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Blu-ray Review: BREWSTER’S MILLIONS (COLLECTOR’S EDITION)

Jan 11, 2020 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Montgomery ‘Monty’ Brewster (Richard Pryor) is a pitcher and a bit of a screw-up—despite trying for 15 years, he’s still stuck in the minor leagues, and after getting into a bar brawl, he and best friend/catcher Spike Nolan (John Candy) get fired from the Hackensack Bulls. However, Monty discovers that he has inherited $30 million from his deceased great uncle (Hume Cronyn). But this money comes with some stipulations‐the will states that if he spends all of this money within 30 days, and amasses no assets, then he will inherit another $300 million. If he fails to lose all of the money within the 30 days, he will get nothing, and the rest of the inheritance will go to the law firm executing the will. There are other stipulations that disallow him from just giving or throwing the money away, or telling anyone about the terms of the will. Helping to keep track of his purchases is accountant Angela Drake (Lonette McKee), whom Monty falls for almost immediately, but she is in the dark about the challenge.

Monty quickly discovers that the task of spending $30 million in 30 days is not going to be as easy as he originally thought. He goes on a spending spree, treating strangers to fancy meals, renting out penthouse apartments, hiring a security team, investing in horrible business and stock opportunities, and larger things like arranging an expedition game between his old minor league team and the Yankees, and running a political campaign. However, His attempts to lose the money often backfire, netting him profits that negate his previous efforts. His friends also grow increasingly concerned about how he is rapidly going through his inheritance. And his attempts to win over Angela also have the opposite effect—she sees his wastefulness and flashing around of money as a sign of vapid arrogance

When I was younger, I watched Brewster’s Millions countless times on cable and VHS, and so I was excited to check it out again on Shout! Factory’s new Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release. It had been decades since I last saw the film, but was pleased that it still holds up extremely well today. It is a classic, timeless story, filled with heart and humor about a down-on-his luck man who is given the chance to change his circumstances, but must do things that make his family and friends question his motives and sanity in order to get there. Richard Pryor is perfectly cast in this role, and pairs well with John Candy—the characters really feel like longtime friends. The two comedians deliver the humor while also portraying characters you care about and are rooting to succeed. The film also has a great supporting/cameo cast, including Jerry Orbach, Tovah Feldshuh, Stephen Collins, Yakov Smirnoff, Rick Moranis, and more.

This iteration of Brewster’s Millions does a nice job of borrowing and modernizing elements from previous adaptations of Timothy Harris’ 1902 novel, while also coming up with some clever new ways for Monty to dispose of his money, and some fun twists to throw some last minute wrenches into his plan. The script was written by the same folks who did Trading Places, and there are definitely some elements of that film that are also evident here as well.

Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray provides a solid presentation—which appears to be the same as Universal’s 2017 Blu-ray release. The picture looks quite clean with just a pleasant amount of grain. The stereo audio track is not the kind of immersive soundtrack found with a modern day movie, but is more than sufficient, providing clear dialogue. Shout! Factory has really improved on Universal’s previous bare-bones Blu-ray by adding in some nice new bonus features, which include an audio commentary, a new 10-minute interview with the screenwriter, the entire 1945 film adaptation of the novel, a photo gallery, and trailer. The disc comes packed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a slipcover, and like many other Shout Select releases, the insert inside the cover is reversible, giving the viewer a choice in how to display this title in his or her collection. The alternate view for this title can be seen below:



What’s Included:

Film: (1:41:12)

  • 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
  • Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
  • Subtitles: English

Extras:
Items marked with a NEW are brand new to this release.

  • NEW Audio Commentary With Film Critics William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold, Hosts Of The Podcast Critically Acclaimed (1:41:12)
    The hosts of the Critically Acclaimed podcast provide a fun, interesting and informative discussion of the film. Throughout the commentary, they constantly compare and contrast the themes, characters and events of original novel and its various stage and film adaptions. They also share lots of trivia about the film and its production, and discuss the careers of the film’s director, stars, and guest stars.
  • NEW Interview With Screenwriter Herschel Weingrod (10:59)
    In this brand new interview, screenwriter talks about the various adaptations of the story that already existed before his, the original version they wrote for Bill Murray as an astronaut, casting Richard Pryor and his notes on the script, working with his writing partner, where he got his inspiration for some of the scenes, and more.
  • Brewster’s Millions – 1945 Adaptation Starring Dennis O’Keefe And Helen Walker (1:18:52)
    In this 1945 adaptation of the novel, Montague L. ‘Monty’ Brewster (Dennis O’Keefe) returns from the Army after 3 years away, along with pals Hacky Smith (Joe Sawyer) and Nopper Harrison (Herbert Rudley). He is supposed to get married to fiancee Peggy (Helen Walker), but puts this on hold when he learns that he has inherited $1 million from his deceased uncle. The will stipulates that he must spend all of this money by his 30th birthday (which is just 60 days away) and not have any assets. Monty can’t tell anyone the terms of the inheritance, but if he does manage to spend all the money, he will inherit an additional $7 million, and if he fails, he must return whatever money is left. And so begins Monty’s comical attempt to spend the money, which involves betting on long-shot horses, making bad stock and bank investments, backing an awful Broadway play, chartering a yacht, and even attempting to get robbed. However, it seems like no matter how hard Monty tries to lose the money, it just keeps coming back in. Monty’s friends think he’s going crazy, and Peggy thinks Monty may be cheating on her with his starlet Trixie (June Havoc) or socialite Barbara (Gail Patrick). In the end, the film is quite similar to the 1985 version. I really enjoyed this version of the story—it felt more like a stage play, with limited sets and the farcical way it plays out. This screwball version had me laughing even more than the 1980s remake. It is presented in black & white, 1080p, 1.33:1 full frame format.
  • Theatrical Trailer (1:28)
  • Still Gallery (7:11)
    Slideshow containing movie stills, posters, lobby cards, publicity photos, and behind-the-scenes photos. Photos auto-advance every 5 seconds.

 


Final Thoughts:

My Rating
Film:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Recommended

Brewster’s Millions is a fun screwball comedy with a wonderful premise and execution, and talented comedic cast. Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and includes a nice selection of bonus material, including the full 1945 adaptation of the original novel, which is also a lot of fun. This is an entertaining film that still holds up nearly 4 decades later—I’m surprised we haven’t had another remake of this story in the past 35 years—and will surely please fans of Pryor and/or Candy. Those who are already fans of the film will also want to pick up this release for the hilarious 1945 version of the film that has also been included.