I would never claim that Risky Business ranks up there with classics such as Casablanca, Bonnie and Clyde or even Rocky. However, the film that is largely credited with making Tom Cruise a star deserves a place in film history, for so vividly capturing a slice of early 1980’s culture. It was 1983, Ronald Reagan was in the White House, America was feeling pretty good about itself, and AIDS was still not widely recognized. So, when a young Cruise donned those white crew socks, a pink oxford, his underwear and slid across the floor to Bob Seger’s classic, “Old Time Rock and Roll,” a scene played out in houses across the world, was born.
Joel Goodson (Tom Cruise) is your typical senior in High School. His parents (Nicholas Pryor and Janet Caroll) are pressuring him to get good grades, good SAT scores and apply to good schools like Princeton. He is the perfect example of the boy who every mother wants to see with their daughter. However, when his parents go away on vacation, everything changes. His good buddy Miles (played by Curtis Armstrong–best known for his role as “Booger” in The Revenge of the Nerds movies) convinces him that when the cat is away, the mice will play. Joel is shy and perhaps even somewhat prude, so he really “goes wild” and takes his dad’s Porsche for a spin. Miles recognizes this as a good first step but decides to kick it up a notch by ordering a prostitute for Joel against his protests.
When “Jackie” arrives (Bruce A. Young) she turns out to be a transvestite; not exactly Joel’s idea for the perfect first time. However, Jackie gives him the number for a woman named Lana, whom she assures Joel is the kind of girl he’s looking for. Lana (played by a twenty-one-year-old Rebecca De Mornay) gives Joel a night of passion and even stays for breakfast to the tune of $300. To pay her, Joel leaves the house to cash a $500 savings bond from his grandmother. On his return, Joel realizes that Lana has taken his mother’s very expensive crystal egg as payment.
Predictably, things get worse from there. Guido (Joe Pantoliano) ends up angrily chasing Joel, Lana and Miles through the streets of Chicago brandishing a gun. Behind the wheel of his father’s Porsche, Joel loses him after a long adventure. Shortly after that, Joel inadvertently turns his father’s car into a submarine, after the car falls off the pier and plunges into Lake Michigan. And what’s the only way to pay for the damage? You guessed it; hook all of Joel’s rich, young, horny friends with Lana’s “lady” friends to make enough money to pay off the angry pimp and fix the Porsche. In the middle of the “sex for money” party, the head of Princeton admissions (Richard Masur) shows up for an interview with Joel. Luckily for Joel, “Mr. Princeton” has some fun at the party as well. The next morning, Joel is feeling good about himself and counting his take, when he realizes his house has been robbed of its contents. Joel is forced to buy back the contents of his house from Guido and gets everything put back into place minutes before his parents arrive at home. To top it off, Joel’s proud father gets a call from the Princeton admissions guy saying, “Princeton could use a guy like Joel.”
Released by Criterion, this edition contains two discs–a region-free 4K and region B 1080p Blu-ray. Both discs offer up two versions of the film – the theatrical and director’s cut – while the bulk of the extras other than the commentary, are found on the Blu-ray disc. The following information regarding the transfer is taken from the enclosed booklet: “Supervised and approved by director Paul Brickman and producer Jon Avnet, this new 4K restoration of the director’s cut and the original theatrical release were created from the 35mm original camera negative and a 35mm interpositive.”
Presented in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, fine detail is excellent throughout. Texture is wonderful, be it clothing, skin or set pieces. Contrast is spot on. The color palette is on the bright side and looks appealing. There are no apparent anomalies.
The English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio offers clean, clear and concise dialogue. Ambient sounds are mixed well with the dialogue and music. Tom Cruise’s famous dance to Bob Seger’s classic, “Old Time Rock and Roll,” is a real standout. The score by Tangerine Dream sets the perfect mood when called upon.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
On both UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc:
- Audio Commentary by Tom Cruise, Director/Screenwriter Paul Brickman and Producer Jon Avnet – The threesome discuss shooting different scenes and let the audience in on some things that were going on behind the scenes at various times. While this isn’t one of the best commentaries I’ve heard, the guys do offer up a few interesting tidbits.
On Blu-ray disc only:
- NEW!! Interview with producer Jon Avnet (HD, 20:34) Avnet discusses working with director Paul Brinkman and a young Tom Cruise.
- NEW!!! Interview with casting director Nancy Klopper (HD, 18:09) Klopper discusses her casting process and the challenges she faced working on Risky Business.
- NEW!! Conversation between film editor Richard Chew and film historian Bobbie O’Steen (HD, 30:13) a discussion about the films editing process, particularly the famous scene of Joel and Lana having sex aboard the El train.
- The Dream is Always the Same: The Story of Risky Business (HD, 29:29) Documentary featuring Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Curtis Armstrong, Bronson Pinchot and other cast and crew discussing the origins and the making of the film. This documentary was very interesting and sheds some light on the process of how Risky Business got made.
- Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay screen tests (HD, 14:36) It’s interesting to see a young Cruise and De Mornay testing for their roles. New interviews with cast and crew add their thoughts about the tests.
- Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:27)
- Leaflet: An illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Dave Kehr, as well as technical credits.
