Blu-ray Review – The Burbs (1989)

Joe Dante remains one of the most unsung directors of all time. He has had a career of such diversity: he started out working for Roger Corman back in the ‘70s and directed the original Piranha. He would direct such cult classics as Gremlins along with its little-known satirical sequel, the loving tribute to ‘50s B-Movie-making Matinee, Small Soldiers and more recently the surrealistic kids horror film The Hole. One problem Dante has always faced with critics is that they are confused by the tone of his films: sometimes they are considered too dark and scary for kids but at the same time too childish for adults.

The ‘Burbs is a good example of the shifting tones of Dante’s work. It comes out of the Reagan era and is somewhat of a lighter version of Blue Velvet without the sex. It’s a film all about the darkness under the white picket fences of Suburbia. The pure Americana of the film is crystalized with the casting of the all-American Tom Hanks in the lead role of Ray Peterson. It was one of his last notable comedic roles before he became better known for his great dramatic work.

The story in a nutshell is that some weird neighbours have moved in next to Ray Peterson. Along with some of his other neighbours, most notably Bruce Dern as Lt. Mark Rumsfield, Ray start to suspect that the new neighbours are psychos and have possibly killed one of the other neighbours. For the rest of the film they try their best to find out the truth, even if it includes a little bit of breaking and entering.

The whole film is shot on the famous Colonial Street at the Universal back lot. It gives it a slightly surreal but midwestern American look, which works charms. The street was fused in such television shows as Leave it to Beaver, The Munsters and slightly more recently, Desperate Housewives, among countless other productions.

The film has over the years gained a rabid cult following. Its initial critical reaction was mixed to say the least, but it has been re-evaluated and is now considered one of Dante’s finest films. Overall it’s a dark comedic film with turns some old horror conventions on their heads. It also has a spot-on Sergio Leone parody, which they actually licensed Ennio Morricone music for because Jerry Goldsmith couldn’t quite get it right.

Arrow has put together one of their finest packages this year for this film. It includes an hour-long documentary, which features lots of insightful interviews with cast and crew—it’s a shame Tom Hanks or Bruce Dern weren’t interviewed. Most importantly, however, it includes the workprint, which is a rough VHS transfer, but perfectly watchable. It’s darker in tone at times and I’m on the fence about if it’s better than the theatrical cut. Either way, it’s very much worth watching. It also includes a comparison between both cuts, a HD version of the alternative ending and a commentary from the screenwriter Dana Olson.

[rating=4]
Ian Schultz

Genre: Comedy, Horror Distributor: Arrow Films Rating:15 BD Release Date:15th Sepember 2014 (uk) Director: Joe Dante Cast: Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, Corey Feldman