Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-24 19:38:49

very pleased

This review is from: Ghost Town (DVD) I am very pleased with my movie. It was my first time and was scared of what i was going to get, but my movie came on time and its a wonderful addition to my collection. Thank you

2012-05-24 09:06:23

Change of Heart

I watched this movie twice, three times... nothing better to do that week... love Rickey he's amazing! The movie is well acted and makes you feel when the main charecter actually shows he has a heart. If only everyone in America was like that... cared more for someone else then themselves.

2012-05-13 15:34:00

worth watching

This review is from: Ghost Town (DVD) Didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. This movie is worth watching.

Christopher T. Chase 2012-05-13 03:14:59

The Flavor of GHOST TOWN Takes Me Back To Childhood...

Remember "Sweet Tarts"? Those marvelously multi-colored,fruit-flavored, hard-but-chewable candies from when you were a kid,with a sweetness you loved as you crunched or sucked on them, yet thisterrific sour edge that gave you pause as it grabbed your jaws? That'swhat GHOST TOWN reminded me of, and no wonder. Leave it to David Koepp,the versatile writer/director of the excellently creepy STIR OF ECHOES,(writing here with ZATHURA's John Kamps, instead of frequent partnerMartin Donovan) to swing the pendulum to the other side of the classicghost story and give us one of the most watchable rom-coms in recentyears.Even though I have never seen the British or American versions of THEOFFICE, or even HBO'S series EXTRAS, I know Ricky Gervais is a funnyguy. Having seen him on "The Tonight Show" and in a few interviews, hecomes across as unmistakably British, with that irreverent sense ofhumor that you hope translates well from real life to "reel life".Happily, it does. Here he plays Bertram Pincus, D.D.S., a dentist whoonly enjoys his work because it gives him the only situation where hecan find the company of other people tolerable: by sticking things intheir mouths to shut them up. To say that he's a misanthrope isactually putting it mildly - this is one miserable bugger, so down onhis fellow humans that even Ebenezer Scrooge, the ultimate nihilist,might tell ol' Bertram to lighten up.Well, it seems that while having a routine procedure done in-hospital,the unthinkable (but not impossible) happens: he dies on the table forseven minutes. He's definitely not a happy camper when he finds out,but it's HOW he finds out that's even worse. Poor Bertie's brush withthe Grim Reaper has now left him with the ability to see ghosts. Andnot just a few, but it seems like every ghost in New York City. And allof them, now that they know he can see and talk to them when no oneelse can, want favors from him. So here's a guy who wants nothing to do with the living, and now hecan't get away from the dead. And the most insistent of the dearlydeparted is one Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear in excellent 'jerk' mode),who needs Bertram to break up the impending marriage of his wife (TeaLeoni) to a handsome, successful and philanthropic lawyer (THE 4400'sBilly Campbell). First of all, I love any film that gives wonderful small moments togreat actors, and GHOST TOWN really excels here, featuring great bitsfrom veterans like Alan Ruck, Dana Ivey, Audrie J. Neenan, Aasif Mandviand a couple of terrifically funny sequences between Gervais and SNLcast member Kristin Wiig, who plays Bertram's very unusual doctor witha questionable bedside manner. Campbell, who usually plays leading men in comedies just like this one,makes the most of his role as what seems to be the best romanticalternative between her faithless late husband, and the "new" guy whohas somehow wriggled his way uncomfortably into her life. Leoni is a really great, underused comic actor. After seeing her in thehysterical FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, I thought for sure that she would betop-lining hit comedy after hit comedy. But there's a uniqueness to herstyle of combining scatterbrained slapstick with sexiness that doesn'ttranslate well to formulaic material, so we can thank our lucky starsthat she gets a part here that's worthy of her skills.Kinnear, who has often been compared to the young Jack Nicholson,channels him a little here as Frank, but he even manages to blend justa touch of classic Cary Grant as well. His frustrated ghost is adespicable Lothario, who meets his Maker while in the process ofhunting for a love nest to share with his yoga instructor behind hiswife's back, but you can't help but like him. He's a guy who didn'tappreciate what he had in his life until he lost it all, but at leasthe was living, unlike the self-exiled Bertram, whom he must now rely onto keep his widow from making what he feels will be the mistake of herlife. Like Leoni, it's good to see him get some great material, andsomething nearly as good as his LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE role. But most of all, Gervais is such fun to watch as his character wrestlesand squirms in his situation, like fighting to remove himself from asweatshirt he squeezed into that's about three sizes too small. Andunlike so many comedies like this, the laughs don't seem forced orcontrived, as he and Leoni begin to work out a tentative anduncomfortable truce between them that slowly turns into something likea friendship, then a falling in "like" with each other. Of course, it's inevitable that Bertram realizes how he really feelsabout her by the third act, and sadly this is where the movie bogs downa bit, as it begins to take itself maybe a bit too seriously. But itdoes pick up by the end, with a climax that some will find more than abit predictable, but I thought was redeemed by a very sweet ending thatwas absolutely perfect - just enough without making you want to gag.You know - like reaching the end of a box of Sweet Tarts.

2012-05-12 21:45:05

Enjoyable Comedy, Very Touching Ending

This movie is very enjoyable, especially for someone from New York, who can appreciate the deep sarcastic humor of the Ricky Gervais character. I found the scenes toward the end of the movie very, very touching. If you liked Ghost (Patrick Swayze)or Hearts and Souls (Robert Downey Jr, the same feelings are evoked.

2012-05-12 07:15:45

Funny!!!

This review is from: Ghost Town (DVD) This is one of the funniest movies i've seen!! Richy Gervais makes it! I'm leaving this square to go and buy it!

gregdingley 2012-05-09 09:46:53

please avoid

For years I have used IMDb for movie reviews to help make a decisionbefore i went to the cinema and often voted on movies i had seen butthis is my first time actually writing a comment about a movie due toit being so bad.its the first movie I've ever walked out of!! How thisfilm got 7.8,even at the early stages of voting is beyond me.The actingis disastrous and the director seemed to think that Gervais could justdo the same thing he does in the office with quick mumbled lines.don'tget me wrong,i love the UK version of the office, and the US versionisn't bad either (albeit overacted) but when you put them together aswhat seemed to happen in this film it just doesn't work (i refer to thescene where the female doctor is interrupting Gervais.torturous!) Thespecial effects,where people walk thru ghosts was better done in the1990 movie "ghost". It seems like Gervais has shown that hes a onetrick pony and cant seem to do anything else other than a David bentlike character. In my opinion I think that IMDb is becoming flawed inthe stars films are getting because i seriously doubt that the peoplegiving this film 9s and 10s are genuine votes. Please avoid at allcosts!!

2012-05-08 23:34:20

Not the same old rom-com

As other reviewers have noted, Ricky Gervais is brilliant in the role of the misanthropic Dr. Pincus. His character gradually becomes more sympathetic, but the journey isn't cloying or sappy. And talk about art imitating life- Tea Leoni, married in real life to self-proclaimed sex addict David Duchovny, portrays the widow of another obnoxious womanizer. She does a great job on-screen as well.

2012-05-05 07:11:10

great movie!

a great movie! very funny! these things do happen. and it is so good to see them in film now... a must see!

2012-05-04 19:12:56

Wonderful!

This review is from: Ghost Town (Amazon Instant Video) One of the funnier movies I have seen lately. Makes you cheer for the underdog! I will rent this one again!

2012-05-04 16:27:10

if you die in a funny manner, you'll truly learn how to live

A bittersweet romantic comedy with a semi-new view of ghosts - what if it's us who are keeping them here, instead of them having unfinished business here? Tea Leoni is very effective in her role of a wife that's been cheated on by her husband (the ever-underappreciated Greg Kinnear) and she finds out about his dalliances a few minutes before he dies. Ricky Gervais is simply fantastic as an obnoxious dentist who doesn't hate crowds, "just the individuals in them" and discovers that he can help people whether they are living or dead.

2012-05-04 05:25:07

Unwilling Ghost Whisperer

Stories about folks who talk to the dead are not new (Ghost, anyone!) but Ghost Town offers a charming and unique take on the subject.Without going into a synopsis, I'll just say that in the hands of lesser talents this film might have flopped, but Gervais, Tia Leoni and Greg Kinnear manage to find the charming core hidden inside seemingly unlikable people. Ghost Town is an instant classic in the ghost genre.

2012-05-02 15:50:22

Ghostly and Fun

When it comes down to it Ghost Town is about a selfish man. A funny selfish man, but a selfish man nonetheless. Ricky Gervais plays Dr. Bertram Pincus (a name ripe for satire), a socially awkward misanthrope who loves being a dentist because people can't talk to him with a mouth full of cotton and tools. A job in the morgue might work for this guy except for some squeamishness on his part. Right from the opening scenes you understand that he's not the friendly sort as after being invited to an office party he sneaks out of the office rather than socialize with his coworkers.After a medical "incident" involving a routine procedure he begins to see people no one else can and once these people realize this they won't leave him alone. The man that hates people suddenly has a whole city of ghosts who want his ear, his worst nightmare.The main Ghost, so to speak, is Frank (Greg Kinnear), who manages to get the other Ghosts to leave Pincus alone (not 100% sure how but he's a persuasive man, errr ghost) in exchange for keeping his widow from marrying a jerk - well he thinks the human rights attorney / medical recruiter for third world countries / good Samaritan is a jerk anyway - is he? At any rate he thinks it's the reason he's still here as a ghost. Dr. Pincus has a plan that just may involve himself.Ricky Gervais carries this movie so if you have a predisposition toward him that will likely influence your enjoyment of this film. If you've not experienced him this may be an introduction for you. For me I couldn't get enough of his Dr. Pincus. He plays this self centered man to a tee yet also gets across that he is a human, with feelings, and quite a wry sense of humor. He also is a master of the incomplete thought and of socially awkward situations. In one example he calls the woman he's trying to woo an idiot without skipping a beat in his sentence while she and the audience are astonished he's unaware he's done anything the matter. But even while pursuing Gwen (Tea Leoni) he's in it only for himself. And he never once tries to help any of the pleading ghosts, only Frank because there's something in it for him (getting the other Ghosts off his back). It takes some tough love from Frank and a dentist colleague in conjunction with a hard loss to set him on a path to redemption. Once he begins helping and not being selfish he begins to learn how to be a human again. His realization later on as to why the ghosts are really still here is quite an emotional and unique take on the situation.This is a comedy, yes, but it is also a drama and a well done one with feeling and emotion. Is it a romance? Yes, on a level it is, but it's much more a tale of redemption and this distinction makes the relationship between Pincus and Gwen all the more real.It may be slow going for some folks, and it does take some time to ramp up, and it's not a laugh a minute riot either but this movie has balance in my eyes and has heart. I'd recommend it.

2012-05-01 19:54:11

Very watchable!

Not my normal type of movie - but it's very watchable and funny too! Yes, you know from the start what's going to happen, but it's still an enjoyable ride getting there. The quirky humor alone makes this movie.

Skye 2012-04-27 23:36:32

What a delightful surprise!

Saw this at a sneak preview. Had heard absolutely nothing about it. Was surprised and delighted with acting and writing. (Later, I saw the trailer which was very bland.) Would definitely recommend for light, fun evening.

2012-04-27 06:08:38

Cute movie

This review is from: Ghost Town (DVD) I wouldn't say this is the best movie I've ever seen, but then again, I have to admit, I did like it a lot. My sister told me to borrow her copy because she thought it was a cute movie. (I had never heard of it.) Not only did I enjoy it, but wanted to add it to my collection. It really is a total "chick flick", but if that's what you're in the mood for, it is light and fun. I would recommend it to fellow chick-flick lovers everywhere...

Dawg 2012-04-27 07:36:26

Light hearted & funny

A movie worth your time. It's nice to see a film that you feel good about when it ends. It's not going to have a part II but it will make you think about how rude some of us may have become.. and how easy it would be to become useful to someone else.

mahonymj 2012-04-26 19:41:03

Wonderful movie -go see it!

Just saw Ghost Town and everyone in our group loved it. Finally, anenjoyable, adult comedy. Refreshing after a long run of raunchy, fratboy comedies. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Knocked Up and ForgettingSarah Marshall, but there was something old fashioned and lovely aboutGhost Town. Best of all, it was hilarious. We laughed until we cried.Love Ricky Gervais and his dry British wit and spot on delivery. Youwouldn't expect Gervais to be the lead in a romantic comedy but itdefinitely worked. Greg Kinner and Tea Leoni were excellent also. Thecasting of some of the smaller supporting roles was great. The exchangebetween Gervais and his surgeon is priceless. Also, the actor who playsthe dentist who shares Gervais' practice is great. This movie has someof the qualities of an Albert Brooks' comedy. The beauty is in thewriting and doesn't rely on pratfalls or predictable dialog. Classy,sophisticated, clever and hilarious. Hope word of mouth gets this moviethe recognition it deserves.

ridiculionius 2012-04-26 08:04:57

Funny and Sweet

Ghost Town is one of those rare movies that make you smile at the end.Not laugh, not cry, just, *smile*, and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.The irony is this is the absolute definition of black comedy, and Ithink that's why they had Ricky Gervais star in it, because, let's faceit, if you make a black comedy without starring a British guy, it justdoesn't pull through.Bertram Pincus (Gervais) is a reclusive and generally irritatedManhatten dentist, who absolutely abhors every living thing and theirconstant flow of mindless chatter. However, after demanding anesthesiaduring a routine operation, he begins to see people who follow him inlarge crowds, asking him incredulously if he can see them. Uponrevisiting the hospital to ask what is wrong with him, Pincus discoversthat not only did he die for a little less than seven minutes on theoperating table, but the people following him are ghosts, begging himto help them with their unfinished business.Among these ghosts is Frank (a marvelously cast Greg Kinnear), a manwho died with both a wife and a girlfriend. He asks Pincus to help himbreak up the engagement of his wife Gwen (Tea Leoni) to what seems likea perfectly nice man. Realizing that Gwen is both attractive and livesin his building, the grouchy dentist agrees. As Pincus begins to get toknow Gwen, however, he begins to fall in love with her, and realizethat every life matters.This movie is a black comedy with heart; the relationship betweenPincus and Gwen is both heartwarming and funny, as the dentist isobviously not used to talking to people, let alone pretty women.Kinnear and Gervais have real, hilarious and human chemistry thatresults in very interesting conversations. And, at the end, we alllearn something or two about life and death.10/10

2012-04-26 03:02:12

Watch it for the first 20 minutes

If "Ghost Town" had lived up to it's first act all the way through, this would have been a comedy classic. Ricky Gervais plays a grumpy dentist who suddenly has the ability to "see dead people". The ghosts look to Dr. Pincus to help solve their unfinished business. Greg Kinnear as one of the recently departed does his best to have Gervais interfere in his widow's love life. The film is a fun little diversion, and the first 20 minutes are a genuine riot. Gervais' disgruntled dentist is truly hilarious. His dry delivery had me cracking up. Unfortunately, once he acquires the power to speak to the dead, the film's comedy takes a backseat, and the budding romance between Gervais and Tea Leoni who plays Kinnear's widow takes center stage. Once Gervais gets shackled into the romantic plot, the comedy fountain turns into a drip here or drop there. The film's first act is truly hilarious, but soon finds itself treading the same ground covered by films like Robert Downey Jr.'s "Heart and Souls".While not a laugh out loud movie, "Ghost Town" is a pleasant 90 minute diversion worth checking out.