
MY BODYGUARD has progressed from a nostalgic favorite to a true classic for me and I cannot recommend the movie highly enough.
Special Features:
The crown jewel of this disc is its brand new Audio commentary with director Tony Bill and Film Programmer Jim Healy. As I mentioned, this is one of my favorite movies and I hadn't heard much in the way of how it was made. Needless to say, I was more than excited hear Tony Bill talk about it and he did not disappoint. He touches on all aspects of the production, including the script (and how it was changed), the casting and actors of the film as well as the locations. Healy is incredible knowledgable and knows all the main actors and basically the entire supporting cast as well and he is nicely able to draw out thoughts and stories from Tony Bill about the film.
MY BODYGUARD can be purchased on Blu-ray here:
http://amzn.to/2bh1OS7
GRANDVIEW, U.S.A. (1984; Randall Kleiser)
This is what I would basically call a nearly "lost" film. Not lost in the sense that the elements and the movie itself disappeared and were rediscovered years later, but rather lost in the sense that, despite a pretty great cast, GRANDVIEW, U.S.A. is very underseen by even the most passionate 80s movie fans. I remember finding a cheap copy of it on VHS twenty plus years ago and being fascinated that I had never heard of it before. Even though it got a DVD release, it's still one that doesn't get discussed. Is it a masterpiece? Not really, but for those seeking the goofy thrill of nostalgia you can get from an older film which features some of your favorite actors from a formative decade, it's worth a watch. The cast includes the dynamite trio of C. Thomas Howell, Jamie Lee Curtis and Patrick Swayze. Those three would be enough to grab my attention and get me to sit down for a viewing, but wait there's more. The likes of Jennifer Jason Lee, Troy Donahue, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Winslow and John and Joan Cusack also make appearances as well. Basically, it's the story of small town America and a high school kid (Howell) about to graduate who has his plans for the future (college etc) thrown off by an older woman entering his life. The older woman in question (Jamie Lee Curtis) runs the local demolition derby and a love triangle develops between her, the high school kid and one of the derby drivers (Swayze). C. Thomas Howell was one of those obligatory 80s actors that was in a ton of films for a long time and sadly I don't see enough of anymore. Charming, charismatic and naive - he played a solid "kid next door" type and was almost always quite affable on screen. I have a certain affection for this kind of slice of life dramedy and especially the way they used to do it back in the 80s. For me, it's about the 80s vibe and the use music and director Randall Kleiser is no stranger to using songs in his films. After all, he is the director of things like GREASE, SUMMER LOVERS (which I am a big fan of), FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR and THE BLUE LAGOON. He also did some interesting TV Movies in the 70s - THE BOY IN THE PLASTIC BUBBLE and DAWN: PORTRAIT OF A TEENAGE RUNAWAY. Not all of his films are music heavy, but the as I said, he doesn't shy away from the use of pop songs. GRANDVIEW, U.S.A. not only features a title song sung by Air Supply, but the soundtrack also includes "I Want to Do it With You" by The Pointer Sisters and several other generically 80s sounding songs peppered throughout. If you've had a crush on Jamie Lee since HALLOWEEN like I have, you should be more than fine to watch her be adorable and sexy in this film. And come on man, whose week couldn't use a little extra Swayze to make it better?
GRANDVIEW U.S.A. can be purchased on Blu-ray here:
http://amzn.to/2bnZcRh
MY BODYGUARD can be purchased on Blu-ray here:
http://amzn.to/2bh1OS7
GRANDVIEW, U.S.A. (1984; Randall Kleiser)

GRANDVIEW U.S.A. can be purchased on Blu-ray here:
http://amzn.to/2bnZcRh
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