American Graffiti (Collector's Edition)
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Movie Reviews of American Graffiti (Collector's Edition)
Movie Review: A classic film gets a good DVD.
Summary: 5 Stars
George Lucas's "American Graffiti", more than any other film, captures what its like to be teetering on the brink of adulthood after school is over. Steve (Ron Howard) only wants to be with the love of his life, Laurie (Cindy Williams), but almost blows it with her completely. Her brother Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) isn't sure if he wants to leave for college. He becomes attracted to a blonde (Susanne Summers in a cameo) he briefly sees in a car, but doesn't know who she is. He winds up spending half the night with a street gang (led by Bo Hopkins). John (Paul LeMatt) loves to race cars, but ends up driving around with an underage girl (Mackenzie Phillips). Terry the Toad (Charles Martin Smith) is a nerd trying to impress a girl (Candy Clark, who earned an Oscar nomination) that he's just met. Of course, it ends in disaster. All of this is observed in a funny, heart-felt way. Memorable moments include Curt's meeting Wolfman Jack, John's ongoing fued with another racer (Harrison Ford in a small part), John and the young girl demoiishing a car with with shaving cream, and Toad's fight with the guys who stole his friend's car. George Lucas captured it all nicely with a top notch soundtrack of early rock and roll classics in the background, which enhances the period detail. Nearly the entire cast prticipates in an excellent "making of" documentary that it is included with the DVD. Lucas and producer Francis Coppola are interviewed as well. The documentary runs about 80 minutes, and everyone involved has an interesting story to tell. It also includes screen tests that were done for some of the cast. It more than makes up for tha lack of any commentary track on this DVD. This DVD is a worthy purchase for any fan of "American Graffiti".Movie Review: Where Was I in '62? In My Mother's Womb
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me preface it to say that there are few films that I would give more than the 5 stars allotted to reviewers. To say that I love this film is an understatement. When I saw this film theatrically in 1978(it was the extended director's cut not the original version that played theatres in 1973) I wished that I was in Modesto, California cruising the streets to the sounds of the Wolfman. This film suggests the kind of director George Lucas could have become if he had not become engrossed with "Star Wars" and ILM. Our loss. The story deals with young people on the cusp of adulthood going out for one last fling. Their stories aren't earth-shaking ones. John, the rebel, has to usher around an underage girl. Steve, the responsible one, is trying to patch things up with his girlfriend, Laurie. Terry, the geek, is trying to make it with a Sandra Dee wanna-be. Curt, the brain, is pursuing the elusive blonde in the white T-bird. Along the way various things intrude on these pursuits. A drag race, a gang initiation, etc. Lucas has crafted a dream world here that is every much as wonderous as that of "Star Wars". Enough cannot be said of the period music that comments on the action of the film. And of course Lucas assembled a largely unknown cast (Richard Dreyfus, Ron Howard, Charles Martin Smith, Paul LeMat, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford, etc.) who portray young people not dumb teenagers. One of the devices that Lucas uses to illustrate that youth is a temporary state is show title cards about what happened to the principle characters later in life. This film illustrates the innocence that was contained in this country prior to the social upheavals that occured later in the 60's.Movie Review: Get in the T-Bird!
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this ages ago, and we all grew up with ghosts of Happy Days flitting past us making us nostalgic to a California era (and its music) that occurred ten years before we were born, so it was interesting to see it again now that I too am going through a phase of listening to "golden oldie" bands, although in my case it's the feedback-drenched psychadelia of Blue Cheer and the Yardbirds. American Grafitti is a great film, full of funny characters and good dialogue, fantastic editing, and great tunes - so good, in fact, that it's hard to believe that it came from the mind that produced the screenplay for The Phantom Menace. There's a young pre-fame Harrison Ford driving around prepping for his next role as Han Solo, and also Richard Dreyfuss as a college-bound kid wondering whether he should stick around town or look around a bit. Lots of nuances, which is a word you don't often use when describing George Lucas, such as the scene when Richard Dreyfuss has a talk with his teacher, and a girl comes up at the end of the conversation and says "teach, can I talk with you for a minute?" The scene is pregnant with meaning, but Lucas is subtle (?!?) about it and drops the story and moves on. There's also good fun when Dreyfuss (he seems to get all the best scenes) gets initiated into the local gang, the Pharaohs. It's such a very white white white town, that even the gangsters are white. To inject a bit of colour, though, Wolfman Jack has a great cameo. Suzanne Sommers as "the blonde in the T-bird" is basically unrecognizable, but hey - it's Chrissy!Movie Review: Great Movie-one of my favorites
Summary: 5 Stars
First, a commentor has erronously stated that Happy Days owes its inspiration to American Graffiti when actually the pilot with Ron Howard was shot in 1971 (and eventually shown as a Love American Style episode in 1972) then shelved by Garry Marshall. It is said that Lucas even asked to look at the footage to ascertain whether Howard would be suitable as Steve Bolander. Of course excitement for the project was reivigorated by the success of American Graffiti, but in no way owes inspiration to it.
As for the movie, it is nearly perfect. Even though it is a half-generation before my own, it still evokes a sense of nostalgia. There is an ache in the soul when one contemplates having been on the cusp of change, losing something special, and knowing that the best days have slipped into the past. This movie captures this concept magnificently.
The acting is superior, the editing great, the direction pitch perfect (why Star Wars I-VI are inhabited by wooden cut-outs is a mystery to me). The movie doesn't overstay its welcome and at almost 2 hours it flies by, and if anything seems too short, not that the characters are underdeveloped, you just want to see more of what is soon to be a memory. The movie is a treat and you just want it to be even bigger.
It's nice on a another level as it has Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfus before they became RON HOWARD and RICHARD DREYFUS. With relative unknowns the performances are generally free from pretensions.
All around a must see movie and in my top 10.
Movie Review: Lucas' Nostalgia
Summary: 5 Stars
American Graffiti was the movie that broke George Lucas into the mainstream. The movie is based on his teenage days growing up in the early 60's in a small Northern California town. The movie starred virtual unknowns who went on to big Hollywood careers. Ron Howard was the only well known actor and the role of Steve was his first chance to play a more adult role. The film takes place over the course of one night where Mr. Howard's Steve and his best friend Curt are preparing to leave town and head off to college on the East Coast. Richard Dreyfus plays Curt and Cindy Williams plays his sister and Steve's boyfriend. Paul LeMat plays John Milner who is the cool guy in town with the fastest car around. He gets tricked into picking up the 13 year old MacKenzie Phillips and spends the night driving around with her. Charles Martin Smith plays the nerdy Terry the Toad. Steve entrusts him to watch his car while he's away. he cruises around and picks up Candy Clark and through a series of elaborate lies, gets her to park by the lake. The car is stolen, but they get it back with the help of John. The movie closes out with a drag race between John and Harrison Ford's Bob Falfa. The movie is spiced up by its soundtrack which helped bring back the 50's nostalgia that permeated the 70's. The film also introduced the infamous DJ Wolfman Jack to the country. The film is an unapologetic feel good, warm movie and its major success allowed Mr. Lucas to make another little movie by the name of Star Wars.