Into Summer: DVD Review Round-Up

Hey, school daze are winding down a bit and you can look forward to an early summer DVD marathon party. Or, maybe you need something to keep you awake to study for those upcoming exams. We put together a cool combo for ya: two classic and fun Tom Hanks films, a bunch of classic summer comedies, including the raunchy romps that started it all in Porky's: The Ultimate Collection (hey, this stuff is raunchier than all the American Pie franchise so make sure they are okay for you to watch). We finish up with a new TV fave. Get ready to greet the summer!

From 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Big: Expanded Edition (2 discs)

In this first in a long line of body switching films, 12-year-old Josh Baskin is dying to grow up. When his wish is granted, he wakes up as a very young Tom Hanks! He'll have to keep this problem a secret and operate in the adult world. Turns out, that his child-like charm goes over really well in the adult workplace where he gets a job developing toys. A really cute adult girl falls for him and he has to finally make a decision; go back to puberty or stay... "big".

Video and Audio: The picture features anamorphic widescreen and it looks great. The 25 minutes of added footage (thus the "Expanded Edition" name) fits in seamlessly. You can't tell old from new. Great job on an older film. Audio isn't amazing. But, it's Dolby Digital, and, on a film like this, you really don't need a bunch of dynamic surround sound. You can hear the dialogue fine.

Special Features: On disc one we get the expanded and original cuts and "Big Brainstorming", an audio "documentary" by writer/producers Anne Spielberg and Gary Ross on creating the film. You hear how the story for Big was created and developed. Interesting.

On disc two we have 10 deleted scenes with an optional intro by director Penny Marshall. These are the same scenes added back to make the extended cut version so you can watch the whole thing or watch them alone here. Kind of redundant but the Penny commentary is okay.

"Big Beginnings" is a featurette with on-camera writers and producer James L. Brooks talking about the surprise hit that the movie made.

"Chemistry of a Classic" is where you get modern-day interviews. You get Penny talking about production and learn that Hanks might not have been first choice. Interesting. Oddly, Tom himself isn't on this feature and he is supposed to have really liked this film.

"The Work of Play" is a brief featurette about what it's like to really work in a toy company. It's fine but necessary??

"Backstory: 'Big'" was an AMC TV special back in 2001. Informative but the newer featurettes have better info. Not a bad watch however.

"Carnival Party Newswrap," is a tiny news byte giving us a very short view of the film's premiere party on the Fox lot. Uh, more would have been nice.

Wrapping Up: If you've never seen this fun film, make sure to rent or buy. Younger Tom Hanks is perfect as the man/child and you'll root for him all the way. It would really have been neat for the present-day Tom to make some comments either on or off camera here. Don't know why he didn't. Extras are interesting enough and you do get archival footage from back in the day. This is a really heartwarming film. Definitely rent it at least if not buy. Your parents will probably want to have it in their collection as well.

That Thing You Do: Tom Hanks' Extended Cut

Tom fans will be in heaven. Tom wrote, directed and co-stars in this lively tale of a Beatles-era band, a one-hit wonder (they are actually named The Wonders) and we follow them from creation though that first radio play of their catchy tune, through fame and the aftermath. Great performances from cuties Jonathan Schaech, Steve Zahn and Tom Everett Scott as well as Liv Tyler and Hanks, who plays the bands' manager.

Video and Audio: The film has been cleaned up since an earlier DVD release. In widescreen, it looks pretty good.. not as crystal clear as very recent films. Might have done better here but it's certainly watchable.

The audio is a Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround mix. Songs and dialogue come through pretty balanced.

Special Features: An older DVD release in 2001 contained only "The Making of That Thing You Do!" and a pair of music videos. Here you get a mixture of the 1996 interviews and new ones. Here's the haps:

On disc one is the original cut and the longer, extended cut.

On disc two is "Feel Alright" a music video written and performed by Josh Clayton-Felt and the tune is very 1960's pop. The video is just the clips from the movie.

"The Wonders! Big in Japan!": is where you get new cast interviews and a lot of behind-the-scenes, on tour footage of the bands' trip to Japan. This is really fun!

"The Story of The Wonders" is a cute documentary on the fictional band. There are old and new cast and crew interviews as if the band members really existed. I liked it.

"Making That Thing You Do!" This is the main featurette that was brought on from the previous edition. A typical making of piece from script to release. Good for background of the film.

"That Thing You Do! Reunion" The cast sits down together to talk about making the film.. some bloopers here and backstage footage. Everybody seems to have loved making the film. But, hey! No Tom Hanks!

"HBO First Look: That Thing You Do!: An old "selling" piece on the film. Some of the info is repeated here but nice to have. You get the usual trailers as well.

Wrapping Up, I loved this movie. You totally root for these smalltown guys to make it big. The lead tune is so catchy that I sang it for days! It's a real up close view of what it was like to try to make it as a band in the 1960's Beatles era. In the extended cut you get more on lead bandmember Guy Patterson and the gang and Tom's manager character that just gives you more character development and some funny moments that add to your enjoyment.

Definitely rent this or buy for your collection. You'll want to watch it again and again.I do.

Porky's: The Ultimate Collection

Okay, be warned. Be very warned! There is some very R-rated raunch here but these three films are the prototype grandaddys of the American Pie films and other such teen-aimed, coming-of-age comedy faire. As such, they are classics in their own right and worth mentioning here. Guys might enjoy or relate to these more than girls but the fact is... they're funny! Some of the films are better than others but here's the lowdown:

Best in the set is the original Porky's. Set in the 1950's (these films were made in the '80's) it's about a bunch of horny teens who want to get some action at the local dive Porky's; a kind of honky-tonk strip club. When the owner rips them off and humiliates them, they plot bigtime revenge. This movie features Kim Cattrall later of "Sex and the City" fame.

In Porky's II: The Next Day, the enemy is a preacher who wants to ban Shakespeare and the Ku Klux Klan who are after a native American kid. Still pretty raunchy but with some good lessons and payback that's pretty sweet.

Last is Porky's Revenge, and, like most number 3's in a trilogy, it pretty much sucks. All the actors look much older than they are playing and more '80's sneaks in than '50's. With Porky's torn down, he decides to force the guys' coach to make them throw the championship game.

Video and Audio: Regrettably, these films aren't digitally cleaned up. The transfers are soft, colors faded and some details are fuzzy. However, you'll never see these entire films on TV since they'll be edited down so, lackluster picture or not, these DVDs are preferable. The audio isn't any better. You just get the old-fashioned two channel stereo.. no big surround sound stuff but, hey, you can hear the dialogue and the retro rock comes through okay.

Special Features: All on the first movie disc. Director of the Porky's films, Bob Clark was killed with his son recently when hit by a drunk driver on Pacific Coast Highway. It's nice that he was able to do this commentary on his popular films. His full-length commentary over the first movie is really full of fun facts and fleshed-out adventures. Worth a listen. Also interesting is "Porky's: Through the Peephole: Bob Clark Looks Back" an on-camera interview with the director.. a lot of stuff from the commentary is here but you do get some interesting factoids like a lot of name actors of the early '80's turned the picture down for fear of typecasting.. Dennis Quaid for one. Kinda interesting and nostalgic.

Really lame is a doc called "Porky's: A Comedy Classic" in which some no-name comics try to make jokes about the movie while we re-see scenes. Might be fun just because it's so bad!

You also get a weird video game pitch that does show you how very far we've come in technology since then but, not really a necessary "extra".

Wrapping Up: Again, make sure it's okay with the "rents" for you to watch these if you are under 17. I guess the censors were asleep in the early '80's cuz you see more here than in American Pie!. At least a couple of the films have a few worthy lessons about tolerance and bigotry etc. In a DVD set like this, it would have been great to hear from the cast or crew so that's a downer. Bob Clark does entertain and explain the Porky's phenomenon pretty well. Bottom line, if you want to see what started all these feisty teen sex comedies of our era... this is the source. I'd say rent rather than buy unless your mom and dad want to add these to the family collection because of their own memories.

From Paramount Home Entertainment

Summer School: Life's a Beach Edition

Okay, on the less raunchy side, this very fun 1987 comedy stars Mark Harmon as a slacker summer school teacher at Ocean Front High. He wanted to go to Hawaii but is stuck teaching remedial English to a bunch of fellow slackers. Down the hall is hot (pre all the diet stuff) Kirstie Alley, a stuffy history prof that Mark has his eye on. Somehow, the kids actually learn something about English and life and we root for Kirstie and Mark to hook up.

Video and Audio: In widescreen, the film looks really bright, colorful and free of any grain or defects. Really nice for an older film! Danny Elfman wrote the score and you get enough balance and separation here on the pop tunes. You can also hear the dialogue and sound effects very well. Good job!

Special Features: "Commentary by Director Carl Reiner and Actor Mark Harmon" isn't all that great. Both guys don't say much and seem to have forgotten all the juicy inside details we'd like to hear. It's more like they are enjoying watching the film rather than talking about it. So, kind of don't bother.

"Inside the Teacher's Lounge" is a little better. You get some memories of cast and crew. Obviously, the gang had fun on the picture and you get a little inside info.. like Fran Drescher of "The Nanny" was considered for Kirstie Alley's role, etc.

"Summer School Yearbook" is more commentary by the cast..(Courtney Thorne-Smith of TV's "According to Jim" and "Melrose Place" is sadly missing). There are interviews from the '80s as well as current with director Reiner moderating. Kinda short but fun to see these guys years later.

You also get the trailer and a cute photo gallery with some pics from deleted scenes.

Wrapping Up: This movie doesn't rely on sex or poo poo humor to make you laugh and it's super charming and really funny! The laughs are character-driven and you really like this room full of so-called losers! This is a comedy that holds up today and, did I mention, it's really funny! No big shakes on the special features although some are nice to check out. Definitely rent this for your going into summer sleepover party. You may want to buy it. Expect your mom to wanna watch too!

From Genius Entertainment

Flight 29 Down: Volume One

On to TV! Some have called this series a "Lost" rip-off but younger teens at least seem to love the show in which teens and kids on a school trip crash land and are stranded on an island. They have to learn to work together to survive. Volume One edits together the first four episodes into kind of a mini-movie.

Video and Audio: The picture maintains the same TV look and size and is pretty clear. I found the beginning scenes inside the plane to be very dark but they were probably shot this way. Sound is very clear.

Special Features: A few short, cute ones. "Crabbin' with Corbin" features cutie Corbin Bleu showing us how to catch tiny sand crabs on the beach of the set in Hawaii. Kinda cute.

"Animal Friends" is a longer featurette with all the major cast members involved. First, Corbin takes us to visit some local horses that often wander onto the set from their nearby ranch, stopping filming. Then we meet the production mascot Lucky, a local dog who visits the set, the catering tent etc. Seems he lives nearby but just hangs out with the gang when they are filming. Warm and fuzzy. At the end, cast members talk about their pets at home.

In "Tour of the Set" and "Allen's World", the cast shows you inside and outside of their plane, various sets on the sand and youngest cast member Allen Alvarado shows you around his personal trailer and the school trailer where he does lessons. Pretty sparse.. you see that these guys aren't living in big luxury while on set anyway.

You also get a short montage of other Discovery Kids channel shows

Wrapping Up: Let's face it, you are buying this cuz you love the series.. or haven't seen it and are curious about it. The edited together version of the first four episodes runs pretty smoothly into a short movie. The extras are chocked full of cast members so, if you like these kids, you'll love the extra time with them. Overall, a nice keepsake for fans of the show.

***

Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.