Houseguest (1995)

I was in college when this movie came out in 1995, and me and my friends all thought it was hilarious then. Now, at age 40, I still find a lot of it still funny. Sinbad was very funny, but from an older perspective, he's sometimes a little too hyper excited. But that aspect is still minimal, and it's mainly in the first parts of the movie before Sinbad teams up with Phil Hartman. We get a couple more of the comic book style gangsters that we've seen in so many other 90s movies (I.e. "Getting even with dad", " Cop and a half","Man of the house"). And (the late) Phil and his wife could be a little brighter for not being able to see Sinbad as an imposter. But I've always let that part slide cause the scenes with Sinbad, Phil and his family were the best parts of the movie. I still find the part with Sinbad at the school assembly very funny. Same with Sinbad at the party at the house. And Sinbad's reaction to Phil calling every activity they do "the thing". And I've always liked Sinbad and Phil's chemistry together here. Phil Hartman is one of a number of great comic actors from the 80s and 90s I really liked that are no longer with us, such as Chris Farely, River Phoenix, and Corey Haim. Jeffery Jones definitely had had his day, but in "Houseguest", his " Ferris Bueller" funniness is long gone. But there's still some funny zanyness. I always shared Sinbad's fondness for McDonalds back then, back in the days when McDonalds burgers still tasted good. That was before the quality of McDonalds, Burger King, and a number of other fast food places went downhill. I still laughed at this movie. Like I said, a lot of the movie's still funny. It's on my long list of favorites from the 80s and 90s, the age of my youth.

Fmovies: By no means a great comedy, "Houseguest" actually comes across as being fairly entertaining thanks largely to the presence of the late, great Phil Hartman. Hartman's deadpan, ironic delivery always cracked me up on "SNL," and although his film career never really took off prior to his death, he had some good supporting roles, and this is one of them.

Sinbad is basically as annoying as ever (although, admittedly, not nearly as bad as some other comedians-turned-family-entertainers) and the plot is very basic and recycled - a guy on the run from some Mafioso types decides to take on the identity of someone else through a series of bizarre misunderstandings. In this case Sinbad finds himself pretending to be the old friend of Hartman's, who is now a brain doctor. There are actually some rather amusing scenes involving the forced and awkward such as when Sinbad is forced to give a speech on brain surgery despite knowing absolutely nothing about the topic.

Overall, not by any means a great comedy, but something that can easily divert your attention on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Since today is Sinbad's 50th birthday, I wanted to talk about one of his movies. "Houseguest" is probably the sort of movie that can only appeal to eleven-year-old boys, but it has its moments. Portraying a debt-ridden man (Sinbad) posing as the friend of a suburban man (Phil Hartman) and moving into his house to avoid some gangsters, it's pretty silly, but not harming anything. A particularly goofy scene is the whole "washing balls" sketch.

So, it's the sort of movie that you watch with best buds. Don't expect a religious experience, just expect to laugh (I'm sure that you will). Among other things, it goes to show what we lost when Phil Hartman was murdered. Also starring Kim Greist and Jeffrey Jones.

Houseguest fmovies. What a great movie this is. Humorous, well acted, dramatic, and well written.

A Pittsburgh get rich-quick man, Kevin Franklin (Sinbad) is in big trouble! He borrowed money from the bad guys, and now they want it back, or Franklin is history! In attempt to skip town at the airport, Franklin runs into Gary Young (poor old Phil Hartman) who is waiting for his old friend Derek Bond who he hasn't seen in 25 years. Franklin becomes Bond, and lives with Gary for a few days. What an adventure he has, not knowing who Derek Bond is, and trying to be him! A lot of excitement and humor happens now! Kevin learns a lot, but also teaches Gary's family things they needed to help them from falling apart. Kevin really improves the Youngs, and they improve him. Now if only the bad guys weren't still after Franklin. Can Kevin get the Youngs to help him with the bad guys, and will they all make it?!

If you like Sinbad and poor old Phil Hartman, check this movie out. It's also great for you if you like adventures and comedies. On a scale of 1-10, I give this movie a nine (9), and a letter grade of A! Check it out for yourself. You'll have a ball, and you might even learn some important stuff!

For what this movie was it was perfect. I first watched this when I was an ignorant kid but I can still appreciate it now that I'm an ignorant college student. Phil Hartman could not have been better but that should not be surprising if you're one of the many out there that deems him a genius like myself. Sinbad did his part and contributed to many laughs. The story is what you'd expect with an underachiever from the hood hooking up with some white surburbians. Sinbad's job is to bring us into the lilly white community of Zwickley and deconstruct the Puritan values and customs that everyone has become accustomed to. Sinbad makes white people let loose by passing around a wine bottle and dance to "Brick House." Sounds great doesn't it? But if you're looking for mind perplexing subject matter you're in the wrong place to begin with. Sit back, laugh, and enjoy a very underrated '90's comedy. One of the few leading role works by the late Phil Hartman.

Kevin (Sinbad) is a poor single man living in Pittsburgh, with his hamster, in a small apartment. An orphan, Kevin once bragged to his grade school classmates that, one day, he would be "very wealthy". Trouble is, none of his get-rich-quick schemes have panned out and Kevin is in debt to the local mobsters. When they come to collect, Keving speeds off to the airport to catch a flight. However, with the mob on his heels, Kevin overhears an even better opportunity for him to lay low for awhile, at the airport terminal. It seems that Gary (Phil Hartman)and his children are waiting for an old camp friend that Gary has not seen for 20 years. Kevin seizes the moment and declares himself to be Dr. Derek Bond, a dentist, to Gary and the kids. Gary is delighted to see him and takes him home. Once there, in heavenly suburbia, Kevin finds out he is supposed to make a speech at the local elementary school, on career day. Okay. Kevin also learns he is reputed to be a strict vegetarian. Horrors. But, as the family showers him with gifts and parties, Kevin wonders, as do we all, how soon will they learn the truth about his identity? This is a great film, very funny and very spirit-lifting. Sinbad's Kevin is a such a lovable character, despite his scheming, that everyone is hoping for a happy ending. Hartman, likewise, is dead-pan funny in his role as a much put-upon lawyer with a family that looks perfect but which, in reality, has some problems to overcome. The setting is lovely, the costumes are nice, and the look of the film is quite wonderful, too. Do you want to cheer up yourself and your family in a big fashion? This is the film for you, as to watch it is to love it and laugh it up till the clouds overhead are long gone.