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Groundhog Day is now a hit Broadway musical. But, it all started with this quirky 1993 movie about a selfish, narcissistic Pittsburgh weatherman who finds himself in a time-warp where he has to repeat living Groundhog Day over and over and over again. Along the way, lessons are learned. Bill Murray is ideal as the tortured weatherman. Andie MacDowell scintillates as Murray’s producer and love-interest. Special features include an audio commentary and interview with Director Harold Ramis (who has a cameo as a doctor in the film), a “Weight of Time” documentary, and Deleted Scenes. What’s your favorite Bill Murray movie? GRADE: A
Saw Bill in several SNL episodes – my first and fantastic meeting of real humour on US tv – i still have fond memories of the early SNL shows in black and white.
But his “best” and most meorable performance for us rockblues fans was him opening Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Concert in 2007. When I showed the DVD to my wife at first she didn’t get it – that guitarist has an uncanny resemblance to Murray she wondered and I had to tell her:
Yes, it is Bill Murray!
He’s one of the really great people in show business!
I had to look him up on wiki of course and found to my surprise that he also performed in theatrical productions – from Shakespeare to our own German Bertolt Brecht!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Murray
And he donats money to worthwhile causes …
Totally forgot:
He also appeared here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grand_Budapest_Hotel
One of our favourite tragicomedies – in European style, really marvelous! Especially how the movie catches the spirit of the times in Eastern Europe before and during WW2.
Did anyone watch this already?
Wolf, my review of THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL can be found here: http://georgekelley.org/the-grand-budapest-hotel/
Wolf, Bill Murray has enjoyed a long and successful acting career. He has many other creative facets, too, like his performance at Crossroads.
One of my favorite movies.
Patti, Diane and Katie have seen the new Broadway play version of GROUNDHOG DAY with Andy Karl and loved it!
GROUNDHOG DAY is it. Seeing the musical on Broadway made me appreciate the movie even more, because for all the good things the show does, the movie did them first and better. I’m not generally a big Andie McDowell fan, but she was perfect here.
Other Murray movies on my list (I haven’t looked at anyone else’s comments yet):
GHOSTBUSTERS
WHAT ABOUT BOB?
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
ED WOOD
ZOMBIELAND (one of the great cameos ever)
MOONRISE KINGDOM
(There are several others I like, but you get the idea. Jackie has always been a big fan of MEATBALLS.)
I’m betting some will name CADDYSHACK, but for me the Murray part was the worst thing in that movie. Rodney, yes; Carl Spackler, no.
We first saw him before SNL in the NATIONAL LAMPOON SHOW with John Belushi and Gilda Radner, in May of 1975.
Jeff, my favorite Bill Murray line is from GHOSTBUSTERS: “This chick is toast!”
Is that cover even supposed to approximate what Bill Murray looks like? Yikes! Anyway, my favorite Murray performances are LOST IN TRANSLATION and (although it doesn’t get much love) THE LIFE ACQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU, both of which show a much more melancholy side. And I used to love his lounge singer “Nick” on snl.
“Star Wars, whoa whoa whoa, Star Wars…”.
I’ll be here all week.
Deb, I love Bill Murray’s performance in LOST IN TRANSLATION. I’m not sure Sofia Coppola ever directed a better movie.
Jackie wasn’t a fan, but I liked it too.
Grade: D
Rick, GROUNDHOG DAY or LOST IN TRANSLATION?
Translation might get an F. Groundhog Day just seemed silly, and I’m not a fan of that, at all.
my favorite Murray movie would be a toss up between stripes, ghost busters and groundhog day. Also loved him in St. Vincent.
I clearly need to see Ed Wood again, as I’d forgotten he was in that, same with Budapest Hotel.
I loved his excitement when the cubs won the world series.
Maggie, I have a copy of the ED WOOD movie around here somewhere, but haven’t watched it yet.
Maggie, they filmed St. Vincent largely in Brooklyn. The church was actually nowhere near the house. St. Patrick’s is very near us on Fourth Avenue. They’ve used it in Blue Bloods too. The house was in Sheepshead Bay, a few miles away.
George, It’s fantastic how many movies you’ve seen and reviewed!
When did you have time to work – before you retired?
That just had to be – I didn’t know your blog yet early in 2014.
The “Grand Budapest Hotel” really captures so many aspects of Europe – for you Americans it must have felt a bit strange.
Wolf, my wife and I used to go to the movies just about every weekend with a group of friends. We’d have dinner and then to see a movie together. Then, during “Summer Vacation” I’d go see action movies with my kids. Now, we pick and choose which movies to see. But with Netflix and AMAZON Prime, thousands of movies are available. People are dumping their DVD collections, so I can pick up great movies in that format for a pittance.
I liked him in MONUMENTS MEN.
Rick, but Bill Murray died it MONUMENTS MEN!
eventually, yes, but earlier on I liked what he did.
Rick, I can admire performances even in a bad movie.
Trump fires Comey on recommendation of Sessions who (supposedly) had excused himself from the Trump election-Russian connection investigation. Boy does that ever smell bad!
Of the ones I’ve seen, Stripes.