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| Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin,
Jeff Goldblum, Christoper Lloyd, Lewis Smith |
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Anamorphic
widescreen |
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Dolby Digital
5.1 |
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DTS |
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Trailer(s) |
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Featurette(s) |
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Documentary |
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Audio commentary
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Deleted scenes
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Concept art
/ storyboards |
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Multi-angle
feature |
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[while
performing neuro-surgery:]
Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller): You can check your anatomy all
you want, and even though there may be normal variation, when it comes
right down to it, this far inside the head it all looks the same. No,
no, no, don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached
to.
Neurosurgeon/scientist/rock
star Buckaroo Banzai and his backup team of Hong Kong Cavaliers encounter
a plot forged by evil Red Lectroids escaped from the 8th Dimension to
steal Buckaroo's oscillation overthruster and resume their tyrannical
rule over Planet 10.
 I
first saw The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai on video when I was
about twelve years old, and I remember I couldn't get enough of it.
I'm still not quite sure whether I kept rewatching it: A) because it
was so hard to make any kind of sense of the plot; B) because I enjoyed
it so much; or C) because I was at an age where I could rewatch any
science-fiction movie endlessly. The answer is probably D) all of the
above, as the film ended up making quite an impression, and though the
particulars of plot and character were still hazy when I revisited it
on DVD nearly fifteen years later, there were still quotes from the
movie I could still cough up verbatim.
Having had this kind of youthful love affair with the movie makes it
a little hard to judge it today, and the fact that it has grown into
such a cult phenomenon is some indication of how the movie has a strange
drawing power that keeps people coming back to it. Some viewers new
to the movie may tune out in bewilderment after watching about fifteen
minutes of this confusing 'narrative' (as I remember my father doing
in a distant past). But with its extravagant 1980s costume design, endearing
special effects, willfully eccentric basic premise and performances
that range from wildly over-the-top to intelligently subdued, this smart,
crazy little non sequitur of a movie must surely still be able to make
some new converts in the digital age. |
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Following
various announcements and delays in the past year, a Special Edition
DVD is now available for Region 1.
The
anamorphic widescreen image is framed at an aspect ratio of approx.
2.35:1. This is the first time the movie is available in its original
widescreen format (even the coveted OOP LaserDisc was pan&scan),
and it's great to finally see it in its full glory. Image quality is
about as good as one could reasonably expect from a minor 1984 production.
There is some fading and some color degradation occasionally evident
(most notably during the opening credits), and in some shots where detail
is lacking in backgrounds, edge enhancement can leap out in a few instances.
But the film generally has a splendid bright look and solid definition,
and mostly just feels right. And with hardly any noticeable grain or
digital artifacting, this transfer will certainly not disappoint any
of the movie's many fans.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix doesn't have the kind of full sound
that will blow listeners away, but it's an excellent audio presentation
that makes excellent use of split surround effects and rear channel
activity, with some good bass thumping for spaceship sequences and the
like. Dialogues are the most limited in dynamics and response, and are
very occasionally even hard to understand. But overall this is a skillfully
designed, excellent remix that expands the original soundtrack without
losing its atmosphere.
The first announcement of a bare-bones DVD release in early 2001 prompted
such an uproar from the movie's many devoted fans, that the announcement
was quickly withdrawn, and followed some month later by the announcement
of a feature-laden Special Edition. Kudos in this case then to MGM/UA,
a distributor guilty in the past of releasing movie-only DVDs to be
followed within a short time by a Special Edition release. But with
this title, I'm sure everyone is more than happy to have waited a little
longer to see the release this cult favorite deserves.
The disc is indeed filled to bursting with extras, all of which are
based on the silly in-joke conceit that Buckaroo Banzai is an actual
person and that this movie is a re-enactment of one of his adventures.
Director W.D. Richter is joined by 'the actual Reno' for a respectful
audio commentary track that isn't quite as entertaining as it
ought to have been, but that still offers up several nuggets of worthwhile
trivia for Buckaroo addicts. Too much of the time however is spent with
endless elaboration of stories around 'the actual Buckaroo Banzai',
which aren't really that funny, certainly not for the casual listener.
More trivia, quotes and general silliness is available in a subtitle
track called Pinky Carruther's Unknown Facts. Fun for a while
but hard to sustain interest at feature length. Director W.D. Richter
hosts the lion's share of the 23-minute documentary 'Declassified'
(presented in anamorphic widescreen), which is basically a collection
of behind-the-scenes footage and EPK material shot at the time, edited
together with new interview footage of Richter shot 'at the Banzai Institute'.
The make-up test footage and clay models on display in the behind-the-scenes
stuff provides the most interest here, and the 1984 cast interviews
are also fun.
The deleted scenes section hold fourteen scene snippets that
have been popping up at science-fiction conventions across America for
some years. For the true Buckaroo addict, they divulge a little more
reference to our hero's mysterious arch-enemy Hanoi Xan, as well as
some throwaway moments that should be fun for those who have seen the
actual movie too many times. The clips were taken from an ancient VHS
copy of a work print, and considering the source material, the anamorphic
presentation of these clips, integrated back into the surrounding scene
and nicely documented, is acceptable. A deleted sequence presented in
much better quality and available separately from the main menu is the
famous alternate opening featuring a well-disguised Jamie Lee
Curtis as Buckaroo's mother. Shot as mock-home movie footage from Buckaroo's
childhood, its droll narration makes this a fun opening for the movie,
and the feature uses seamless branching to offer the possibility to
watch the movie either in its theatrical version or featuring the alternate
opening (doing away with the text screen and more elaborate main title
sequence).
Digging deeper into the supplements, we find character profiles
for all major characters in the movie, including a separate look at
Buckaroo's 'five major personalities' featuring a snazzy animated menu
screen. All of this text-based info is designed to further elaborate
the BB universe, and will be of little interest to those merely interested
in the making of the movie. The Banzai Institute Archives hold
a mind-boggling collection of further material, including a Jet Car
All-Access feature, granting animated views of the jet cars various
parts and functions, as well as blueprints for its design. Also here
are Tour Bus Schematics, mock album sleeve covers, a text-based
interview with 'the actual Buckaroo Banzai', two movie reviews
and quite a few other extras that will have fans browsing for hours
on end. One of the most interesting items is a radio interview with
a former studio publcist who talks about how the movie was originally
promoted at sci-fi conventions with various give-aways. This is the
only feature that borders on crossing the line into admitting that it's
'just a movie'...
The extras section also includes a vast still image gallery,
with lots of images documenting the history of the Banzai Institute
all the way back to the 1930s, as well as some behind-the-scenes shots
from the film production. The original theatrical trailer is
presented in handsome anamorphic widescreen, and there's also a unique
trailer for a never-produced spin-off TV series based on Buckaroo's
further adventures. It's really more like demo footage of a digitally
created jet car racing across a stormy landscape, but this short clip
is certainly fun to watch. Finally, there are various Easter Eggs
spread across a few of the menu screens, presenting alternate DVD menu
screen designs, alternate packaging designs for the DVD, and more about
the watermelon joke, including a recipe for something called 'chicken
in a watermelon'. The
nicely animated menus are modeled after the dashboard design of Buckaroo's
jet car. The screens have an appropriately tacky look, and there are quite
a few fun Easter Eggs hidden around the various screens.
Dan
Hassler-Forest
Reviewed: January
28, 2002
Click
here for IMDB info on The
Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension.
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to return to the front page.
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