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Cracking Up More at IMDbPro »Smorgasbord (original title)

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16 reviews in total

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6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Jerry's desperate and suicidal character needs a psychiatrist, who of course, is a beautiful woman, 12 March 2006

Author: b_speed from United States

The quality of Jerry's films has been somewhat erratic (some might consider this an understatement), some great, some awful. By 1983, when Jerry made this movie, the last film he directed, many people had written him off, I think. In any event, the movie escaped my attention when it came out. I came across it in a movie rental store when I needed a number of movies to get me through a post-operation recovery when I was stuck at home sometime in early '90s. I put it into the VCR and proceeded to be amazed. I still have vivid memories of some of the surreal sets and sketches. I consider this film to be Jerry's bid to rival the best of Peter Sellers.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Cracking Up!, 13 January 2006

Author: qponsuzy from United States

Cracking Up is one of my favorite movies.....OK, I might have a weird sense of humor... but the first time I saw it, I laughed so hard my side hurt. I bought the movie, and occasionally get it out and watch it again just to get a good laugh.

several parts I like are the Restaurant scene, the waitress when she takes his order, it's hysterical. I'd love to do that to someone sometime.

I also love the scene with the guru on the operating table, so funny.

And the airplane scene..... "chef surprise....you'll love it" it makes me laugh just writing this.

If you haven't seen this movie, get your hands on a copy and watch it.

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Viva Jerry!, 23 February 2005

Author: zsenorsock from Argentina

THIS is the film Jerry Lewis should have made his min-comeback with instead of the mawkish "Hardly Working". Yes, there isn't much of a story here, but like "The Bellboy" the gags for the most part are really pretty funny. The opening title sequence may contain Jerry's best moment in the film as he tries to cross a highly polished floor. Then listen what happens when the title card of the film's composer comes up. The scene where Jerry plays a cop and pulls over a overweight speeder is also one of his funniest in years. Can't argue this is a great film, but it IS funny and that's something Jerry had not been since at least "The Big Mouth" back in 1967. The other films Jerry made around this time were either just terrible ("Slapstick Encounters") or featured more of his dramatic side ("KIng of Comedy", "Funny Bones"). This film is just plain funny and its too bad it never got a wide theatrical release.

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Jerry's Masterpiece, 15 November 2004
Author: lzf0 from United States

The final Lewis directed opus is his finest. He has never been funnier or more inventive. In the opening sequence, Jerry gets every laugh possible with vinyl. Of course the sequence goes on much too long, but that is exactly what you expect from Jerry. The French costume sketch is very clever. The best gag sequence in the film concerns the waitress and her listing of salad dresssings. I laugh every time I think of this sequence. Most people consider "The Nutty Professor" to be the best Lewis film, but this one is much more fun. I also recommend the first Lewis directed film, "The Bellboy", where Lewis is out to prove that he is a worthy writer-director.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A genius who makes some bad movies., 2 October 2007

Author: sschwa from Austin, TX

Jerry Lewis has always been one of the most awesomely gifted comedians in the business. He can make you laugh so hard, your ribs hurt. He can also bore (and embarrass) the snot out of you. This movie is, truthfully, uneven. The first ten minutes, as the poor schnook tries merely to sit down in a doctor's office, are brilliant, screamingly funny. Other bits (there really isn't much of a plot) traverse a range from lying there like iron ingots to surreally jaw-dropping. The French aren't necessarily crazy. The highs in this movie soar, the lows strain to reach the curb. Welcome to a Jerry Lewis movie. If you can't handle that, this isn't for you.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
not Lewis's best but not his worst either, 29 March 2007

Author: john22900 from United States

The best way I can describe "Cracking Up" is it is a medium effort by Lewis, not his worst but not his best either. This Lewis film is worlds above "The Big Mouth" for example. The best and funniest sequences are the ones in which Foster Brooks and Zane Busby appear in. In fact, Zane Busby's scenes are among the funniest (and most annoying) in the entire picture. The annoying part of them is what makes them so darn funny. I wish Foster Brooks had more screen time than he does here but what he does with what he has to work with is very very funny. Lewis's main problem in this film is that he milks a gag on far longer than it is funny. This was not so much the case in many of Lewis's earlier films especially ones not written or directed by lewis himself. Lewis can be very very funny as his earlier pictures (after Martin) indicate and Lewis has a wild and fertile comic imagination that has served him pretty well. But as usual when Lewis writes and directs for Lewis, Lewis the editor does not know when to say "Cut!" and often scenes drag on far too long than they need be. I consider Jerry Lewis a true comic genius, much better than Chaplin, but not quite as good as Buster Keaton whose comedies in my opinion are very very underrated.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
One of Jerry's Most Overlooked Gems, 4 September 1999

Author: Pumpkin-22 from Destin, Florida

This is a sloppy mess of a comedy, with barely a plot to speak of, yet it contains some of the funniest bits Mr. Lewis has ever committed to film. It's one helluva lot better than the previous movie, "Hardly Working" which got a big theatrical release. It is the "Test Market Audience Mentality" that kept this excellent movie from getting a big-screen release in the U.S. "Cracking Up" keeps moving--if one gag fails, don't worry because there will be another, funnier one right on top of it. This overlooked gem has no less a fan than Martin Scorsese, who particularly loved the waxy floor opening credits sequence.

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5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
You Should See This Movie, 7 September 1999
Author: Fydo (dejamixer4@aol.com) from Buffalo, NY

This movie was one of Jerry Lewis's best in my opinion. I really think he is a good actor, director, writer, etc. and this movie definitely showed it. Lewis played a troubled man seemed to be cursed with bad luck. He showed off his talent by playing multiple characters, expressing the goofs that have happened during the course of his life. Must see this movie, it was awesome!

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3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
One of the best ever!, 24 December 2000
Author: haggi5115 from Washington, DC

I have seen many funny movies come and go, but I have yet to see a movie as funny as this one! My brother and I saw this movie on cable, back in 1983 when i was 13 years old, and we were literally on the floor "cracking up"!! It really lives up to its title!! Jerry Lewis was at his very best! Thumbs wayyyyy up!!

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Cracked me up, 17 February 2002
Author: RWolfson from penis?

Jerry Lewis is hilariously amazing. He is truly a comic genius. He writes hilarious movies and executes them so well and this is no exception. This is a great movie A GREAT MOVIE ONE OF JERRY'S OVERLOOKED GEMS IS CORRECT!!!!!!!!! If Jerry reads this I just have to say, you are the best at slapstick, and you are hilarious the most talented comedian to ever live, but I have a feeling there is this one kid who is coming up who will become the greatest, all because of ur teaching through ur films and colgate comedy hours.

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