Beware The Spaceman

Tag: 90s Films

  • Retro Reaction: Dumb and Dumber (1994)

    Retro Reaction in ZX Spectrum colours

    There was another comedy force of the nineties. Decades before being Dr Robotnik (you knew I’d get a Sonic reference in there), Jim Carrey was undoubtedly on a roll. He was the Pet Detective, The Mask, and The Cable Guy, to name a few. It seemed like there wasn’t a month that went by without a Jim Carrey comedy on the shelves at Barry’s.

    My brother loved these — owning a good few on video, which meant repeat viewings.

    Confession time: I often found these movies a bit too much. I know, sourpuss, right? It’s not like I don’t like slapstick comedy. Rowan Atkinson’s Mr Bean and Rik Mayall (Drop Dead Fred, The Young Ones) were already firm favourites. But until Dumb and Dumber, the rubber‑faced Carrey didn’t 100% connect for me. My favorite Carrey movie is Man on the Moon, and I’m sure we’ll visit that one another time here at Reaction.

    Back to Dumb and Dumber. My brother will still quote this one. I have complex feelings about it — not because of the quality of the film. This is a good one that balances slapstick with a good heart. It’s a road‑trip comedy that sees Harry (Jim Carrey) and Lloyd (Jeff Daniels) travel across the country to return a briefcase to Mary (Lauren Holly). The suitcase is full of random money, Harry and Lloyd are in danger all the way through but don’t really realise it. Later, they both try to impress Mary, which leads to its own set of routines.

    The reason I have complex feelings is simple: I’ve seen it too many times. After the video rental, this one came onto Sky Movies. We recorded it onto VHS and, on “movie nights” when my brother was choosing, it was often a Jim Carrey movie (or later Something About Mary). More often than not, it was this one.

    Which brings me to my favourite memory of this movie.

    I took the VHS to my grandad’s — I often did for the bigger ones. My Great Aunt turned up halfway through, just in time to see the part where Harry puts laxative in Lloyd’s drink. If you’ve seen it, you know.

    I had, to that point, never seen my Aunt cry with laughter. She couldn’t get her breath, and within seconds the whole room was laughing — partly at the film, but also at her reaction to it. This moment alone puts Dumb and Dumber up there.

    Next time: it’s 1995, and we’re looking at Casper the Friendly Ghost.

  • Mrs Doubtfire: The Rental Rush

    Retro Reaction in ZX Spectrum colours

    It’s hard to understate how big this film was back in the mid‑90s. Released in 1993, but again remember that longer wait period we had back then — there really was a wait if you didn’t get around to seeing it in the cinema.

    Why I remember the hype so well is because it was the only time I ever saw a whole shelf at Barry’s filled with copies of the same movie. Even with those extra copies, for an entire week every single one had the red on loan sticker.

    When we looked at Hook, I mentioned how much of a force Robin Williams was during this era. This is the last time he appears in this 90s film set — I’m sure not the last time we’ll return to his work in Reaction. But let’s deal with the elephant in the room. Even now, I still find it hard to understand how a guy who made me laugh so much — the only one to cause Barry’s to sell out for a week straight — could have been so unhappy privately. Thank you for the laughs

    My brother and I still occasionally quote Mrs Doubtfire today, 30 years later.

    The premise: fun‑loving father Daniel (Williams) is going through a messy divorce with his wife Miranda (Sally Field). To gain access to his children, he disguises himself as nanny Mrs Doubtfire.

    Yes, elements of the film are now seen as dated. Daniel does, well, near‑on stalk Miranda. But rewatching it, it’s still funny and not malicious in the way some comedies can be. The humour comes from seeing Daniel try to take on the lone‑parent role while simultaneously sabotaging Miranda’s next relationship.

    Miranda doesn’t really come off as “the baddie” in this one, but you’re still rooting for Daniel throughout the movie.

    One thing that really stands out is that, unlike most films like this — particularly of the time — Miranda and Daniel don’t reunite at the end. Here in the UK, around 42% of people are divorced. Having a family film deal with that back in 1993 was very forward‑thinking.

    Next time we’re sticking with comedy, with Dumb and Dumber