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Dariusz reviews
Medusa
- Cert:
- Cat.no: MDV 568
- Running time: 92 minutes
- Year: 1980
- Pressing: 2001
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 30
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English, Dutch
- Widescreen: 1.85:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 5
- Price: £12.99
- Extras: 2 Theatrical Trailers, Trailers for other DVDs
Director:
- Hal Needham
Cast:
- J.J. McClure: Burt Reynolds
Victor Prinzim: Dom DeLuise
Pamela Glover: Farrah Fawcett
Jamie Blake: Dean Martin
Morris Fenderbaum: Sammy Davis Jr.
Jackie Chan: Jackie Chan
Seymour Goldfarb, Jr.: Roger Moore
This film is loosely based on the true event of The Cannonball Runwhich is an ‘illegal’ coast to coast road race across America.
Starting the DVD you’re introduced to non-skipable, non fast forwardableintro’s then you are presented with a menu where you get to chose whichoptions you want, which range from play movie, chapter selection,trailers, subtitles, further attractions.
The movie itself is debatable as to whether it’s any good or not, whatsomeone likes someone else doesn’t. From my point of view I like it, andI think it manages to pull off some feeling of a race in a not-too seriousfashion. The addition of such a star cast list does not in my minddetract from the film.
As driving above the 55mph speed limit is illegal, one team (Reynolds andDeluise) attempt to disguise that they are “Cannonballers” by using anambulance, whilst the other entrants just use the speed of their machinesto try and evade capture by the police… you ever seen ‘priests’ drivinga red Ferrari? And if you get pulled over, a lot of cleavage doesn’t seemto hurt in getting you free of any potential fines.
The DVD itself, doesn’t have subtitles for English in the subtitlessection – only [Dutch, off, resume, menu], on a computer setup Englishdoes appear as a selection, but does not work. Dutch subtitles do workwhich ever way you select them.
There is only one audio language for the DVD and that’s English.
The DVD case says that the film has been digitally restored andremastered. To that end, the picture looks much better than when the filmis on terrestrial TV, and the audio doesn’t have any pops/clicks. Ionly knock on point off the picture quality as there is occasionally somegrain look in it, but that might be due to the film rather than anythingto do with the remastering which is very good.
The disc is let down by the additional features, in particular if you needthem – the lack of subtitles in at least English. Also there are only thetwo trailers available for the film, the others being trailers for DVDreleases from the same company. This is reflected in the extras score of1 of 5.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.