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SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, Charles Grodin, Robert Guillaume
Director: Jay Sandrich
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen
1.85:1, Full Frame 1.33:1
Studio: Columbia Tri Star
Features: Trailers
Length: 102 Minutes
Release Date: March 19, 2002
“You
know, Glen, it’s times like these that make me wonder why we ever got
divorced.”
“BECAUSE,
Nick. BECAUSE of times like
these.”
When
I first saw Seems Like Old Times, I thought it was one of the funniest
pictures I’d ever seen. Some
twenty years later, I still think so. I
have the laughter pains in my sides as I write to prove it.
Neil
Simon was in his movie heyday in the late 70s and early 80s.
He scripted many memorable movies, either directly for the screen or
based on one of his hit plays. Seems
Like Old Times was a direct screenplay, and very possibly the funniest thing
the man ever wrote.
Glenda
Parks (the illustrious Hawn in top form) has a problem.
Her current husband is the District Attorney and soon-to-be Attorney
General Ira (Grodin). Her first
husband, Nick (Chase) is wanted for bank robbery.
Both want her help!
Okay,
a little explanation is in order. Nick
is actually innocent of the crime, set up by two thugs who forced him at
gunpoint to hand the bank teller their stick-up note.
But the bank’s security camera gets a very good (and funny) look at him
exiting the crime. Glenda believes
his story, but can’t believe Nick has come to her for aid, especially with her
husband being the District Attorney trying to convict him!
That’s
only the beginning of troubles. Before
long, complications arise. Nick
keeps ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time. How he winds up under the bed while Glenda and Ira are making
love, or serving chicken pepperoni to the Governor of California in the Parks’
home, I’ll leave for you to discover.
This
is a situation rich in comic probabilities, and I believe writer Simon, director
Jay Sandrich, and the actors all pull every possible laugh out of the material.
Nick’s clumsiness may be all Chevy Chase, but the scenarios are all
Neil Simon.
Adding
to the humor are some great running gags…the troupe of dogs that always
rummage through the house (and other places) at inopportune times, or the fact
that Glenda, an attorney herself, keeps helping her petty criminal clients by
giving them jobs as domestics around the house!
Bottom
line…this movie is a proven laugh riot from start to finish.
If you’re looking for a chuckling good time, Seems Like Old Times is
absolutely one of the very best treats you can give yourself.
Video
***1/2
I
owned a laser disc copy of this movie for many years, and I’m happy to report,
Columbia Tri Star’s new anamorphically enhanced presentation is a beautiful
step up. I was delighted at how
much purer and stronger the colors look on this DVD, and the level of detail is
better than ever…I noticed little touches that I’d never seen before, which
made the viewing experience seem fresh and new! There is no grain, no distortion, no fading, and no
compression evident…even the print itself is in remarkably good shape.
Considering that 80s movies are usually the most problematic on DVD, this
is an example of how good they can be, when done correctly.
Audio
**1/2
The
mono track is serviceable if unspectacular…it serves the dialogue well, which
is the real attraction. I give it a
half star above average for Marvin Hamlisch’s very 70s-ish score, which sounds
very nice on DVD.
Features
*
The
disc includes two trailers; one for this film and one for Cops and Robbersons.
Summary: