Days Of Thunder on PAL Laserdisc

• Cat.no: PLFEB 35601
• Cert: 15
• Running time: 110 minutes
• Sides: 2 (CLV)
• Year: 1990
• Pressing: UK, 1997
• Chapters: None
• Sound: Dolby Surround
• Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Panavision)
• Price: £19.99
• Extras : Trailers for Top Gun, The Firm, Mission: Impossible.
  

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  Director:

  Tony Scott (Crimson Tide, True Romance, The Fan)

  Producers:

  Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer (Crimson Tide, The Rock, Top Gun)

  Screenplay:

  Robert Towne

  Music:

  Hans Zimmer

  Cast:

  Cole Trickle: Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Far and Away, Jerry Maguire)
  Dr. Claire Lewicki: Nicole Kidman (To Die For, Batman Forever, Far and Away)
  Harry Hodge: Robert Duvall (Falling Down, The Handmaid’s Tale, Rambling Rose)
  Tim Daland: Randy Quaid (Independence Day, Bye Bye Love)
  Russ Wheeler: Cary Elwes (The Jungle Book, Twister, Robin Hood Men in Tights)
  Rowdy Burns: Michael Rooker (Cliffhanger, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer)
  Big John: Fred Dalton Thompson (Die Hard 2)
  Aldo Bennedetti: Don Simpson

Days of Thunderreunites Top Gun‘s star (Tom Cruise) anddirector (Tony Scott) for another episode of high-octane machismo, butswaps the aerial dogfights, for the race car circuit.

Tom Cruise plays Cole Trickle, an up-and-coming driver who has the talentand ambition, but needs to persuade his peers including legendary crew chiefand car-builder, Robert Duvall, always an ever-reliable actor, after hisreputation being sold to him by businessman Randy Quaid, most recently seenin the sci-fi blockbuster, Independence Day. However, as events movecloser to Cole’s aim to race for the Winston Cup at the Daytona 500, a fierycrash nearly ends his career and he has to turn to a doctor, Cruise’s real-lifewife Nicole Kidman, to help him regain his fight for life.

With this film being shot in 2.35:1 Panavision, this widescreen edition is theonly way to watch this film, as Scott, a master of the action flick, expertlybrings the thrills and spills of the race car circuit to film, with tightprecision shots from above the track, in-car shots, and tracking shots followingthe rivalry between the competitors, especially betweeu Cruise and MichaelRooker.

Incidentally, it was on the set of this film that Cruise met his now wife,Nicole Kidman, who now has an established career in her own right after filmssuch as Batman Forever, To Die For and Dead Calm. In 1992 theymade their next film together, Far and Away, directed by Apollo 13’sRon Howard, which has just been released on PAL Laserdisc by Pioneeralso.

On a musical note, the love theme for the film, Maria McKee’s Show MeHeaven made No.1 in 1990. The soundtrack also includes Gimme Some Lovin’ by the Spencer Davis Group, Chicago’s Hearts in Trouble and GunsN Roses’ cover version of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.

The film also features a cameo from one of its producers, the late DonSimpson who died in 1996 from a drugs overdose, after suffering majordepression.

The picture quality of this disc is gorgeous, with every scene full of manycolours, and appearing very crisp indeed, bringing the many different racetracks to life, some in the bright sunshine, and others in the red sunset.Full marks to Pioneer for this pressing. The surround soundmix screams out atyou as the cars shoot by at speed.

If I had one gripe about the disc it’s that the film is not chaptered. I don’tknow who’s responsible for that as other Tony Scott films including the PALrelease of Beverly Hills Cop 2 and the NTSC releases of Last BoyScout and True Romance: Unrated Director’s Cut are chaptered.However, for a mere £19.99 you can’t argue with this release, and itcomes complete with trailers for three other PAL Laserdiscs eachfeaturing the Cruiser, Top Gun, The Firm and the forthcoming releaseof Mission: Impossible.

Film: 5/5
Picture: 5/5
Sound: 5/5

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1997.