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103 of 109 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DVD is stuffed fuller than Santa's Sack! Deleted scenes here, January 13, 2002
THE FILMBB is second to "Rocky Horror" as the greatest cult film ever. A lot of the recent appeal is the "Before they were Stars" factor--Peter Weller, Robocop; JOHN Lithgow, 3rd Rock; Jeff Goldblum, Ten Speed and Brownshoe, Jurassic Park; Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future, Taxi; Vincent Schiavelli, Subway Guy in Ghost; Yakov Smirnov, plays the Secretary of Defense. They characters look like the people they are supposed to play. Weller is gaunt and tan enough so that he does indeed look half-Japanese. Vincent Schiavelli looks alien enough, and Lithgow does one mean Mussolini. Ellen Barkin is perfect as a lost girl in a big city. This is sci-comedy, along the lines of Ghostbusters, Hitchhikers Guide, where it simultaneously contributes to the Genera while satirizing it. Look at all of the BB references on Star Trek! In the commentary, Ruach and Richter explain they were imitating the odd humor found in "DR. STANGELOVE," so see that film first before you judge! PS--the watermelon in the Steel press is explained in the audio commentary. There are emotions surrounding a film, and meaning found in repeating lines, as in Rocky Horror, or Princess Bride. It almost becomes a type of liturgy, where the filmed padre speaks his parts, and we respond-a communion of comedy! A morality play! Ruach and Richter want us to believe that BB is actually a docudrama of a real but enigmatic person. And at a certain level, we want to believe them! The choice for synthesized music was correct, and also a slice of the times, as in Ladyhawke, or Tron. The music itself is catchy, killer, and DEMANDS TO HAVE A CD ISSUE! For those who don't like this film, try these things. First, you need to see this film. Secondly, read some of the BB fan-pages on the Internet. Thirdly, see the film again. Fourthly, read the book, which is the indispensable companion to the film. Fifthly, see the film again. Repeat the process until you get it. I think it takes about 6 viewings (or is it 88?) viewings of this film to understand it. On the down side, this film has been described as being "Part 6" of a series. We enter "in the middle of things," but it is more like "in the muddle of things." There is the Elvis-esq Banzai, surrounded by a cloud of secondary characters that we see for a second, and then they pass. "In the middle of things" may not have been the best place to introduce the world to Dr. Banzai. Why not do the origin story and work foreword? True that Lucas began with Episode IV, not with Episode I, but the cadre of characters was smaller and easier to follow. "Doc Savage: Man of Bronze," Unbreakable," or "Batman I" are great origin films, and we are not complicated by secondary characters such as Patricia Savage, or Robin and Batgirl. Slowly they worked up to the secondary characters For example of this middle-muddle, the gatekeeper "Pinky Carruthers" has an extensive background. He is a Blue Blaze Irregular, is Knight Commander, and knows 47,000 unknown facts. But this in not germane to the story and is wisely never mentioned in the film, just in the book. But this background may have a bearing on any future episodes of this movie. There was a lot of work for something that never surfaced. The Simpsons slowly worked up to all the secondary characters, with the core of the Five Favorite Family members being the lynchpin of all Springfield. There was too much ambition--you always leave room for growth. Editing destroyed The Abyss, and hurt this film. I agree that the parts of Hanoi Xan were wisely taken out of the film, since this would only add another layer of complexity that was not germane to the film, but other scenes were taken out for no reason, which hurt the continuity of the film, such as the extended beginning which showed Dr. Banzai's early life, and death of his parents. This picture has a lot of action, but it doesn't accentuate the action. Dr. Banzai parachutes out of the spaceship, but they could have made his exit more dramatic. And he is a martial artist, but the extent of his physical action is to kick an alien in the crotch. Marital artist huh? !!!THIS DVD IS STUFFED FULLER THAN SANTA'S SACK!!! They are finally making DVDs that utilize the technology to the utmost! The copy is superb, light-years ahead of the grainy copy on the VHS re-release, plus it is in wide screen format, so you actually see the movies in its panoramic glory. It is indeed like seeing another movie! The only problem is that the work prints are of a lower quality than the rest of the film, but we can deal with it. Included are all of the deleted scenes from the editors work print, the bootleg that has been floating around for a decade and a half. Paramount of these scenes is the original opening with Jamie Lee Curtis as Buckaroo's mother. Frankly, this is the beginning that should have been the theatrical release, and the film not only makes more sense, but you emotionally connect with Dr. Banzai and the trauma he has experienced. In a movie they should show you what happened, you shouldn't have to read about it! Other extras are a bio on Dr. Banzai, and a sample of his philosophy, plus some of Pinky Carruther's 47,000 unknown facts are presented as an optional subtitle. This DVD will keep you busy for hours!!! Marketing note: The original film poster, the current VHS and the DVD cover all stink, but what would be a good one? I don't know. The VHS reissue is the least offensive, but the original and reissue book covers would be an improvement, with emphasis on the reissue book-cover. Packaging this film would keep any Madison Avenue up at night
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