Neighbors (1981)

A quiet man's peaceful suburban lifestyle is threatened by the new, obnoxious couple that moves in next door.

Director:

John G. Avildsen

Writers:

Thomas Berger (novel), Larry Gelbart (screenplay)

Stars:

John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Kathryn Walker

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Belushi	...	Earl Keese
Kathryn Walker	...	Enid Keese
Cathy Moriarty	...	Ramona
Dan Aykroyd	...	Vic
Igors Gavon	...	Chic
Dru-Ann Chuckran	...	Chic's Wife
Tim Kazurinsky	...	Pa Greavy
Tino Insana	...	Perry Greavy
P.L. Brown	...	Police Officer #1
Henry Judd Baker	...	Police Officer #2
Lauren-Marie Taylor	...	Elaine Keese
Sherman G. Lloyd	...	Fireman #1 (DOC) (as Sherman Lloyd)
Bert Kittel	...	Fireman #2
J.B. Friend	...	Additional Fireman
Bernie Friedman	...	Additional Fireman

Storyline

One man's quiet suburban life takes a sickening lurch for the worse when a young couple move into the deserted house next door. From the word go it is obvious these are not the quiet professional types who *should* be living in such a nice street. As more and more unbelievable events unfold, our hero starts to question his own sanity... and those of his family.

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Plot Keywords:

house | married couple | title same as book | visit | opening a door | 

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Taglines:

Lock the doors... here come the Neighbors

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

18 December 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die verrückten Nachbarn

Filming Locations:

Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$29,916,207

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tim Kazurinsky plays Tino Insana's father. In real life, Kazurinsky is two years younger than Insana.

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Goofs

After Vic's dog Baby is heard barking in Enid and Earl's bedroom, we never hear or see the dog again, even after Vic, Ramona and Earl leave Bird Street.

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Quotes

Vic: Believe me, I know women - upside down and backwards, which is not a bad way to know 'em, huh?

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Alternate Versions

The movie's original cut had a very dark ending with Earl getting killed, but the studio re-edited the film with a happy ending with Earl leaving home and joining Vic and Ramona on their adventures.

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Connections

Featured in Too Young to Die: John Belushi - Ein Leben über dem Limit (2012)

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Soundtracks

Stayin' Alive
Written and Performed by The Bee Gees
Courtesy of RSO Records, Inc.

User Reviews

For those who like their comedy dark, it's great!

As is evident from the many split decisions to be found on this site, "Neighbors" is not everyone's cup of tea. However, for those who have a taste for dark comedy, it is quite a good film. As has been stated numerous times, this film was a critical and box-office failure, and there were many tensions between Belushi and the director on set. Despite this turmoil, or maybe because of it, "Neighbors" has an authentically skewed, uncomfortable tone. This works in it's favor, however, considering the subject matter. As does the casting of Aykroyd and Belushi in the roles of tormentor and victim, respectively. This choice is probably most responsible for some's dislike of the film. Unfortunately, Belushi, near the end of his life, was being pigeon-holed as a crass, boorish "wild man" of comedy, mostly due to his turns in "National Lampoon's Animal House" and "1941." However, he was a fine comedic actor capable of great subtlety and fine nuance, which is why he consciously chose the role he did (the film was originally conceived with John in the role of Vic). This film and many scenes from his first year on "Saturday Night Live" grandly illustrate his range. Likewise, Dan Aykroyd was quite an intense performer back then - in many "SNL" scenes (again, mostly from the first year), Aykroyd paraded out a variety of high-strung bizarre characters which practically vibrated with energy... indeed, though he did not end up playing it, the role of "D-Day" in "Animal House" was conceived with Dan in mind. Here, he really gets to cut loose and, as always, his and John's interplay are priceless. Not to be overlooked is the incredibly hot Cathy Moriarty who, not to take away from her own formidable comedic prowess, was quite the piece of ass (she was also stunning in "Raging Bull"). This is by no means a perfect film, and it does slow in spots, but it is by no means the disaster many make it out to be. See for yourself... love it or hate it, at least admire it for trying to be different. Funny stuff!