Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Blu-ray Disc (John Hughes, 1986)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Blu-ray Disc (John Hughes, 1986)
Paramount (USA)
Review by Yunda Eddie Feng

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
102 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 surround French, DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: Getting the Class Together: The Cast of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; Who is Ferris Bueller?; The World According to Ben Stein; Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes; Class Album

Released: 5 May 2009

I totally missed out on the John Hughes teen flicks bandwagon when I was a teen, and when I watched them in my 20s, I found them to be unbearable. They’re filled with lousy attitudes and lame writing. For example, in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the protagonist’s best friend self-actualizes by destroying a car and part of a garage. Was it really worth destroying thousands of dollars in property and harming the environment just for one spoiled rich kid to find the guts to talk to his dad? Later, Ferris Bueller’s sister does a complete 180 for no discernible reason and saves his ass from being punished by his parents and his school. The movie has no integrity whatsoever other than to see that a smug kid get his way with everything. This is a despicable story, even if it’s meant to be viewed as something of a fantasy.

Video:
The opening moments have obvious signs of print damage, and there is noticeable grain for the entire running time. Otherwise, the 2.35:1 1080p picture looks cheerily bright and quite detailed for a 23-year-old movie.

Audio:
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track is typical of mixes created prior to the widespread use of digital movie sound. The rears are used primarily for music, and stereo separation is present but generally low-key. Dialogue is crisp and clear.

Extras:
“Getting the Class Together: The Cast of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” features interviews with people who assembled the cast and the actual cast members, though much of the discussion is plot summary. “The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” covers some aspects of the production as well as its reception.

“Who is Ferris Bueller?” showers love and praise on Matthew Broderick and the titular character.

“The World According to Ben Stein” showcases the unfunny, intolerant, and intolerable gadfly.

“Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes” presents on-the-set interview footage.

Finally, “Class Album” is a collection of promotional photos.

Oddly, the Blu-ray edition does NOT include the John Hughes audio commentary from the 1999 DVD, so this is NOT a “definitive” edition.