Risky Business (1983)

"Ferris Bueller" meets existentialism

"Risky Business" is, in my opinion, along the same lines as "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", only deeper, more emotional, and very existential. Just as the theme of Ferris Bueller was that life might pass you buy if you don't stop to smell the roses, the theme of Risky Business is, as stated by the dude from Revenge of the Nerds, "sometimes you just have to say 'What the f*%#!'."

This film goes deeper, however, as it enters the realm of strong sexual longings that anyone of the late teens/early 20s knows all too well, as well as the pressures of parents and of society to "succeed": get into a good college, impress "the man", make your parents dreams a reality, and wear a white collar for the rest of your life. "Risky Business" asks: is it really worth it to sacrifice the experience of life (in this case, the surge of excitement, bittersweet memories, and longing of the late teens/early 20s) just to "be the best you can be"?

The haunting soundtrack by Tangerine Dream, one of my favorite bands, amplifies the bittersweet, reminiscent atmopshere excellently, especially 'Love on a Real Train', which accompanies one of the most haunting and bittersweet scenes in the film and is arguably the most well-known Tangerine Dream track ever, and for good reason.

Like 'The Breakfast Club', this is one of the 80s teen coming-of-age flicks which retains its distinct 80s flavor and relevance to the era as well as being utterly timeless. A masterpiece. August 6, 2008

Time of your life, huh kid?

Risky Business is a fantastic movie, much more complex than the standard teen fare at the time. Great music by Tangerine Dream (written especially for the movie) and strong performances from its young cast, most notably a nineteen year old Tom Cruise and twenty four year old Rebecca De Mornay. (Small side note: Cruise and De Mornay lived together for over two years after making the movie, so the chemistry on-screen must have been pretty real!)

The original end of the movie was much darker than the happy, everything turns out okay version that was released. Both versions were filmed and shown to a test audience, which preferred the happier, lighter version. The original has (to my knowledge) never been released in any form, and I was concerned that it had been lost.

I'm very happy to report that this 25th anniversary release is planned to include a new making-of documentary along with the alternate ending and commentary by Tom Cruise, director Paul Brickman, and producer Jon Avnet.

So, it appears that this is what Risky Business fans have been waiting since 1983 to see! The DVD is scheduled for release on September 16th, so we'll have to wait just a little longer. Keep in mind also that while the press information is normally correct, all of it is subject to change prior to release. But, it certainly looks very promising.

Sean P. Logue, 2008 May 25, 2008

EXCELLENT PRODUCT! GREAT MOVIE!! HAPPY 25 YEARS RISKY BUSINESS!!

Of coarse this is a classic movie!! Happy 25th Anniversary in the movie business Tom Cruise! May 20, 2008

Risky Business DVD

For those of us who grew up and were in high school in the 80's, especially the early 80's I think this is a great movie. Tom Cruise is great as Joel Goodsen, he projects the kind of innocence that I think a lot of us who grew up in the burbs in the 80's had. That time was kind of a throwback, although there was a little drug use such as the pot in the movie, I think the drug culture was not as big as in the mid 60's and 70's. AIDS had still not hit yet. Reagan was king and most kids were nice kids trying to do good in school, please their parents, and set themselves up for a productive future, as Joel in the movie. The story is good, although a little unbeleivable, as a small mistake Joel makes becomes a huge problem. Mainly it reminds me a lot of guys I went to high school with, the clothes we wore, having to ride a bike around instead of driving. All the stuff high school kids in the 80's did and had. It is a great movie and a classic from the era. January 30, 2008

The Girl Next Door Of The 1980's

When I first obtained this movie I didn't know what to expect. Many times I saw this movie lying for rent in blockbuster, it had a catchy cover but the synopsis of the back cover never caught my attention. It wasn't until one of my friends gave away a whole bunch of 80's flicks and guess what? Risky business was there; so I went ahead and gave it a chance.

For those who are unfamiliar with the story of the movie then don't worry it's quite simple. The movie's plot revolves around the character of Joel (played by Tom Cruise) who is the ideal son; he gets good grades, perfect attendance, top of his class, and plus he is very obedient to his parents.....until.. Both of Joel's parents decide to take a trip out of town without Joel. They leave Joel the responsibility of the house, car etc. But when Joel's friends keep pushing him to take a chance at taking risks and having a good time Joel doesn't hesitate to think twice. So up to know everything is fun and games....until.. Joel meets a young charming prostitute named Lana (played by Rebecca de Mornay) who teaches him how to have a good time. there's a lot more story in the picture that of course is not new, it has been seen and used in many recent teen flicks, like The Girl Next Door, Orange County, American Pie. Actually the story of this movie is very similar to that of The Girl Next Door. for example; good boy gone bad, boy meets a hot girl which he thinks is out of his league, there's a pimp involved who control's the hot girl. All of these details are reminiscent in both flicks

As well the movie has some of the most memorable scenes, along with an awesome soundtrack from Tangerine Dream... Tom Cruise's first big staring role is still worth every penny even if it's heavily dated.

MY PERSONAL RATING: 4 OUT OF 5
January 20, 2008

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