"THE BLUES BROTHERS"
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars)
I was a bit too young to appreciate “The Blues Brothers” when it first came out, and even in high school I wasn’t enamored with it (which is different than a friend of mine who literally watched it ten times in a row one weekend). But now that I’m looking at the film with adult eyes, it’s a pretty amazing piece of work. The story of Jake and Elwood Blues going straight and raising money to save an orphanage seems like a thin premise that was used to revitalize the careers of several blues artists and make one of the early adaptations of “Saturday Night Live,” but it worked.
This is just a fun movie with plenty of silliness and irreverent humor, a hallmark of director John Landis. Considering the film’s scope, it’s pretty stunning by today’s standards. Lots of action in the streets of Chicago, along with some fantastic car chases, sell the movie as a big budget experience. It was lightning in a bottle created more than 30 years ago.
This Blu-ray includes both the theatrical and extended editions of the film. The extended edition includes some scenes that hit the cutting room flood, but they’re neat to experience in the flow of the film. The only problem with the longer version is there’s a scene in which Elwood quits his job, and while he’s wearing safety goggles, you can still see his eyes. This lessens the impact near the end of the film when Jake actually takes off his sunglasses.
Other bonus features include the feature-length “Making of The Blues Brothers” as well as the featurettes “Transposing the Music” and ‘Remembering John.” Additional features include BD-Live access, Pocket Blu compatibility and D-Box motion enabled content.
"AMERICAN GRAFFITI: SPECIAL EDITION"
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: ** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars)
I’m not a gearhead, and I didn’t grow up in the early 1960s, so a lot of the charm of “American Graffiti” is lost on me. I can understand why people love this film, but it’s not my cup of tea. Still, it’s an American cinematic classic and worth watching at least once in your life. The story follows a group of high school kids on their last night before college. Anyone who has spent their teenage years cruising up and down Main Street will connect with the film... which is part of the reason I didn’t. Still, there’s some fantastic elements of the teenage culture of that era captured in this mosaic. It’s not a plot-heavy film but rather an assembly of pieces that bring back certain memories of its audience – from hot rods and drive ins to rock and roll music and general teenage shenanigans.
Considering the stars who were featured in this movie at an early age, it’s impressive... especially coming from director George Lucas who hasn’t helmed anything after this that wasn’t a “Star Wars” movie. At least this special edition didn’t include a CGI creature shop, though it’s been enhanced by his team.
The Blu-ray includes a picture-in-picture commentary with Lucas and a U-Control spotlight on the soundtrack. There’s also DB-Live and Pocket Blu access. Features not exclusive to the Blu-ray include a feature-length documentary “The Making of American Graffiti” and original screen tests from the stars.
"NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE"
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars)
Like “The Blues Brothers,” I was just a bit too young to appreciate “Animal House” when it came out. I was more of a “Revenge of the Nerds” kid, which was released six years later. Still, looking back on “Animal House,” it’s a silly and fun film, which still held onto the 60s flavor but had the edge of the 70s, when it was made. Telling the story of a two nerdy kids joining the Delta House on campus, “Animal House” set the bar for wacky college films. It’s also an interesting spotlight on John Belushi, who got his feature film start with this movie and shines in the film more than I remember.
“Animal House” is a nice piece of counterculture which takes place at a time when there wasn’t much counterculture out there. It seems almost embarrassingly tame by today’s standards, but it was an edgy piece of work back then. Watching it again with the eyes of a parent, there are moments that do make me roll my eyes (as I watch my kids edging ever closer to the age of the characters in the film), but there’s still plenty of slapstick, crazy characters and naughty nature to enjoy.
The Blu-ray comes with an interesting long-form documentary “The Yearbook: An Animal House Reunion.” There’s also U-Control scene comparisons and music spotlights, as well as BD-Live and Pocket Blu access. Die-hard should enjoy playing the SceneIt? game feature. The last feature is “Where Are They Now? A Delta Alumni Update,” which is a John Landis-directed mockumentary about catching up with the characters. Most of the features are imports from the previous DVD release, and that mockumentary really falls flat, proving that the cast and director were better off with a script.
"DAZED AND CONFUSED"
Blu-ray Review
by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: * (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars)
I know I’m treading on sacred ground for some people, but “Dazed and Confused” is not a good film. Like “That 70s Show” (which I really did enjoy, by the way), “Dazed and Confused” isn’t as much about the 70s, but rather about what the kids from the 90s thought the 70s were and idealized. It’s a mean-spirited, nihilistic slop of characters who have very little redeeming value and behave like a pack of animals. Meant to show teenagers finding themselves on the last day of school in 1976, “Dazed and Confused” glorifies bullying and tries to balance it with pseudo-intellectual contemplation. If you’ve been to college, you know that guy (or group of guys) who spent much of their days baked in their room, thinking their inane conversation was actually a thoughtful contemplation of the universe. This movie is the cinematic equivalent of that.
I know this film has a lot of love from people who found it to be a go-to party movie during their youth, but it’s nothing great, in my opinion. Part of it is Richard Linklater’s random hodge-podge directing style. It’s clear this is from the director of “Slacker,” only without the wacky conspiracy theories and Madonna pubic hair.
The Blu-ray includes a U-Control feature to spotlight the soundtrack (which actually is quite good, by the way... but that credit goes to the music of the 70s rather than the film itself), plus access to BD-Live and Pocket Blu. There are also some deleted scenes and random retro public service announcements (including the crying Indian). Finally, “The Blunt Truth” is a fake retro filmstrip about “the dangers of partying.” And you should read that as “partying” meaning “smoking pot.” This fervent defense of the bud throughout the film and bonus features makes me realize how high Linklater and probably much of the cast was when they were making this movie. I’m just guessing here, but I calls it as I sees it.
"FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH"
Blu-ray Review
by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Based on the book by Cameron Crowe, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” takes a look at a group of teenagers at Ridgemont High School and how their classes, their jobs and their sexuality is influenced over the course of a year. Not being a huge fan of Crowe’s work, I found the characters mostly irritating, which is what he tends to focus on in people. But I cannot say they aren’t realistic. We’ve all known the girl who’s dating an older man, thinking it makes her more mature but not realizing that she’s in a relationship with a sleaze bag. Or the slutty girl who thinks losing her virginity in high school is going to make people like her beyond her panties. Or the stoner who seems to drift through life. Or the guy who tries to be good but ends up getting dumped on throughout his high school career.
The characters are realistic just as the narcissistic angst from “Twilight” is realistic... it’s just not likeable to me. Still, there’s a definite nostalgia from the early 80s that is captured with the story and the soundtrack. It’s a high school staple to watch, and I knew plenty of kids in my youth who loved this film. It definitely has its moments (I’m looking at you, Phoebe Cates, and your red bikini), and there’s an attempt to give the characters some depth. Still, I’ll take something like “The Breakfast Club” or many of John Hughes films over Crowe’s characters any day.
The Blu-ray includes a U-Control spotlight on the music as well as a scene companion function. There’s also BD-Live and Pocket Blu access. Other bonus features include an in-depth documentary “Reliving Our Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” feature commentary and the original theatrical trailer. Again, like other recent Blu-ray releases, these basic bonus features are imports from the DVD released a few years back.
