I love this movie so much
It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.
View MoreAbsolutely Brilliant!
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
View MoreComedian Jerry Seinfeld hosts this retrospective look at the life and careers of Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, charting their early days as vaudeville comics who hit the big time when they teamed up, and only four years later were a national sensation who were frequently mobbed by fans, and enlisted by the U.S. government to help sell war bonds during WWII, then looking at their 15 years worth of films, mainly for Universal studios.Surprisingly good special with Jerry making a most sincere host, which is appreciated because he doesn't turn the spotlight on himself, but the team, and his admiration for them is obvious. Also provides home movies and outtakes from them as well, some of which have never been seen, as well as interesting information and trivia. This was how to do a special right! On the DVD collection with their Universal films.
View MoreThis is an important documentary done by a great fan of Abbott & Costello. Jerry Seinfeld here did everybody a service when he put this together. I am glad he did.Available now on DVD as part of the Universal Franchise Collection extras of the boys, this portrait of the boys is the best I've seen. It does more than just clips & more than just an homage to them. Seinfeld found the things that inspired them to start with.He mentions the history of vaudeville that A&C were all about. How they preserved this comic history is important. How they ad libbed their routines from memory was something that is rarely done by todays folks who are all reading cue cards & TelePrompTers.Some of the clips, especially from the old TV A&C television show, the Colgate (Live) comedy hours & the home movies of the boys themselves is priceless beyond that. This is must see TV but you need the full franchise collection from Universal or an old recording from when it was broadcast to see it.
View MoreMy vote of 5 on this TV-special is one-half of a 10--since about half of the show is vintage A&C material and interesting comments from their children. Seinfeld is a talented man, but he's basically working from a not-too-interesting script here, and there is nothing that even the moderate A&C fan doesn't already know. For some reason, I was thinking that this was actually a DEAD MEN DON"T WEAR PLAID style film where Seinfeld interacted with the boys (now THAT would be interesting, and since Seinfeld now has a lot of clout in the showbiz world, maybe he could make such a film happen?), but only one scene does that, and only for a few seconds. Overall, this is a very-good introduction to the world of Abbott & Costello for those who are not familiar with their work, and I'm glad Jerry Seinfeld got the opportunity to champion the work of his heroes, but it's nothing special and I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. If you buy the fourth Universal A&C box set, you'll get this as a bonus, and like me you'll probably watch it once, find it entertaining, and watch actual A&C films instead when you need your dose of Bud and Lou.
View MoreIn this one hour special, Jerry Seinfeld announces that the biggest inspiration for his own "Seinfeld" show was the old Abbott & Costello Show from the 50s. He looks at both hilarious shows in segments, and makes comparisons to some of the characters on each show, the most obvious being a comparison between Lou and George. If this thing ever airs again, or if it ever comes out on video, i would highly recommend viewing it if you like either Seinfeld of Abbott & Costello, or both.
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