Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Finally!!!
Today, after far too many years of waiting, one of the greatest motion pictures of all time is FINALLY being released on DVD. The fact that millions have been kept waiting to see this cinematic masterpiece in all its widescreen digital glory has been one of the greatest injustices of our times.
I am, of course, talking about D.C. Cab.
Released in 1983, this comedic gem was directed by Joel Schumacher. This was only Schumacher's 2nd feature film (after 1981's "The Incredible Shrinking Woman"), and he has since gone on to quite a distinguished career, directing the absolute classic "The Lost Boys," along with "St. Elmo's Fire," "Flatliners," "Falling Down," "The Client," "8MM," and "A Time To Kill." He also almost completely destroyed the Batman franchise a few years ago. But I digress.
Seriously, I really DO love D.C. Cab. It is one of the greatest comedies of all time, with lots of great one-liners that still make me laugh out loud. The film was advertised as a Mr. T vehicle, and, to take nothing away from T's performance, this is not entirely accurate. This is actually an ensemble piece, with Adam Baldwin (no relation to the other Baldwins running around Hollywood today) and Max Gail ('Wojo' on TV's "Barney Miller") getting the most screen time. Also featured are Gary Busey, Paul Rodriguez, Whitman Mayo, Bill Maher, Marsha Warfield, The Barbarian Brothers (!), and Charlie Barnett. Barnett absolutely steals the movie as Tyrone, who is obsessed with pop singer Irene Cara and drives his cab with his hair up in rollers.
I can not recommend this movie highly enough, and with a suggested retail price of only $9.99 (I actually pre-ordered it from deepdiscountdvd.com and paid only 6 bucks, with free s&h), there are no excuses to NOT check this neglected classic out. I can promise you that you WILL laugh. A lot.
On a side note, while doing research for this post, I found some bitter-sweet news. Charlie Barnett passed away from AIDS a little while back. I also discovered that Barnett was a mentor to Dave Chappelle (and shame on you if you don't watch Chappelle's Show), and taught Chappelle quite a lot. In tribute to Barnett, Chappelle is making a movie called "King Of The Park," based on their long friendship. I look forward to seeing it.
I am, of course, talking about D.C. Cab.
Released in 1983, this comedic gem was directed by Joel Schumacher. This was only Schumacher's 2nd feature film (after 1981's "The Incredible Shrinking Woman"), and he has since gone on to quite a distinguished career, directing the absolute classic "The Lost Boys," along with "St. Elmo's Fire," "Flatliners," "Falling Down," "The Client," "8MM," and "A Time To Kill." He also almost completely destroyed the Batman franchise a few years ago. But I digress.
Seriously, I really DO love D.C. Cab. It is one of the greatest comedies of all time, with lots of great one-liners that still make me laugh out loud. The film was advertised as a Mr. T vehicle, and, to take nothing away from T's performance, this is not entirely accurate. This is actually an ensemble piece, with Adam Baldwin (no relation to the other Baldwins running around Hollywood today) and Max Gail ('Wojo' on TV's "Barney Miller") getting the most screen time. Also featured are Gary Busey, Paul Rodriguez, Whitman Mayo, Bill Maher, Marsha Warfield, The Barbarian Brothers (!), and Charlie Barnett. Barnett absolutely steals the movie as Tyrone, who is obsessed with pop singer Irene Cara and drives his cab with his hair up in rollers.
I can not recommend this movie highly enough, and with a suggested retail price of only $9.99 (I actually pre-ordered it from deepdiscountdvd.com and paid only 6 bucks, with free s&h), there are no excuses to NOT check this neglected classic out. I can promise you that you WILL laugh. A lot.
On a side note, while doing research for this post, I found some bitter-sweet news. Charlie Barnett passed away from AIDS a little while back. I also discovered that Barnett was a mentor to Dave Chappelle (and shame on you if you don't watch Chappelle's Show), and taught Chappelle quite a lot. In tribute to Barnett, Chappelle is making a movie called "King Of The Park," based on their long friendship. I look forward to seeing it.
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Great to see this flick out on DVD and for such an affordable price!
Didn't know that about Charlie Barnett. In adition to DC Cab he also had a recurring role on Miami Vice. He was a real talent, sorry to see that he is no longer with us.
Didn't know that about Charlie Barnett. In adition to DC Cab he also had a recurring role on Miami Vice. He was a real talent, sorry to see that he is no longer with us.
This is one of my all time favorite comedies. It has some terrific moments and one of the best ensemble casts I have ever seen. Plus it has a great performance from Mr. T. I am on my way to Best Buy tonight!
Got it at Best Buy for just $6.99 (I would have happily paid $20.)
I like how, if you look closely, you can see two Mr. T's on the front cover.
I have a huge collection of DC Cab stuff including the posters (from the US, UK and Turkey), the press kit, the lobby cards and three different video cassette covers. I will try to post a picture if I get a chance.
"You need bread, then get a job at a bakery" Samson (Mr. T)
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I like how, if you look closely, you can see two Mr. T's on the front cover.
I have a huge collection of DC Cab stuff including the posters (from the US, UK and Turkey), the press kit, the lobby cards and three different video cassette covers. I will try to post a picture if I get a chance.
"You need bread, then get a job at a bakery" Samson (Mr. T)
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