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  Directed by
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  Specs
  • Widescreen 1.85:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Layer ( )
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • French: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • German: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  Subtitles
    English, French, German, Hebrew, Czech, Greek, Polish, Hungarian, Dutch, Arabic, Turkish, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hindi
  Extras
  • 3 Theatrical trailer - 28 Days, Mr Deeds, See No Evil, Hear No Evil

Another You

Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 91 mins . M15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

In this first film of Richard Pryor’s after serious illness, we can see the frailty evident in this amazingly funny man. However, he doesn’t let that deter him from being just as ornery and vulgar as he has ever been. This amazing man has won major awards for his comedy, has been nominated for an Oscar, has had third degree burns to 50 percent of his body, suffered two heart attacks, has had quadruple bypass surgery, been married five times and has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. A lesser man may well have given up after all that, but Pryor, it seems, takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’ and you gotta admire that.

Whilst not the strongest film in the three of this box set, it is however a pretty funny movie in its own right – it just isn’t as good as the two other classics included. Some of the last frames of the film, though, are very touching regarding the Wilder/Pryor double act and seem to have been slipped in more for themselves than the for the film’s sake. However, this is very sweet and a great moment and does sorta fit with the film, but I suspect it was more an opportune moment to capture the shot.

That being said, the film is about Eddie Dash (Richard Pryor), a conman who must serve 100 hours community service. His task is to escort a recently released compulsive liar to various pursuits around town. However, they are soon caught up in a web of lies and mistaken identity plus a major inheritance scam that swiftly escalates way over their heads. But the old adage sticks true in ‘don’t play a player, don’t kid a kidder’ and soon the new friends are working a double play or two of their own to stay in the game.

"Hey man, you’re at the Pearly Gates! Don’t choose Hell!"

Wilder is awesome, flipping wildly from persona to persona whilst Pryor, still hanging in there, is left to watch for a lot of the time. However, Pryor’s lines keep him well ensconced in the story as his expletives make damn sure we can’t miss him. It’s a fun film, if a little disjointed, with a mildly confusing ending that sneaks up on us before we are suddenly in the thick of it.

  Video
Contract

The boffins at the Sony DVD Center continue to amaze as this 12 year-old film gets a very clean transfer. The opening titles are interesting though; the Tristar Pegasus logo is littered with filthy artefacts (and Pryor’s filthy language!) before we enter into the deliciously clean picture in the film. Weird.

Anyway, colours are all bright and alive with barely an artefact to be seen. Transferred at 1.85:1 with 16:9 enhancement, flesh tones are even and blacks are true. Shadow detail is clear, although Gene Wilder’s mullet is the worst haircut I’ve ever seen (and I shaved my head once). Otherwise, this film looks like it came straight from the studio to you in a glass case.

  Audio
Contract

The first sounds of the film are Richard Pryor’s vulgarities and they don’t let up throughout the film. All of the swears are excellently delivered (I learned a couple of new ones) as are the usual amounts of regular dialogue.

The musical content of the film is quite nice. The score by Charles Gross fits the wild mood swings of the plot well, leaping haphazardly from jazzy to comedic to tense as required. Sound effects are also good, but for one series of sounds that qualify in all three of those categories just listed... It’s yodelling. And badly dubbed too. This has obviously been recorded elsewhere by different techies and imported over the action to give the idea that Wilder and Mercedes Ruehl are yodelling to each other. Unfortunately, the yodellers used don’t sound anything like the actors in question and it just looks too fake. By the end of the sequence I could only see them miming and not actually performing anymore. Thankfully it doesn’t last too long, but it’s still long enough.

  Extras
Contract

Just three extras with some odd choices, however they could be construed as film-related if pressed hard enough. They’re all trailers, but for very different films.

The first is the Sandra Bullock film 28 Days in which Ms Bullock finally proved she can act. This is at 1.78:1 without enhancement. Mr Deeds is next in 1.85:1 with 16:9 anamorphic enhancement and finally, a trailer for a film you will already have in the box set with See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Why they do that is beyond me, but at least it isn’t just empty disc you’re paying for. It’s no better than the same trailer in that disc’s extras section either.

  Overall  
Contract

One of the best double acts of all time work great together in this outing, but there does seem to be a subtle feeling of desperation in the air. While not their best work, this is still entertaining if a little addled. In any three disc set there’s usually a charity brother and in this set, this is the one. Not a bad piece, but just a little short of the usual high standard of Wilder/Pryor comedies.


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      And I quote...
    "Not the best film from the Wilder/Pryor union, but still a relatively worthy addition to the box set."
    - Jules Faber
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Nintaus DVD-N9901
    • TV:
          Sony 51cm
    • Receiver:
          Diamond
    • Speakers:
          Diamond
    • Surrounds:
          No Name
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard Optical
    • Video Cables:
          Standard Component RCA
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