Why So Blu?

The Sure Thing: 30th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)

John Cusack (Say Anything…, Grosse Pointe Blank) and Daphne Zuniga (Spaceballs) take a road trip to romance in The Sure Thing, a charming and thoughtful comedy classic that only the ’80s could deliver, presented here in a special 30th Anniversary edition on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory.  The release gives the film a brand new transfer and ports over all the extras from teh DVD special edition that was released back in 2003.  And I don’t think its been released at all on any format since then.  Directed by Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride), The Sure Thing is exactly what the title suggests for fans of raucously funny road trips, red-hot romantic comedies and romps through 80’s angst featuring John Cusack!

Film 

When college student Walter Gibson (Cusack) gets set up for a date with an incredibly gorgeous blonde (Nicollette Sheridan in her film debut), he’s ready to go to the ends of the earth — or at least across the country — to capitalize on this “sure thing.” Paired up with tightly-wound coed Alison Bradbury (Zuniga) via the campus ride-share program, he heads west for Los Angeles. But as the obstacles begin to pile up, he and Alison begin to form an unexpected bond… and soon Gib must choose between the sure thing and the real thing.

This film actually comes at an interesting time for all involved in the production.  Rob Reiner was following up his debut and acclaimed comedy This Is Spinal Tap.  The Sure Thing was actually the continuation of what would be a stellar eight year directorial run of films for Reiner from 1984 to 1992.  This was John Cusack’s first shot at a lead in a teen comedy.  Daphne Zuniga was just starting to go through her little “it girl” phase in the 80s.  Anthony Edwards had just done Revenge Of The Nerds (And was being sought as the lead until Reiner saw Cusack audition).  Even Tim Robbins here was getting a start to his career.

I feel like The Sure Thing has sort of been lost in the conversation when it comes to classic 80s teen comedies.  This is not only that, but its a road-trip romantic comedy too.  If you’re a fan of that era of comedy, then this one is going to charm your socks off.  Everything here in the plot and whathaveyou is pretty obvious and steers in directions you expect, but its good at doing so, and you’re enjoying watching it unfold as you’d expect.  A lot of this has to do with John Cusack being one of the most watchable actors, but the chemistry of he and Daphne Zuniga adds another layer of strength too.

One thing that stuck out to me like crazy here wasn’t any of the big names in the movie or any big characters for that matter.  Those of you familiar with Bobby Moynahan’s “Drunk Uncle” on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update may find where there’s a very good chance the inspiration came from.  There’s a scene where Cusack goes to a bar to drink away his sorrows and an large, highly intoxicated trucker has a seat next to him.  This guy’s speech pattern, discussion topics and mannerisms were all dead-on Drunk Uncle.  SNL fans should definitely take a look at the sure thing and see this little inspiration.

There are a lot of things going for The Sure Thing to be a completely enjoying experience even after 30 years.  For people of my generation and the one before me, this may be a charming trip back.  If you love the youthful comedies of the 80s, then this one is in leagues of the best of them.  And its got a surprisingly well known and renowned director at the helm of it.   The music, the style, the structure, the jokes…all are vintage and fun in this little romantic road-trip journey across the country.

Video 

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Clarity/Detail:  This is a really nice looking transfer that really helps the film to feel of its time in the 80s.  Detail on things such as wood grain and surfaces comes through nicely.  Clothing fabrics textures and wrings are visible and clear as well.  Its an above average presentation that makes the film look better than it ever has before.

Depth:  This is kinda a flat picture in areas.  There are some nice interior moments in the film though.

Black Levels:  Blacks are a little bit on the brighter side.  No real harmful crushing noticed, and detail on things such as hair and clothes comes through nicely.

Color Reproduction:  Colors are nice and bright.  Reds get just about as vibrant as they can go without bleeding through.  This transfer knows its 80s and gets the colors just right.

Flesh Tones:  Natural and consistent.  There are some areas where it appears a little smooth.  Detail on facial features is high in close ups.

Noise/Artifacts:  Grain and some specs throughout.

Audio 

Audio Format(s): English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English Mono DTS-HD MA

Subtitles: English

Dynamics:  This is a solid track that isn’t going to wow anyone, but it still manages to accomplish what it sets out to do.  The music, vocals and effects for the most part are loose and don’t step on each other’s feet.  There are very minimal moments where they do sound blended.  For the most part, this all sounds natural and lively.

Low Frequency Extension:  The sub is limited to pretty light work, mostly used in music.  There are some semi engines and destruction that gets a little bump.

Surround Sound Presentation:  The rear speakers are mostly ambiance and scoring.  Front channels do a good job of audio to screen placement.

Dialogue Reproduction:  A little analog sounding and center heavy, but for the most part pretty clear and clean.

Extras 

All the extras provided are from the 2003 DVD release.  There is additional artwork/photography on the reverse side of the cover insert.

Audio Commentary

• By Rob Reiner – Ported over from the previous DVD release of the film.

Road To The Sure Thing (HD, 26:12) – Rob Reiner along with John Cusack, Daphne Zuniger, Nicolette Sheridan, Anthony Edwards and other cast and crew members recount shooting the film and its legacy.

Casting The Sure Thing (HD, 7:18) – The casting directors talks her challenge and picks for the final casting in the film.  Reiner apparently was very against using John Cusack because he was only 16 at the time.

Reading The Sure Thing (HD, 5:00) – The screenwriter talks his inspiration and real life experiences he put into the script as well as some one-liners he liked.

Dressing The Sure Thing (HD, 8:48) – The costume designer discusses dressing the characters and the styles of the times.

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:56)

Summary 

The Sure Thing sure does look very good on Blu-ray.  Its a film loaded with that 80s teen comedy charm that so many of us grew up with.  While a hit at the time (Good reviews and box office), its one that seems to have moved toward the back of the conversation.  Which, it should be ahead of many of the ones more often referenced.  Its essential in the Cusack cannon as well as the next step in a run of great films from Rob Reiner.  This Blu-ray has great audio and video.  While there are no new extras, the ones ported over to proved more than enough and very complete information.  Definitely add this one to your 80s teen/romantic comedy collection.