After Hours (1985)

This is one of Scorsese's lesser known films which is a travesty. Griffin Dunne plays a cubicle working blue collar- the type that was so rampant in the mid 80s, who accidently experiences a series of bizarre misadventures in New York City. This is not typical Scorsese fare and one reason it works is because of the legendary filmmaker's deft skills- the atmosphere is amazing as is the pacing of the film. The protagonist is relatable in an everyman lost and confused kind of way. Like a bad dream or surreal experience After Hours is one hell of a ride. As stated in the opening line of this review- it is a travesty that more people aren't aware of this film.

Fmovies: Reviews on the "After hours" are quite different, but here it is: once in a couple of years we see a nightmare of being stock in a never ending circle and don't know how to get out of it, but unless other nightmares this very dream turns out to be so adventurous, that it leaves a bitter sweet aftertaste once we wake up and tell about it to our friends. I think Scorsese had a similar nightmare right before he came up with the idea of the "After hours" movie. In spite of all the weirdness and troubles the main character goes through during one night, the movie itself is quite watchable thanks to Scorsese's magical skill of creating action and fun wherever possible and impossible. Oh, and the MOST important part is as follows: for one hour straight I've been thinking "what for God's sake it reminds me of? Have I watched this movie before?" Then, Catherine O'Hara appeared and lights turned on in my brain's memory card: BEETLEJUICE! Nothing from the script, but the genre, humor, weirdness and the whole vibe of the Halloween classics "Beetlejuice", as well as Catherin O'hara resembles the "After hours" on different levels.

Perhaps one of the Scorsese minor masterpieces that sometimes get lost when considering "Goodfellas" or even "Mean Streets," films that get the bulk of the chatter. This, along with "King of Comedy" run in a very different vein, combining black comedy with tension and suspense as a central spine to the piece. Sure, Goodfellas has some black comedic moments, but on whole, it stands as a "drama" rather than a comedy. This is a VERY different film and will cause you to laugh and to shake your head in sympathy and mutter "Oh NO" more than once. I rated it a 9, I have no idea why this got lower marks than that. See it more than once.

After Hours fmovies. Such a dark, ironic and uncomfortably funny string of events plus a large helping of bizarre, paranoid and unpredictable characters have never before been forged into one story.

The film follows Paul Hacket (Griffin Dunne) on a date from hell, where from square one it all goes horribly wrong. As we move on, the mood winds up into a frenzied nightmare as this poor mans' plight goes from bad to worse. "All I want to do is go home" he says, running for his life from an angry mob.

The story isn't complex, which you may think could bore, but the characters are so delightfully wacky that you can't help but be transfixed.

We've all had bad days when we've said "Phew! What a nightmare!" - well forget it, until you've taken half the knocks this guy does, you've had but a walk in the park.

Don't just rent this movie - buy it.

I tried very hard to like "After Hours," Martin Scorsese's surrealist head trip about a straight-laced word processor (Griffin Dunne) who ventures off into the SoHo night and gets trapped inside a frustrating nightmare. It's an interesting premise for a film -- what goes on out there in the nocturnal world while the rest of us are fast asleep? But I couldn't help but feel that the film was trying too hard, like its creators were intentionally setting out to make something that would eventually end up as a cult classic. That it did doesn't make the movie any better. The best cult classics are those that become so naturally, not those that are manufactured to be so.

Griffin Dunne is on screen nearly constantly, and he does well with his role, gradually working himself up to a nearly hysterical pitch of frustration in his failed attempts to get back to the safety of his home. The supporting cast is peopled with recognizable faces in cameos: Teri Garr, Catherine O'Hara, Cheech Marin, Rosanna Arquette. But no one is really playing a character, and no one really gets much to work with. I wasn't bothered by the implausibility of the film; implausibility is the film's point. But I did get somewhat bored by the arbitrary plot twists, and the fact that I couldn't connect with anyone in the film, not even Dunne, whose character is vaguely unlikable.

I did like the film's ending, though. It nicely captures that feeling of waking from an unsettling dream into the familiar world that you know and recognize.

Grade: B

I saw this when this first came out about 19 (!) years ago, and it became my favorite movie of 1985, and probably my favorite Scorsese film ("Goodfellas" is right there with it). However it always seemed that I was the only one who felt that way. It was no sensation at the box office (even by art film standards), it was ignored by all the awards as far as I remember, and no DVD release.

Until now. First off, I am happy to report that the new DVD release looks and sounds great. It feels like the film came out last year.

Now, years down the road, you really appreciate how accomplished "After Hours" is in the wake of 100s of inferior indie releases that ape the urban paranoia and "downtown" sensibility that this seems to effortlessly catch. The film is pitch perfect:you sense a filmmaker in complete command, but the film is always off balance (as intended). The plot seems to flow randomly and the movie always defies your expectations, yet it's as tightly assembled as a jigsaw puzzle.

It's easy to catch the Scorsese style of shooting and editing, really starting to roll here (before taking off in "The Color of Money" and "Goodfellas"), as the engine of the movie. You have to remind yourself that every other director was not trying to make movies this way at this point (1985), and that you are watching the inventor, not just the best practitioner.

But don't overlook the cast's contributions. Perfectly cast down to the smallest roles (yes, I mean you Dick Miller), few things are more enjoyable than watching an able cast take the ball and run with it. Obviously having a blast, they not only jump into their parts, but they have no hesitation at being unlikable and annoying. Particularly Griffin Dunne, the perfect Everyman, who becomes more and more of a jerk as the night wears on.