Bugsy Malone (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Paramount
Release Date: August 31, 2021
Rating: G
Film: 3/5
 
Plot
Set in 1929 New York City, BUGSY MALONE captures a flashy world of would-be hoodlums, showgirls, and dreamers—all portrayed by child actors. As Tallulah, the sassy girlfriend of the owner of Fat Sam's Grand Slam Speakeasy, future superstar Jodie Foster leads a talented cast.  Parker’s sharp script, combined with the music and lyrics of Paul Williams, makes for an irresistible satire that’s truly one-of-a-kind.
 
My Thoughts
This is one of those cases where I didn’t read the press release closely enough and got a movie that I really wasn’t expecting. This was Alan Parker’s first feature-length film and a rather unique one at that. The film stars a bunch of children who were unknown at the time, but two of the key parts starred Jodie Foster, fresh off her performance in Taxi Driver, and Scott Baio, who beat out over 2000 other kids to capture the leading role.
 
My wife and I sat down to watch this with zero expectations and found ourselves amused and humored at how the child actors played their roles “straight.” Our only real complaint is that the kids don’t do their own singing—everything is dubbed from what is presumably an adult singer, which is a bit disconcerting. Although the film runs a little over 90 minutes, it felt much longer than that because in reality, the script is a bit light, and they use long musical numbers to hit that magic 90-minute marker.
 
 
Video 4.5/5
 
Audio 4.5/5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
 
Special Features:

• Filmmaker Focus
• Give a Little Love – Paul Williams on Bugsy Malone
• Theatrical Trailer
• Blu-ray + Digital Copy

 

 
Conclusion
The film ended up being a commercial success in the UK and in France, but never really caught on in the United States. That being said, Alan Parker allowed the film to be made into a stage play with no royalties attached and it became a staple of growing up in the UK since most school drama programs had this as a yearly offering given it was free to use. While my wife and I enjoyed the film, I’m not sure its something we could ever watch again, but younger audiences may enjoy the goofiness more than us old adults did. The presentation is outstanding though, especially given the pedigree of the film, so if you’re interested in the film you’ll definitely enjoy the excellent A/V presentation.
 
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
Trinnov Altitude 16 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-990
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
JL Audio Dominion F110 Subwoofer x 2
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[bmoney]

one word.

interesting