"Used Cars" DVD with Commentary (1 Viewer)

[MikeM]

Since the other "Used Cars" thread seems to have been hijacked ( ), I just wanted to post that I picked up "Used Cars" last night, and wow, what a great DVD.
Ron was right, the picture quality was really poor in certain scenes, which is a shame, but what I really wanted to talk about was the commentary track!
I don't listen to many commentary tracks as of late, but this one with Robert Zemeckis, Kurt Russell, and Bob Gale brings back memories of the great commentary tracks from the Kevin Smith movies. This is definitely one of the better commentary tracks out there, I really recommend it!

 

[Todd Stout]

Does it mention in the commentary or any of the extras where Used Cars was filmed? I remember visiting my grandparents who live in Mesa, AZ right after that movie had been filmed and my grandfather pointed out one of the lots that they had used. Actually, he pointed out where the lot was sitting before it was torn down (I asuume it was the used car lot).

Just trying to refresh my memory... I guess I could just watch the movie since I bought it myself yesterday. Thanks.

 

[Joel C]

I just got it too, though I've never seen it. I hope it is more "Back tot he Future" Zemeckis than "Romancing the Stone" Zemekis.

 

[MikeM]

Todd, yes, in the commentary, they mention that it was filmed in Mesa, AZ. They also mentioned:

They paid local kids in Mesa $15 each to be extras for the final scene with the 250 cars rolling through the desert....the trick to them was that they had to bring their own cars.


Joel, ummm...in my opinion, this is more like Caddyshack flick than anything else on Zemekis' resume. You'll probably either love it or hate it.

 

[Jordan_E]

I haven't seen USED CARS for years, but it was one of my favorites in my HBO days. I wouldn't call it either BTTF or RTS Zemeckis, but a raunchy adult Zemeckis we haven't seen for awhile and I wish would come back! How about USED CARS 2?!!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

What do you mean the thread was hijacked?
Here it is

 

[Robert Crawford]

Ron,
I think he means this thread.
Crawdaddy

 

[Peter Avellino]

About the location, Bob Gale also comments that much of the area where the climax was filmed has now all been built up with houses.

I've always thought that Used Cars fit nicely with I Wanna Hold Your Hand and 1941, of course written by Zemeckis & Gale and featuring many of the same actors. Their skewered tone and humor make them all go together about as well as, hell, I'll say it, some of Preston Sturges' films. The first Back to the Future still retains some of this flavor but it's already starting to drift away by that point.

The subject of a Used Cars 2 is actually brought up near the end of the film, but probably not how you'd like it to be. I'll say no more. It's a fun commentary.

 

[David Lambert]

Ron, basically he's referring to the fact that some of us (me included :b ) turned the thread from a Used Cars DVD thread into an "80's films we'd like to see on DVD" thread.
So, about that need for a DVD release of Little Darlings (grin, duck, and run)

 

[Todd Stout]

Mike and Peter: Thanks for the info.

My friend and I must have watched Used Cars on The Z Channel (remember them?) about 10 times back when it first hit cable in the early 1980's. We were both about 10 or 11 (shame on us) at the time so hopefully I enjoy it as much as I did back then.

 

[MikeM]

Ron, as others have pointed out, I meant the latest Used Cars thread.
Oh, and as for why the Used Cars Trailer wasn't included on the DVD, I was told via email from Michael Stradford at Columbia that it had music that they couldn't clear legally, so they couldn't include it.
Link Removed
I too grew up with this movie via HBO, and I absolutely love this DVD. Again, Ron's right, certain scenes, (especially at the start), are oddly blurry, and poor. (Usually these are more of the wide angle shots.)
But many of the scenes look really clear to me, especially the close ups and court room stuff.
It's the best I've seen Used Cars ever. Not sure how the LD matches up.

 

[David Lambert]

A) I wonder how that music "couldn't" be cleared legally. Seems like they just resist paying the moola...
B) I wonder how IMDB can "clear" the rights...oh my!

 

[Jeff Whitford]

This disc looks amazing compared to seeing it on HBO,VHS or laserdisc. I was surprised at how good it looked.

 

[Marty M]

This is one of my all-time guilty pleasure movies. The commentary track is great. Those three guys seem to have a lot of fun doing it and do give out some useful information, espacially about the disguise glasses they couldn't use.

 

[bill lopez]

I picked it up too!
I laughed more then when I saw it back in the early 80's.
The babe in the blue dress who shows her boobs has to have the best looking boobs in movie history. I'm talking Bo Derek, Phobe Cates, Pam Grier great!
And the 2 scenes the have a poor image you can live with because the price of the dvd is cheap. GODFATHER, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS dvd had poor transfer scenes that made me sell it but not this dvd.

 

[David Lambert]

God, I loved watching that bit again!
I bet that action figure would go for some serious moola on eBay these days...