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The 80's Brat Pack Collection DVD Review: THE 80s BRAT PACK COLLECTION THE BREAKFAST CLUB High school is never the easiest time of your life but for jock Andy (Estevez), geek Brian (Michael Hall), rebel John (Nelson), miss popular Claire (Ringwald) and recluse Allison (Sheedy) life just got a little harder. The five of them could be more different and who never even imagine coming within each other’s circles but as the day proceeds, they find out they have more in common than they would think. ABOUT LAST NIGHT… Meeting at their favourite Chicago bar ‘Mother’s’, Danny (Lowe) and Debbie (Moore) share a one-night stand. They make a connection however and decide to start something, much to the grievance of their best friends Bernie (Belushi) and Joan (Perkins) who know this will change them. As Danny and Debbie get closer and their relationship gets more serious, both of them realise that they want different things. ST. ELMO’S
FIRE Having just graduated from Georgetown University, Kirby (Estevez), Billy (Lowe), Kevin (McCarthy), Jules (Moore), Alec (Nelson), Leslie (Sheedy) and Wendy (Winningham) are finding it making their way after college. As they start new jobs and start the journey into adulthood, relationships that seemed so strong in college start to change but everything seems to return to the way it was when they meet up at their favourite bar, Saint Elmo’s. When it came to naming the biggest and coolest stars of the 80s, you could get any bigger than the Brat Pack. Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald were the superstars of the time and Hollywood knew it. Knowing they were onto box office gold, the press named ‘Brat Pack’ made many films together as an ensemble cast. Filmmakers knew if they had a collection of these young stars in their movies, the audience would come in droves. This was very different than the usual leading actor/actress star approach, as the younger audience wanted to see these stars together and have multiple story arcs to follow. These made for a very different kind of film, ones that reflected the relationships, the fashions and the music of the time. This DVD box set gives you three classic examples. When it came to producing films that captured the 80s high school experience, one writer/director was a master, John Hughes. With hits like ‘Pretty in Pink’, ‘Sixteen Candles’, ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ and ‘Weird Science’, Hughes’ films were what the teenage market wanted to see. When it comes to the ultimate high school movies and one that defined the era perfectly, you couldn’t get any better than ‘The Breakfast Club’. If you forgot about the fashion and the music, this film is still extremely relevant today. The differences in social circles are highlighted with great skill with some wonder dialogue and acting from the excellent ensemble cast. You have the popular girl, the geek, the jock, the rebel and the outcast all forced to come together in detention and it is their interaction that makes the film resonate with its target audience, making it a classic of the time and the genre. As the Brat Pack got older so did the stories they were involved in and ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ is a classic example. Following a group of friends that have just graduated from college, the movie deals with the first experiences of adulthood. Getting a job, moving into their own home, changing friendships and forging new relationships all come to bear. Again you have multiple characters with their own story arcs but these are now very grown up stories that allow the audience that had grown up with these actors to see how their lives moved on after high school. Director Joel Schumacher tries to bring the same dynamic as was so successful for John Hughes but the lack of a coherent script and even sympathetic characters, make this more look that substance. As the 80s rolled on and the Brat Pack got older, their subject matter moved on again. ‘About Last Night…’ deals with first serious relationships of the mid-twenties generation. In a sexually provocative time, when money, sex and the single life was one of parties and excesses, this movie dealt with the pressures of relationships during that time. Superstars Demi Moore and Rob Lowe were the leads in the movie, but like other films made for the target audience the supporting cast was just as important as the main characters. Elizabeth Perkins and James Belushi provided the comedy and arguments to the film, as they see their friends moving away from them. Director Edward Zwick shows his skill with characters and dialogue to produce a film that is still relevant even today. ‘The 80s Brat Pack Collection’ includes two classic movies from the group and one that is just average. Both ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘About Last Night…’ are great example of why the group were as popular as they were and even ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’, however average it is, still had the charm and performances to show you why this group of actors were so popular. The Breakfast Club
Star Rating = * * * * PICTURE & SOUND ‘The Breakfast Club’ is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.75:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1 and dts soundtracks. ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 with Dolby 2.0 stereo sound. ‘About Last Night…’ is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 with Dolby Digital 4.0 surround sound. BONUS FEATURES The Breakfast Club Theatrical Trailer
(1.28 mins) St. Elmo’s Fire Director’s
Commentary Theatrical Trailers Talent Profiles About Last Night… Theatrical Trailers Talent Profiles OVERALL With only ‘St.
Elmo’s Fire’ having a commentary track, the lack
of real extras for all of the films seems like a wasted opportunity.
It would have been great to have seen the stars of the films
talking about their roles and the impact of the Brat Pack. Fans
will be very disappointed.
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