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[JohnIan101]

Past Tense


Like A Dog With A Bone Part I

A brand new entry!!!

This time out - we get pursued by 'The Man' who wants to kill our buzz in "Smokey And The Bandit"...



The motion picture opened on May 27th, 1977. It was made with a budget of $4,300,000 (estimated) and grossed over $126 million during its U.S. theatrical run; counting foreign receipts it made over $300,000,000. My data is limited. Don't know its box office week rankings or what it opened against, other than "Star Wars".

This post is for 2017's "40th Anniversary Edition" DVD.

This release originally came with a non-embossed cardboard slipcover which mirrored the case's wraparound. There was no insert.

This title was also issued as a combo; BD/DVD/DC - came with one insert, digital copy instructions sheet. Since I did not buy it, I do not know the expiration date. It also came with slipcover too, same image.

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This is a Wal-Mart, limited time store exclusive. The DVD retailed for $9.99 and the BD combo sold for $14.96. Both streeted on May 2nd, 2017.

This will have regular street on July 11th, 2017; DVD $14.98 and BD combo for $19.98. Yeah, a short exclusive window, kinda puzzled by it.

Part of the store's "Father Day's" offerings. Yes, I know Father's Day is in June, but the store likes to get a month ahead of the holidays; big ones like Thanksgiving and Christmas often two or more months ahead. Which leaves Halloween getting screwed (my favorite jubilee).

New here is the making-of documentary "The Bandit"; anamorphic widescreen, 1:26:18 minutes which aired on CMT (Country Music Television) on cable, August 6th, 2016.



There are nine chapters in it. 40th Anniversary carries all the extras from the first special edition. But there is something to note on the combo set; this is also a two disc set. There is no "Bandit" documentary for the DVD. That is part of the BD disc only. The doc is on disc two of the DVD version - be aware when buying.

Something else.

Info came down from various philes. The audio was re-remastered from the 2012 BD released (covering in a few) - which had sound effect issues and slight synch problems. Sound effects happening mirco-seconds before it they should. This repairs the problem. Sadly the sound effects are the same; wrong engine sounds. Car purists know the difference, some of which called it 'atrocious'; inaccurate Trans Am noises and other wrong Pontiac sounds. Yes, this is a thing.

Before you ask, I'm not that anal.

However, the Digital Copy isn't the 40th version, it's the 2012 mix which was the 2006 mix (also covering in a few).

The combo set has somethings not on the DVD version.

Missing are the featurettes "100 Years Of Universal: The 70s" and "100 Years Of Universal: The Lot". Both have zero to do with the movie; studio fluff pieces. Those same featurettes have appeared in various other BD titles - part of Universal's "100th Anniversary" re-releases.

Those two are carry overs from the 2012 BD release. 2017 has something new, BD only; Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. The film was not made in stereo.

The 40th DVD has the newer audio mix; Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS 5.1 Sound. The original mono is not available here.



If you want the original audio on DVD, you need the 1998 release (streeted October 27th), retailed for $24.95. The film is presented in non-anamorphic widescreen. The only extra is production notes and trailer. Also came with chapter listing insert, no slip.

Anyhow, the documentary is well worth the price of rebuying; tons of interviews with Burt Reynolds new and archival as well as his friend, stuntman, "Smokey" director Hal Needham (died October 25th, 2013), he's in clips only; passed before the doc was made. The man was quite a character.

Hal Brett Needham was the inspiration for the lead character, Colt Seavers (Lee Majors) on the ABC series, "The Fall Guy" (1981); a movie stunt man who moonlights as a bounty hunter. It ran for five seasons, only season one is on DVD. It has aged gracefully, still somewhat cheesy - the good kind.

The doc has many clips from various TV interviews like Merv Griffin, Dinah Shore, Dick Cavett , Phil Donahue and Barbara Walters. And Steve Martin who was guest hosting "The Tonight Show". Plus movie behind-the-scene footage and production photos. And various stories; like how things almost turned tragic, a car crash into a stadium full of people. Some of the impact footage shown. Nobody died.

Highly recommended.

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Rant.

Many online reviews and blogs call "Smokey And The Bandit", a precursor to "The Fast And The Furious" (2001) and I'll echo that sediment, rather true. The same kind of over the top action with shades of "The Transporter" (2002), minus the creative martial arts.

In the late 70s to early 80s, Burt Reynolds was 'The Dude', the guy who redefined suave-badass. That position would not be taken over until the late 1980s by Bruce Willis in his breakout role as John McClane in "Die Hard" (1988).

This is a movie about transporting illegal cargo, across four states in less than twenty-eight hours while being relentlessly pursued by a hard-ass sheriff. Mixed with comedy gold, car chases and great chemistry - a recipe for a hit. After all was said and done for 1977, this movie was the only one who could keep up with "Star Wars" - coming in second in that year's box office receipts. That's truly amazing.

And the most in your face, blatant product placement which is why it even existed - "Coors" beer. *laughs*

I need to take a big step back for newbies in the dark, things were quite different in the 1970s. The whole story is based around something that is obsolete now like "Green Stamps"; just Google it.

A history lesson.



You could NOT buy "Coors" East of Oklahoma, it was illegal to sell and ship. East of Mississippi River, you were out of luck. Why?

"Coors Banquet" beer (made in Colorado) was not pasteurized and did not have preservatives nor additives - which means it can spoil in less than a week, more so depending on how hot it is outside. It needs constant refrigeration to be safe (transportation and storage). Only eleven Western and Southwestern states could sell it.

This made the beer prized, sought after - future President Gerald Ford hid cans in his luggage; a trip from Colorado to Washington. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a regular supply shipped to Washington by the Air Force, no BS. So many stories of fans, like actors Paul Newman, Dean Martin and rocker Keith Richards. The beer was beloved, considered the finest in the U.S..

Few big rig at the time were refrigerated. So it was hard to transport over long distances. One the stories that came out of the era was of Frederick Amon. Who smuggled beer from Colorado to North Carolina in a refrigeration truck, where he sold them, four times the retail price to thirsty customers at country clubs and restaurants... one dollar a can. A six pack sold for $1.50 in Colorado. *ka-ching*

And yes, there were other beer smugglers, was profitable. Add to that - gas prices were super cheap then.

It became moot in 1991; Coors developed cold filtering and utilize aluminum cans with a fleet of refrigerated trucks. Nobody thinks twice now. But those old enough to remember, still long for the original brew.

Okay, you have the background. The movie - as the anniversary title gives - is forty years old. So I'm not holding back. From here on, full spoilers.

Rich people problems...



Texas millionaire Big Enos Burdette (Pat McCormick) and his son (proto Mini-Me), Little Enos (Paul Williams) are throwing a huge shindig in Atlanta, Georgia. Big, sponsored a race car driver who he's absolutely sure will win. And wants the celebration to be bigger than life with the best beer in all of America, but have come across the problem as described above.

At a truck rodeo at the Lakewood Fairgrounds (Atlanta) they come across legendary driver, Bo "Bandit" Darville (Burt Reynolds). A retired fellow who would rather nap than work. But the offering of $80,000 for a single job, spurs his attention.

The task - transport 400 cases of "Coors" from Texarkana, Texas to Atlanta; do it in less than twenty-eight hours.

Nods and hand shakes. More than just beer, the Burdette are high stake gamblers.



Bandit recruits his best friend, truck driver Cledus "Snowman" Snow (Jerry Reed) as well as his dog, Fred (just because).

Snowman drives the truck. Bandit drives his Pontiac Trans Am as recon, ahead of Cledus; effectively a scout and blocker - the car that gets the attention of the police while the main vehicle continues.

Game on.