This Special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is currently available from Arrow Video (www.arrowvideo.com – www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo/).
If you grew up in North America during the 1980s, it’s more than likely that the films of John Hughes made a huge impact on your life. After working for National Lampoon and making his start as a screenwriter with the script for National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), the artist was given the opportunity to write and direct his first feature. The result was Sixteen Candles, a massive hit that ending up sending Hughes on a spectacular and successful journey creating films featuring young central characters, doing so with an original and memorable voice.
Arrow Video, who also released an extras-packed edition of Hughes’ later effort Weird Science (1985), have now given his debut film a fantastic upgrade with a Special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. The movie looks absolutely incredible. It also comes with an assortment of bonuses, many new to this edition, that will make it a must-own for any fan of 80s cinema.
The film begins with Samantha (Molly Ringwald) turning 16, preparing for another day at school and anticipating her family making a fuss over her birthday. Unfortunately, the lead’s conceited sister Ginny (Blanche Baker) is about to be married and the whole house is in chaos preparing for the event. So much so that Sam soon discovers that everyone at home has completely forgotten about her big day. And, if that indignity, and losing her room to eccentric visiting relatives wasn’t enough, our protagonist also must contend with personal issues. She pines for fellow student Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), struggling to build up the courage to talk to him. All the while, she must fend off the romantic advances of the aggressively dorky Ted (Anthony Michael Hall).
What would seem like a fairly typical teen comedy is really elevated by the excellent performances, as well as near perfect comic timing, and the sharp and authentic-sounding dialogue. The movie was made 36 years ago and admittedly some of the elements on display here are out of date. However, no one watching the film can complain that writer/director John Hughes doesn’t have a deep understanding of the teenage mindset and a perfect ear for dialogue. While the situations are certainly exaggerated, there’s an accuracy and empathy towards all the young characters that is undeniable. As someone who was around during the era, this sounds exactly how kids of the day spoke and related to one another.
Ringwald should be commended for her work as Sam. This character is a very likable and relatable lead, dealing with an endless array of problems over the course of the feature. While the challenges aren’t exactly life-threatening, they clearly feel that way for this teen. Everything seems to be stacked against her and Sam perfectly encapsulates the insecurities, frustration and embarrassment associated with this awkward time in life. Most young actors would have trouble carrying a picture like this, which requires quick wit, as well as awkward encounters that sometimes result in tears. It’s an underrated performance, and she appears to do everything required of her with ease (remarkably, the performer was only 15 years of age during the shoot).
Other cast members are just as strong. Baker is very hilarious as the self-involved sister and the final wedding scene, featuring the bride on a few too many muscle relaxants, delivers big laughs. Of course, the rest of the cast are equally amusing and almost everyone gets a moment or two to shine thanks to the elaborate comic scenarios developed. While the character of Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe) wouldn’t fly today, his unusual love affair with Marlene (Deborah Pollack) delivers some great physical comedy. Other members of the cast getting involved in all sorts of bizarre and bawdy shenanigans include John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Haviland Morris, Jami Gertz, Paul Dooley and even Brain Doyle Murray.
While this title may not possess the depth of Hughes’ 1985 follow up, The Breakfast Club, it is one of the most effective and hilarious teen comedies of its era, landing gag after gag from beginning to end. As mentioned, those who pick up this release will note an uptick in picture quality, as Arrow Video have given the original negative a new 4K scan. Everything is crisper than ever and every eyeroll from Sam is crisper than ever.
One of the other things that make John Hughes films distinctive are their soundtracks. This movie is no exception, filled with tunes from the likes of David Bowie, Spandau Ballet, The Specials, Patti Smith, Billy Idol, The Stray Cats and Thompson Twins. When the movie was original released on video, licensing issues caused some of the tunes to be taken out or replaced. This edition offers the original and proper background music along with (for curiosity’s sake) the alternate home video edition with substituted tracks.
When the movie first aired on TV, there was also an additional minute-long cafeteria scene added to the running time. It hasn’t been available in the past, but now you can watch the movie either with the moment included through seamless branching, or simply see the original theatrical edition. Personally, I like the bonus lunch material and am glad to incorporated back in the movie. It’s short, adds a couple of amusing lines and doesn’t slow down the pacing at all.
The disc also comes with new interviews with plenty of the actors. There’s a conversation with Gedde Watanabe and Deborah Pollack about their time on the film. They talk about how they met and were cast, working with John Hughes, and then describe the fun they had on the set. The two also allude to more craziness that was shot but never used in the final cut. Their remembrances are enjoyable to listen to and the pair remain close friends to this day. There’s also a funny talk with John Kapelos (who played Ginny’s groom) and his time on set.
The casting director for the film tells plenty of intriguing stories about casting and working with John Hughes. She notes that most of the young cast were extremely shy, including Anthony Michael Hall, and noted how the director managed to coax big performances from them. Camera operator Gary Kibbe describes his work on the feature and how it helped him advance his career (he later became a director of photography and shot many of John Carpenter’s films), and composer Ira Newborn talks about his work scoring and John Hughes’ exceptional ability to seamlessly incorporate popular music into his storytelling. Writer/director Adam Rifkin (Detroit Rock City) details his experiences as a teenage extra in the movie. He recalls talking to Hughes, expressing his interest in filmmaking and asking if he could shadow him throughout the production. He talks about his amazement when the director immediately okayed it and what he learned from the experience.
There’s also a great archived documentary from 2008 about the production that includes comments from stars Anthony Michael Hall, Paul Dooley, Justin Henry, Haviland Morris and Gedde Watanabe, as well as celebrity fans of the movie. Additionally, you’ll find a video essay from a critic discussing the movie from a feminist perspective. She details all of the out-of-date elements on display in the story, although the speaker also can’t deny the movie’s great performances, charm, influence and aspects that may have been a little ahead of their time. Also included are a ton of movie trailers, commercials and other promo material included. The only thing that’s missing are the inclusion of missing scenes described earlier, but sadly, it appears that those bits were likely tossed and are gone for good.
As you might have already guessed, Sixteen Candles is an 80s comedy classic and this new Blu-ray is absolutely incredible, giving the film a fine polish and including almost every bonus feature you could possibly hope for. If you grew up with this movie, then you can’t go wrong in picking up this disc.