¡Three Amigos! 25th Anniversary Edition

Film  

I love the Three Amigos and everyone in it.  Where else can you find a movie with psychoanalytic henchmen, singing bushes, invisible swordsmen who stand too close, a philosophical bad guy, and three bumbling actors that go from pretend heroes to accidental heroes.  With three comedians who were at the top of their game and a fantastic supporting cast, the Three Amigos is a comedy classic!  The movie was written by Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, and Randy Newman and directed by John Landis, so this is movie is simply loaded with talent on both sides of  the camera. It’s 1916 and the three actors who make up the silent screen trio “The Three Amigos” Lucky Day (Steve Martin), Dusty Bottoms (Chevy Chase),and Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) are having a hard time.  Their last movie flopped since audiences didn’t want to see The Amigos go in a new direction and neither did the studio boss Harry Flugelman (Joe Mantegna).  Harry and his studio yes men (Phil Hatman and Jon Lovitz) had already decided to trim costs when the Amigos show up to demand a raise and more control over their pictures.  Unfortunately for them, they’ve picked the wrong day for their demands, and they are fired, kicked out of their studio owned mansion, and the clothes they are wearing repossessed by the wardrobe department.

Lucky is convinced that it happened for a reason and that their luck with change really soon, which it does when a telegram is delivered to them on the street.  The message is from a woman named Carmen (Patrice Martinez) asking them to come to Santo Poco which they assume means they are being hired for a promotional appearance.  Excited for a new opportunity, they break into the studio and steal their costumes before traveling to Santo Poco.  They know that someone named El Guapo will be involved but they mistakenly believe that he is a local celebrity that they will be working with.  What the Amigos don’t realize is that Carmen’s original message requested their help in stopping El Guapo and his band of mercenaries from terrorizing the town, but it was edited down because she didn’t have enough money to send the full message.  On their way to Santo Poco, the Amigos stop at a cantina where they are mistaken as associates of a dangerous German gunslinger who just shot a bunch of men for making fun of him before they arrived.  The cantina’s patrons are convinced that the Amigos are just as dangerous as the German so they play along when the Amigos do a song and dance show for the crowd.

Eventually Carmen shows up and takes the Amigos from the mystified crowd who can’t figure out why such dangerous men would come and sing and dance to “My Little Buttercup.”  The next morning when El Guapo’s men show up to the village, the Amigos treat it like a regular stunt show which only confuses the bandits who leave.  The townspeople believe that the Amigos won the day and there’s a big celebration and no one is aware of the impending danger, least of all the Amigos who just think they did a great show.  When El Guapo (Alfonso Arrau) shows up the next day with all of his men, determined to kill these strange gringos and remind the town who is in charge.  Thinking that this is just another show, the Amigos ride out to meet him and try to work out the show with him only to discover that this is all too real when Lucky is shot with a real bullet.  Realizing how much danger they are in, the three beg El Guapo to spare their lives and their groveling amuses him and disgusts the villagers. Saying that he only kills men, El Guapo tells them they are free to leave with their lives which they happily do. Unfortunately for the villagers, El Guapo decides to teach them a lesson for challenging him and destroys the town and kidnaps Carmen.

After waiting for El Guapo and his men to leave, the Amigos return to see the decimated village and they experience the scorn of the townspeople.  When they learn that Carmen was taken, Ned talks the others into actually becoming the heroes that they portray since they have nothing to lose.  It’s at this point that the movie kicks into overdrive, and becomes even more funny and surreal as the Amigos start their quest to find El Guapo by finding the singing bush and then reciting some command words that will summon an invisible swordsman who will take them to El Guapo’s base to rescue Carmen.  Now having to live up to their screen personas, the three bravely (and foolishly) take on El Guapo and all of his men in a hilarious finish!

Being a huge fan of all three of the main actors, especially Chevy Chase, I’ve always loved this movie.  There are so many good lines in this movie that are expertly delivered by Chase and company.  I think this movie was ahead of its time with this kind of humor and setup.  As Martin points out, Galaxy Quest basically stole the Three Amigos plot and just changed it to a sci-fi setting instead of a western and even more movies followed that took the same plot line. Even after all of this time, this movie just gets funnier every time I see it.  Every character is great – Martin’s know it all Lucky, the sarcastic Dusty, and the idealistic Ned are the perfect foils for each other.  El Guapo and his henchman Jefe are also so good that they almost steal the movie with their many discussions about age, psychology, and women.  This movie takes a silly turn towards the end of the movie complete with singing horses, friendly wildlife, and medium rare bats for dinner.  I always hoped that there would be a sequel to this but it sadly never happened thanks to fickle audiences.  If you’ve never seen this, then you should definitely check it out!

Video  

If you are an owner of the previous DVD release of this movie, I’m willing to bet that like me, you weren’t too happy with the video quality.  I’m happy to say that this 1080p (1.85:1) transfer looks extremely good and is now the new standard for this movie.  Colors pop off the screen, whether it’s the Tuscon desert or a painted backdrop, this transfer shows off the varied hues to be found throughout.  Black levels are also excellent as is the textures, and this is the first time, I’ve seen the Amigo uniform look this good and dark.  Detail is also excellent which also allows you to notice the amount of work that went into making those uniforms.  This new transfer is reason enough to buy this Blu-ray release!

Audio  

Another reason to upgrade to Blu-ray is this new DTS-HD Master Audio mix which is a far cry better than the previous stereo release.  This is mainly a front channel mix but the other channels also come into play when needed. Dialogue is crystal clear as are the wonderful songs that the Amigos sing.  Elmer Bernstein’s playful tweaking of his own Magnificent Seven score also sounds great here and is never overshadowed by the effects.  This is an excellent lossless mix that easily trumps the earlier release’s quality.

Special Features  

I was ecstatic when I heard that this Blu-ray edition would come with extras and they didn’t disappoint other than I wanted even more.  While the cast interview is in standard definition, the deleted scenes are all in high definition.

• Cast Interview – A fun but short interview with the cast after filming was over where they talk about working on the movie and what they were working on at the time (it was filmed in 1986).  I wish this had been longer and it’s disappointing that the interviewer wasted his opportunity to really interview these comedy greats. Even though this is just over five minutes long, their interaction between each other is very funny and it’s a shame that more wasn’t done.  Martin even mentions that he hopes they can do a sequel which would have been awesome.  This footage hasn’t been improved upon at all so it looks a little rough but I’m just glad it was included.
• Deleted Scenes – Director John Landis introduces these deleted scenes with an onscreen statement that all of the original deletions have been lost and the only reason they have these deleted scenes are because the footage was found an an exhibitor print made before the studio made their own cuts to the film.  Since Landis was in court at the time (due to the Twilight Zone accidental deaths),  the studio removed several scenes from the movie that include: a scene with the Amigos in their studio owned mansion before they visit Flugelman, their journey through the studio backlot on the way there, an alternate opening sequence to the movie that shows El Guapo terrorize the town of Santo Poco, and two extended bits that include more Dusty and El Guapo.  All together it’s almost twenty minutes of extra footage that really gives the movie a different feel.
• ¡Amigos Reunited! Reproduction - This is an extra that I hope more studios start doing since this is a reproduction of the June 2011 Empire Magazine that reunited all of the Amigos along with Landis and others. We get vintage and recent pictures of the cast together again (with sombreros from Short’s cousin tribute Amigos group) as well as a new interview with all of them.  I loved getting this included but I wish someone had filmed it all since that would have been even better to include on the Blu-ray.

Final Thoughts  

This movie is a classic hands down.  I’ve been singing “Blue Shadow” to myself since I watched this movie a week ago.  If you are a fan of Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short as a group or individually, then you are guaranteed to love this movie.  It’s a real shame that it didn’t do better at the box office since it should have been a huge hit and spawned sequels, instead of a bunch of copycat movies.  The movie has also never looked or sounded better than this new Blu-ray so take my advise and click on the link below and thank me later!

Order your copy today!

Film

Nobody does road trip movies better than John Hughes did with his contributions including: Vacation, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and this movie – Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.  All of them are some of my all time favorites and they are all extremely funny in different ways except one…all of the humor is derived from well written characters.  Hughes could do visual gags with the best of them (just watch Neal and Del drive on the wrong side of the road), but the core reason his movies are funny is due to his ability to create such well defined characters and then put them through their paces.  Whether it’s Clark Griswold, Ferris, Uncle Buck, or Neal and Del, they all ring true and are so recognizable that we not only relate to them on some level, but we can also feel and laugh with them as well.

In this buddy/road trip movie, it has Neal Page (Steve Martin) trying to return home in time for Thanksgiving from a business trip in New York.  Neal is high-strung and prone to losing his cool but underneath his cranky exterior is a nice man who loves his family.  Neal’s life gets a lot more complicated with the introduction of Del Griffith (John Candy) into his life.  From the first time they meet, Del seems to cause nothing but problems for Neal.  First, Neal trips on his trunk while racing for a cab and then inadvertently steals a cab that Neal just bribed someone to take.  Of course, this being a road trip movie, the two cross paths again when they share the same flight that gets diverted from Chicago to Kansas because of a blizzard in Chicago.

Desperate to find a way home, the pair take a train ride which breaks down and then share a rental car and more comic misadventures that force them to share a queen size bed (“those aren’t pillows!”), having all of their money stolen, a near death experience thanks to Del’s careless driving, and the loss of their rental car when Del’s cigarette makes the car catch on fire.  Through it all the men bicker and split up only to have circumstances force them back together again.  The myriad ways that fate forces them back together is pretty clever since they add a reason why these two completely different people would continue to travel together.

Throughout the movie, Neal’s sole focus is to return to his family by Thanksgiving while Del’s plans are a little more unclear.  Del doesn’t seem to have any family other than a wife named Marie that he talks often about.  When the two men finally get back to Chicago after a three day ordeal they part ways.  Upon reflection later however, Neal pieces together the truth about Del and realizes that Del is alone.  It turns out that Marie died eight years earlier and Del has nowhere to go which is why he was so happy to have Neal’s companionship which was better than nothing at all.  Their shared experience has changed both men for the better and a true friendship is born.

This movie is both hilarious and touching and contains some of the best (if not the best) acting from Steve Martin and John Candy.  Both men portray their characters with conviction and their clashes are believable and funny.  Steve Martin excels at playing wild and crazy sarcastic characters and while Neal has his moments, this is a more grounded and real performance from Martin.  Neil is a decent guy but when circumstances push him too far, he doesn’t handle it well.  John Candy is equally good in this, as he always excelled at playing these kind of obnoxiously friendly characters.  He may have some rough edges, but Del has a heart of gold and has the potential to being a good friend if ever given the chance.  This movie is heartwarming, funny, and my go to movie during Thanksgiving.

Video

This 1080p (1.85:1) transfer is a nice upgrade over the previous DVD release.  Details are more visible, colors are more sharply defined, and while not a perfect picture it looks pretty good.  Texture details are a lot more visible now and you will see every thread of Martin’s tweed jacket.  Colors are improved as well, with each one looking more vibrant than before.  Black levels also look appropriately dark and inky.   Flesh tones look natural and consistent but you can definitely see the effects of DNR used.  While it’s not as bad as some other movies, it is obvious but not enough of a concern for me not to recommend this  Blu-ray although I did lower my score somewhat.

Audio

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles‘ DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix comes off better than its video counterpart.  Dialogue is clear and balanced in this front channel heavy mix.  This has a well balanced sonic landscape that allows the music and ambient noises surround the listener.  There’s some nice panning and directionality of effects that add to the immersive feel of the mix.  For a comedy movie that’s almost twenty-five years old, this sounds really good.

Special Features

While I enjoyed all of these extras, I wish there was even more included for this release.  With the loss of Hughes, I think this is probably the best we are going to get.  The excellent new two part retrospective on John Hughes is in high definition and almost an hour long altogether.

• John Hughes: Life Moves Pretty Fast
  • John Hughes: The Voice of a Generation – A look back at the life of John Hughes by several cast members from his movies.  We get to hear their thoughts on him and learn the details of his career path that led him to becoming a director and a spokesman for many people.Heartbreak and Triumph: The Legacy of
  • John Hughes: Heartbreak and Triumph – This featurette is devoted to exploring Hughes relationship with his actors and a look into his writing style and methods.  It also recounts his difficulties of working in Hollywood and his departure from the industry and his eventual unfortunate death.  Both of these are very touching and a fitting tribute to his genius.

• Getting There is Half the Fun: The Story of Planes, Trains And Automobiles – A press conference with John Hughes, Steve Martin, and John Candy where they talk about the movie, the script, and making it along with some clips from the movie.  This is a fun watch especially since I’m a big fan of all three men.

• John Hughes for Adults - Originally pigeon-holed as a writer-director for teen movies, this explores Hughes foray into adult themed movies.
• A Tribute to John Candy – Some comments from his past cast and crew members that worked with him and their fond recollection of him and his talent.  I miss the big guy!
• Deleted Scene – A scene titled “Airplane Food” where Del shares his knowledge of airplane food much to Neal’s disgust.

Final Thoughts

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is one of John Hughes’ best movies (which is saying a lot) as it is filled with heart, laughter, and some very funny slapstick.  Both Steve Martin and John Candy are in top form for this comedy and combined with the clever script by John Hughes and his expert direction makes this movie a classic!  This Blu-ray also represents a jump up in quality over the previous DVD release which is always nice.  The new tributes to both John Hughes and John Candy are also a welcome addition to this Blu-ray.

Order your copy today!

Leslie Nielsen stars as Police Squad’s own granite-jawed, rock-brained cop Frank Drebin, who bumbles across a mind-control scheme to assassinate Queen Elizabeth in THE NAKED GUN: From the Files of Police Squad. Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, a stuffed beaver, two baseball teams and an odd assortment of others join the wacko goings-on.  The Blu-ray includes commentary by director David Zucker, producer Robert Weiss and Peter Tilden and the theatrical trailer.

THREE CLASSIC COMEDIES DEBUT ON BLU-RAY™

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

AIRPLANE!

THE NAKED GUN:

FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD

Uproarious Films Arrive in High Definition September 25,
Locked & Loaded with Special Features

Planes, Trains And Automobiles Includes a Nearly Hour-Long, Brand New Retrospective on the Work and Legacy of Writer/Director John Hughes

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES Blu-ray

The PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 2.0 Surround Dolby Digital and Portuguese Mono Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  Bonus features are presented in standard definition except where noted:

·         John Hughes: Life Moves Pretty Fast (HD)—NEW!

o   John Hughes: The Voice of a Generation

o   Heartbreak and Triumph: The Legacy of John Hughes

·         Getting There is Half the Fun: The Story of Planes, Trains And Automobiles

·         John Hughes for Adults

·         A Tribute to John Candy

·         Deleted Scene—“Airplane Food” (HD)

AIRPLANE! Blu-ray

The AIRPLANE! Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 2.0 Surround Dolby Digital, Spanish Mono Dolby Digital and Portuguese Mono Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  Bonus features are presented in standard definition except where noted:

·         Commentary by producer Jon Davison and writers/directors
Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker

·         Long Haul Version: Includes Deleted Scenes, Interviews and More

·         Trivia Track

·         Theatrical Trailer (HD)

NAKED GUN: From the Files of Police Squad Blu-ray

The NAKED GUN: From the Files of Police Squad Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French Mono Dolby Digital, Spanish Mono Dolby Digital and Portuguese Mono Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  Bonus features are presented in standard definition except where noted:

·         Commentary by David Zucker, Robert Weiss and Peter Tilden

·         Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Film 

All over the world valuable treasures are being stolen by someone who leaves a mysterious calling card signed as “The Tornado.”  It’s up to Inspector Jacques Clouseau to solve the case.  This is easier said than done.   Assisting Inspector Clouseau is a U.N. like team known as “The Dream Team.”  Call them forensic specialists of sorts if you will.  Together they will put all of their collective heads together to solve and retrieve these valuable items before it’s too late…or unless the clueless Clouseau messes it up for everyone else first.

Steve Martin, I am now convinced, was born to play the bumbling, sexist, Inspector Clouseau, I can’t picture anyone else in the role.  And for what it is, he pulls it off.  The Pank Panther 2, surprisingly, offers a pretty stellar ensemble cast.  Nicole played Emily Mortimer may or may not be Clouseau’s love interest.  If he can figure it out.  Vicenzo (Andy Garcia), Pepperidge (Alfred Molina), Kenji (Yuki Matsuzaki), and Sonia (Aishwarya Rai) complete The Dream Team.  And I would never have thought that Garcia and Molina had any kind of comedic chops, but found myself laughing at some of their antics.

The film shifts gears when the fabled but prized diamond of them all, The Pink Panther is stolen, from under all of their noses.  What will our trusted investigators do? You have to see for yourself.  This is a crime caper after and in the best interests of our readers, I cannot go further without possibly spoiling it for you.  Take my word for it.

Initially, I thought The Pink Panther 2 was going to be an incoherent slapstick type of a film.  I was kind of wrong on those counts.  There are tons of gags running through out the film that I lost count on.  From Clouseau’s intentionally faux French accent to Vicenzo’s exaggerated faux Italian accents, there’s no end to it.  I noticed that the film was rated PG and was kind of shocked, because there are certain scenes and dialogue that are pretty subversive, that made me laugh out, that I don’t think would be too appropriate for the kiddies.  It’s not a bad thing, but let’s hope the kids don’t ask a lot of questions.  I think the adults will enjoy this film more than kids.

If you can stomach the occasional “groan” scene, are a fan of some slapstick, or just plain nostalgic for the character, I think it’s worth your effort to check the The Pink Panther 2.  It’s time for me to track down part one.

Video 

The video quality on this disc is pretty darn good.  It gets a smidgeon less than a four, because the picture does suffer from a little bit of noise.  I only released that the majority of the film was shot in blu screen. You cannot hide rear projection flaws on Blu-ray, they will get snuffed out very easily.  On the good part, the film has an eccentric, vibrant, color palette.  The colors are vivid and sharp.  Certain scenes will appear muted, but that’s due to the overcast and cloudy skies.  The film takes place all over the world.  Softness may be an issue as well, but again, it’s due to some of the softer looking CGI iamages.

Audio 

The Pink Panther 2 has a pretty strong soundtrack.  The LFE channel clearly gets a workout, and handles the various rumblings with ease.  The center channel handles the majority of sound, and I could not detect any anomalies.  The dialogue in all of their various accents was clear and easy to understand.  The surround channels handled the ambience really well.  All in all, considering the material, the audio quality was very good.

Special Features 

MGM spared (somewhat) no expense on this uber deluxe set.  The Pink Panther 2 comes to us in a 3 disc collector’s set.

Disc One [Blu-Ray]

• Gag Reel: Presented in standard definition, a collection of bloopers, outtakes, and goofs.

• Drama Is Easy…Comedy Is Dangerous Featurette: The cast and crew talk about the complexity of a film that is both a comedy with equal parts adventure.  It’s pretty much a stunt featurette.

• A Dream Team Like No Other Featurette:   The Pink Panther 2 features an ensemble cast; lot’s of familiar faces.

• Trivia Game–Master Thief-Global Crime Showdown: Use your knowledge to track down the hidden jewels.

Disc Two [DVD]

• 27 Classic Pink Panther Cartoons—Nearly 3 Hours of Added Animated Fun: For the hardcore, this feature alone is worth purchase.  27 episodes of the classic cartoon series are included in standard definition.  

Disc Three [Digital Copy]

• Digital Copy of The Pink Panther 2 for Portable Media Players: Digital Copy of the film.  

Final Thoughts 

The Pink Panther 2 may not be for everyone, up to a few days ago, it wasn’t for me.  After the show, I was smiling from ear to ear, because it was so much fun. It works. I hope Steve Martin comes back and completes the trilogy of live action Pink Panther films.

Bring home The Pink Panther 2 on Blu-ray!

Family-friendly titles such as Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Black Stallion, Ice Age, The Secret of Nimh and more are available on Blu-ray Disc and DVD, packaged with eye-catching Easter Basket Approved! stickers.  That’s right!  And now for a limited time  you have the chance to win $50,000!  Readers can visit the site to do the following: Visit http://www.moreeasterfun.com/ (or click on the image below) for fun Easter activities including downloadable character coloring pages, coupons, games, and a chance to win a $50,000 Nest Egg.  

The awards show itself was entertaining with dynamic duo Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin manning the stage as the evening’s hosts.  There was decent enough chemistry between the two and their deliveries had some good comedic timing, relaying the clever talents of the writers behind their words.  Their banter of director Kathryn Bigelow sending a congratulations gift basket (that ticked) to ex-hubby Cameron for being nominated was only outdone when it was mentioned that Cameron sent Bigelow a Toyota in return.  One of the more memorable presenters on the evening had to be Ben Stiller, whose uncanny makeup job transformed him into a real life Na’vi, complete with yellow eyes, blue skin, and a tail with a mind of its own.  Based on James Cameron’s expression though, it didn’t look like he was enjoying the joke.  Relax Mr. C.  You know your work has reached the top when people spend enough effort to take notice of it in a comical fashion.  Mocking = good. 

Since all is said and done, I now have to present my award for Worst Acceptance Speech of the Night.  And the award goes to…Elinor Burkett, producer of the Best Documentary Short Music by Prudence.  Director/producer Roger Ross Williams was as giddy as a school boy, making his appreciation known as he held the golden statue and began his thank-you’s.  Enter Burkett who rudely invaded Williams’ space and took the microphone over.  It’s what CNN.com has billed as ‘the Kanye moment of the Oscars,’ and so aptly named it is.

First off, as a producer, she played a big part behind getting this picture off the ground.  However, she is NOT the director.  The director is who goes up to the stage; not the caterer, not the cameraman, not the mailman, not anyone else.  Therefore, she has no business running up there and mumbling like the buffoon she appeared to be.  The fact that I could only understand every third word or so, only made the situation all the more awkward.  Did she have rocks in her mouth?  Has she ever heard herself talk?  Apparently not (to the second question).  Dogs barking underwater is a clearer form of communication.  

Ms. Burkett does not have a good public speaking voice, nor is it a coherent one.  Heck, regarding not having something, we can add manners to the list.  Perhaps the next time she is in speaking distance of a podium, she will mind her excessively wide tongue and leave the mike for whom it is meant.  Though I have yet to see his documentary, I congratulate Roger Ross Williams on a job well done, an award seemingly well earned, and an apology that is well deserved.  Hint, hint, Elinor.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – (November 23, 2009) Steve Martin is funnier than ever as head of the Baker family in the hilarious comedy sequel arriving on Blu-ray Disc (BD) January 5 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Tom Baker (Steve Martin, Father of the Bride) and wife Kate (Bonnie Hunt, Jerry Maguire) bring their clan together for a memorable summer getaway. But their dream vacation turns into an outrageous competition with the overachieving, overzealous family of Tom’s long-time rivals, Jimmy Murtaugh (Eugene Levy, American Pie) and wife Sarina (Carmen Electra, Scary Movie). Featuring all the original Baker kids, including Hilary Duff (A Cinderella Story), Tom Welling, (“Smallville”) and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly), this super-sized comedy is fun for the whole family!

With a range of fun special features for families of all sizes, the Cheaper By The Dozen 2 BD will include feature commentary by director Adam Shankman (The Pacifier) and featurettes “Camp Chaos,” “A Comedic Trio,” and a Casting Session presented by Fox Movie Channel.