Night Shift

Director - Ron Howard (The Time Crystal, Cocoon)

Starring - Henry Winkler (Little Nicky, Happy Days), Michael Keaton (Batman, Spider-Man: Homecoming), and Shelley Long (Cheers, The Money Pit)

Release Date - 1982

Genre - Comedy/Crime

Tagline - "Ever since two enterprising young men turned the city morgue into a swinging business, people have been dying to get in"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was younger I was a regular visitor at my local video store.  I loved going up and down the isles looking at all the new releases, along with anything that was released in the 80s.  When I would convince my dad to make a trip out of the county I would visit the stores my hometown didn't have access to like Hills, Roses, K-Mart, and so on.  I would always venture to the electronics department of these stores to browse the VHS they had to offer in hopes of snagging a new tape.  During these years I remember seeing a copy of 1982's Night Shift.  I can't remember exactly where it was but I remember the artwork after all these years.  I always regretted not snagging it when I was younger and when I would see posts about it online I would feel the hot fire of guilt build up in my stomach.  A few months back Warner Bros. announced that they would be releasing the film on blu as part of their Archive Collection line.  I wasn't going to let this one sneak passed me again so I reached out to them to review it.  I was able to get a copy in a few weeks ago and it was one I was really looking forward to check out.  I want to thank Warner Bros. for taking the time to send this one over to me to check out.

     The film follows the timid Chuck (Winkler) who is demoted at his job at the city morgue to working nights.  They soon hire Bill (Keaton) who is the exact opposite of Chuck.  He's loud, risky, and always looking for the next get rich quick scheme while Chuck enjoys the silence working in the morgue brings along with the predictability.  Chuck's home life is not as he would like.  His fiancé is self-conscience about her weight and is constantly dieting.  Because she hasn't hit her own goals she refuses to sleep with him with the lights on and makes him walk through the house to ensure no one can see her.  However, a few doors down from him is a new tenant.  She's a prostitute and when her pimp is murdered Bill comes up with the idea to use the morgue, hearse, and the lack of management at night so the prostitutes of the area can get the respect they deserve.  Chuck reluctantly agrees but soon the money is flowing and the women are happy with them.  Life looks up until he is arrested when undercover cops and the local gangsters angry that they are stepping on their turf, arrive at the morgue resulting in a shoot out.  Chuck's fiancé leaves him but he realizes that the prostitute that has helped him open up is the one he truly loves.  

     I fully enjoyed Night Shift.   In fact, I absolutely fucking loved it.  The movie was funny, has a brilliant cast, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story.  I noticed that a lot of the people that I follow on Letterboxd didn't care for it but I fucking loved it.  The acting in this one is so much fun.  Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton work so well together.  They both create some seriously entertaining characters and their chemistry on screen rivals any buddy flick.  I also enjoyed Shelley Long a lot more than I have in her other works.  Her character was very enjoyable and I loved how energetic and charismatic she was.  The supporting cast is just as entertaining as well with so many other memorable performances showing up.  Honestly, if I was to recognize everyone that was impressive I would be here all day going through the entire cast.  The story for this one is great.  It's beautifully early 80s with a crime angle.  The underground organized crime aspect is noticeable but not enough to overshadow the romantic and comedic angle.  I found the film funny and loved how well the characters were written but the "trouble" the group faces later in the film is nowhere near as menacing or troublesome as most of the other films like it are.  It seems like a lot of time went into the overall story arc and humor instead of the entire story.  Finally, don't expect a bloody flick.  It's got some laughs, a little skin, and fun antics from a fantastic cast.  Overall, Night Shift is a wonderfully early 80s comedy that I thoroughly enjoyed.  The blu isn't something to write home about but it's better than not having it all.  I highly recommend it.