A few words about... 1941

I've only seen "1941" once, about 15 years ago. Didn't hate it, but didn't particularly like it either (the Jaws opening was hilarious, though). I do think however, that the time has come for me to revisit this title and I'm certain I'll like it a lot more now than I did then. Now all I'm waiting for is a proper anamorphic DVD reissue and it'll be a release day purchase for me. Hear that, Universal?

Chris

???

LaserDisc was first offered to the public in 1978, and the last consumer discs [for the Japanese market] appear to have been pressed in 2002. I wouldn't call that "brief".

It's cool to see a lot of interest in this film. I saw it multiple times in the theater and have always loved it.

I would double dip for an anamorphic SE any day!

Management changes over the years, perhaps the person who originally green lighted it has left...or maybe it was done at the time in an arrangement with Spielberg for future projects.

Well, I finally got around to watching this DVD tonight and thank goodness I rented it instead of making a blind purchase. As a big Spielberg fan(Raiders, Last Crusade, Jaws, Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Saving Private Ryan are some of my favorite all-time films) I must say that I hated 1941. I'm not trying to start an argument as there are obviously many people in this thread who enjoy this film, but personally I just couldn't find anything about it to like. I thought Belushi's "Wild Bill" was a ridiculous over-the-top imitation of his Bluto character in Animal House and did not find him funny at all. In fact, for a movie that was supposed to be a comedy I couldn't get over how little I laughed. I could probably spend an hour writing all the things I hated about this film, but I don't want to offend the people here who like it. I just wish I could figure out what I'm missing as it seems many other people here find this to be a very enjoyable film.

Good to know. Anyway, it was shown recently on satellite and it looked a lot nicer and more colorful than the dvd (although friggin pan and scan). Does anyone know if a new transfer done for TV is ever a harbinger of a new dvd?

Put me in for a new 16x9 transfer also. I bought the
4x3 letterboxed DVD for $10 just to have the movie, but I've
seen comments on review sites that slam the picture
transfer, so I haven't bothered to watch it. I enjoy this
film, but I know critics don't like it because they aren't
supposed to like it (some critics don't give comedies the
respect that they deserve).

1941 is probably the most elaborate comedy film ever put together. The scale is tremendous and the cast is huge too. I thought Belushi and Ackroyd were terrific, even if they weren't up to their Blues Brothers standards. I enjoyed it in 1979 on the big screen and still enjoy it now. I think it is unfairly underrated. Of course, it's not perfect, and one of the problems is it spends too much time with characters that aren't that interesting, like Bobby DiCicco's character, or Diane Kay's.

Well humour is a very subjective thing, some people still laugh out loud while watching Chaplin or Laurel & Hardy, while I would barely raise a smile at their silly slapstick antics. But for some reason I find 1941 hysterically funny and hugely enjoyable. I'd give good money for a remastered 2-disc special edition (with seamless branching please).

The 145-minute extended version, perhaps, does not exist on film and was pieced together for the Laserdisc's videomaster? And so it would mean going back and piecing the 145-minute cut together again in order to create a new hi-def anamorphic transfer? Has the 145-minute cut ever been shown in a cinema in 35mm?

Apart from being a substandard dvd transfer the extended version of 1941 also has an alternate version of the scene where the Japanese kidnap Slim Pickens... disguised as christmas trees! This cringeworthy sequence goes on for far too long, I wish they'd kept in the shorter more effective theatrical version of that scene. Hopefully future editions of this film will give one the option... oh for chrissakes please release the original theatrical edition of this classic comedy on dvd, or at least include it intact on disc 2!

I saw this film on HBO when I was 13 and have loved it ever since! It was the sheer enthusiasm that the film displays that grabbed me, the scale, the total and complete destruction and chaotic verve that it had, the madness, the mayhem and our paranoia of war ending up right in our backyards.

Eddie Deezen's puppet, the ferris wheel rolling down the pier, John Williams go-for-broke score, the all star cast, everything just came together and made each viewing a treat for me back then and I still love it now. One thing that will always stay with me, seeing Robert Stack crying while watching Dumbo while the shit's hitting the fan outside the theater.

I have the current dvd and it is truly abysmal, almost unwatchable really. One of these days, perhaps to accompany one of Speilberg's new film's to dvd, Universal will remaster and reissue it. I'll still keep the current one if they do, it's got some great extra's on it.

Re: A few words about... 1941

Any news on a new DVD/HD-DVD release?

Re: A few words about... 1941

Seamless branching between the original edit and the expanded cut would be nice, plus the original mono track would be nice to have as well.

Not to be picky, but the "expanded cut" actually IS the "original edit." That is Spielberg's preferred version and also the length that the movie was originally previewed to test audiences. It wasn't just a "Director's Cut" that was re-edited sometime after the fact -- it's how the movie was supposed to play from the very beginning.

The studio cut it down after previews, I'm pretty sure mandating the cuts to get it under two hours. Not even sure Spielberg had a hand in the trimming there -- if he did it was almost certainly against his desires. IMO why would you want to see that version when key story points, characters and subplots are recklessly excised in that released print? Artistically it has little merit when held up to the original length version (and I realize some sarcastic folk will say 1941 has little artistry on-hand at all, but I agree with Mr. Harris -- it's great fun, Williams' score is fantastic, and the whole enterprise is solid entertainment).

Also, the movie was in stereo from the very beginning -- so there's no point in including the mono track.

Re: A few words about... 1941

I've watched 1941 on cable several more times since I posted in this thread last year and I'm now of a mind to agree with Robert's assessment in the first post, that even in it's emasculated state, it's 'one of the great comedies of the second half of the 20th century'.

Re: A few words about... 1941

I love that. May I use it as a signature?

Re: A few words about... 1941

This film never really caught mass appeal but that's o.k. I've mentioned this before but this is a family favorite.

John Belushi with a squeaky toy, what's not to love.