Analyze This!

Starring: Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, Joe Vitterelli, Lisa Kudrow, Molly Shannon and Leo Rossi.
Directed by: Harold Ramis.

Analyze This is freakin hysterical! At first I harbored a strange aversion to Analyze This. After all, Billy Crystal's last flick,  My Giant was such a giant disappointment and sooo creepy--one big yech fest from which I couldn't remove myself fast enough from the extremely comfortable seats to run out and trough at the Sweet Tomatoes salad bar next to the theater and trough like a human tick.

What was Billy thinking...maybe... "At least I'm not Chevy Chase!"  I digress. That, having been the last thought of dear Billy, I was not expecting the FABULOUS movie I saw.

Harold Ramis (along with a small army) wrote and directed this hysterical parody of the Mob and hilarious insights to modern psychotherapy.That might be due to the fact most of the writers came from dysfunctional childhoods, grapple with a latent Oedipus complex and suffer from penis envy. But, that's just speculation.

Anyhoodlum...Crystal's dead pan delivery of a well penned script had me laughing so hard I actually had to see the movie twice! Crystal's Ben Sobel,  is dragged into mob boss Paul Vitti's ( Robert -sexiest man living- De Niro) life to help cure him of panic attacks; not that it prevents him from offing people anyway mind you.

Manowar was De Niro great! He did his own parody! He must have a great sense of humor to spoof himself like that. He is right on the funnybone target. The man who brought you Raging Bull now brings you raging laughter. His suits are to die for! Ya, know that's why evil is so alluring; they always dress the bad guys exceptionally snazzy and the good guys from the Big K Unfuckable Collection of Kenny Rogers polyester leisure wear. No wonder girls are attracted to a bad element; they're flame retardant.

De Niro's archnemesis, Chazz Palmenteri has been given so few lines it pained me.  He shed his rotunda manfat from Hurly Burly and looks as svelte and delicious as eva! Could he be better? Ah, no.

Run and see this! You will be bursting with guffaws. Hey, don't go if ya got a cold, ya may blow snot on the people in front of ya (and days could be packin' a piece ya know). I am so happy Billy's back on top where he should be; he's a gem.

And Bob? Please what can't that guy do? Oh yeah, sing. Remember New York New York? He's forgiven.

Snack recommendation: Some pasta fagioli, a little penne ala vodka, bracciole,  meatballs--mangia! You're too thin! Eat before the show, so ya stink of garlic for that odorama affect. Xanax for dessert.