Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786301971850
Format: Color
ISBN: 630197185X
Label: Mgm Entertainment
Manufacturer: Mgm Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Mgm Entertainment
Release Date: 1995-01-24
Running Time: 92
Studio: Mgm Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: 1982-10-01

This love letter to the golden days of live television in the 1950s is a thinly veiled depiction of Your Show of Shows, the groundbreaking comedy show that starred Sid Caesar. The story, set in 1954, focuses on one of the writers for the show (Mark Linn-Baker), who is given the task of chaperoning that week's guest star, a famously ill-behaved movie star named Alan Swann. He's based on Errol Flynn and played with Oscar-nominated glee by Peter O'Toole. He also happens to be the writer's movie hero, but proves to be a hilariously drunken party animal, one who opens the naive young writer's eyes in a variety of ways. The highlight of the film is Swann's visit to the writer's outer-borough home and his encounter with the writer's star-struck mother (a delightful turn by Lainie Kazan). One of the better films directed by former actor Richard Benjamin. -Marshall Fine

Customer Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Pleasing
Comment: My Favorite Year is one of my favorite films of all time. I loved it as a kid and it's one of the few releases I can describe with the words "good clean fun." It's a shame that Mark Linn-Baker didn't become a bigger star, but, like the character of Mr. Swann, Peter O'Toole never had a finer moment than on the frames of this classic (in my view). We know the fifties were not as remembered here, but any harkening to a golden age like this one should make us all smile. Its romance is compelling, joyous, and simple--something to which we wish there was more of in life. The good guys win, we rejoice, and that is the meaning of fiction, but oh what fiction! Furthermore, as if all this were not enough, My Favorite Year is at times hysterical. I'll always treasure this movie and would like to give it 100 stars.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Totally Hilarious!
Comment: This is funny from start to finish. If you like dumb or toilet humor move on. BUT! if you like a rare smart funny movie based on the original days of television then this movie is for you. The one-liners are funny and nonstop!. Based on other orders I've made this one took an extra day or two to arrive but no problems once it did. Would get others from this retailer in the future.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: "He's an actor, Ma, not a river."
Comment: This has always been one of my favorite little movies from the '80s. Charming, funny, romantic, wonderfully written, acted and directed -- a pure joy from beginning to end. And I was surprised: for a DVD released in 2002, it looked great on my 42" 1080p HDTV (I'm sure if it ever makes it to Blu-Ray it'll look even better). Now if only they would release a widescreen version of "Arthur"...

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Customer Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable gem of a movie
Comment: The story takes place in the early days of television, clearly patterned on the Sid Ceasar show and involves a delightful Peter O'Toole, as an over the hill Erol Flynn type guest star, with a drinking problem. A young comic writer on the show is made responsible for seeing that the O'Toole character behaves himself and appears for performances. In the process, a number of comic situation occur, including a memorable trip to Brooklyn Well worth seeing.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Slapstick as high art? Well...
Comment: That said, this film is one of two must own films from O'Toole's later years, the other being the Stunt Man, which I have also reviewed.

What can I say about a perfect film? There are so few made these days. If you like Peter O'Toole's easy style and delivery, you'll love him here.

Mark Linn Baker's debut is a fine example to his comic timing, and virtually everyone was cast perfectly.

Makes you wish for the good old days of live television, when reality was the furthest thing from our minds and television was escapist fare, not an excuse to gross us out or make us watch normal, boring, average people put through stuff we really don't want to watch.

I don't care about reality television. The reality I deal with out in the world is sufficient, thank you very much. Can we please have more fantasy and escapist fare? Pleeeeease?

Yeah, it's that good.

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