Review of The 'Burbs (1989) by Judge L — 21 Aug 2015

Underrated Tom Hanks comedy from underrated director Joe Dante. The film takes place entirely on a neighborhood street in the suburbs where Hanks and his colorful neighbors become suspicious about their Boo Radley-like neighbors following the disappearance of one of their longtime neighbors.

It's kind of a comic spin on "Rear Window" but the fun of this film is really in the cast an the playful storytellings. The cast includes Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Corey Feldman, Theodore and Courtney Gains and director Joe Dante's regular stock company of performers, including Rick Ducommun, Wendy Schaal, Henry Gibson, Brother Dick Miller, Robert Picardo and Rance Howard.

Critically panned at the time and not really remember now, I think this film has a suburban charm that hasn't really been tried before or since. Dante compared the film to "Lifeboat" in that the film stayed entirely in the neighborhood and never left.

Dante's regular composer Jerry Goldsmith provides the film a fine score. And I remember reading that there is a three hour cut of the film, which I'd be interested to see, but I'm suspecting I'll never get to see since this isn't a film the public seems to be clamoring for.

And one interesting factoid from IMDB is that Arthur's poodle, Queenie, was played by the same poodle who played Precious in "Silence of the Lambs.".