Ferris Buellar's Day Off - Blu Ray Review

"Ferris Buellar's Day Off" seems to hardly have aged at all. With the exception of small bits like the old school computer, it could be set today. This was a movie for its time but also universal. It is just as cool today as it was then and just as funny. For whatever reason, John Hughes knew how to make this effective yet not over the top. Now whether that at times was just happy accidents or not is of no difference. The transfer seems to be from one a couple years ago but the HD transfer still looks good. It is not eye popping but the original negative was probably pristine anyay. Broderick has become more of a song and dance man in recent years but never quite used his charm like this again. He had an ease with camera here. The docs speak quite well from most of the character actors although present interviews with Mia Sara and John Hughes are noticably absent. "Getting The Cast Together" talks about how they were brought in terms of casting. Matthew Broderick was a first choice along with John Cusack but Cusack might have played it a little more sneering. Broderick speaks that this was the third movie in which he was speaking to camera and was worrying that he would get typecast with this. Alan Ruck had done theater and "Biloxi Blues" with Broderick so they were already friends. Mia Sara had probably just come off "Legend" with Tom Cruise but the casting directors liked her because she had a sophistication to her and was actually 19 at the time whilst Alan Ruck was in his late 20s but looked younger. Grace and Edward Rooney, the principal (played by Jeffrey Jones) and his secretary, were based in an improv but Grace seemed to bump it up a notch. The actors who played Ferris' parents were already dating when they started shooting and are still married so it was like kismet. Jennifer Grey (talking in the present day said she didn't know how good the material was at the time and didn't want to play Jeannie too angry, although times it came off that way. However the end redeems her. She had just acted with Charlie Sheen in "Red Dawn" and suggested him to Hughes. Emilio Estevez had been up for the role of Cameron but passed. Ruck is forever grateful. But back to Charlie: I believe he was shooting "Platoon" at the same time. This is a more serious Sheen so you can hardly see the "Two & A Half Men" star of today."The Making Of Ferris" has a little bit more behind-the-scenes footage from the actual shoot. The two stories that seem to resonate were more towards the end of the featurette with the destruction of the car and the parade. Broderick says that the 10,000 people for that parade was amazing because you almost couldn't reset. He had aggravated a leg injury which he points out that he had made worse when he was running through the house to get home towards the end of the movie. They had worked out a whole bunch of steps on the float but because of the pain, he had to wing it. You couldn't tell it at all. The other aspect Alan Ruck talks about is in regards to the car. It was too expensive to rent the Ferarri and especially to wreck it so they built three of them over a Mustang chasis: one to drive, one to be pulled and one to jetison off the back of the house. When it went out the glass, the back part of the fiberglass covering cracked and the effects guys were worried people would notice."Who Is Ferris Buellar" talks more to the philolosphy of who this guy was. Ben Stein says he represents freedom but also that despite being uber confident, his big thing is to help his friends. The day off, more than anything, was for Cameron and that shows through. It is this element plus the intelligence and wit of the characetr that shines through while still having a good time. The funny thing is that the scenes when they were shooting them probably didn't look as good on the day but Broderick mentions that the editing at times makes the picture. The beginning and end material that they shot when he was alone he really liked because alot of the time, they were riffing. "The World According To Ben Stein" has the man who wrote for Richard Nixon talking in interviews of today and in 1986 of his perception of fame, life, freedom and otherwise. That whole Great Depression speech and "voodoo economics" bit was from one take where he just ad libbed his side and went with it. Very rare that this gets to film. The same thing happened when Ed finds out that he is cursing out Mr. Petersen when he thinks it is Buellar. Grace and his panic stricken running according to the secretary was all one long take."Vintage Ferris Buellar: The Lost Tapes" is good because Broderick, Ruck, Jones and Sara are doing the interviews themselves with Broderick doing most of the interviewing. Jones is greatly good natured and gets along well with Broderick. Broderick is not as self confident as his alter ego but you see Alan Ruck in the midst of being Cameron being a lot more jovial. Sara is fairly quiet so you wonder about how her recollections are. I met her back in 92 or 93 in Fort Lauderdale (I have the video somewhere) at a film festival and remembered that she had some great elements which would be greatly served on a documentary. Interestingly enough, I talked to Jon Cryer at the same festival who has always at times been mistakenly for Broderick. It was even parodied in an episode of "Two & A Half Men". The "Class Album" is a nice crossection of portrait shots but not alot from the set.The sound and music on the film is still great and not overwhelming in the mix although Ira Newborn's music just gives it that right edge along with Hughes' always cool and eclectic selection. "Buellar" is just as good as it was years ago and the Blu Ray bump makes it even better. The extras give you a good sense of the production without overdoing it and second guessing the magic. Out of 5, I give it a 4.