Weekend at Bernie's II
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Klane
Written byRobert Klane
Based onCharacters created by
Robert Klane
Produced byVictor Drai
Joseph Perez
Starring
CinematographyEdward Morey III
Edited byPeck Prior
Music byPeter Wolf
Distributed byTriStar Pictures
Release date
  • July 9, 1993 (1993-07-09)
Running time
89 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15–17 million[2]
Box office$12.7 million[3]

Weekend at Bernie's II is a 1993 American black comedy film written and directed by Robert Klane. It is the sequel to Klane's 1989 comedy Weekend at Bernie's and starring Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Terry Kiser, and Barry Bostwick. It tells the story of Larry and Richard once again ending up with their late boss' corpse, which is targeted by a voodoo queen hired by mobsters.

The film was panned by critics and grossed $12.7 million at the box office.

Plot

Larry Wilson and Richard Parker are at a Manhattan morgue where they see the corpse of their CEO Bernie Lomax. Larry falsely claims Bernie as his uncle, so he can get some of Bernie's possessions including Bernie's credit card. At the insurance company, Larry and Richard are quizzed by their boss and Arthur Hummel, the company's internal investigator, who ask the two if they have the US$2 million that Bernie embezzled. They deny knowing where the money is, but their boss believes that they are lying and fires them. He also sends Hummel after them, giving him two weeks to prove their guilt.

Over dinner paid for with Bernie's credit card, Larry tells Richard he found a key to a safe deposit box in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and asks Richard if he will use the computer at work to see if the $2 million is in Bernie's account. At first Richard refuses but ultimately gives in.

Meanwhile in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a voodoo queen named Mobu is hired by mobsters to find the $2 million Bernie stole. She sends two servants Henry and Charles to go to New York, get Bernie's body, use a voodoo ceremony to reanimate him, and bring him back to her so he can lead her to the money. Their attempts to bring Bernie back are plagued by accidents. They prepare in a bathroom at a shady adult movie theatre for the voodoo ceremony. Having lost the sacrificial chicken, they use a pigeon instead. As a result, Bernie is reanimated but only moves when he hears music. At the 42nd Street–Grand Central subway station, Henry and Charles soon abandon him to chase a man who stole their boombox.

Later that night, Larry and Richard sneak into their office building to check Bernie's account only to find that Bernie is the only one that can open it. They are soon arrested by police officers for breaking and entering. After their release, they find Bernie, whom they believe is still completely dead, stuff him into a suitcase, bring him with them to the Virgin Islands, and put him into a small refrigerator in their hotel room.

Unbeknownst to the two, Hummel is following them to recover the embezzled cash. The men use Bernie to open his safety deposit box but only find a map. Meanwhile, Larry befriends a lovely native girl named Claudia and gives her the map. Henry and Charles capture the two and take them to Mobu. With one of the mobsters holding a gun to his head, she forces Richard to drink a poisonous potion and tells them they must find the map by sundown to get the antidote.

When Larry, Richard, and Claudia are reunited, they are shocked to discover that the undead Bernie is moving and realize he is leading them towards the $2 million. To keep him moving, they put a Walkman with headphones on his head. As Bernie finds a large chest underwater, their resulting excitement causes Larry to accidentally shoot Bernie in the head with a speargun, destroying the headphones.

They attempt to bring Bernie back to the surface but he will not let go of the chest, which is too heavy to hoist out of the water. They end up attaching Bernie to a horse carriage with music playing. It seems to work at first, but when they go downhill, the carriage goes out of control. Eventually, the carriage ends up at Mobu's place. Bernie hits a large tree branch and spins into a somersault before knocking out Mobu. The crash also causes Bernie to drop the chest on the ground and it breaks open. Larry tries to scoop up the money, but is caught by Hummel (now slightly unhinged upon seeing the undead Bernie walk) and he gives the $2 million to him. With Mobu out of commission, Claudia's father, a medical doctor, says that he can cure Richard if he can get the blood of a virgin (which Larry confesses he can provide). The mobsters and Mobu are arrested.

Larry confesses to Richard that he returned the $2 million to the insurance company, but only after learning Bernie actually stole $3 million. Larry and Richard use some of the remaining million to purchase a yacht crewed by attractive women. Bernie leads Henry and Charles, who have been transformed into goats by voodoo, through a Carnival parade.

Cast

Production

Weekend at Bernie's II was filmed in 1992 in the Territory of the Virgin Islands of the United States and in New York City.[2] The cast and crew, who were mainly from the Los Angeles area, were on location when the Los Angeles riots of April 1992 broke out and they stated in a St. Thomas interview that they were worried for their loved ones. The Bernie dummy used in the film had been on display for the film's debut shortly before the riot's outbreak, and was robbed of its painter's hat and $400 sunglasses.[4]

Reception

Weekend at Bernie's II earned mostly negative reviews from critics, earning a 13% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 31 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "It would appear to be all but impossible to make a worthwhile sequel to a comedy about a corpse's exploits—odds Weekend at Bernie's II never comes close to beating."[5] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "C+" on scale of A+ to F.[6]

Hal Hinson of The Washington Post wrote: "If the premise of the first film was mindless and repetitive, it's doubly so this second time around."[7] Entertainment Weekly gave it a grade of "F".[8]

David Rooney of Variety called it "a mildly diverting farcical caper."[9] Stephen Holden of The New York Times gave the film 3 out of 5 and praised Terry Kiser for his performance: "Through it all, Mr. Kiser, who says not a word, exudes the foolish amiability of a partygoer who is beyond plotzed and is living in a private world of his own."[10]

Box office

The movie grossed $12,741,891 in the US and Canada.[3][11]

Weekend at Bernie's II is mentioned in the eighth season episode of Seinfeld, "The Comeback". The movie is featured in the staff picks shelf at a video rental store under "Gene's Picks". Kramer recommends it to Elaine (as "a hilarious premise") instead of a staff pick by "arthouse goon" Vincent. Elaine rents it only to be disappointed and eventually yell "Bernie's dead, you morons!" at the television while watching it.[12]

Similarly in the NCIS episode "Deception", a character who needs to establish an alibi is too embarrassed to say which film he had been watching. The team assume he was watching a porn film, but he eventually admits it was Weekend at Bernie's II to which film geek Agent DiNozzo says "Even worse."[13]

The movie is referenced in the How I Met Your Mother episode "How Lily Stole Christmas" when Ted attempts to insult Lily for having a poor sense of humor. "Remember that time we heard her laughing, and we thought she was watching Weekend at Bernie's but it turned out she was watching Weekend at Bernie's II!" This movie is also referenced in the How I Met Your Mother episode "Weekend at Barney's".[14]

Beavis and Butt-Head references this movie in the episode "Most Wanted" where the main characters watch a commercial for the movie Weekend at Bernie's Part 7 which features the tagline "Bernie's still dead and he's stiffer than ever!" Bernie is shown being visibly decaying at this point.[15]

Similar to Beavis and Butt-Head, Rick and Morty would also parody the premise of the Bernie's series in their episode "Rixty Minutes" wherein in an alternate universe, Jerry Smith is revealed to have written and directed a film entitled Last Will and Testimeow: Weekend at Dead Cat Lady's House II about a group of cats attempting to act as their owner after she dies in her sleep. This includes dating, making out with, and ultimately engaging in sexual intercourse with their owner's estate holder despite the body visibly fighting to keep from decomposition, to the point one cat has to open the mouth, which is not only rotting, but is seen to have maggots inside.[16]

On The Eric Andre Show, specifically the Season 5 episode "The ASAP Ferg Show", the titular host, Andre, "reenacted" the Bernie's series by walking around with someone dressed as, and acting dead like, Bernie, going up to random people and letting them know (despite a majority of people not having any interest), even specifically mentioning the sequel by name.[17]

Movin' Like Bernie

Inspired by the movement of the film's namesake, a style of dance was created called "Movin' Like Bernie". Homemade films went viral on the Internet, from children to soldiers serving overseas.[18] Even professional athletes began performing the dance, including Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice after scoring a touchdown during a nationally-televised January 2011 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.[19]

The 2012 Oakland Athletics adapted "Movin' Like Bernie" into their celebration routines after Coco Crisp played the song for third baseman Brandon Inge in the team's clubhouse before a game. Players such as Josh Reddick would perform the dance after a home run, big hit, or walk-off victory.[20]

References

  1. ↑ Holden, Stephen (July 10, 1993). "Movie Review – Weekend at Bernie's II – Review/Film; Bon Vivant Still Lives. Or Is It Dies?". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Weekend at Bernie's II (1993)". AFI Catalog. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Weekend at Bernie's II (1993) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Weekend at Bernie's II". TV Guide. May 11, 1992.
  5. ↑ Weekend at Bernie's II at Rotten Tomatoes
  6. ↑ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ Hinson, Hal (July 10, 1993). "'Weekend at Bernie's II' (PG)". The Washington Post.
  8. ↑ Burr, Ty (July 23, 1993). "Weekend At Bernie's II". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  9. ↑ Rooney, David (February 17, 1993). "Weekend at Bernie's II". Variety.
  10. ↑ Holden, Stephen (July 10, 1993). "Review/Film; Bon Vivant Still Lives. Or Is It Dies?". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ "Weekend Box Office : The Number-Crunchers Are Smiling". Los Angeles Times. July 13, 1993. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  12. ↑ "The Comeback". Seinfeld. Season 8. Episode 13. January 30, 1997. NBC.
  13. ↑ "Deception". NCIS. Season 3. Episode 13. January 17, 2006. CBS.
  14. ↑ "How Lily Stole Christmas". How I Met Your Mother. Season 2. Episode 11. December 11, 2006. CBS.
  15. ↑ "Most Wanted". Beavis and Butt-Head. Season 3. Episode 31. March 5, 1994. MTV.
  16. ↑ "Rixty Minutes". Rick and Morty. Season 1. Episode 8. March 17, 2014. Cartoon Network.
  17. ↑ "The ASAP Ferg Show". The Eric Andre Show. Season 5. Episode 5. November 8, 2020. Adult Swim.
  18. ↑ Soldiers Movin' Like Bernie 2. January 26, 2012. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2012 – via YouTube.
  19. ↑ "Ray Rice Is Movin' Like Berney". Archived from the original on January 21, 2011.
  20. ↑ "A's movin' like Bernie". NBC Sports. July 23, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
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