a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Block-Heads is the last film Laurel & Hardy made for Hal Roach, it is longer than their normal shorts but at least it is not padded out with musical dance numbers.It starts off in 1917 with the duo in the trenches fighting in France during World War 1. Laurel has been left behind guarding the trenches as Hardy and the rest of the troops went over the top. The trouble is no one told Laurel that the war has been over for 20 years.At a veterans home Laurel is reunited with Hardy and that is when trouble begins as Hardy invites him home for a steak dinner but Oliver's wife has other ideas, before long their female neighbour comes to help but Hardy needs to make sure he does not get caught in a an uncompromising position.The film is a series of skits from Hardy thinking Laurel has lost his leg and carrying him home, to Laurel crashing a car in Hardy's garage, the lift not working so the duo climb the steps and get involved in disputes with the residents plus a lot, lot more.After this film the duo headed for a decline but this is one of the best.

This is the "boys" - Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy - it what many consider their last good comedy feature film, doing what they do best: short slapstick routines. It's almost a compilation of them, a series of routines more than a story with a plot. Stan and Ollie, between 45 and 50 years old when they made this film, were Hollywood veterans by now.Frankly, the comedy might be considered a little too corny for today's crowd but, hey, the movie is 70 years old. If you're a fan of these two comedians you should enjoy this film. Anyway, when anyone provides a lot of gags in just under one hour, you'll hit and miss a lot....but some things will always be funny. Some are still clever, too, such as the bit with the window shade being a shadow.You can always count on Ollie being henpecked and Stan being an airhead (he's a WWI soldier who marched in a trench for 20 years not realizing the war is long over). Of course, if you think about it, that premise has more holes in it than the proverbial swiss cheese, but who cares? A good portion of this film involves the simple fact of Ollie and Stan just trying to walk 13 flights up the stairs to Ollie's apartment, and the adventures that happen to them along the way.After watching just 57 minutes of these guys pratfalls and slapstick routines, you'll be exhausted!

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are the most famous comedy duo in history, and deservedly so, so I am happy to see any of their films. It starts in the trenches of World War II, and Stan is the soldier left alone to guard, and two decades later (1938), he is still there pacing and eating beans, with no idea the war was over. Fellow soldier Ollie meanwhile is married to his wife (Minna Gombell), and remembers it is their first anniversary, so she plans a meal for the two of them. Ollie does see Stan in the paper, and goes to see him, and looking like his leg is missing, when he's actually sitting on it, he takes pity and takes him home, he does eventually see the leg before they leave. It does take a little while to get upstairs, as they miss the elevator (once out of order), as Ollie gets into a small fight with James Finlayson, and kicks a ball downstairs, but they get in eventually. His wife storms out seeing Stan, and they manage to explode the kitchen with a lit match and gas, with neighbour Mrs. 'Toots' Gilbert (Patricia Ellis) offering to help clean up. Mrs. Hardy returns to the mess, very angry, and Mrs. Gilbert is under a sheet shaped like a chair, before getting a trunk after Mrs. Hardy has left, and Mr. Gilbert (Billy Gilbert) comes in, and seeing his wife in the trunk, wearing pyjamas as well, it ends with them being chased by him and his hunting gun. Filled with wonderful slapstick and all classic comedy you could want from a black and white film, it is an enjoyable film. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Music for Marvin Hatley. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were number 7 on The Comedians' Comedian. Very good!

Block-Heads (1938) **** (out of 4)WW1, 1918, Laurel and Hardy are in the trenches when the commanding officer orders Laurel to guard the place and do whatever it takes to keep it safe. Flash forward twenty years and Laurel is still there guarding the same trench unaware that the war ended two decades ago. He is eventually brought back to America and gets his picture in the paper where Hardy sees him and decides to bring him back to his place for dinner.While I haven't seen every Laurel and Hardy feature this one here is without a doubt the funniest I've seen and I'd probably go as far as calling it one of the best comedies ever made. With a short running time of under an hour, Block-Heads really doesn't have any plot to think of but instead we're treated to all sorts of wonderful site gags as well as some funny lines that kept my eyes full of tears due to how hard I was laughing. Then opening five minutes inside the trenches isn't too funny and contains some rather violent stock footage of the war but after that everything is on the up and up.Things kick off in a high gear right when the duo are reunited in a wonderful segment where Hardy thinks Laurel has lost one of his legs and insists on carrying him around.When things get back to an apartment building we get a very long segment (nearly half the film) of the two trying to climb thirteen levels of stairs and getting into all sorts of trouble including a wonderfully hilarious scene with L&H regular James Finlayson as well as a run in with Our Gang member Tommy Bond. Like other Laurel and Hardy films, the pacing is lightening fast with gags running left and right and to me, every single gag worked in this film including the mind numbing scene where the desk clerk gets a football upside his head.