Parents is a cult classic of sorts and while the first half was a fantastic satire on 1950s suburbia and had some genuinely creepy moments (no surprise when it comes to Randy Quaid) but it quickly loses steam in the latter half and by the end, I found it unrewarding and didn’t find it quite as funny.
While 20 years later Independence Day doesn’t quite hold up, the entertainment and cheese factor at least still is there and makes for an enjoyable disaster flick, not to mention President Whitmore’s call to action speech still gives me goose bumps to this day.
These three sets are more bargain releases for Mill Creek Entertainment with titles previously on DVD and in some cases Blu-ray so unless you don’t already own these, it might be worth picking up at $10 a pop, though don’t expect any frills and the video and audio transfers are so-so at best.
Bound for Glory isn’t a fantastic movie and it is a bit long in the tooth at nearly two and a half hours but Guthrie as a person and his journey was interesting combined with an amazing performance from the always charismatic David Carradine does make for a worthwhile viewing.
Kingpin is a quirky and effective comedy directed by the Farrelly Brothers combining tasteless humor with some heartwarming scenes that made There’s Something About Mary special. The Blu-ray release from Paramount is slightly disappointing with average audio (albeit good video), a basic featurette and a commentary track.
Vegas Vacation is the weakest in the series but still somewhat fun thanks in large part to the energy and chemistry between Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. Given it is rated PG, it is a safe movie yet there are some scenes that will get a chuckle so it’s not a complete loss. The Blu-ray offers decent video/audio transfers while, although unsurprisingly, a nearly empty features section.
National Lampoon’s Vacation is as funny as ever with a great cast, hilarious jokes and an all around fun storyline filled with a mix of low-brow and even, for the time, risqué humor. The Blu-ray however might include the enthralling “Inside Story” documentary but I don’t believe the video has been remastered and is probably the same transfer as the 2010 release.
