lolidunno16 I give this movie a 5/10. I have incredibly mixed reviews on this. So this movie is a comedy. It's not funny in the slightest. I laughed exactly once. I felt that this movie contained cliché after cliché. Maybe in 1987 some of these movie elements weren't so cliché. I would list them but I want to keep the review spoiler-free. I also thought the ending was incredibly stupid and predictable. The supposed "twist" about Margaret's fate was as obvious as all get out. That being said, although I didn't laugh, I did get very engrossed in this story. It left me wondering, was Billy Crystal actually going to do it? I found the crisscross idea very clever. This movie had potential, but it just wasn't the gem it could've been, in my opinion.The word that came to mind after the movie ended was Meh. Not something I'd actively seek out to watch again, but it was semi- enjoyable nonetheless.5/10 for mixed opinions.

classicsoncall In the best tradition of a twisted Hitchcock, this is a disturbingly funny movie that takes the "Strangers on a Train" concept and stands it right on it's head. I have to say, I get a kick out of Anne Ramsey, but ever since I saw her in 1985's "Goonies", I've always believed that was really a man underneath her characters. Calling her ugly wouldn't be a very nice thing to say, but boy, she sure does make you take a step back.Devito and Crystal play off each other quite well here, this was back in their heyday as comedic actors. All Devito has to do is show up actually, he's just plain funny to look at; the voice and mannerisms are an added bonus. It's been quite a while since I saw this film the first time, so hearing that piercing, guttural "Oweeeen" was a perfect way to get me back in the mood for watching this flick again.Okay, so it's not even in the same league as Professor Donner's (Crystal) literature class, but you can have some fun with this one. There's even a twist ending of sorts when it's revealed that Donner's wife (Kate Mulgrew) isn't really dead. So it's actually a happy ending movie after all if you're a clever enough writer to spin it that way.

Brian T. Whitlock (GOWBTW) Had it with the one who raised you since when you were young? You just want her gone from your life? That woman is your mother. You should respect her, you should honor her, whether she's in sick or well. But that in times, it can be aggravating. Especially when she becomes very overbearing. That's how Owen(Danny DeVito) had to deal with in "Throw Momma Fron The Train". His Momma(Anne Ramsey, 1929-88), is one of the worst. He trying his best to be a writer, and she is everything but grateful. Calls him a "clumsy poop", a "larda$$", and "fat" and "stupid". For his friend, Larry Donner(Billy Crystal) he has his own woman problems, his ex-wife. She trying to discredit him. So what did Owen do? Push her overboard. What does he do? Help return the favor, get rid of Mrs. Lift! In the kitchen scene, I liked it where Owen called Larry, "Cousin Patty". And Momma said, "You don't have a Cousin Patty!" and Owen shouts "You Lied To Me!" and El Cabongs Larry with the frying pan. Then comes the fun part when they where on the train and try to kill Momma Lift. That is thwarted, and she kicks Larry off the train. Well, everything back to normal, the ex-wife lives, but Momma kicked the bucket on her own. Maybe she should have seen the errors of her domineering ways. A fun movie it is, and the cast is great. A classic! 5 stars!

gcd70 Danny De Vito shows us here he is definitely, indeed infinitely, a better on screen performer than off. He plays the part of Owen, a miserable would-be writer with a cranky old mother (delightfully played by Anne Ramsey) he would like to see dead. Billy Crystal is Larry, a very frustrated writing teacher who has an estranged wife he feels the same way about. So Owen, after viewing Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train", suggests they swap murders.As director though, De Vito's control is inconsistent as he wastes this clever idea, while his film lurches from the very humorous to the very bland. He and Crystal are okay in the lead roles, but the show belongs to Anne Ramsey as the cantankerous Mrs. Lift.Saturday, June 20, 1992 - Video