John Cusack is on a Hot Pursuit of his girlfriend in the Caribbean in the Steve Listberger cult classic action teen comedy. New to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.
The Film
For this reviewer’s money of the John Cusack nautical comedies Hot Pursuit is the better of the two. One Crazy Summer was the other… in fact, there’s a third Nautical Comedy that we’ll be talking about shortly. Strange how much boats were a thing for 1980s comedy directors. What makes Hot Pursuit so different from other teen comedies is just how well-executed its other genres are. Specifically, the action-adventure portion which director Steve Lisberger ensures is effective and impactful.
A well-meaning act by Lori (Wendy Gazelle) ends with her boyfriend Dan (Cusack) failing a chemistry exam. Now forced out of a vacation with Lori’s family, Dan is all but lost. Luck is on Dan’s side, but not for long, as his teacher gives him a reprieve. Off to the Caribbean to catch Lori and her family – Dan will have to deal with obstacle after obstacle. From friendly ganga-smoking locals (a hilarious Keith David) to a true crazed boat captain (the legend Robert Loggia) to corrupt officials to crazed bombers. It’s all foreplay to the final bosses (Jerry and Ben Stiller as slick modern-day pirates). Does Dan have the skills to save Lori and her family???
Hot Pursuit is the kind of slick genre mashup that is equally adept at comedy as it is at action. John Cusack shows why he was above and beyond the younger actor of his generation (if Say Anything… did not just flat-out prove that a few years later). The infinite likability and relatability of Cusack are here as it was in Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer. Dan is out of his element but is always just a good kid in a wild situation.
What makes Hot Pursuit special is the performance of one Robert Loggia. As the crazed Quint like sea captain Mac, Loggia is an uninhibited and unhinged mentor to Cusack’s uptight Dan. The way the two push each other back and forth is the meat of the film. One could say that the true romance is between Mac and Dan. The film does lose a bit of its charm when Loggia’s Mac exits for the finale but it’s only for a few moments. Once Cusack gets his bearings and is able to play his own play on the 1980s action hero the film soars.
By the time that Mac does return and the sounds of Level 42’s Lessons in Love plays over the end credits one will wonder how the film wasn’t a success. Hot Pursuit is the kind of fun, funny, action comedy from the 1980s they just don’t make anymore.
The Transfer
The all-new HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is a beautiful and sharp representation of the transfer’s filmic origins. The transfer is overall a wonderful presentation though the image itself sides on the darker side of the color spectrum. This isn’t normally a problem other than the darker hurricane scenes. Other than that, it’s literally a perfect image without any sort of blemishes or scratches on the print. Kino continues to produce some truly great transfers for underseen gems like Hot Pursuit.
The Extras
They include the following;
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joe Ramoni
Theatrical Trailer
The all-new Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joe Ramoni opens with the film opening during the 75th anniversary of Paramount and how RKO Pictures was involved with this production – and other films during the mid-to-late 1980s. Some of the other details include a discussion of producer Tom Mankiewciz – including a discussion of his very famous family; a discussion of co-writer/director Steven Listberger work both here and outside of this film including his input in the Tron franchise; a discussion of star John Cusack – where he was as a star and the film’s he did before making Hot Pursuit; the poster art which was co-drawn by Drew Struzan; a discussion of the development and production of the film – how Executive turmoil create issues; the work done by cinematographer Frank Tidy; a discussion of the debut role from Ben Stiller – also a discussion of his overall career; a discussion of the fact that they filmed the film on location in Mexico during hurricane season and them capturing a real hurricane; a discussion of the great Robert Loggia’s role in the film; the producer’s first choice to star in the film; a discussion of the action filled third act; the film’s critical and box office failure; a larger discussion of the various locations the production used; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Hot Pursuit (1:53); Summer Rental (1:29); Up the Creek (3:17); Secret Admirer (1:33); The Ice Harvest (2:27)
The Final Thought
Hot Pursuit is a truly wonderful action comedy that’s been almost all but forgotten. Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray hopefully resolves that. Highest possible recommendations!!!
John Cusack is on a Hot Pursuit of his girlfriend in the Caribbean in the Steve Listberger cult classic action teen comedy. New to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.
The Film
For this reviewer’s money of the John Cusack nautical comedies Hot Pursuit is the better of the two. One Crazy Summer was the other… in fact, there’s a third Nautical Comedy that we’ll be talking about shortly. Strange how much boats were a thing for 1980s comedy directors. What makes Hot Pursuit so different from other teen comedies is just how well-executed its other genres are. Specifically, the action-adventure portion which director Steve Lisberger ensures is effective and impactful.
A well-meaning act by Lori (Wendy Gazelle) ends with her boyfriend Dan (Cusack) failing a chemistry exam. Now forced out of a vacation with Lori’s family, Dan is all but lost. Luck is on Dan’s side, but not for long, as his teacher gives him a reprieve. Off to the Caribbean to catch Lori and her family – Dan will have to deal with obstacle after obstacle. From friendly ganga-smoking locals (a hilarious Keith David) to a true crazed boat captain (the legend Robert Loggia) to corrupt officials to crazed bombers. It’s all foreplay to the final bosses (Jerry and Ben Stiller as slick modern-day pirates). Does Dan have the skills to save Lori and her family???
Hot Pursuit is the kind of slick genre mashup that is equally adept at comedy as it is at action. John Cusack shows why he was above and beyond the younger actor of his generation (if Say Anything… did not just flat-out prove that a few years later). The infinite likability and relatability of Cusack are here as it was in Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer. Dan is out of his element but is always just a good kid in a wild situation.
What makes Hot Pursuit special is the performance of one Robert Loggia. As the crazed Quint like sea captain Mac, Loggia is an uninhibited and unhinged mentor to Cusack’s uptight Dan. The way the two push each other back and forth is the meat of the film. One could say that the true romance is between Mac and Dan. The film does lose a bit of its charm when Loggia’s Mac exits for the finale but it’s only for a few moments. Once Cusack gets his bearings and is able to play his own play on the 1980s action hero the film soars.
By the time that Mac does return and the sounds of Level 42’s Lessons in Love plays over the end credits one will wonder how the film wasn’t a success. Hot Pursuit is the kind of fun, funny, action comedy from the 1980s they just don’t make anymore.
The Transfer
The all-new HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is a beautiful and sharp representation of the transfer’s filmic origins. The transfer is overall a wonderful presentation though the image itself sides on the darker side of the color spectrum. This isn’t normally a problem other than the darker hurricane scenes. Other than that, it’s literally a perfect image without any sort of blemishes or scratches on the print. Kino continues to produce some truly great transfers for underseen gems like Hot Pursuit.
The Extras
They include the following;
The all-new Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joe Ramoni opens with the film opening during the 75th anniversary of Paramount and how RKO Pictures was involved with this production – and other films during the mid-to-late 1980s. Some of the other details include a discussion of producer Tom Mankiewciz – including a discussion of his very famous family; a discussion of co-writer/director Steven Listberger work both here and outside of this film including his input in the Tron franchise; a discussion of star John Cusack – where he was as a star and the film’s he did before making Hot Pursuit; the poster art which was co-drawn by Drew Struzan; a discussion of the development and production of the film – how Executive turmoil create issues; the work done by cinematographer Frank Tidy; a discussion of the debut role from Ben Stiller – also a discussion of his overall career; a discussion of the fact that they filmed the film on location in Mexico during hurricane season and them capturing a real hurricane; a discussion of the great Robert Loggia’s role in the film; the producer’s first choice to star in the film; a discussion of the action filled third act; the film’s critical and box office failure; a larger discussion of the various locations the production used; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Hot Pursuit (1:53); Summer Rental (1:29); Up the Creek (3:17); Secret Admirer (1:33); The Ice Harvest (2:27)
The Final Thought
Hot Pursuit is a truly wonderful action comedy that’s been almost all but forgotten. Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray hopefully resolves that. Highest possible recommendations!!!
Kino Lorber’s Blu-Ray edition of Hot Pursuit is out now
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