Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Blu-ray Review - The Legend of Billie Jean: Special "Fair Is Fair" Edition


The Legend of Billie Jean: Special "Fair Is Fair" Edition
Director: Matthew Robbins
Starring: Helen Slater, Keith Gordon, Christian Slater, Peter Coyote
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Retail: $9.98
Running Time: 95 mnutes
Rating: PG-13
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time on Tuesday July 22, 2014 is the classic teenage-drama, The Legend of Bille Jean: Special "Fair Is Fair" Edition, directed by Matthew Robbins and starring Helen Slater, Keith Gordon, Christian Slater and Peter Coyote. The Blu-ray includes a commentary track with stars Helen Slater & Yeardley Smith.

Billie Jean was released in the summer of 1985 and centers on Billie Jean Davy (played by Helen Slater) confronting the bully that wrecked her brother Binx's (played by Christian Slater) scooter in the attempt to get him to pay the $608 bill to fix it. The bully's father, Mr. Pyatt, offers to pay for the bill in installments, but wants Billie to give him sexual favors in exchange for the money. Billie says no and tries to storm off, but results in Mr. Pyatt getting somewhat violent. This is where Binx accidentally shoots Mr. Pyatt.

Now consider to be criminals by the law enforcement, Bille and Binx skips town with their best friends,Putter (played Yeardley Smith) and Ophelia (played by Martha Gehman) in tow. As the media starts to the cover their crimes, teenagers across America consider Billie Jean to be a hero.

With nowhere else to turn, Billie, Brinx, Putter and Ophelia seek refuge at the home of the teenage son, Lloyd Muldaur (played by Keith Gordon), of the district attorney, whom they agree to take hostage and ransom for $608.

Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics in 1985 and fizzling at the box-office, over time the film has become a cult-classic mostly thanks to TBS/TNT for constantly airing the film in the early 1990s. Fans have been demanding a proper release of the film, as the only version available was the Amazon MOD version.

I was one of the fans that watched the movie countless times on TBS/TNT in the early'90s. Yes, the plot is a bit thin, but with the combination of Helen Slater and Christian Slater (no relation) and a kicking soundtrack, nobody cares about the plot. The Blu-ray transfer looks good, though there are a few grainy spots here and there. Considering it is called Special "Fair Is Fair" Edition, there should be more extras (like the original trailer and TV spots) on the Blu-ray instead of just featuring the same commentary that was on the MOD version. Overall, The Legend of Billie Jean: Special "Fair Is Fair" Edition is a nostalgic blast and I'm sure other fans of the film will enjoy it too.



*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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