and no-stop comedy set in New York, involving pimping, hookers and a morgue. It might sound dreary and lowbrow and it could've turned out to be, but this hearty 80s product mostly steers clear away from that edge. However New York still comes across as one sordid location within that time period. What I loved form this exercise had to be the two wholesome lead performances and their interactions. Michael Keaton's highly enjoyable fresh-faced debut is excellent, as the neurotic motor mouth, Billy "Idea-man" Blazejowski and Henry Winkler is superbly deadpan as the timid, drab pushover Chuck Lumley. The two bounce off each other rather fittingly and stew up likable turns. Shelly Long is wonderfully teasing as the call girl Belinda. Gina Hecht beautifully overplays the part as Chuck's fiancée Charlotte. Bursting in with fun support roles and cameos range from Jim Staahl, Clint Howard, Richard Belzer, Basil Hoffman, Joe Spinell, Nita Talbot, Monique Gabrielle and a very young Shannen Doherty. The cast cooks up interest on hand. Writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (who would team up with Howard a couple more times) kick up an unconventionally witty, twitchy and warm-hearted character comedy, which was rich on the snappy and memorable dialogues, few surprising actions and oddball situations that skittle out of control, but it did start seem to drag and feel overlong towards the latter end. While being sentimental in patches, gladly it never reached any overbearing levels and the use of the running gags to show how much of a push-over Winkler's character is, didn't get too tiring. Howard's second shot at directing is patchy, but ably executed for such an itchy tempo and he uses the grungy locations well to capture the right feel with sturdy photography. Burt Bacharach's music score has that light jazzy flavour, with an upbeat, smoking soundtrack to boot."Night Shift" might get swept under the mat and be terribly dated in its context, but for nostalgia purposes and Keaton's off-the-rocker performance, makes this an appealing comedy.