Flashback editions of Weird Science, Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles (1 Viewer)

[Bryan^H]

Well I bought all 3 flashback editions(Weird, Sixteen, Breakfast) and just finished the special features on them.
Starting I'd like to say that Molly Ringwald, and John Hughes are sorely missed in these special features.
Tough call. Personally, I'm not impressed. The documentaries on Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles oddly felt lackluster. The Sixteen Candles doc had a few fun facts, and tidbits, while the Breakfast Club's just felt bland(even with the inclusion of Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, and Michael Anthony Hall). I don't mind having guests talk about the 2 movies, but Diablo Cody(Juno) has more screen time in the docs than anyone. She gives more than her two cents. Midway through the BC doc, I was like "My god did she write the damn movie...enough already". I don't understand it.
Weird Science documentary was just plain shallow.
The Picture, and audio quality are impressive for a standard dvd.
Unlike the fantastic in-depth special features For Paramount's Pretty in Pink, and Some Kind of Wonderful, these specials barely scrape the surface.
It seems Universal could have gone all out, but instead have met fans again halfway. Pretty upset I didn't just give these a rental instead of buying:frowning:

 

[Kevin EK]

Bryan, I appreciate that you and I agree on this stuff. My review on the full set is up in this nook of the site, and available under the "Software Review" headings.

I totally agree with you that the lack of Molly Ringwald and John Hughes is a major problem here, just as the lack of Chevy Chase hurt the Fletch special edition last year.

 

[GuruAskew]

Jason Hillhouse strikes again.

To be fair, these extras were a lot better than his "Fletch" extras but that's more a statement about the poor quality of those extras (I think that's the worst SE ever) than any sort of endorsement of these ones.

As I said in another thread, he's the Uwe Boll of DVD producers. I don't think his name is featured on the DVD packaging but luckily the HTF review here (which is the other thread I commented in) pointed out that he participated in the commentary (as a "moderator", this guy manages to cram himself in wherevever he can) so I knew to lower the bar considerably.

Another irritating bit of Hillhouse getting his name out there is on the "Sixteen Candles" doc in one of the transitions there is a list of students and "Mr. Hillhouse" is listed as the teacher. He is making a name for himself, unfortunately for him it's on disappointing DVDs.

As for the lack of Hughes and Ringwold, I can cut him slack on Hughes because he doesn't do extras but Ringwold participated in Paramount's "Pretty in Pink" SE, just like Chevy Chase had done other extras before going MIA on "Fletch", which he says is his favorite movie.

 

[Bryan^H]

I just read your review. Very nice. I wish I would have read it before I purchased these. I'm such a Hughes fan that I didn't think these films with special features could be such a mediocre experience.
I've learned my lesson, as it turns out some special features aren't so special at all.

 

[Kevin EK]

John Hughes contributed a thorough and incisive commentary to FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF back in 1999, I believe. I listened to it before posting the review as I had read elsewhere that he had supposedly stated that he filmed that film at the same time as BREAKFAST CLUB. My new listen revealed that he only said that he used the same high school as a location for both films - not that he had filmed both at the same time.

It's possible that he has now completely divorced himself from the business, but it's just very strange to see what are supposed to be thorough special editions with no input by him.

 

[GuruAskew]

Even the three Paramount Hughes movies ("Pretty in Pink", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Some Kind of Wonderful") utilize a lot of vintage footage of Hughes and manage to get most of the stars to appear. As we all know the newer "Bueller" disc dropped the commentary but some people have suggested that this was done as Hughes' request. In any case, if Paramount can manage to get the overwhelming majority of the cast to do interviews (only "SKoW" has noticeable omissions and they're still supporting cast, the leads are all involved) then I don't know why Universal can't.

It's not like these releases were hitched to any tie-in opportunity and it's not like the demand for the SE's was huge. I'm sure everyone interested in them would have preferred to wait a year to actually get all the participants involved in the supplements.