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There
are a number of films throughout the last century that
stand as landmark works. For science fiction, you think
of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
and STAR WARS. In the realm of drama, perhaps THE GODFATHER
or CITIZEN KANE. With comedy, I think you could safely
place CADDYSHACK as a comedy classic. Am I saying that
CADDYSHACK is on the level of THE GODFATHER and CITIZEN
KANE? No, but it does belong with them in its own genre.
Now, twenty years later, it's still as funny as it was
when it first premiered.
Chevy
Chase is at his best as Ty Webb, a role only surpassed
in my mind by FLETCH. His dry delivery of some of the
most incomprehensible lines in film history is probably
a major reason he has been able to make comedies long
after he stopped being funny. Close behind, and probably
the single greatest element of CADDYSHACK, is Bill Murray
as Carl Spackler, the slovenly assistant groundskeeper
who not only invented grass you could play golf on but
get stoned off of, too. Is there a better entrance in
a film than Murray's longing for the old golf ladies
while washing his ball? Also along for the ride is Rodney
Dangerfield, in his first (and some may say last) major
film role. His "no respect" schtick is put on hold and
he's actually given funny stuff to do just as himself.
Ted Knight has the thankless straight man role as Judge
Smails, a role just slightly down from the classic Ted
Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Admittedly,
the original idea behind CADDYSHACK changed quite a
bit when the top comic talent signed on to do the film.
Parts were expanded and the roles of the caddies shrunk
considerably. But look at the final result: a film that
contains some of the funniest moments in the careers
of everyone involved. Is there another film that has
so much rich material for quotes? I don't know how many
times I've said "Freeze gopher" in my life but it is
quite high. In every way CADDYSHACK is a classic comedy.
It's become an iconoclastic piece of moviemaking that
might have even evolved into something bigger than it
was ever intended to be. Kind of makes you wonder what
went wrong with MY DEMON LOVER doesn't it?
CADDYSHACK
was previously released on DVD by Warner in the summer
of 1997 in a fairly underappreciative package. The film
was given full-frame only treatment and contained just
the original trailer as an extra. Adding further insult
to fans of the film was the special 19th anniversary
edition released last summer only on VHS and laserdisc.
Oh yeah, there was a widescreen VHS CADDYSHACK before
that DVD and that stung even more. But Warner has now
rectified the misstep with a new (and now) 20th anniversary
edition with a better presentation and a documentary
fans will truly enjoy.
The
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
The
film has been given a fresh anamorphic widescreen transfer.
Let's get this out of the way right quick: CADDYSHACK
is twenty years old and it looks twenty years old. Grain
is quite visible in many shots and the amount of nics
in the print used for transfer is more than what we're
used to. But in all fairness, this is always how CADDYSHACK
has looked and I really wasn't expecting more.
Colors
look slightly washed out although bright reds do tend
to oversaturate every now and again. Detail is good,
but can find itself obscured in some of the film grain
while shimmer shows up in tiny details. Black level
is not quite all the way there and can muddle detail
in darker scenes. Overall I'd have to say that if you're
a fan of CADDYSHACK you'll be pleased with this disc
and it looks better than prior video releases. If you're
not familiar with the movie and are expecting something
a bit more modern looking, you'll most likely be disappointed.
The
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Released
with its original mono soundtrack, the disc had moments
of surprise and more than a few disappointments. The
frequency range is a bit more expansive than I was expecting
and even had a few bassier moments. But on the whole,
the sound is weak with distortion in some of the dialog
and audible hiss. A French mono track is also provided
with English and French subtitles.
The
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
Starting
off the extras is CADDYSHACK: The 19th Hole,
a thirty-one minute documentary on the making of this
classic originally produced in 1999. New interviews
with director Harold Ramis and producers Mark Canton
and Jon Peters are interspersed with cast members Chevy
Chase, Cindy "Lacey Underall" Morgan and a handful of
the other caddies. I've got to tell you, even twenty
years later, Cindy's still a babe. Mix into that never
before seen outtakes and deleted scenes
and the half hour flies by. This is a great look back
with funny, laugh out loud memories of filming the greatest
golf comedy ever. Dragged over from the previous release
are the original Theatrical Trailer, this time
in anamorphic widescreen and Cast and Crew bios.
Parting Thoughts
When
Warner released only a full-frame version at $25, many
cried foul. When they released the special edition on
videotape only, many cried even more. Now CADDYSHACK
is available in the best presentation yet. It's not
a major winner in any category, but it's a step in the
right direction.
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