Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThis terrific, offbeat noir-ish comedy gets a hi-def makeover on this new Blu! Get ready to go INTO THE NIGHT like never before.
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2017
BOTTOM LINE: One of the best quirky comedies ever made; still fun & funny after 30+ years! Plays like a screwball comedy, with noir-ish overtones. Goldblum & Pfeiffer make a great couple with genuine chemistry. The story keeps you moving briskly along from one odd situation to another without ever running out of steam. A terrific bluesy soundtrack adds color and character to the proceedings. This Shout!Select hi-def Blu-ray gives fans even more for their buck besides improved audio & video, as it includes some decent bonus content, too. 5 STARS
THE STORY: Ed Okin can't sleep. Late one night he goes for a drive, idling aimlessly around L.A. before eventually ending up at the airport. There he encounters Diane, a beautiful but mysterious girl who's running for her life from four Iranian assassins hell-bent on recovering six perfect emeralds she smuggled into the country. From that point on the two pinball from one bizarre encounter to the next, trying to stay one step ahead of the killer quartet. Can Ed keep Diane safe? What will happen to them both? And will poor Ed ever be able to get a decent night's sleep?
THOUGHTS: I have loved this movie ever since I first saw it on cable TV decades ago. Prior to this movie I had only known of Goldblum from his short-lived TV series, TENSPEED & BROWNSHOE, with Ben Vereen. He was so memorably off-kilter in that show that I knew I had to check out INTO THE NIGHT. This movie has so much going for it. Great lead actors, a bevy of cameo parts by Hollywood directing legends, off-the-wall situations, and a surreal trip through the glamorous yet seedy afterhours world of Los Angeles. A wonderful B.B. King-flavored blues soundtrack adds immeasurably to the overall product, so much so that I couldn't imagine liking this film anywhere near as much if it had a more traditional score. And at it's center, a smart and witty script from Ron Koslow. Director John Landis steers things deftly, and also gives a side-splitting slapstick performance as one of the Iranian hitmen. I honestly find it amazing that this film isn't more well-known and well-loved. It is so much fun to watch unfold. Do yourself a favor and go along for the ride.
THE BLU-RAY: A nice offering from Shout!Factory's Shout!Select branch. A nicely remastered transfer gives the film a new life. The picture looks crisp & clean and the audio is likewise clear, with a fairly even soundmix. Extra goodies include separate new on-camera interviews with director John Landis & star Jeff Goldblum, (wherein you can clearly see that Goldblum's iconic stumble-mumbly, stop & start acting style isn't really acting; he's just naturally that strange & scatterbrained. LOL). There's also a short but entertaining documentary about B.B King and his life and involvement with the film. I wished that Landis and or Goldblum had done a commentary but alas, it wasn't meant to be. It's also regrettable that Michelle Pfeiffer couldn't or wouldn't be interviewed about her memories of the film. Even without, this Blu-ray is a solid buy for fans of the film and comes highly recommended.