Risky Business (4K UHD) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Criterion Collection
Release Date: July 23, 2024
Rating: R
Film: 4.5/5

Plot
A sly piece of pop subversion, this irresistible satire of Reagan-era materialism features Tom Cruise in his star-is-born breakthrough as a Chicago suburban prepster whose college-bound life spirals out of control when his parents go out of town for the week and an enterprising call girl (Rebecca De Mornay) invites him to walk on the wild side. While Cruise boogying in his briefs yielded one of the most iconic pop-cultural moments of the 1980s, it is the film’s unexpected mix of tender romance (enhanced by a moody synth score by Tangerine Dream) and sharp-witted capitalist critique that remains fresh and daring.

My Thoughts
I was 14 when this film hit theaters and in order to see it, my friends and I had to sneak into the theater given its R rating. It was well worth the subterfuge, that’s for sure. While we were four years younger than Joel, we all wanted to be him, especially when he hooks up with De Mornay (who is fantastic in this role). While there were plenty of films in the 80s about guys wanting to lose their virginity, this one really is the cream of the crop because there’s more to the story than just getting laid. It takes a hard look at life from the perspective of the pampered Joel to the streetwise call girl trying to navigate the struggles of her blue-collar upbringing.

Even after 40 years, the film holds up pretty well and watching it as an adult brought back some great memories of growing up. I remember when the movie hit HBO and my friend group would try and get together to relive the experience all over again but in reality, I think we all just wanted to get another taste of De Mornay.

The film sports a brand new 4K restoration that was supervised and approved by writer/director Paul Brickman and producer Jon Avnet. The results are spectacular, especially the nighttime scenes that boast plenty of depth and detail. Color saturation is improved greatly over the Blu-ray (also enclosed in the set) and you can clearly see improvements that 4K brings to the presentation. The audio track is a robust DTS-HD MA 5.1 track that offers surprisingly good dynamics given the era of the film and Tangerine Dream’s tracks have never sounded so good.

Video 10/10
Audio 9/10 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)

Special Features:

• Commentary (4K)
• The Drams is Always the Same: The Story of Risky Business
• Joe Avnet
• Reichard Chew and Bobby “Osteen
• Nancy Klopper
• Screen Tests
• Trailer
• Leaflet
• UHD + Blu-ray

Conclusion
I struggled to get my wife to watch this with me, so I gave up and just watched it alone. Granted, the intended audience of this film was men so I can see why she was hesitant, but it was fun to go back and see Cruise in action before he was a Super Star and did I happen to mention that Rebecca De Mornay also was in this? Regardless, this is an easy one to recommend given the stellar restoration from Criterion and the entertainment value of the film. Definitely add it to your collection.


Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
 (Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 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
 Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
 Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
 Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
 PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[bmoney]

Never seen it but it’s on its way