Product ReviewsThe Ref (DVD, 1994)

The Ref....A Denis Leary Christmas

This Dark Christmas Comedy starring Denis Leary is a movie about a jewelry heist gone bad and is not for the faint of heart.

Please take note that the language is quite offensive most of the time and the the subject matter is adult. The movies time line takes place during Christmas Eve and there are some rather sacrilegious remarks made that I personally found very funny but very crass and very abrasive at the same time. This movie is not your typical Christmas fare...it is along the same lines as Billy Bob Thorton's Bad Santa.

Denis Leary (Gus) is just as foul mouthed and irreverent in this movie as he is during his stand up comedy routines....so, consider yourself warned.

The movie takes place in a small Connecticut town on Christmas Eve.
Denis Leary (Gus) is attempting to secure his future with one last big jewelry score. His efforts prove to be unsuccessful when his greed gets the best of him and things go awry. He finds himself trying to bribe his way past a guard dog ( a Rottweiler named Cannibal) and from there his troubles only multiply.

Gus finds himself stranded in this small community with a reward bounty on his head and the local police doing house to house searches. In an attempt to "blend in" he takes a couple hostage for the night and all H*ll breaks loose.

Gus has the misfortune of taking the most dysfunctional and disagreeable couple in town as his hostages. The insane are running the asylum and Gus's efforts to regain control are what makes this dark comedy so very, very funny.

Silent night?
Holy night?..........
I don't think so!Read full review...

The Ref

This movie is hysterical! It has these two ordinary people who are in marriage counseling with a doctor who is not getting them the breakthru to save and improve their marriage at all. But that is the least of their worries when they are randomly held hostage by an on the run thief. Unbeknownst to the poor thief, he has just kidnapped a couple who have such deep seated anger issues that every minute of their day is a constant effort to resolve their turmoil...and no kidnapping is going to deter them from their mission! Add to that an obviously dysfunctional rest of the family (inlaws included) and all chaos breaks loose...You will laugh your head off!

I originally borrowed this movie from my sister, say 2 years ago...and then just Never Gave It Back...Why? Because I was watching it like every week and every time we had people over and they wanted to watch a film...this was the one we'd watch! Everyone loved it! Eventually, I realized I needed my own copy so I could return hers, so I bid on 3 here on ebay and kept bidding until I won all of them. One is for my own family and the other two are gifts to my 2 favorite people. Gotta share the best video ever!Read full review...

The Ref

This is one of the most hilarious marital movies I can think of. It is an authentic representative of how some in-laws have insinuated their control over a family member's marriage. It reveals how time skews one's perception of why their marriage can't survive another year. When the family's behaviors are brought to a head by an angry and desperate outsider with little patience for their inner drama, the marriage is reborn as it soars to the commitment previously established and held so dearly at the beginning of the union. What makes this movie extra special is that it is also a Christmas movie. Watching this movie during that time of year when disgust at looking back on your accomplishments (or lack thereof) is prevalent, the miracle of forgiveness and new beginnings is the best Christmas gift you could receive. I have about eight movies that I traditionally loop at Christmastime. This is one of the chosen few. I absolutely love it!Read full review...

Excellent movie!

This is one of the best comedies ever! Although the language is a little strong in places, the laughs generated by these great actors are priceless. Dennis Leary (the thief) takes Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis hostage. Their incessant bickering drives him crazy. That, combined with Leary's bumbling accomplice, the couple's delinquent-minded son, and the in-laws coming for dinner, makes for an interesting (and hilarious) evening. One of my favorite scenes is when Leary tells grandma about how mothers are supposed to be "nice" and that her husband isn't dead, he's just hiding from her. I am delighted to finally have my own copy of this movie!Read full review...

hilarious holiday humor - BUY IT!

The REF is a twisted, hilarious (Ted Demme!) Holiday Classic my family cannot do without!

It's about a quarrelsome middle-aged couple who live in a small CT town. Leary plays a bank robber who just bungled a heist and takes the couple hostage.... much to his regret!

Leary is not that great in this movie but it does NOT matter since the STRONG supporting cast of Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey and Christine Baranski MORE than make up for his one-dimensionality.

I HIGHLY recommend this movie. I've bought it for everyone I know and they end up recommending it to their friends.Read full review...

The Ref

My husband, son, and I purchased this movie as a VCR tape and loved watching it at different times. It has so much funny wisdom in it! We liked all the actors and actresses. They did a great job portraying their characters and making them so lovable, realistic, and fun to watch. They remind us of some of the people in our own lives and how sometimes we want to be able to say the things to them that these characters say to each other. Ha! Ha! I still have the VCR tape, but now have a DVD player, so I purchased it to be able to watch on the DVD player. The DVD is in very good condition. I have no complaints, only good things to say about this purchase. It was an excellent value for a product in very good condition.Read full review...

The Ref

I love this movie. I had seen it years ago, but was not necessarily looking for it on ebay. Did a search for comedy DVD's and found this. Even if you don't like Dennis Leary, he was sp perfect in this role and it is truly a funny, silly movie. Kevin Spacey is great, as usual. This married couple is having problems and "The Ref"( Dennis Leary, also a crook) is forced to play Therapist in a very unconventional way.Read full review...

A favorite Christmas view . . .

...but certainly not for the easily offended (due to pervasive language).
Excellent, witty treatise on the typical disfunctional family, on full display on Christmas Eve.
Great writing, top-notch acting, drop-dead funny. Highly recommended, but you have been warned, RE: language. Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis are wonderful as the embittered spouses, with Denis Leary along for the ride. No extra features, and not yet on blu-ray. boo.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: rrmo-56

Non stop laughs

I love the movie and all the "nasty" characters. I actually got choked laughing at the children. I have seen this move several times and it is just as funny each time as it was the first. The acting is fantastic. I love all the actors in this movie. I can't decide who is the funniest. It may be a toss up between Dennis and Kevin. Love them.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: moviemars

I wore my other one out.

This is a Christmas Family Tradition. We all would go to my parent's on Christmas Eve and watch it, play games and we'd have different types of fondue and mom made all types of candy. She was an AWESOME cook! (She owned a Southern Home Cooking Restaurant.) Then we would open one present and all spend the night.

The next morning mom would make a BIG breakfast real early and we'd have lunch/dinner at about 3:00. She ALWAYS made everybody's favorite dish & dessert!

We were EXTREMELY SPOILED!

I have WONDERFUL MEMORIES about all of those years! That's still what we do at my house!Read full review...