DVD Review - Gene Wilder Double Feature

Mill Creek Ent; PG/R; 201 minutes: $9.98

Now available on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is the Gene Wilder Double Feature, featuring the 1982 comedy Hanky Panky and the 1991 comedy Another You. There are no special features or extras on the disc.

Directed by Sidney Poitier, Hanky Panky starred the late Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner (TV's Saturday Night Live), who were married from 1984 until Radner's death in 1989.

Hanky Panky centers on Michael Jordon (played by Wilder), an architect who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time when he witnesses a murder at a hotel.. He eventually teams up with a woman named Kate (played by Radner), who happens to be searching for her brother's killer. Together, they race across the country in the attempt to unravel the mystery.

Another You paired Gene Wilder with Richard Pryor one final time and it also marked Wilder's final appearance in a feature film. The plot centers on pathological liar named George (played by Wilder) being released from a mental hospital and is accidentally mistaken as millionaire brewery heir Abe Fielding. Pryor plays Eddie Dash, a con man who befriends George. The film suffered from bad review upon it's original release and was a flop at the box-office.

Final Thoughts: I had a received a review copy of the DVD at the end of last year, but I only got around to watching the movies this week. I recall seeing the cut version of Another You on television during the 1990s, and besides for some fowl language, it's exactly as I remember it. It's not the greatest comedy, but there are a few funny moments in it. I had never heard of Hanky Panky before this release and I ended up liking it. The plot has a Hitchcock feel to it, but with a few funny twists.

The pictures and sound quality are decent, considering the fact that the movies are shoved onto one one disc.

Overall, I enjoyed watching Gene Wilder Double Feature DVD and I recommend it to others. It's priced at $9.98, but it an be purchased at Walmart (in stores) for $5.

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