Μύ It will frighten some of you out there to know that "Beverly Hills Cop" will be 20 years old in 2004. For some of us, the only way to see this film on the small screen was to watch the silly sanitised version shown by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ. But now, thanks to the wonder of DVD, we have this genuine 80s action comedy classic to enjoy like never before.
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Picture It certainly wasn't as noticeable on the old VHS tapes, but the scenes in Detroit are quite intentionally grainy compared to the slick 'n' smooth look of the sun-kissed LA settings. You'll see the difference on DVD.
Sound As pointed out in the music featurette, it's the music that drives the action scenes, rather than enhanced 'effects' of careering cars and the like. That unmistakable Harold Faltermeyer track has been upgraded to 5.1 and it's mighty good fun.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio Commentary Director Martin Brest admits to being "as shocked as I can be" as he sits down and starts reliving the memories. The opening scenes were shot from an unmarked van around Detroit. In order to be able to use the footage, they had to get clearance from the people captured on film, but in some areas the off-duty cop with them refused to get out of the van because it was too scary! For Martin, Eddie's journey into California mirrored his own experience of driving into the area in a battered old car. What freaked him out more though was directing the action sequences because he had no experience of shooting scenes like that before.
Cast and Crew Interviews This is a highly entertaining and revealing look at the making of a movie that went through a number of important changes. Featuring a whole pile of retrospective interviews, we follow the development of the film from a project initially touted for Al Pacino, James Cann, or Clint Eastwood, then onto Mickey Rourke, before becoming a Sylvester Stallone vehicle, but finally landing in the lap of Eddie Murphy.
Casting "Beverly Hills Cop" A nine-minute featurette that deals mainly with the casting of the other principle characters, most of whom were cast during the film's life as a Sly vehicle.
Location Map Use the map to scout out the locations used for the film. Each map point comes with a short interview with production designer, Angelo P Graham.
The Music of "Beverly Hills Cop" Here's a seven-minute featurette that looks at the impact of the memorable musical score on the movie.
Additional Extra Features Also on the disc is a trailer and a photo gallery featuring behind-the-scenes shots.
Region: 2
Chapters: 11
Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Technical Features: Scene selection, animated menus, multiple languages and subtitles, and English captions for the hearing impaired.
This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.
