Comedies on the march

Comedies of the seventies and eighties have their own style and flavor. Six titles are making their way to DVD for the first time from Warner Home Entertainment this winter.

The Frisco Kid – This cult favorite comedy set in the 1850s Wild West stars Harrison Ford as a bank robber and Gene Wilder as a naïve Polish rabbi. Wilder plays immigrant Avram Belinski who begins a horseback journey from Philadelphia to San Francisco to lead his new congregation, knowing only that California is “somewhere near New York.” Ford plays bandit Tom Lillard, who’s never seen a rabbi but who knows when someone’s in a heap of trouble.

Club Paradise – Robin Williams steers the crazed course at Club Paradise, the Caribbean resort where the good times and laughter come in waves. As an ex-Chicago fireman who uses a sizable disability settlement to transform a remote island watering hole into a lucrative tourist water land.

Deal of the Century – An amusing look at an industry selling big bangs for big bucks is a film in the absurdist tradition of Dr. Strangelove and Wag the Dog. Fast-talking Eddie Muntz is a weapons super salesman — he sells little ones to kick off a riot and big ones that can trigger a world war. But he won’t sell to just anybody; only to folks with suitcases full of money.

Quick Change – Swiping a million bucks is a snap compared to escaping with it. Grimm and his cohorts commandeer a car, a cab, a bus, a baggage tram and a plane to make what becomes a less-than-merry escape.

Up the Academy – Ralph Macchio makes his debut in this film about a series of raunchy maneuvers. The cadets of Sheldon R. Weinberg Military Academy have decided anything goes and the first things to go are the rules.

Who’s That Girl – Madonna plays spunky parolee Nikki Finn, displaying screwball comic flair and singing four terrific soundtrack tunes (Causing a Commotion, The Look of Love, Can’t Stop and the title song).

I hope your sweetheart likes comedy. All four titles are set for a February 14th release date. No extras have been announced, but each title will retail for $14.97.

Leave a comment