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List Price: $14.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 8393
Released: September 15, 1997 |
| Our Price: $5.49 |
| Used Price: $1.11 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
JUST AFTER ARRIVING IN HIS NEW PLACE, STEVEN SUMMONS THE CABLEGUY. THE CABLE OPERATION TURNS OUT TO BE STARVED FOR HUMANCOMPANIONSHIP AND STEVEN GETS HOOKED INTO HANGING OUT WITH HIM. WHEN STEVEN DECIDES TO END THE RELATIONSHIP, THE CABLE GUYBECOMES TERRIFYING AND SATANIC, DESTROYING STEVEN'S LIFE.
Description of The Cable Guy:
If you think Jim Carrey's comedy is an acquired taste, think of The Cable Guy as a potent bottle of bittersweet wine. The film has a lingering aftertaste, but it is just a bit too dark, a bit too extreme to invite another serving. On the other hand, you've got to give Carrey some credit for risking his $20-million paycheck (and a big chunk of box-office revenue) on this black comedy. A needy, psychologically unbalanced cable-television installer (Carrey) forces his friendship upon an unsuspecting bachelor (Matthew Broderick) who has just broken up with his fiancée. The movie gets edgier and more desperate--and in some respects funnier--as Carrey's cable guy gradually goes crazy. Director Ben Stiller manages to pack some pointed social commentary into the movie's many humorous detours. Although it was a box-office disappointment, The Cable Guy is nevertheless a daring comedy for those who have had their fill of Ace Ventura. --Jeff Shannon
The Cable Guy Reviews:
ugly comedy 
2009-07-07 - Some people call this "dark comedy": I call it ugly.
Certain types psychopathic personalities prey on others,
the worst being mass murderers.
Here we have an individual who craves a brother or a friend
and as a result just messes up the lives of people he tries to get close to.
This guy is toast in the brain:
totally twisted toast.
I winched at each new fantastic development.Since I know an individual
who is very like this and very self-destructive
the movie wasn't fun for me.
Jim Carey's comedy acting was great: better than the movie plot deserved.
The Cable Guy 
2009-04-29 - When I saw this movie when it was new, I thought it was one of the funniest movies I'd ever seen. This is still my opinion. But my buddy, Gary, didn't like it. He was expecting Jim Carrey's usual lite, goofball comedy. The film was too dark and disturbing for him. Jim Carrey's portrayal of the psychotically unballanced Chip Douglas is a riot. If you like 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas', I think you'll appreciate The Cable Guy.
You will love this even if you are not a Jim Carrey fan! 
2009-04-09 - Let me start off by saying that I am not a Jim Carrey fan. I don't particularly care for his brand of physical, over the top comedy antics. Well this is nothing like his other films and that's a good thing! If he did more roles like this instead of more of the same, he would have an even bigger fan base. Here, Carrey plays it cool. And I'm a big fan of subtlety in comedy. Watching him drive the good-natured Matthew Broderick crazy is just plain hilarious. This has a sort of Fatal Attraction feel to it. The cable guy wants Steven (Broderick) to be his best friend. And he'll go to any lengths to prove it. But after Steven tells the Cable guy that he no long has room for another friend, Carrey begins to sabatoge Steven's life in retaliation. Sound familiar? I guess that is where the darkness people refer to comes through in this film. I enjoy dark comedies like this and Death Becomes Her, also recommended. I feel when you have brilliant writing and the right comedic timing, the comedy will shine through without all the physical craziness that some comedians force onto us. I guess it depends on your taste. However I highly recommend this even if Jim Carrey is not your cup of tea. I would even say it's his most intelligent comedic performance to date.
The 20 Million Dollar Man
2009-03-09 - I wonder how THE CABLE GUY would've fared if it had been released without all the publicity about Jim Carrey's $20 million paycheck. What film could live up to that kind of hype: $20 million's worth of comedy? Has any comedy movie ever been THAT funny?
On top of that, THE CABLE GUY is a very dark film. Carrey's "Chip Douglas" character is often more creepy than funny, whether appearing in Matthew Broderick's nightmare as a demon-eyed stalker or holding an eerie stare while chatting on the phone as a spider crawls across his face. Still, Carrey is very good.
Some of the better laughs are left to the background, particularly a running gag about the TV trial of a child star (Ben Stiller, the film's director) accused of murdering his twin. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the story gets darker and more serious as Carrey's character sets out to destroy Broderick's life.
Lots of references to our TV culture. So many in fact that it becomes disturbing how similar our upbringing shares with...the creepy Cable Guy.
A Jim Carrey Film for Those Who Don't Really Like Jim Carrey Films
2009-02-27 - Like others here, it's hard not to comment about this film's reputation as a "flop," or as the "film that almost ruined Carrey's career." So many people dislike this film, and my guess it's those who a) pretentiously avoid Jim Carrey at all costs or b) love his other films and were utterly disappointed that this wasn't like Ace Ventura or Dumb and Dumber. Well, too bad for them. This is a fantastic film, and only gets better with time. Not only does it have a terrific cast, the theme is surprisingly poignant for a comedy. After all, who hasn't known someone who was socially dysfunctional--someone who always tried to hard to fit in, yet completely missed the boat on proper social cues? It makes a terrific subject for comedy, and in the case of the Cable Guy, it's superbly handled. Still ranks as my favorite film from Stiller, Carrey, and Broderick. The hilarious dialogue still has me quoting it aloud. The basketball and Medieval Times scenes will stay with me, possibly forever.
