The Night Before (1988)

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This late 1980's movie is hilarious, and captures the time perfectly. What's more madcap than getting lost, drugged, selling your snobby prom date to the omni-feared pimp? Then waking up in a strange place foggily remembering what happened and having to retrace your steps from the earlier evening. Funny stuff. Keanu Reeves and Lori Loughlin are very smart and cute as the leads. They have great chemistry. But the real stars are the crazy assortment of locals they encounter on the way. It also has a great soundtrack by Parliament. Bootsy Collins and George Clinton are great. This films brings back so many young memories. Highly recommended teen fare. Enjoy!

The story isn't anything new. Keanu Reeves plays Winston, a guy who wakes up with a major headache and absolutely no memory of what occurred the 'Night Before.' But as he wanders around the sleazy parts of a Californian city, he starts piecing together clues as to what exactly happened to his prom date, Tara (Loughlin), and a dreaded showdown at dawn with a guy named Tito.I usually like 80s teen movies and most of the time it doesn't matter how stupid they are. But I didn't like this movie at all. It was quite revealing of what a bad actor Keanu Reeves can be. If you've seen Prince of Philadelphia, the River's Edge, or hell, even Bill and Ted, then you know he can give a good performance. All the while I was watching him in this movie, I just kept thinking of the old skits on Mad TV where they used to do the Keanu Reeves School of Acting. "Get in touch with that empty space in your brain." And Lori Loughlin, also no rookie to 80s teen movies, delivered her lines like she was suddenly picked on in English class to read the parts of a boring play. And the story, which reminds me a lot of the old Nintendo game, Uninvited, would've been better if the characters and their situations were much more outrageous. The synopsis for the film compares The Night Before to Scorcese's After Hours, which, for those who haven't yet seen it, is about a guy who gets lost somewhere in New York, and every time he tries to find his way back home, he gets involved in some awful situation with a bunch of complete wierdos. Well, in Night Before, sure Winston comes across some strange folks like the guy who just sticks his arm in his car and grabs his wallet out of his tux. But there lacks a lot of humorous oddities that could've made this movie much more memorable. With a nutty story like this, there's plenty of opportunity to do that.

My fondest memory of this film is of watching Reeves and Laughlin dance to George Clinton's "Baby Boy." Reeves, apparently, really is a ballroom dancer, and he is elegance itself in this sequence--right up to the moment when he slips on a wet spot on the floor and falls into a table. The rest of the film is a pleasant diversion, without giving the brainpan much of a workout. It builds humorously enough on its premise--that a cheerleader can learn to love a nerd--then cruises to its inevitable conclusion. Of course, it helps when the nerd is as handsome as Keanu Reeves. Look for Tiny Lister in a small role as the bartender who slips Reeves a mickey. This one has a great soundtrack, by the way, and it demonstrates once again that Reeves is underused as a romantic lead.

I think the best reason to see this flick is to see Keanu Reeves in his earliest, and perhaps quirkiest role. Reeves plays a young loser who wakes up in an alley on prom night with no memory, no car, and no date. The rest of the film is a meandering series of misadventures involving pimps, dealers and car thieves.Put your brain on hold while watching this one.