This week on Born to Watch, Whitey, Gow and Damo travel back to the golden age of 80s comedy with a full Trading Places 1983 Review.
Directed by John Landis and starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis, Trading Places is one of the most famous comedies of the decade. But after more than forty years, does it still hold up?
The story centres around a ridiculous social experiment created by two wealthy brothers, Randolph and Mortimer Duke.
Their bet?
Can you turn a street hustler into a successful businessman, while destroying the life of a wealthy stockbroker?
When privileged commodities broker Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) is framed and disgraced, the Dukes replace him with Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), a quick-talking hustler from the streets of Philadelphia.
What follows is one of the funniest role reversals in movie history.
In this episode Whitey leads the discussion as the Born to Watch crew revisit the film and debates whether Trading Places still deserves its place among the greatest comedy movies of the 1980s.
Gow explores the film's history and explains why Eddie Murphy’s performance was a turning point in Hollywood. Fresh off Saturday Night Live, Murphy delivers a performance packed with energy, charisma and razor-sharp comedic timing.
Meanwhile, Damo brings the chaos with his legendary Snorbs Report, examining one of the film's most memorable moments and questioning whether Jamie Lee Curtis delivered one of the greatest surprise scenes in 80s cinema.
The boys also break down:
• Eddie Murphy’s rise to superstardom
• Dan Aykroyd’s incredible comedic performance
• The Duke brothers’ outrageous social experiment
• The infamous Santa suit meltdown
• The train disguise scene
• The brilliant orange juice trading finale
Along the way, the Born to Watch crew also tackles their regular segments, including Overs and Unders, Hit Sleeper Dud, Rank Bank, and the always unpredictable Snorbs Report.
Trading Places is not just a comedy classic; it is a snapshot of an era when movies were bold, outrageous and completely unapologetic.
But after four decades, does the film still hold up?
Watch the episode and decide for yourself.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Is Eddie Murphy the greatest SNL movie star of all time?
Could a movie like Trading Places even be made today?
And is the orange juice trading finale the greatest comedy ending ever?
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