Customer Reviews

After Hours

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Uptown east side guy finds himself in an entirely new world, even though it's on the same island of Manhattan. This is not a new theme but I doubt if I've ever seen it carried out as far as Scorsese's AFTER HOURS. Griffin Dunne is perfect as the Everyman from a safe neighborhood who, on the hunt for a date (Roseanne Arquette in a very eerie role), finds himself in the artsy/clubby/s&m world of SOHO and the West Village.

The result is a hilarious black comedy with great performances, including a cameo by Cheech and Chong. Scorsese' pacing is breathtaking and right on the money. One of my favorite moments is when a large group of would-be vigilantes try to chase down Griffin Dunne, and their "armored vehicle" is an ice cream truck. There is too much going on here to describe in one review. Just give this one viewing, and you'll be glad you stayed up late to watch.

This film was one of the many things that my boyfriend and I found in common when we first met. When we first started dating we would go out into Soho and have 'After Hours' nights, although not quite to the surreal extent of this film, obviously! As unlikely, bizarre and downright WEIRD as the sequence of events in this film is, I find it completely inspirational. Our cities are full of strange characters and odd goings-on, but most of us walk around in little bubbles, oblivious (or blind) to it all. After watching this film, I opened my eyes a little wider.

Teri Garr is fantastic - nice but scary. Rosanna Arquette plays the role of her career. And New York itself is irrestistible - not the shiny slick metropolis that we are usually presented with, or the gangster-ridden crime land, but a human, vulnerable, strange and at times silly city full of secret compartments and surprises. A star! I want to watch this film at least once a year, for the rest of my life. It's a classic.

After tackling heavy topics in his previous films, Scorsese made a departure from form and directed a comedy. But even for Scorsese, a comedy entails a word processor's date with a nice girl turning into an infinitely Kafka-esque nightmare where one bad episode follows another. I recall seeing "After Hours" at the time and considered it to be unlike any film I'd ever seen. It still holds up well. The only films akin to the work Scorsese has done here may be the work of the Coen brothers. Griffin Dunne is great as the harried lead and he is complemented with a great supporting cast. A minor criticism of the film is that the indignities heaped on Dunne may be a little overdone at times.

What a perfect movie. I can't believe they haven't released this on DVD yet. One of Scorsese's best movies, and that's saying a lot. Griffin Dunne is brilliant in this. So rich in detail and the cinematography is excellent. So many great shots... His only $20 flying out the window of the cab. The keys being thrown from the roof. And I LOVE the look on his face when he meets Horst. You can only see one wide eye over Horst's shoulder as Paul tries to assess his safety and the weird bondage scene he has just walked in on, while Horst makes him apologize for being rude. I've never seen so much expression out of just a quarter of someone's face. As I said, this is a perfect movie from start to finish. Every minute of it. I loved this movie so much when I first saw it, that my first fake ID in high school carried the name Paul Hackett. Hehe. Plus, it's hard not to identify with Paul for a lot of us. He doesn't lead the most exciting existence, and ALL HE WANTS TO DO is meet up with this beautiful woman that seems interested in him (to his amazement), only to have her turn out to be a total freak (and worse) and have EVERYTHING go wrong. He is SO out of his element the entire movie. So funny and surreal. A true masterpiece.

If you're a big Martin Scorsese fan, then you'll love this movie! This is BY FAR one of my favorite movies of all time! If you're expecting an Italian Mafia movie, then think again! Shot for only $4 million, in this DARK COMEDY you will follow a lonely computer programmer Paul Hackett (excellently played by Griffin Dunne) into the dark streets and through the late hours of the night. I'm not going to give away anything but all that I have to say is: A NIGHT FROM HELL!! Griffin's character is so realistic and beilevable, you just can't help getting sucked in! The main music in the film is awsome! It's very mysterious and sets the tone very well! Basically, this film is a masterpiece!! Every single person in this film put in 200% effort, especially Scorsese!! I'm telling you, see this movie!! you will not be sorry if you do and you will regret it if you don't!!

As an educator I find myself saying the silliest thing at least once a month. When a student does something stupid which requires a sheepish look and downcast eyes and the apology, "I don't know what my problem is," I say simply: "Perhaps it's lack of discipline." These words I utter in a slow, deliberate manner to bring full effect. I sometimes forget why I do this...then I remember that wonderful, lost, overlooked gem of a film, "After Hours."

It is brimming over with memorable situations and lines that are not funny standing alone, yet are hilarious in the situation of the movie. It's one of those movies you end up grinning through mostly and find yourself in a full belly laugh the rest of the time.

I always thought it a shame that Griffin Dunne was never really recognized by the studios or the public. He possesses those subtle facial expressions of fear, frustration and dismay that make him incredibly likable. Maybe he's too much like us and the general public needs guys who are tougher, better looking, or more knd than we are. Griffin Dunne never is in movies. He's real. Scorsese scores a quiet masterpiece.

As I was finishing this at my desk at school, a kid from one of my classes walked in and asked me for the school's phone number. I gave her only 6 digits.

Paul Hackett has a very strange night when he decides to go out on a date with a woman he just met at a coffee shop. She invites him into her home, and unfortunately, their date ends too soon when he is asked to leave. After he leaves, he realizes that he's in a surrounding that he's unfamiliar with, and since he lost his last $20, he's trapped! His quest to get home quickly turns into a nightmare, as he encounters one mishap after another.

Recognized by film buffs as a cult classic "late night" comedy, After Hours features excellent direction by Martin Scorsese, and a great performance from the underrated Griffin Dunne (who you'll recognize from "An American Werewolf in London", "My Girl", and most recently "Stuck on You"). Recommended!

I first saw this movie when I was wandering around some party many years ago and came across this room where "After Hours" was showing. I missed the first ten minutes and had no odea what was going on, but I was amazed by this incredibly original and strange movie. Griffin Dunne is excellent as a nervous and nerdy office worker that lands in the bizarre world of SOHO without a dime to his name and no way home. The cast of characters he encounters are all original and bizarre and give the movie a slightly disturbing, yet funny because it isn't you quality. How many other movies are out there where the main character is being hunted by an insane Mr. Softy truck driver and a bunch of gay men? There's also some great music, in particular a "Bad Brains" song I hadn't heard in a decade. Buy the movie and watch it!

Every once in a great while someone will make a film that is so original, so bizarre, yet we can strangely relate to that we tag them "One of a Kind" films. After Hours is one of the very small handful of films that I would tag a "One of a kind" film. This is a very, very funny film and I would have been laughing except that I was identifying so well with Griffin Dunne's character that it didnt seem funny. That might not make sense until you actually see the movie. This is a great film that is virtually unknown and that baffles me. It is a work of genius. I have to add here at the end that I am not a Scorcese fan, but he created a masterpiece here.

I love this movie. One of Scorsese's best and most underrated films. I remember watching this movie on late-night cable years ago and being intrigued by the madness that was unfolding before me. This film is a true timecapsule of the 80's. I love everything about this movie: the directing, writing, editing, music. The cast was great. I can watch this movie over and over again and never get tired of it. I hope this movie gets released on DVD soon, that would be awesome! Anyway check this one out if you want to see something different. A classic!