Back To School (Extra-Curricular Edition) Reviews

• Farewell, Rodney, You've Graduated At Last

  
  By A30TK6U7DNS82R on 2004-10-06
  As the word reaches us that Rodney Dangerfield has died without waking up from his coma, we take this occasion to salute him by viewing one more time his comedy classic, "BACK TO SCHOOL." Adrienne Barbeau is in it, playing a trophy wife of yesteryear, grasping and unfaithful, she's only in it for the money any more. Thornton Melon runs a men's store called, "TALL AND FAT," and I would have liked to see a whole sequel to BACK TO SCHOOL that focussed on the day to day life of running this haberdashery. Anyway he's rich enough to be able to afford to hire Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. to write a term paper for him. Sam Kinison is in the movie too as the history professor--crazy and out of this world! And Sally Kellerman is more subdued than usual playing Diane Turner, the English professor who, in a memorable scene, makes Rodney analyze the meaning of Dylan Thomas' famous poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night."
  
  Robert Downey Jr is in the movie too, he's always good for a laugh or two. And Keith Gordon plays the son, maybe his best part after the young son of Angie Dickinson in DRESSED TO KILL. But most of all the picture belongs to the one and only Rodney Dangerfield. Rodney, we will miss your attitude and your "I get no respect" whining. You always saw things the way the common man did. We salute you for your tremendous achievements. As Dylan Thomas said,
  
  "And you, my father, there on the sad height,
  Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
  Do not go gentle into that good night.
  Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
  
  

• A CLASSIC! Dangerfield's best!

  
  By A35KD1U1M387I0 on 2002-09-22
  This is one of those movies I can watch every six months because of the great humor and story Dangerfield stars in. Dangerfield goes back to college to be closer to his son and the funny one-liners and humor really come together in this funny and intriguing comedy. I also enjoyed Dangerfield's acting in which he has to earn the respect of his son at school and how he cares about father-and-son issues. I think Dangerfield is at his best here and it's unfortunate we haven't seen another film like this from him and I simply have to call this film a comedy classic!
  
  

• Funny, but make sure you get the NEWER DVD release!

  
  By on 2004-06-13
  After his appearance on Leno recently, it seems Rodney Dangerfield is losing his touch due to age and his admitted pot smoking. He still had it in Back to School, however. This has always been a good way to spend 90 minutes or so to get some laughs. Along with Caddyshack and Easy Money, it's his best work.

  Be careful of which DVD version you buy. There are two floating around out there and they both look the same until you make a close inspection of the back cover. MGM quietly slipped this new transfer out there with the same cover without as much as a peep. The original copy was non-anamorphic widescreen and was a poor transfer with some framing issues. The new one is a great improvement with anamorphic widescreen and 5.1 Surround Sound. You have to look at the bottom left of the back cover. You will see 16:9 Widescreen 1.85:1 versus the old one which did not have the '16:9' printed above the word Widescreen. The free booklet with the older copy was nice but the new anamorphic transfer and 5.1 trump the importance of the little booklet included in the older DVD release. I don't know why they didn't throw in the old booklet but its importance is negligible. You don't buy DVDs for booklets anyway.

  One more thing. Always buy DVD releases of films in their OAR(Original Aspect Ratio). Don't buy Fullscreen copies if the movie was originally released in Widescreen to theaters. The only time you should buy (Fullscreen, 1.33:1, 4X3) is if that was the OAR, which is usually only television these days and much older films from the early 50's and beyond. Why would you want to watch a film with the sides chopped off? You'll learn to live with the 'black bars' and realize that you're not losing any picture on the top or bottom.
  
  

• Rodney's All Time Best Comedy Get's Straight A's!

  
  By A2Z9FXHC1L66EW on 2001-06-05
  Don't you just miss 80's movies like Back To School? A film starring one of the funniest men on the planet (Mr. Rodney Dangerfield) with an ensemble cast of famous names unto themselves, has got to have SMASH MOVIE written all over it, and it does! A simple premise: Thornton Melon (Dangerfield) has become a wealthy millionaire even though he dropped out of high school, and now his son, Jason (Keith Gordon) wants to drop out of college, so in order to keep him from leaving, Thornton decides to go to college too! There are so many hysterical moments I just can't print them all. But some favorites are the big scene with Sam Kinison as the crazed history teacher, Professor Terguson ("Good teacher. He really seems to care. About what I have no idea".), Thornton doing the Triple Lindey swimming dive (with Derek[Robert Downey Jr.]distracting the rival diving team with loud noise and reflecting light to the face), Thornton's rendition of "Twist And Shout" at a local bar, and of course, the party in Thornton's dorm room, with Danny Elfman's band, Oingo Boingo and a killer hot tub, complete with BUBBLES! ("Now that's what I call marine biology".) But a truly winning comedy can't be completely great without heart, which is what this film has. Keith Gordon (John Carpenter's Christine), who is sorely missed in the acting world since he changed his profession to directing, is great as Thornton's son, Jason, who loves his father a lot but feels like Dad's always trying to do too much to make him happy when all he wants to do is live his own life. Terry Farrell (TVs Star Trek: DS9 & Becker) makes a good love interest for him too. I always knew she'd make a name for herself one day. Of course you can't make this sort of film without the bad guys and both father and son have each of their own: William Zabka (who we all should remember as bad boy Johnnie from The Karate Kid) as Chas, the snotty swim diver, and Paxton Whitehead as Philip Barbay, Thornton's economics professor are both out to give our duo a not so sweet time at college. But with Sally Kellerman as the funloving literature teacher, Diane, helping Thornton with reading (and biology) just made things a whole lot more fun. This film has such a great mix of comic chemistry and one-liners that you may miss after the first viewing from laughing so hard. But it's also a movie that just makes you feel good when it's all over.

  The DVD isn't much on special features, only a trailer, which has a scene not in the film of Thornton and his bodyguard, Lou (Burt Young of the "Rocky" movies as Paulie) looking at a college sex book ("Well, they left out the most important thing...where to get it"). But at least they give you a letterboxed version (1.85:1) as well as a full framed version. But for the asking price, this disc is worth it. Maybe someday they'll get the gang together and make a documentary and audio commentary. Until then get this DVD. I haven't seen the picture look this good in years. The VHS pales in comparison.

  So, if you're tired of all the bland humor that seems to be coming out of the Hollywood machine these days, go Back To School with Rodney Dangerfield, who will show you just how funny Comedies should be. "Ooh, I'd love to tame your shrew!"
  
  

• Funny movie, beautiful backdrop!

  
  By on 2000-07-04
  Ok, I confess, I worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and watched this movie being made. It gave no CLUE how funny it was until I saw the finished product. This is easily the best of the Dangerfield movies, including lots of classic "Rodney" moments and some good work by the supporting actors. Look for Deep Space 9's Terry Farrell ("Jadzia Dax") in a supporting role too. Also, now that I live in California, looking at this movie is like a postcard from home. The University of Wisconsin-Madison was a gorgeous setting for this movie!
  
  
• A Classic Comedy from a Classic Comic
  By A3BFKEJ0NMADSJ on 2005-06-22
  Rodney Dangerfield is beyond hilarious in this movie about a multimillionaire who dumps his "promiscuous" wife and goes back to college to be with his son. This is full of Rodney's classic one-liners, like "They weren't so tough. Back in my day, after they sacked the quarterback, they went after his entire family." One of the funniest people in the movie is Sam Kinison as the History professor. It includes his classic top of the lung screaming that he does on his stand-up. This movie truly stands the test of times because many people can identify with it, just like many people can identify with Rodney. The movie is a genuine classic and must be seen to be believed.
  
  RIP Rodney. You were truly one of a kind.
  
  
• Keith Gordon + College + Rodney Dangerfield = Comedy Classic
  By AW3FTPCBPVQNB on 2004-03-19
  Coming three years after making a big splash with his first-ever starring role, in the 1983 Horror classic CHRISTINE, Keith Gordon returned in this, the 1986 Comedy classic BACK TO SCHOOL, starring one of the most beloved comedians of all time, Rodney Dangerfield.

  The story actually begins in 1940, where young Thornton Meloni (Jason Hervey, who would become famous two years later as Fred Savage's older brother on the TV show "The Wonder Years") is being exhorted by his immigrant father to stay in school and not to take over his tailoring business. The kid ends up not listening to him and becomes a high school dropout, taking over the business and changing it to a "Tall & Fat Store" while taking the "i" off the end of his last name and making a fortune. The fifty-something adult Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) is having an awful second marriage to Vanessa (Adrienne Barbeau in full vamp mode), but is proud of his college freshman son Jason (Keith Gordon), whom he thinks is in a popular fraternity and on the school's diving team. Soon after arriving for a surprise visit, however, Jason admits the truth that he's not in a frat, is not popular and is, in fact, the 'towel boy' for the diving team. Jason wants to leave school because it's not going the way he thought it would. The tall, beautiful Valerie (Terry Farrell) won't even notice him, and his roommate and only friend Derek (Robert Downey, Jr.) is a complete weirdo with wild hairstyles that appear to change daily. Rich Dad has an idea: he'll enroll as a freshman himself and that will influence Jason to have a better time and to stay in school!

  After pulling some strings, including donating a huge sum for a brand-new School of Business (it is, after all, not everyday that a well-respected university will take on a student who never finished high school, even someone as rich as Thornton Melon), fun-loving Thornton proceeds to throw his weight around, changing Jason & Derek's room into a plaza suite (complete with a hot tub), throwing awesome parties and even romancing his English professor (Sally Kellerman), much to the chagrin of her uptight boyfriend, Business professor Phillip Barbay (Paxton Whitehead), who would like nothing better than an excuse to drum the impudent Thornton Melon out of the university! Meanwhile, Thornton uses his considerable influence on Coach Turnbull (M. Emmett Walsh) to let Jason officially join the squad, which upsets the snobby star diver Chas (William Zabka) who suddenly finds himself competing for his girlfriend Terry, who begins to take a liking to Jason.

  If this all sounds like too much plot for this 96-minute movie, let me just say that BACK TO SCHOOL makes very efficient use of its time (no slow points here), and equally good use of Mr. Dangerfield's comedic talents, that the plot itself is almost secondary to the one-liners Rodney uses in his usual self-deprecating way. Plus, the cameos are real fun, especially Kurt Vonnegut Jr. as himself, being hired to write a paper for Jason about--what else?--Kurt Vonnegut Jr.! The music is very upbeat 80's here (as you would expect for a movie of this type); however, it does mark the film scoring debut for Danny Elfman of Oingo Bongo who appears in the film (as themselves) performing their great classic "Dead Man's Party" (which, incidentally, had been on the soundtrack to WEIRD SCIENCE a year earlier).

  Even if certain occurrences are patently unbelievable, such as the oral exam scene late in the film, BACK TO SCHOOL is so much fun to watch that it doesn't matter what happens, just as long as Rodney's and Gordon's characters win in the end and make us laugh while doing it. It is of definite interest to us Star Trek fans that Terry Farrell would eventually go on to play Lt. Dax on TV in "Deep Space Nine." Also, watch quickly for a cameo by Robert Picardo (who would join the aforementioned Jason Hervey two years later in "The Wonder Years" playing the dreaded Coach Cutlip, then later on joining Ms. Farrell in the Star Trek series in his wonderful role of the holographic Doctor) as the guy Thornton catches Vanessa fooling around with at a big party. Oh, and Sam Kinison is hilarious in a small role, playing himself as a shell-shocked History professor who never quite came out of Vietnam.

  Everybody is great in this mid-80's comedy classic. Lastly, you have to love a Rodney Dangerfield movie that features a university dean by the name of Dean Martin (the always-wonderful Ned Beatty). BACK TO SCHOOL really takes us back to school on what a great film comedy should be. Add this one to your DVD library! Even with the lack of a lot of extras, it's still very much worth it.

  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  
  

• 'Back To School' - DVD release,Running time: 96 minutes
  By A2WQY1B8ZS7QRZ on 2004-11-28
  Being originally released in 1986,'Back To School' was my first exposure to Sam Kinison(R.I.P.)as my only real complaint about this movie is that Kinison SHOULD'VE had a bigger part.Overall,a story about a Tall&Fat business tycoon,Thornton Melon(Rodney Dangerfield,also R.I.P.)going to help his failing son to pass his exams at college.My favorite scenes are:1)when Dangerfield shows us his Tall&Fat TV ad,2)when he goes looking for his son,IN a female dorm where he 'accidently' ends up with two peeks at a nude girl taking a shower,3)where they have Kinison as a disturbed history teacher,making his own comment about the Vietnam war,which was,"I WISH I COULD BELIEVE IT WAS OVER,BUT I WAS THERE!I WASN'T SITTING AROUND THE HOUSE WITH MY FRIENDS WEARING THE DAMN WIGS ON LISTENING TO THE BEATLES ALBUMS!!I WAS STUCK IN A TRENCH WITH RICE PATTIES UP TO MY KNEES CARRYING AN M-16!AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" and 4)When Dangerfield calls in a carry-out pizza for the test monkeys he's supposed to be testing their IQ.Plenty of laughs here.Recommended.
  
  
• hilarious!
  By A3N84FXRLLZPFS on 2000-09-19
  there's something about rodney that just cracks me up everytime i see him. i have seen just about all of his movies, and this is BY FAR the funniest. movie-wise its good- not great. but comedy-wise, it's 5 stars. also, the acting by the supporting cast is very good considering the content. i can literally think of 50 REALLY funny parts in this movie easily. if your looking for a simple movie that delivers PURE laughter, look no further than BACK TO SCHOOL!
  
  
• A great temporary cure for the blues
  By A3MLO4GAD2O9DL on 2003-01-11
  Rodney delivers the goods here. I mean, let's face it, he was the ONLY reason to watch Caddyshack. He is one doggone funny guy. The one liners here are great and there are plenty of 'em. Plus you get to see Robert Downey Jr. in an early role as a wigged out college guy (now that he's a, you know, very conservative adult, catch this movie to see how much he's really changed).

  Yeah, OK, so maybe it's not exactly credible that a gorgeous babe like Sally Kellerman would fall for a goofy overweight guy like Rodney, but then again, he's loaded. And what babe would turn down a loaded guy, even if he's chunky? But he shows a lot of heart here which is what makes this work.

  Rodney (Thurman Melon, short for Meloni--I guess he didn't want to reveal his Italian ancestry) never finished college--actually, he never went to college. So he accepts a challenge from his college-age son to go to the same school his son attends to show how hard it is--or isn't. We find out that Thruman was a diving champ in high school and he gets to prove it in the story. Plus he belts out a great rendition of Twist and Shout.

  You also get to see Oingo Boingo when they were at the top of their game do a few numbers. (For those of you unfamiliar, they were a great party rock band from the mid-80s to the early 90s.) Thurman is married to catwoman Adrienne Barbeau who, despite her obvious, shall we say, endowments, is mean-spirited (Rodney loves to have a mean-spirited woman in his flicks; check out Geraldine Fitzgerald in Easy Money). But she fools around once too many times and the marriage is bust.

  Off to school Rodney (uh, I mean Thurman) goes which is where he meets Sally Kellerman's English professor with whom he's smitten immediately.

  It's predictable, but a lot of fun. Rodney is one of the very few guys around who really makes me laugh. Pretty hard thing to accomplish, but he does the job. So if you're feeling low, stick this in your DVD player and for at least 90 minutes or so you can relax and laugh a lot.
  
  

• Take your DVD collection back to school with this classic!
  By A2OX54FZ4BHA37 on 2003-09-11
  Rodney Dangerfield's follow-up to Easy Money (1983)is as equally funny as said movie. This time he plays Thornton Melon, a self-mad millionaire owner of a chain of Tall and Fat clothing stores. His son, Jason (Keith Gordon), is up at college, living the sweet life... at least in the phone calls home. He only has one friend, the campus weirdo (Robert Downey, Jr.), and is the lowly towel boy for the swim team. After a divorce with his shallow second wife (involving pictures of her with the butler and a midget), he comes up to the college, and winds up enrolling as the world's oldest freshman. He helps make college life fun for his friends, and winds uop ticking off his finance professor by stealing his poetry professor girlfriend (Sally Kellerman), who vows to make college life a living hell. Can Thornton make it by, even with the trouble he lands in?

  A good, solid comedy with great performances all around, the best by Dangerfield, Kellerman, Gordon, Downey Jr, and Sam Kinison as a crazed vietnam vet-turned-history professor(according to Thornton, "He's a good teacher. He really cares.... about what, I'll never know.") The disc gives you a choic between widescreen and full frame presentations of the film, bot with good video, with little to no grain present. The sound is presented in Dolby Surround 2.0, and sounds great. the only feature is the trailer (in full-frame), and this is a title that screams SPECIAL EDITION. Where is it?

  BACK TO SCHOOL
  (1986, PG-13)

  Thornton Melon: Rodney Dangerfield
  Diane Turner: Sally Kellerman
  Lou: Burt Young
  Jason Melon: Keith Gordon
  Derek Lutz: Robert Downey, Jr.
  Phillip Barbay: Paxton Whitehead

  Director: Alan Metter
  Writers: Rodney Dangerfield, Greg Fields, Dennis Snee (all story), Steven Kampmann, William Porter, Peter Torkovei, Harold Ramis (all screenplay)

  MOVIE: 5
  VIDEO: 5
  AUDIO: 5
  EXTRAS: 2
  MENUS: 3
  OVERALL: 4
  
  

• Thornton Goes To College
  By A2C337O730P3HO on 2004-12-20
  Thornton Melon has a head for business. Even though he never went to college, he took the family tailoring business and transformed it into a chain of successful clothing stores. It's made Thornton (Rodney Dangerfield) a wealthy man who can send his son Jason (Keith Gordon) to the elite Grand Lakes University. Thornton also shares his wealth with his unfaithful second wife, Vanessa (Adrienne Barbeau), who is unsatisfied with the life Thornton's money could bring her. She not only wants his money, but she wants to control Thornton. The last straw between Thornton and Vanessa comes one evening at one of the parties Vanessa insists on throwing, when he catches her in the act of cheating. Not only does he serve her divorce papers, but he shows her photos of her cheating. Both Jason and Thornton's driver, Lou (Burt Young), say how much better a person Thornton's late first wife was.
  
  Thornton uses the divorce to make a trip to Jason's college to visit him. Thornton discovers that Jason's been lying about how well he's been doing in school. Thornton offers this fatherly advice: "You don't lie to me. You lie to girls." Jason had claimed he was on the school's diving team when he was only good enough to be the towel boy. When Jason admits he's getting mostly Bs and Cs, Thornton is happy that his son is in some of the top three grades. Thornton decides he'd like to see Jason do better in both academics and athletics, and have some fun in the process. In "Back To School," Thornton decides to go to college with Jason in an effort to not only be with Jason, but also to get a formal education himself.
  
  To get into the college without the benefit of SATs, Thornton makes a deal with Grand Lakes dean David Martin (Ned Beatty) to make a sizeable donation to the university - a business building dedicated to Thornton himself. The actions of Thronton and Dean Martin draw the ire of business professor Philip Barbay (Paxton Whitehead), who thinks Thornton's presence undermines the ideals of the university. Thornton further upsets Barbay by taking an interest in English professor Diane Turner (Sally Kellerman), whom he's been dating. Thornton's knowledge of business is merely an extreme distraction to Barbay, who insists on teaching his class how to conduct business legitimately.
  
  Meanwhile, with Thornton's help, Jason makes the diving team. Team captain Chas Osborne (William Zabka) is certain that Jason's father bought Jason a spot on the roster. Coach Turnbull (M. Emmet Walsh), however, is more interested in Thornton's diving experience. Jason also takes an interest in Valerie Desmond (Terry Farrell), a student that Chas also likes. Thornton uses his money to make life as full of ease and fun as possible. However, Thornton takes that too far when he brings his people (and special consultant Kurt Vonnegut, in a cameo appearance) to the school to write papers for himself and Jason. Not only does Jason reject the work, but Barbay also believes Thornton isn't doing the work for class he's been assigned, and demands Dean Martin expel Thornton. Martin, instead, makes Thornton take oral exams with all of his professors. Expulsion awaits if Thornton fails the orals.
  
  "Back To School" is one of the best college comedies I've seen. It's not quite in the same league as "Animal House" or "Horse Feathers," but it's close. The story is filled with Dangerfield one-liners that could easily have been preceded by his trademark line, "I don't get no respect." Thornton certainly doesn't get respect from Philip or Vanessa, but they are people who don't like Thornton as a person. Both have issues that involve Thornton's money. Everybody else sees beyond his money and knows him to be a generous, fun-loving businessman. When he's in the bookstore, he not only insists on buying Jason new textbooks, but he announces to the other students, "It's on me. Shakespeare for everyone." A host of writers, including Dangerfield on the story and Harold Ramis on the screenplay, maximize the joke potential of every scene. Some of the story is a bit stereotypical, but the film's good nature and consistent humor compensate more than adequately for the stereotypes.
  
  In addition to all of the jokes, the actors make the relationships credible. Thornton may not offer Jason tpyical fatherly advice, but Thornton generally offers advice that is beneficial. Diane first takes notice of Thornton at the campus bookstore, and enjoys his enthusiasm. Philip simply dismisses Thornton as "the world's oldest living freshman." It's Philip's stuffiness and dismissiveness that creates trouble between himself and Diane, as well as between himself and Thornton. Dangerfield is not a great actor, but he does well here because the humor is tailored to his comic persona. One of the highlights of his performance is his recitation of Dylan Thomas's famous villanelle, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," and the interpretation of the poem he gives to Diane. In addition to the performers I've already mentioned, three others deserve mention for their comic support. First, Robert Downey, Jr., is hilarious as Derek Lutz, the dormmate of Jason's who puts blue streaks in his hair and stands against any conformity. Sam Kinison is just as funny as Professor Terguson, a history teacher who's not afraid to get sarcastic and loud with his students. His verbal exchange with Thornton is another of the film's best moments. Jason Hervey also makes the most of his brief appearance as young Thornton, doing a good job of copying Dangerfield's mannerisms.
  
  The eighties were a time where Rodney Dangerfield took his brand of comedy to the big screen with great success. College will change Thornton Melon, but not as much as Thornton will change college. He may be one of the oldest people in the school, but his behavior is just like that of the much younger students. "Back To School" stands as Dangerfield's biggest achievement on the big screen. He stayed true to his brand of comedy, with very humorous results. He's the regular guy who found his niche in life, and made a fortune as a result. He's also the family man looking to prove a point to his son, as well as to himself. Thornton Melon is a man of means, yet he knows money isn't everything.
  
  What's not to respect about that?
  
  Originally published on Epinions.com.
  
  
• Rodney Dangerfield-Gone But Not Forgotten
  By A26USSQAJBUU6O on 2005-07-27
  This movie has to be one of the funniest & most original comedies ever. The scenes i laugh @ the most is where he is on the diving platform & makes armpit farts just before he dives. Then when he dives off his head cocks to the right, giving a crack up of a look on his face. The other scene that cracks me up is when his wife comes up to him with a married couple, Thornton looks at the other guy's wife & says "Yeah if that dress had pockets you'd look like a pool table" LOL, so halirious. A summary on the film, just a feel good comedy. Rodney Dangerfield, i wouldn't be surprised your'e laughing up in heaven right now.
  
  
• Back to School DVD Technical Quality Poor
  By A2LWD6RFBTHN3I on 2006-08-01
  I already was a fan of this movie having purchased it years ago on VHS. The purpose of this buy was to get a cleaner copy of it on DVD for long term use. Unfortunately the quality of the transfer poor. The audio is fine, but the video is very grainy and frankly my VHS copy looks as good. I am quite disappointed. Love the movie, am peeved that the DVD video quality is so poor.
  
  
• I hereby dedicate this review to...Myself!!!
  By A3JM7ZRLXC18UC on 2007-02-01
  Having recently turned 34, I decided to go back to college. These last few weeks have brought back memories such as standing in long lines, worrying about financial aid, exorbitant book store prices, finding my way around campus, entrance exams (which can be quite challenging if your math is rusty like mine), and trying to find classes that best suit my work schedule. All of this has to happen before the first minute is actually spent in class. Being an older than average college student prompted me to write a review on this comedy classic about a college freshman much older than myself.
  
  The sorely missed Rodney Dangerfield plays Thornton Melon in perhaps his greatest performance ever. Melon is a wealthy self-made sixty year-old entreprenuer whose massive retail chain specializes in clothes for large men. What Melon lacks in formal education, he makes up for by being hard-working and having a solid business know-how that is not taught in the economics classes. Two things happen that bring his life to a crossroads. First of all, he catches his no-good wife (played with perfect bitchiness by Adrianne Barbeau) making time and a half with another man. Secondly, his awkward, unhappy son Jason (played by Keith Gordon) calls him to say he wants to drop out of college. So, what's a rich over the hill fatcat to do? Enroll at his son's college, what else?
  
  Thornton initially has a good thing going at school with partying, cutting up in class, and lots of beautiful female students. His wealth and fun-loving personality make him a hit with most of the other students. He doesn't just throw parties; he IS the party. His popularity even begins to rub off on Jason - which is a mixed blessing since he wants to succeed at school on his own merits. But soon his partying and the fact that he has paid consultants to do his homework illegally begin to catch up with him.
  
  As I mentioned earlier in the review, Rodney was at the top of his game here. He was cleary having a good time making the movie, and that good time works its way to the viewer. The supporting cast is also excellent. Paxton Whitehead is perfect as an aloof Economics professor who serves as Thornton's diametrically opposed antagonist. Robert Downey Jr, an actor who normally annoys me to end, is hilarious as Jason's punked-out diver-heckling best friend. The late Sam Kinison is especially memorable as a psychotic History professor/Vietnam veteran. You even have a cameo by Kurt Vonnegut Jr (yes, the same Kurt Vonnegut Jr who wrote _Slaughterhouse Five_). Back to School is a textbook (bad choice of words) example of how great comedy films used to be before the comedy genre became hijacked by disgustingly unfunny toilet humor mavens like Rob Schneider and bland rom-com chick flicks.
  
  Not only is Back to School great for those times when you just need a good belly laugh, it also has a great message about the importance of both having to work hard and also having a good time. Thornton was having a hard time with college because he partied too much. Jason, on the other hand, was unhappy because he worked too hard and didn't take time to smell the roses. Both of them needed to find a balance. Everyone going to school (college, high school, etc.) should take that lesson to heart. I certainly intend to.
  
  
• extras?
  By A1LCWBJH3S7SAC on 2007-08-16
  great movie. a classic! but, what are the extras? Amazon - please list the extras for all dvds.
  
  
• This movie is hysterical!
  By on 2000-03-20
  I don't get sick of this movie everytime when it comes on Showtime. Rodney Dangerfield is hilarious, the whole movie is funny. I am going to go buy it soon. It made me laugh at every scene. This is the kind of movie that you want to watch over and over again. It's the best Rodney Dangerfield movie there is.
  
  
• more than a comedy
  By A2UGOW062V7528 on 1998-12-21
  While indeed a very funny film, it is also a biting commentary on the unjustified arrogance of many academicians: those who know do, those who don't publish! (Yes publish not just teach.) In addition, the film cleverly binds the generations and inspires one and all to avoid myopic ageisms. If Rodney Dangerfield is ever to be credited as anything more than the "very-well known comic," Back To School, then, is clearly his defining moment.
  
  
• Some of the best one-liners ... in the history of film!
  By on 2000-08-10
  If you appreciate the art of one-liners, then you will love this film. Rodney Dangerfield delivers some great lines throughout. Also, his facial expressions are priceless. This movie is great!
  
  
• Rodney's Best
  By A1O1V796PSORY0 on 2000-09-15
  The is Rodney Dangerfield's best movie. Sam Kinison was great as the History professor. As with most of Rodney's movies, it is mainly a showcase for Rodney's one-liners, but in this case I thought the plot was fairly interesting. Of course this movie could not be consider a great movie, but it was funny and enjoyable for someone who just wants to have a good time.
  
  
• Rodney, we all love you!
  By A1NH820E5UDAZ0 on 2001-09-02
  This is one of those movies. Everything is good about it, I love Rodney because as an actor you get the feeling that's really him. I have seen this movie literatly dozens of times. There are so many funny moments, it's not even funny. Rodney is great, he's rude, he's funny, he's loud but hay, he's Rodney! That is what makes him so charming. The story here is actually pretty good, when you look past the obvious humor. You have Rodney trying to get close to his son, which doesn't seem to work well, well because he's obnoxious and too care free. Where his son is focused and serious. I think the chemistry between them is a thing of beauty. There are moments where you almost believe they are father and son, and moments where you feel the son's embarrassment of his "pops" Lots of slapstick here, there's not really much bad langauge, and only about 1 second of nudity. I wouldn't say it's the best movie for kids, but I would have no problem letting my kids watch it. Lou, Rodney's limo driver, and body guard is WONDERFUL! Some of his lines blow me away
  "your fathers tough, but a good guy. Like me, I'm good but I'm tough. I put one of my kids through college, and I put the other threw a wall" haha priceless. This is a must own for everyone if you ask me. As Thorten Mellon Rodney shines, I can't get enough of this movie.
  
  
• Another great college flick
  By A1ZH9LWMX5UCFJ on 2003-01-19
  

  Back to School Rodney Dangerfield's best movie since Caddyshack. He plays Thornton Melon, a high school dropout who owns a chain of suit stores called Tall and Fat. After splitting from yet another wife, he goes to visit his only son at college. He finds out when he gets there that his son has been lying to him about where he lives on campus, his grades and his status on the dive team. He decides to join his son at school and truly turns the campus upside down. He turns their dorm room into a palace, makes registering for classes a breeze and dates a professor. His number one adversary is the uptight Dr. Barbay, his Econ. professor who does not like the fact that Melon bought his way in by donating a building. Meanwhile his son is battling super-jock Chas for the affections of Melanie.
  

  There are lots of great moments, and characters, in this movie, one is Dangerfield's confrontation with his American History professor, the late, great Sam Kinison. Even though there aren't any extra features, the DVD is worth it. This movie will make you laugh time and time again.
  
  

• I only wish my college days were as fun!
  By APZ9MBMUKD2W on 2005-06-25
  I just hope Rodney finally gets the respect owed him! I frankly think that this is his best work! If you want to see a good screw ball comedy about University, then here you go!
  
  
• I don't get mad, I get Lou
  By A1TAWJ2PA3USVX on 2006-02-06
  Thornton Mellon (the late Rodney Dangerfield) is an American success story. The son of immigrants, he has worked hard and used business savvy to get fabulously wealthy with his chain of "Tall and Fat" stores (with "a-frames" for the ladies and "The New Hindenberg Line" for men). But Mellon never made it to college, and now his son (Keith Gordon) is thinking of quitting school, too. Mellon ditches philandering trophy wife Vanessa (Adrienne Barbeau) and goes 'back to school' as a middle-aged, clueless freshman, to try and help his son.
  
  There is a great supporting cast including but not limited to a young Robert Downey, Jr. (roommate), College Dean Martin (Ned Beatty), the Diving Coach (M. Emmett Walsh), and a snobby foil (Paxton Whitehead). Sally Kellerman plays a surprisingly credible love interest and cameos by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and Sam Kinnison round out the impressive cast.
  
  A good soundtrack and classic academia sets help the film along. But, in essence, BACK TO SCHOOL is a vehicle for the charming and ever-witty Rodney Dangerfield and his one liners ("The shape I'm in, you could donate my body to science fiction"). Don't expect anything serious or profound in this film, but it's gentle fun, holds up well after so many years, and has a consistently brilliant screenplay.
  
  
• [Really three-and-a-half out of Four] A showcase performance for the late Rodney Dangerfield!
  By A3KROYMQ61M7A on 2006-09-08
  Superb supporting cast includes Sally
  Kellerman, Burt Young, Robert Downey
  Jr., Kurt Vonegut, Jr, M. Emmett Walsh,
  Ned Beatty (as 'Dean Martin') and the
  late Sam Kineson. Older-than-middle-
  age-man, with shy, unsure son goes to
  College. Rodney plays Big and Tall Man's
  store magnate who enrolls at his son's
  Haughty School and loosens the place up
  like only he can. 'Environmentally
  sensitive' humour - recycled one liners
  abound, but if you like Rodney, and I do,
  you'll love the delivery. Main target is
  stuffy upper crust Brit. Econ. Prof., who
  is ALSO dating Kellerman, in one of her
  best roles. Don't miss the scenes with:
  Sam Kineson, the late comic once married
  to Jesica Hawn, the screamer, who asks
  Rodney why we didn't win Korea and the
  other is near the end; the'Triple Lindy'
  dive! Best we got from Rodney, though
  Caddy Shack (the first!) and Meet Wally
  Sparks also very good!
  
  
• Finally Rodney Dangerfield's Greatest Film Gets The Respect It Deserves.
  By A2BQBLCKJHP65G on 2008-09-11
  What would comedy be without Rodney Dangerfield? After decades of trying to make it big, took his self-depreciating stand-up act of one-liners to new heights in the 1980's & paved the way for thousands of a new generation of comics to do the same. Eventually Hollywood called, and after a noticable bit part (Caddyshack) and a middle-of-the-road starring piece (Easy Money), it was time for Rodney to get the respect he always deserved with what now most consider his greatest film, 1986's Back To School.
  
  Playing Thornton Melon, a successful clothing chain owner, he decides to join his college-going son by enrolling himself, having a grand ole party and fun every step of the way. This was a role tailor made for Dangerfield, and still after all these years is as funny and fresh as ever. However, MGM first released this film in 2000 with a bare-bones edition that at the most would earn it a D+. So seven years later, it now has been given an "Extracurricular Edition" that for the most part makes the grade.
  
  First off, the picture has been completely cleaned-up, barely a blemish or speck to be seen all the while with still keeping it's '80's film look. 2000's included a new 5.1 audio mix but now offers the original 2.0 as well for purists. But the main reason to double-dip would be the brand-new-to-DVD extras that fill most of it's second layer. Ranging from 5 to 18 minutes each, there's six new featurettes here discussing the making of the movie, to the styles of the film's signature dive "The Triple Lindy", to a very thoughtful looking back of the life of Rodney Dangerfield as told by those who knew him personally (Rodney passed before this version came out in 2004). Each new feature is entertaining, informative and quite a trip to see some of it's actors & crew today, like Harold Ramis, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young (with even a feature about his rise in acting from Rocky to BTS), 80's Blond-Haired Bad Boy William Zabka (yeah, he talks about his career typecasting here...finally!), and as Rodney's son Keith Gordon (wow, he really looks different now!). These are worth the double-dip alone besides the great presentation of the movie it belongs to. Of course it would have been nice to have a commentary track with these people and more stock footage of maybe Rodney himself being interviewed during the time of the film, but MGM did do a pretty good job here and what we got should do quite nicely.
  
  Back To School unfortunately did such a good job for Rodney, that he never made another comedy that came close to it in his career again (No, Natural Born Killers doesn't count...put down that Little Nicky case too). But he'll always be remembered in film history as the funniest, oldest college freshman ever. A great look back at what fun we had at the movies in the 1980's and at a man that always received our respect no matter how many times he said he didn't.
  (RedSabbath Rating:9.0/10)
  
  
• Can't Get Enough of Mr. Melon
  By A16IDG5WZT0IXY on 2000-03-10
  I don't know how many times I have seen this movie but it keeps getting funnier, every single time I see it. Rodney Dangerfield delivers a barage of sarcastic jokes consistently throughout the movie so that there are no dull parts. Robert Downey Jr. is also hilarious in this movie. If you haven't heard of this dive, this movie has the famous Triple Lending that can't be missed.
  
  
• Really Funny
  By AWME8X11GSDM on 2000-05-21
  This movie was very funny. When Dangerfield puts a multi-million dollar bet on a golf game is really cool. The dive that he does is spectcacular. I'd buy this movie as soon as you can because it is really cool and funny.
  
  
• i really enjoyed this movie very much
  By on 1999-01-12
  i thought it was really funny and rodney dangerfield is hilarious. i've watched this movie over 100 times and i still enjoy it!!!
  
  
• 3.0 out of 5
  By AV5G37VFE5NVD on 2003-09-13
  In the mid 1980's, Rodney Dangerfield had a surge of popularity, after starring in hits like CADDYSHACK and EASY MONEY. BACK TO SCHOOL is arguably his second-best film, in which Dangerfield portrays an obnoxious businessman who goes back to school, with the intentions of helping his discouraged son (Keith Gordon). There's enough jokes and comedy in here to last the whole film, thus it's very, very entertaining. Dangerfield is great, displaying a type of charm as he attempts to start a relationship with a Language Arts teacher, played by Sally Kellerman. The film also marks Danny Elfman's first on-screen appearance.
  
  

• Caddyshack
• Easy Money
• National Lampoon's Animal House
• Trading Places (Special Collector's Edition)
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off Bueller...Bueller... Edition (Special Collector's Edition)