Superior Crop Of Classic Films Make Their Way To Blu-Ray

In August: The Breakfast Club, Blood Simple,

The Evil Dead & More

August 5, 2010   

Welcome to the monthly column where I highlight classic films being released in the hi definition, Blu-Ray format. With so many newer films being released on the format it’s easy to miss some of the older films that are making their way to Blu-Ray. That’s where this column comes in and it looks like the month of August is packed with lots of great titles.

Next month will mark the one year anniversary of the passing of iconic director John Hughes. Several of Hughes’ films are being released on Blu-Ray in August and there’s no better way to remember the Illinois born filmmaker than by revisiting some of the work that made him a household name.

“The Breakfast Club” is the film that is most synonymous with the name John Hughes. Universal is finally seeing fit to release the film on Blu-Ray, though it’s too bad they also didn’t also release “Sixteen Candles” to go along with it. At any rate, in case you somehow missed the film, “The Breakfast Club” was a daring experiment at the time of its release and it still holds up wonderfully well today. Its plot basically consists of five high school kids who are locked up in detention on a Saturday and learn to confront their fears and anxieties through the course of the life changing day. The film’s cast is a litany of actors who-most of them, anyway-would go on to achieve greater fame.

Two other John Hughes projects are being released on Blu-Ray by Warner Brothers. “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” and its first sequel, “National Lampoon’s European Vacation.” Both films were penned by Hughes and the first one, which served as the launching pad for the eventual ‘Vacation’ franchise, was based on a story Hughes wrote for the National Lampoon magazine entitled, “Vacation 58.” The first film is a now classic comedy about a misguided summer road trip for the Griswald family which leads to disaster at every turn. The film still holds up very well today, nearly thirty (!) years after its original release. The 1985 sequel, “European Vacation,” was not a good film to begin with and time has done it very few favors. There are a few laughs scattered here and there but the film’s only real charms are in watching Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo go through their paces as Clark and Ellen Griswald. Thankfully the next sequel, “Christmas Vacation,” was much better.

Photo: Blood Simple star Frances McDormand

The Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan, have been frequent Oscar contenders for the last several years, actually winning the best director prize for “No Country For Old Men” for 2007. Their first film, “Blood Simple,” from 1984 is being issued by MGM on Blu-Ray and if you haven’t seen it, let me tell you it is a stunner. I caught this film on HBO in early 1985 and have followed the career of the Coen Brothers with religious fervor ever since. On the outset, “Blood Simple” looks like your typical film noir but the labyrinthine plotting of the film, with more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at, raises the film to an entirely different level. Frances McDormand (she later married one of the Coens and appears in many of their films, most notably “Fargo”) stars as a woman caught in an affair whose husband has contracted a man to kill her. Of course as in all Coen Brothers’ films things have a way of getting out of hand and “Blood Simple” is no exception.

Shout Factory has been doing an exceptional job of releasing the work of cult movie producer Roger Corman on Blu-Ray of late. August brings the release of two great horror films produced by the man. “Pirahna” (1978) is a funny spoof of “Jaws” which also happens to have a few scares along the way as well. It is directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) and features lots of great character actors. “Humanoids From the Deep” (1980) features the mutated monsters of the film’s title attacking a seaside town in a throwback to fifties horror films. The only difference here is that this film features the graphic violence missing from those long ago horror films. Still the film is lots of fun and has a great sense of humor.

Speaking of Horror films, Anchor Bay will finally be issuing the original “The Evil Dead” on Blu-Ray. The film, about a group of college kids who unleash demons and hack each other to pieces while on a weekend getaway at a mountain cabin, is now a certified classic and served as the directorial debut of filmmaker Sam Raimi (Spiderman).

The acclaimed documentary, “Crumb,” is being released on DVD by Criterion. The film is a most excellent portrait of famed cartoonist Robert Crumb and his loopy family. A very enlightening film, especially if you know little to nothing about the man and his work.

Finally, John Carpenter’s now classic 1981 film, “Escape From New York,” is making its way to Blu-Ray via MGM while, what I feel is one of the funniest films ever made, “What’s Up Doc” (1972) is making its way to Blu-Ray via Warner Brothers.

That’s it for this month’s Blu-Ray releases. See you next week with a regular column.

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