The 'burbs (1989)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Joe Dante

Writer (WGA):

Dana Olsen (written by)

Release Date:

17 February 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

A comedy about one nice guy who gets pushed too far.

Plot:

An overstressed suburbanite and his paramilitaric neighbor struggle to prove their paranoid theory that the new family in town is a front for a cannibalistic cult.

Plot Keywords:

Neighbor | Basement | Wig | Reference To Pinocchio | Occult

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Ray Peterson
Bruce Dern	...	Mark Rumsfield
Carrie Fisher	...	Carol Peterson
Rick Ducommun	...	Art Weingartner
Corey Feldman	...	Ricky Butler
Wendy Schaal	...	Bonnie Rumsfield
Henry Gibson	...	Dr. Werner Klopek
Brother Theodore	...	Uncle Reuben Klopek
Courtney Gains	...	Hans Klopek
Gale Gordon	...	Walter Seznick
Dick Miller	...	Vic, Garbageman #1
Robert Picardo	...	Joe, Garbageman #2
Cory Danziger	...	Dave Peterson
Franklyn Ajaye	...	Detective #1
Rance Howard	...	Detective #2
Heather Haase	...	Ricky's Girlfriend
Nicky Katt	...	Steve Kuntz (as Nick Katt)
Bill Stevenson	...	Ricky's Friend
Gary Hays	...	Ricky's Friend
Kevin Gage	...	Cop
Dana Olsen	...	Cop
Brenda Benner	...	Walter's Daughter
Patrika Darbo	...	Suzanne Weingartner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sonny Carl Davis	...	Voice-over actor (voice) (as Sonny Davis)
Moosie Drier	...	Voice-over actor (voice)
Leigh French	...	Voice-over actor (voice)
Archie Hahn	...	Voice-over actor (voice)
Billy Jayne	...	Voice-over actor (voice) (as Billy Jacoby)
Phyllis Katz	...	Voice-over actor (voice)
Jeffrey Kramer	...	Voice-over actor (voice)
Tracy Newman	...	Voice-over actor (voice)
Lynne Marie Stewart	...	Voice-over actor (voice) (as Lynne Stewart)
Arnold F. Turner	...	Voice-over actor (voice) (as Arnold Turner)
Gigi Vorgan	...	Voice-over actor (voice)
Carey Scott	...	Ricky's Friend (uncredited)

Directed by
Joe Dante

Writing credits (WGA)
Dana Olsen		(written by)

Produced by
Larry Brezner	....	producer
Michael Finnell	....	producer
Ron Howard	....	executive producer
Pat Kehoe	....	associate producer
Dana Olsen	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Robert M. Stevens		(director of photography) (as Robert Stevens)

Film Editing by
Marshall Harvey

Casting by
Mike Fenton
Judy Taylor

Production Design by
James H. Spencer		(as James Spencer)

Art Direction by
William George
Charles L. Hughes

Set Decoration by
John H. Anderson		(as John Anderson)

Costume Design by
Rosanna Norton

Makeup Department
Michael Germain	....	makeup artist
Christine Lee	....	hair stylist (as Chris Lee)
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Pat Kehoe	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David D'Ovidio	....	second assistant director
Carla McCloskey	....	first assistant director
Cynthia A. Potthast	....	dga trainee
Daniel R. Suhart	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dale E. Anderson	....	swing gang
Frank Anderson	....	swing gang
Eric Bilson	....	assistant property master (as Eric James Bilson)
Gregg H. Bilson	....	property master
Nigel A. Boucher	....	lead man
Judy Cammer	....	set designer
John Ceppi	....	constructor
Tom Cranham	....	production illustrator (as Thomas R. Cranham)
Erin M. Cummins	....	set designer (as Erin Cummins)
Michael Johnson	....	set designer
Charles R. Lipscomb	....	lead man (as Charles Lipscomb)
John P. Muscarella	....	labor foreman
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator (as Michael A. Muscarella)
Dave Newhouse	....	greensman
Anthony Paronelli	....	painter (as Anthony L. Paronelli)
Enrico Paronelli	....	plaster foreman
James E. Tocci	....	set designer
David Tully	....	greensman (as David V. Tully)
Ciro Vuoso	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Ron Bartlett	....	foley editor
Kevin Bartnof	....	foley artist
Michael J. Benavente	....	sound editor
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Gary Bourgeois)
Derek Casari	....	dubbing engineer
Aaron Glascock	....	foley editor
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound editor
Randall L. Johnson	....	boom operator (as Randy Johnson)
Ken King	....	sound mixer
Angie Luckey	....	sound effects assistant
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound effects (as Mark Mangini)
Mark A. Mangini	....	supervising sound editor (as Mark Mangini)
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Sonny Pettijohn	....	sound effects assistant
John Pospisil	....	special sound effects (as John P.)
Steve Purvis	....	adr editor (as Stephen Purvis)
David Schneider	....	cable operator
George Simpson	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Michael Arbogast	....	special effects
Danny Lester	....	special effects foreman (as Dan Lester)
Jeff Pepiot	....	special effects (as Jeffrey Pepiot)
Ken Pepiot	....	special effects supervisor
Paul Stewart	....	special effects
Thomas R. Ward	....	special effects (as Thomas Ward)

Visual Effects by
Selwyn Eddy	....	visual effects cameraman (as Selwyn Eddy III)
Bill George	....	visual effects art director
Peter Kuran	....	special visual effects
Jim Morris	....	visual effects producer
Michael Owens	....	visual effects supervisor
Paul Swendsen	....	matte artist
Bruce Vecchitto	....	optical supervisor
Bruce Walters	....	visual effects cameraman
Jammie Friday	....	animator: VCE, Inc. (uncredited)

Stunts
Roydon Clark	....	stunts
Danny Costa	....	stunts
Gary Epper	....	stunts
Sandra Lee Gimpel	....	stunts (as Sandy Gimpel)
John Hateley	....	stunts
Eddie Hice	....	stunts
Gary Morgan	....	stunts
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts
Jeff Ramsey	....	stunts
Wally Rose	....	stunts
Ray Saniger	....	stunts
Rick Sawaya	....	stunts
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts
Jeff Smolek	....	stunt coordinator
Jeff Smolek	....	stunts
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (as George P. Wilber)
Brian J. Williams	....	stunts (as Brian Williams)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jamie Anderson	....	additional camera operator
Kirk Bales	....	dolly grip (as Kirk E. Bales)
Ken W. Ballantine	....	lighting technician (as Ken Ballantine)
Norman Cattell	....	additional assistant camera
Christopher C. Cooper	....	second assistant camera (as Christopher Cooper)
Allen D. Easton	....	camera operator (as Allen Easton)
Danny Falkengren	....	grip (as Dan Falkengren)
John Hora	....	additional photographer
Leslie J. Kovacs	....	chief lighting technician (as Les Kovacs)
Kris Krosskove	....	first assistant camera
Hal Landaker	....	video supervisor
Benny McNulty	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Montey Menapace	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as Montey F. Menapace)
Hal Nelson	....	best boy grip
Ralph Nelson	....	still photographer (as Ralph Nelson II)
Michael D. O'Shea	....	camera operator
Brent Poe	....	lighting technician
E. Christopher Reed	....	lighting technician
Charles Saldana	....	key grip
Robert J. San Martin	....	first assistant camera (as Bob San Martin)
T. Daniel Scaringi	....	grip
Paul E. Sutton	....	grip
Chuck Whelan	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera (as Charles E. Whelan II)
David Tolsky	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cheryl Beasley Blackwell	....	costume supervisor
Eric H. Sandberg	....	costume supervisor
Mary Elizabeth Still	....	on-set costumer

Editorial Department
Ilana Ben-Gigi	....	apprentice editor
Uri Katoni	....	assistant editor
Robert Leader	....	assistant editor: reshoots (uncredited)

Music Department
Bruce Botnick	....	music recording mixer
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Glenn A. Carter	....	transportation captain
Randy White	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Julianna Arenson	....	production accountant
Tony Ciccone	....	production assistant (as Anthony Ciccone)
Wendy Eidson	....	production secretary (as Wendy A. Eidson)
Jane Estocin	....	production secretary
Leigh French	....	voice-over coordinator
William Shane Grisco	....	animal handler (as William S. Grisco)
Roz Harris	....	script supervisor (as Roslyn Harris)
Jamie Kehoe	....	craft service (as James P. Kehoe)
Linda Kwaska	....	assistant: Mr. Brezner (as Linda Kwasha)
Adria Later	....	studio teacher
Jackie Martin	....	animal handler
Cristie Miele	....	animal handler (as Christie Miele)
Betty Moos	....	assistant: Mr. Dante and Mr. Finnell
Mary L. Rand	....	assistant accountant (as Mary Lou Rand)
J.B. Rogers	....	production assistant (as James B. Rogers)
Reid Rosefelt	....	unit publicist
Karen Shaw	....	production coordinator (as Karen E. Shaw)
Chris Wilson	....	assistant: Mr. Hanks

Production Companies

• Imagine Entertainment

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1991) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
• VCE

Other Companies

• Cenex Casting  extras casting (as Cenex)
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color timing (as Deluxe)
• Donah Bassett and Associates  negative cutting
• For Stars Catering  catering
• Goldcrest Post Production London  on-line editing
• Grisco's Animals  animals
• Howard Anderson Company, The  titles and opticals
• Panavision  camera equipment provided by
• TAJ Soundworks  foley
• Varèse Sarabande  score album released by (limited edition)

Also Known As:

Life in the Burbs (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | UK:12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | USA:PG (Certificate #29589) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Sweden:11 (cut) | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Spain:13 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Imagine Entertainment

Trivia:

Prop master Mark Jameson was charged with making fake dog poop when the actors complained that they didn't want to step in the real thing. It was a mixture of canned dog food, bean dip, and other food items which was loaded into caulking tubes and squeezed out where needed.

Goofs:

Continuity: The bandage around Ray's head, after the explosion, moves up and down.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Carol Peterson: Ray. Ray, where are you going? Come back to bed.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in John's Arm: Armageddon (2008)

Soundtrack:

LOCKED IN A CAGE

a hilarious movie

The first time I saw THE 'BURBS, it was a special unannounced sneak preview following another film. Having heard nothing about this film and not even knowing of its existence until the film started, I was immediately worried I was about to see a horror film. Hey, I was only ten at the time, when I was still scared of horror movies. But what I ended up seeing was one of the most hilarious movies ever made, a movie that had the entire theater laughing all the way through. We later bought the video, and more recently the DVD, and over the years since it's release I've watched it countless times (the exact number probably somewhere in the 50s or so) and have never grown tired of it.

While managing to be both suspenseful and funny at the same time, the film also does a great job after capturing the day-to-day life of a small suburban street, with a variety of characters so simple and life-like, it seems like they could actually live on your own street. The grumpy old guy down the street, the teenager who likes to throw parties while his parents are gown, the guy next door who comes over all the time and mooches food, and the average Everyday Joe who experiences it all at his own pace. The cast is an excellent combination, with everybody working great together, particularly Bruce Dern as the Vietnam vet who always has the right tool for the job and Tom Hanks as the average guy who's curious about his strange new neighbors, but not enough to really want to bother finding out more about them. If you've never seen it, I suggest giving it a look. It really is quite funny and has many quotable lines.