1941 (1979)
1941 (1979), directed by Steven Spielberg.
First review
I know this is considered one of Spielberg's clunkers, that the critics hated it, and that my wife did not laugh once. But I saw it about ten times in the theater. I must have been in love with Dianne Kay.
Well, it's not as funny now. Still, I think the jitterbug competition and driving the tank through the paint factory are worth the price of admission. Some fun references to Jaws (1975), Dr. Strangelove (1964) and Star Wars (1977).
The DVD is a disaster:
It's 4:3 letterboxed
They cram 2 hours 25 minutes into 3.8GB of space (on a dual-layer disc!)
This is an extended cut with an extra half hour of unfunny scenes that fatally slow the pace. Comedy needs a faster tempo (and it does pick up in the last hour).
The encoding is just ugly.
All I need is a nice new Blu-ray encode of the theatrical cut. (Later: a Blu-ray containing both theatrical and director's cuts appeared).
John Williams score.
Second review
Just as Star Wars (1977) revived the space opera and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) the adventure serial, so this tries to mine nostalgia for the old cavalcade-of-stars wacky comedy extravaganza. It doesn't do that as well as the other films but I try to get into the spirit. John Williams' music is a unifying glue for all three films.
Give them credit for a great comical evocation of 1940s L.A. The story is suggested by the real (but phony) Great Los Angeles Air Raid. And there really were Zoot Suit Riots.
On the down side: how silly is too silly? Some of the younger cast members don't add much. Lame gags, as when Treat Williams can't stand eggs! Something that worked better in the theater than on home video: the overblown yelling and screaming as buildup to something outrageous. It doesn't help that all that is reprised for the closing credits.
Notes:
A lot of people see the quote of the nude swimmer from the beginning of Jaws (1975), but few realize it is the same actress.
Also quoted: Slim Pickens from Dr. Strangelove (1964) and the aerial battle through the city streets like the attack on the Death Star in Star Wars (1977) (itself taken from The Dam Busters (1955)).
They also destroy the "LAND" part of the "HOLLYWOODLAND" sign, a gag repeated in The Rocketeer (1991).
Too many actors to mention, but...
Kudos to Toshiro Mifune and Christopher Lee for being good sports willing to contribute to the silliness.
Love the jitterbug contest, and the way Dianne Kay twirls her skirt. She does great comic mugging.
Nancy Allen coasts until -- partly motivated by sexual frustration -- she takes control of the plane under fire and flies that thing.
They mine the Saturday Night Live cast with John Candy and Dan Ackroyd. John Belushi does what he does.
Spot director Sam Fuller as the air raid commander.
The date-rape comedy might not be done today.
Nor the comical race abuse: "Real Japs?" "No, wooden Japs, Cheeta".
Available on Blu-ray, with both theatrical and the 28 minute longer director's cut. I much prefer the theatrical version. The extra footage gives more background -- particularly welcome for Frank McRae, making him less of a clown character -- but it slows down the pace way too much.
