Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

Why don't we just pretend he didn't die? Just for a bit!
Oh, WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S. I remember watching this at a prepubescent age over and over, at a time when the mere sight of someone getting hit by something was funny (so I guess there's the EPIC MOVIE and the like's audience... finally found it). Now, at a college age, I still can enjoy this movie for what it is: a moronic, implausible, yet strangely compellingly funny movie (double adverb, impressive).
The plot, as many may know, involves Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathan Silverman), two young up-and-coming insurance guys at a prestigious firm run by Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser), so rich his car is bigger than Larry's apartment. So Larry and Richard are overjoyed when they discover someone has been stealing from the company and bring this to Bernie's attention. He seems appreciative and invites the boys to his beach home for the weekend. They of course agree, and we cut to Bernie asking mobster Vito (Louis Giambalvo... had to look him up as well) to have the boys murdered. Yes, Bernie has been doing the stealing and needs the only 2 guys on his trail snuffed out. Vito decides Bernie is the one he needs out of the way and hires crony Paulie (the reliably funny Don Calfa) to dispose of ol' Bern. So Larry and Richard arrive to a beautiful beach house, beautiful women, a full stock of alcohol, and a party on the way. Oh yeah, and their dead boss, who has been all set up to appear like he has overdosed. Of course they want to call 911 (more Richard than Larry, as Larry's a bit more upset that he couldn't have waited until Monday to kill himself), but then the party starts, and no one seems to notice that Bernie's dead (here's where the critics really start puffing on their 'oh, how ludicrous' pipes), so Larry suggests they just pretend (for a bit) that he's not dead and have a little fun. This plan goes from waiting 10 minutes to waiting until the next day, when they discover Bernie's plan and also that Paulie is on their tail to finish them and Bernie (who he believes is still alive as the boys are doing a pretty nice job of keeping him seemingly animated) off. Add in the girl of Richard's dreams Gwen (Catherine Mary Stewart) to act surprised at every plot turn as Larry and Richard dodge bullets and neighbors, and you have yourself a comedy.
Yes, it's all handled quite ridiculously, but what many critics don't seem to realize is that writer Robert Klane and director Ted Kotcheff are not aiming for Shakespeare here. What the film sets out to do is make people laugh, and I cannot deny it that. Most of the laughs are due to the amazing performance by Kiser, who looks and appears dead the whole way through. Whether flying off the back of boats, over railings, and down ramps or walking with Larry and Richard around town happily, Kiser actually convinces us that he is out of the picture. McCarthy and Silverman are also very funny with their contrasting personalities, Richard the voice of reason and Larry the horndog that has more bad ideas than good ones. So don't expect a comedy classic here, but I would be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn't at least smile throughout the film.

The Best Comedy Ever Made
This is a very good comedy, it's one of the few movies that's just as funny every time you see it. Some of the other reviews are way too harsh, their problem with the movie is that no one noticed bernie was dead. But can you honestly say that you don't know anyone that is so self-absorbed that they wouldn't notice someone was dead at a crowded party, that they wouldn't just think the person was only passed out (givin' the fact that they are drinking and getting high their self). Anyone that doesn't think this movie is funny has no sense of humor what so ever. Some people need to lighten up, it's not a drama.

The Best Comedy Ever Made
This is a very good comedy, it's one of the few movies that's just as funny every time you see it. Some of the other reviews are way too harsh, their problem with the movie is that no one noticed bernie was dead. But can you honestly say that you don't know anyone that is so self-absorbed that they wouldn't notice someone was dead at a crowded party, that they wouldn't just think the person was only passed out (givin' the fact that they are drinking and getting high their self). Anyone that doesn't think this movie is funny has no sense of humor what so ever. Some people need to lighten up, it's not a drama.