John Hughes: 5 Film Collection - Blu-ray Review

Michael Scott

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John Hughes: 5 Movie Collection


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Movie: :4stars:
Video: :3.5stars:
Audio: :3stars:
Extras: :4stars:

Final Score: :3.5stars:


WARNING: THE SCORES ABOVE ARE A COMBINED SCORE FROM ALL 5 FILMS, THE INDIVIDUAL SCORES ARE CONTAINED BELOW IN THE INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS OF THE REVIEW


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Movie

Paramount has been really pumping out the classics these days, with many of them belonging to the “Paramount Presents” line of 4K remastered films. Some of them recently haven’t been that fortunate, but we’ll get what we can take. However there is one minor quirk with a few of these sets recently. While some (like She’s the Man) get a single disc release AND a boxset with other films, Paramount has also released a few as only available in a 5 film package with previously released movies that we already have. Thus was the fate of The Dead Zone being the only non catalog title in The Stephen King: 5 Film Collection, and so is the case with John Hughes’s Some Kind of Wonderful and She’s Having a Baby.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off: :5stars:
I haven’t reviewed this classic in either my old website or this one, but very little needs to be said for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Widely considered John Hughes biggest cult hit, surpassing even Pretty in Pink for the most popular and wide appealing film he ever did. It was the movie that made skipping school fun, abusing the principal funny, and Matthew Broderick a god among men for a while. Plus, it just so happens to have a million quotable lines that still make themselves prevalent in today’s pop culture. It was THE teenage adventure movie of the 1980s and probably one of my top 3 comedies of all times. I’ve very rarely said that a movie is “perfect” (even with a 5/5 rating), but Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is about as close to perfect as you can get.

Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is the class clown at his school, and probably the most beloved person at said school. Well, except for Principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) and Ferris’s own sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey). He’s been absent WAAAAAAY too many days to count, and while Principal Rooney thinks he’s got Ferris right where he wants him, young Master Bueller has access to a computer and a desire to have a day off with the company of his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck). What ensues next is a day of fun, hijinks, moral quanderies, and a off Principal Rooney trying to catch Ferris at his own game.

It’s almost an effort in futility to describe Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The movie is completely whimsical, full of a million different vignettes and plot twists, along with some discussion about what the future holds for these 3 seniors in high school. The movie reeks of John Hughes bubblegum pop humor, but foregoes much of the romance that defines Hughes for many of his fans. I would say that Ferris Bueller’s Day Off reaches a wider variety of audiences than his previous films, as it focuses on whimsical adventures rather than teen love. It still shows the tale of young people coming up into adulthood in their own way, but it’s much more fun and lovable over the soap opera style that Hughes can sometimes fall into.

The humor is nothing short of magical, and both Alan Ruck and Matthew Broderick destroy their respective roles. But what always makes a John Hughes movie so memorable is not JUST the main characters. It’s the side kicks and background characters that fully flesh out his films, and Ferris Bueller does so in spades. Jennifer Grey as Ferris’s jealous sister, a cameo by a VERY young Charlie Sheen, and Jeffrey Jones is priceless as the fall guy Mr. Rooney. When I heard that they were trying to do a remake of this film I felt sickened and horrified. Not because I felt like it was sacrilegious and the first movie above reproach, but simple that Ferris Bueller’s Day off was the very definition of lightning in a bottle. It was the type of movie that could only have been made during it’s respective time period, and was such a fantastic and wonderful mixture of EVERYTHING blending perfectly, that even trying to replicate that by having lightning strike twice in the same place is an effort in futility.

Pretty In Pink: :3.5stars:
Pretty in Pink is the exact same fantastic disc that was released in 2020 which was reviewed by myself HERE

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Planes, Trains and Automobiles: :5stars:
Same as Pretty in Pink , I reviewed Planes, Trains and Automobiles a few years back, and it's the exact same disc as reviewed HERE

Some Kind of Wonderful: :4stars:
Some Kind of Wonderful was gong to be the final act of teenage love movies that made John Hughes a star during the 80s. He had knocked it out of the park with Pretty In Pink, but was notoriously not happy with the ending as the studio heads forced him to change it for mass appeal. Some Kind of Wonderful kind of re-works many of the same thematic moments and general ideals, but with a gender switched set of lead characters and some love triangles that work more organically. I have always said that Pretty in Pink was John Hughes most successful teen romance flick, but it was not his BEST. It was cheesy, and the ending just felt wrong to so many people, and after watching some of the interviews that Hughes made ABOUT Pretty in Pink, I can understand why it felt so awkward. Some Kind of Wonderful was Hughes attempting to rectify those issues that he was forced to change for mass market appeal, and the end result is a decidedly better film.

Keith (Eric Stoltz) is an up and coming art student who wants something different for his life than selling tires like his father (John Ashton). His father also has that desire for Keith, but has a different way of getting to that end result. While Keith wants to drop out and go do his own thing, Dad wants to make sure his son goes to college and finishes strong so that he can get a job outside of the blue collar variety that he’s been stuck in his whole life.

Keith is absolutely fixated on a beautiful girl named Amanda (Lea Thompson) who happens to be the girlfriend of the rich snobby Hardy (Craig Sheffer). His best friend and childhood compatriot Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) advises him against going for Amanda due to her reputation, but Keith is ready to go in for the kill when Hardy breaks up with Amanda and Amanda agrees to go out with Keith for a little old fashioned revenge on her Ex. Keith is beyond smitten with Amanda and is ready to head straight over the waterfall with her, while Watts (who is secretly head over heels in love with her best friend) is worried that his heart is going to get broken due to the fickle Amanda.

Hughes goes straight for the jugular with Some Kind of Wonderful and doesn’t play subtle. He brings back many of the social working class disparity issues found in Pretty in Pink, painting both Keith and Amanda as coming from the wrong side of the tracks, having to deal with their richer and more carefree friends who have it all. However, it’s much more organic and natural this time around, allowing the relationship between Keith and Amanda grow as naturally as the inevitable finale with Watts and himself as well. It’s sweet, kind and Lea Thompson works both as a backstabbing girl out for revenge, and a heroic character who breaks away from the mold she was set in. Keith is sweet and innocent, but soon comes into his own as a man who knows what he wants, and what he doesn’t really need in his life by the end of the movie. It’s what Pretty in Pink SHOULD have been, and is easily a better movie by a small amount.

She's Having a Baby: :3.5stars:
After Some Kind of Wonderful Hughes decided to go a different direction, a more serious direction, with his next film (which was actually filmed BEFORE Planes, Trains and Automobiles, even though it came out after said comedy theatrically). It was a sort of semi biopic film about his own life and struggles with employment, marriage and children, but told in a mildly humorous narration through the voice of Kevin Bacon. It heralded a drastic change of pace for the director, as he got away from teenage love and angst, and instead went straight forward into a full on drama with very little humor (outside of some sly winks and nods at married life as told through Kevin Bacon’s naive eyes). It’s probably his most personal and personable film yet, but also one that didn’t really hit home for lots of his fan base (myself included).

Jake (Kevin Bacon) and Kristy (Elizabeth McGovern) have made the steps from high school sweethearts to young married couple, despite the protestations of Kirsty’s parents and Jake’s friend Davis (a young Alec Baldwin). The couple leaps straight into the world with both feet in front of them, ill prepared for all of the trials and “fun” that is heading their way. Jake gets a job he doesn’t want, and Kristy is bored spitless being a house wife. The two have to traverse the delicate balance of personalities and responsibilities that is marriage, teetering on indiscretion at times, to outright adoration at the simple happiness they don’t know they even have.

Hughes makes great pains to not make Jake a villain in this film (duh, it’s John Hughes himself in many ways), as poor Jake has no idea what to do with the future. He’s a burgeoning writer who wants to someday make his artistic mark on the world, but is ill prepared for actual LIFE with a spouse this young He wants to marry Kristy and is head over heels in love with her, but he’s also confused and scared for what the future brings, as is his young bride. The film chronicles their life over many years, watching the two struggle to maintain their relationship, sometimes straying to the outskirts of propriety, back to the center again, and then back to those same edges as Jake and Kristy try and figure out their roles and desires in a life they’re ill prepared to meet head on as veritable kids.

As I said before, She’s Having a Baby is the most personal and intimate John Hughes film to date, but it is also his most bland. The film is not very humorous at all (which isn’t a bad thing), but the drama feels meandering and pointless at times. We see the slice of life storytelling unfold before us, but it’s hard to really feel any attachment to either character. Neither Jake nor Kristy are BAD, but neither does the story really endear you to either one. It’s just a scenario where you watch their life unfold without any emotional resonance. It works on many levels with Kevin Bacon’s quirky narration, but at other times you sit and wonder what the point was.




Rated R by the MPAA (Planes, Trains and Automobiles) / Rated PG-13 by the MPAA (the other 4)




Video: :3.5stars:
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Ferris Bueller's Day Off: :3.5stars:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off uses the same old transfer (and it’s actually the same disc since 2009) that we’ve all known, which means no remaster. It’s a bit dated but still solid, even though the disc shows signs of filtering and speckles and spots on the print. There’s nothing MAJORLY off putting about the disc, it just badly needs a remaster and a 4K treatment on the Paramount Presents line. Faces are well detailed, but there is a softness to the image at times. Colors are well defined and decently saturated, but never really “pop” like they should. As I said, the disc is an alright disc, but it’s a decades old master that really could use a facelift.

Pretty in Pink: :4.5stars:
As the review has already been done, you can find the review of the Video score HERE

Planes, Trains and Automobiles: :3stars:
The video score is found HERE for your reference

Some Kind of Wonderful: :3.5stars:
The same thing as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off plagues Some Kind of Wonderful in the fact that it uses an aging master that really needs a face lift. The image may not be pristine and fully remastered, but it retains its cinematic look with some heavy grain and a ruddy 80s color grading. Sometimes it’s a bit too grainy and can have speckles and flecks on the print, but the overall clarity is generally very nice. Some darker shots look like they swarm with grain spikes, and the overall colors are heavily pushed towards a ruddy look.

She's Having a Baby: :2.5stars:
She’s Having a Baby is arguably the best looking film of John Hughes career, with a neutral color grading and a very distinctively smooth look to it. However the old master doesn’t do the film justice as it is also decades old and suffering from print damage. Colors are faded and muted to the extreme (the whole thing is very sallow and grungy), and detail levels struggle to maintain good clarity. Softness tends to dominate the image most of the time, and while you can definitely see a good grain structure, the film is never detailed enough to really be that enjoyable. While it’s the nicest looking FILM of his career, She’s Having a Baby is the worst looking Blu-ray in the entire 5 film box set.





Audio: :4stars:
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Ferris Bueller's Day Off: :4stars:
The same 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track that was found on all the other releases of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is found here as well, and that’s a good thing as the mix is, and was, a great sounding mix. It pops off the sound stage with a rousing array of musical numbers, as well as the hubbub of city traffic as Ferris, Cameron and Sloane make their way on their various adventures. It’s rather nuanced and intricate, with a great mix of music, dialog and background noise, allowing the track to be something more than just a dialog heavy dramedy. Not exactly Dolby Atmos level, but still solid after all these years.

Pretty in Pink: :4.5stars:
The review of the Audio score can be found HERE for your reference

Planes, Trains and Automobiles: :4stars:
The Audio score is found HERE for your reference

Some Kind of Wonderful: :4stars:
Outside of the obvious feature of having the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track recorded a bit low, Some Kind of Wonderful is more than adequate at handling the 1980s dramedy. It’s a light and airy affair with some good 1980s pop music to fill out the surrounds, but overall a decent comedy track. Dialog is first and foremost the focus of the mix, and the subs get some good workout with said musical score. It’s not as refined as Pretty in Pink or The Breakfast Club, but the mix never lets you down with problematic dialog levels or poor surrounds.

She's Having a Baby: :4stars:
She’s Having a Baby gets a nice 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track that’s decidedly front heavy, but handles the simplistic nature of the film more than adequately. The dialog is always the main focus of the film, and it handles those nuances without question or problem. There’s not a whole lot of surround activity beside the score, but there’s a few moments in the church where you hear some decent background noise, or in the hubbub of the inner city Illinois surroundings.







Extras: :4stars:
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Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• Getting The Class Together - The Cast of Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• The Making of Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• Who is Ferris Bueller?
• The World According to Ben Stein
• Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes
• Class Album

Pretty In Pink
• NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
• NEW Filmmaker Focus - Director Howard Deutch on Pretty in Pink
• NEW Isolated score
• The Lost Dance - The original ending
• Original theatrical trailer

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
• In-depth retrospective on John Hughes' career that includes interviews with those who worked with him and explores his indelible impact as a writer and filmmaker.
• Getting There is Half the Fun: The Story of Planes, Trains And Automobiles
• John Hughes For Adults
• A tribute to John Candy
• Deleted scene

Some Kind of Wonderful
• Commentary with director Howard Deutch and actress Lea Thompson.
• "Meet the Cast of Some Kind of Wonderful"
• "The Making of Some Kind of Wonderful"
• "Back to Wonderful"
• Interview with John Hughes

She's Having A Baby
• Interview with John Hughes
• Theatrical Trailer










Final Score: :3.5stars:


As someone who loves John Hughes movies and loves that Paramount is releasing more and more catalog titles on Blu-ray all of a sudden, I’m a bit disappointed in this release. Not because the films aren’t worth releasing, or that 3 of them are already released, but due to a mixture of ancient masters that are desperately in need of remastering coupled with the fact that the 2 “new” films in the set can’t be bought separately for those of us who already own the other 3 films. Either way, it’s a bit of a mixed back as I’m glad to see more films hit Blu-ray, but after seeing the high quality standards that Paramount has employed for the Paramount Presents re-releases, these films feel neglected and just pushed out there in comparison. Solid enough release, but hesitant.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jon Cryer, Molly Ringwald, James Spader, Kevin Bacon, John Candy, Steve Martin, Mary Stuart Masterson
Directed by: John Hughes / Howard Deutch / John Hughes / Howard Deutch /John Hughes
Written by: John Hughes / John Hughes / John Hughes / John Hughes / John Hughes
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC / 1.78:1 AVC / 1.78:1 AVC / 1.78:1 AVC / 1.78:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, German, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish DD 2.0
Subtitles:

- Ferris Bueller's Day Off = English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
- Pretty In Pink = English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles = English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
- Some Kind of Wonderful = English, English SDH, French, German
- She's Having a Baby = English, English SDH, French, German
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R (Planes, Trains and Automobiles) / PG-13 (the other 4)
Runtime
: 103 Minutes (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) / 97 Minutes (Pretty In Pink) / 92 Minutes (Planes, Trains and Automobiles) / 95 Minutes (Some Kind of Wonderful) / 106 Minutes (She's Having A Baby)
Blu-ray Release Date: February 23rd, 2021

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Recommendation: Solid Release


 
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tripplej

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Thanks for the review. Great classic movies by John Hughes. Worth having and seeing again.
 

Todd Anderson

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I share your sentiment, Mike. Rather than just re-release, give these classics a proper make-over. The fact that Trains/Planes and Ferris have video scores in the 3 range is CRIME. The studio should pullout source material and give them a proper restore with modern technologies.
 
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