John Hughes 5-Movie Collection (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Paramount
Release Date: February 23, 2021
Rating: PG-13 (except Planes, Trains, and Automobiles which is R)
Film: See below
 
Plot
Pretty in Pink 4/5
Originally released on February 28, 1986, Pretty in Pink celebrates its 35^th anniversary in 2021.  Produced and written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, the film stars Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy.  Andie (Ringwald) is a high school girl from the other side of town. Blane (McCarthy) is the wealthy heartthrob who asks her to the prom. But as fast as their romance builds, it’s threatened by the painful reality of peer pressure. 
 
Some Kind of Wonderful 4/5
Howard Deutch returned to direct 1987’s Some Kind of Wonderful, which was also written and produced by Hughes and makes its Blu-ray debut.  Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson and Lea Thompson star in the affecting story of young love in which Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) finds her feelings for her best friend, Keith (Eric Stoltz), run deeper than just friendship.  When Keith gets a date with the most popular girl in school (Lea Thompson), the girl's old boyfriend is unable to let go of her and plans to get back at Keith. 
 
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 5/5
Also celebrating its 35^th anniversary in 2021, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off continues to be enjoyed, quoted and revered 35 years after its theatrical debut on June 11, 1986.  Matthew Broderick stars as a delightfully charming high school student who, with his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and best bud Cameron (Alan Ruck), ditches school to enjoy one perfect day as a kid with no responsibilities. 
 
Planes, Trains and Automobiles 5/5
Produced, written and directed by John Hughes, Planes, Trains and Automobiles stars comedy greats Steve Martin and John Candy.  The uproarious classic follows a businessman (Martin) who is struggling to get home for Thanksgiving, but burdened by one travel mishap after another, as well as the company of an annoying traveling salesman (Candy).  Filled with outrageously funny situations and a generous helping of warmth, the film also features appearances by Michael McKean, Edie McClurg and Kevin Bacon. 
 
She’s Having a Baby 3/5
Hughes wrote, directed and produced the romantic comedy She’s Having A Baby, which arrives for the first time on Blu-ray.  Starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern, the film follows an aspiring writer who must face up to the responsibilities of marriage and fatherhood despite his persistent doubts and unfulfilled ambitions. 
 
My Thoughts
John Hughes made quite a name for himself as a writer/director/producer in the 1980s and I don’t think anyone in Hollywood has ever understood teenagers quite like he did. He got his start writing for Lampoon magazine and ultimately was “discovered” along with other Lampoon writers when Animal House became a huge hit. In an interview later in life, he attributed the pressure of writing articles under deadline for his ability to produce an endless stream of screenplays over a short period of time. While the five films included in this set are memorable and contain three of his best (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and Pretty in Pink), that only scratches the surface of his talent.
 
The A/V scores below are an average of the five films, some of which I’ve reviewed in the past. All are framed at 1.85:1 and can be a bit rough around the edges in the picture department. The audio tracks don’t have stellar dynamics, but you don’t sit down to watch one of these films for the presentation—it’s the quality of entertainment that counts.
 
Video 3.5/5
 
Audio 3.5/5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
 
Special Features:

• Legacy bonus features
• Blu-ray + Digital Code

 
Conclusion
John Hughes directed eight films in his career and from 1983 to 1991 is credited with 20 screenplays that include two films selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant: The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. As someone who came of age in the 1980s, Hughes made quite an impact on my life through his films. While I already own three of these films on Blu-ray, I hadn’t revisited Some Kind of Wonderful or She’s Having a Baby in over 30 years, so it was nice to take a trip down memory lane. If you’re a fan of Hughes’ work and you don’t own these films on Blu-ray, then definitely pick this set up.
 
 
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Anthem AVM60 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-980
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
SVS SB-3000 Subwoofer
JL Audio Dominion D110 Subwoofer x 2 (configured as tandem mid bass modules)
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling

PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[bmoney]

Such a good collection 

[David Vaughn]

Such a good collection

Looking through IMDB at how many productions Hughes is tied to is eye-opening. Sad that he died so young at 59 (in 2009), but he was definitely a hit parade throughout the 1980s. 

[claw]

I wonder why Breakfast Club was not included.

[David Vaughn]

I wonder why Breakfast Club was not included.

Universal owns the rights to that film (if I'm remembering correctly), so Paramount couldn't release it. I believe Hughes made films for Universal, Paramount, and Fox (now Disney). There may even be a 4th studio in there (Warner). Heck, considering his production of scripts one studio couldn't handle everything he wrote in such a short period of time--he would have killed their cash flow

[AVSCraig]

Planes, Trains and Automobiles 

I love this movie. I have it on Blu-ray already though. 

[bmoney]

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I love this movie. I have it on Blu-ray already though.

definitely one of my all time favs!!

"Larry Bird doesnt do as much ball handling in one night that you do in an hour!"

[Ralph P.]

Greetings,

Nice review Dave. Totally agree buddy... 


Regards,