Risky Business (1983)

Little did Tom Cruise know that he would become a box-office superstar after he cranked up some Bob Seeger and played air guitar in his underwear. But there's more to this 1983 hit than the arrival of a hot young star. Making a stylish debut, writer-director Paul Brickman crafted a subtle satire of crass materialism wrapped in an irresistible plot about a crafty high schooler named Joel (Cruise) who goes into risky business with the beguiling prostitute Lana (Rebecca De Mornay) while his parents are out of town. Joel turns his affluent Chicago-suburb home into a lucrative bordello and forms a steamy personal and professional partnership with Lana, but only as long as the two can avoid the vengeful pimp Guido (Joe Pantoliano) and keep their customers happy. A signature film of the 1980s, Risky Business still holds up thanks to Cruise's effortless charm and the movie's timeless appeal as an adolescent male fantasy. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com essential video

An 80s classic coming of age movie that still rocks. Nicely restored for Blu-Ray.

When it comes to 80's movies, I live and breath them. That was my decade through highschool. Some may laugh about that decade and the movies made. But, this title is one of the movies that still holds it's own today.

This title looks very, very nice. It is very clean and free of artifacts and blemishes. It does show it's age as many 80's movies do. That may not be anyones falt. Tons of movies from the 80's were being grinded out as " movies of the times ", with little thought to perfection. No.....it is not as sweeping as Gone With The Wind, nor was it meant to be. It is however as good as this film has ever looked in any format. The picture does not leap out at you in that 3 dimentional look we all love. It does however have a nice clean and accurate look to it. The colors are a bit washed out, it appears a bit soft and flat. The fleshtones are very good, and the black hold up well. The overall color is very good for it's age and source. The sound is nothing exciting. It is very clear and clean and does it's job for sure. Your surround sound system will not get a big workout here. It was not meant to be though.

A great movie about growing up in the 80's. A drama that is very funny at times. A huge improvement over the standard dvd. I had that disk and this Blu-Ray blows it away in 1080P. A worthy upgrade if your a fan of this flick. The film itself is worth a 5 out of 5 stars. But this is a product review. 4 out of 5 stars is a worthy grade for quality and presentation. Looks very, very good, but not perfect. Then again......it could be as good as it could ever get. September 18, 2008

A Must For A Child of The 80s

One of the real gems of this new 25th Anniversary DVD set is "The Dream is Always the Same": The Story of Risky Business. This documentary provides great insight into all the hurdles Risky Business encountered on its way to the silver screen, with interviews with all the main cast members and Paul Brickman.

The other great addition to this 80's classic is the original ending that Paul Brickman wanted the audience to see in the film. The original ending, as shot by Brickman, had Joel Goodsen being shown as the strong one and Lana the weak one. However, the studios wanted a happier ending and changed it before it was sent to theaters. September 12, 2008

"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

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