9 to 5 (1980)
Company: Twilight Time
Starring: Lily
Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Dabney Coleman, Elizabeth Wilson, Dolly Parton, Sterling Hayden,
Henry Jones,
My Review and Thoughts:
My Rating: 5 out of 5
To me 9 to 5 is a perfect screwball comedy film that never
gets old. I have seen this film so many times I have lost count, and it gets
better, and better every time. And now I get to experience it amazingly on a
high quality Blu-ray of pure perfection.
I felt like screaming with joy when I
learned this was going to be a Twilight Time Blu-ray. God I love this movie. My
childhood was so much better with this film. I watched this as a kid until my
VHS was worn out. Every time I went to the video store I rented it until I
owned it. Don’t ask me why, you should know yourself why, this film is so great.
The comedy, goofiness and overall plot is perfection. The characters are “oh my
God”, wonderful. And the ones performing those characters should need no introduce
or write up, because they are absolutely fabulous.
Come on, Dolly Parton, Lily
Tomlin, Jane Fonda, I should not have to repeat myself. These three ladies
together created a simple, silly perfection on cinema. There complete personas
through dry humor, and perfect weirdness in comedy that this film displayed,
just makes me smile and laugh every time I think about it. What Judy, Violet and
Doralee act out and become are three characters that to me showcases the perfection of characters that the person watching can love. They are three that stand out, and I feel is often overlooked
or simply forgot about, and I don’t understand why. 9 to 5 is a perfect comedy.
Goodness gracious can you tell I am excited by this movie on Blu-ray.
I really don’t need to give any introduction to the three
main leads but what I will do is say all three are perfect in displaying and performing their characters.
There could not have been a better cast. I am a huge Lily Tomlin fan. Besides 9
to 5 my other favorite by her is 81’s The Incredible Shrinking Woman, 1993’s
Short Cuts, and the important, thought provoking adaption of one of the best
books ever written by Randy Shilts. ABout the AIDS epidemic in the 80’s 1993’s And
the Band Played On. Jane Fonda starred in one of the great mystery thrillers 1971’s
Klute which might I add won her an Oscar. Also starred in some amazing drama’s
in her career, the one and only 1977’s Julia, 1979’s The China Syndrome. But it
is the tear jerking all-time favorite 1981’s On Golden Pond where she starred
with her father, the masterpiece performer Henry Fonda that will always stand out
and get me. Dolly Parton is the only one who can be Dolly Parton. Dolly is
Dolly and that really sums it up. She is priceless and perfect. From music, to
acting, to being herself. She's a golden ticket for anything she does, because she
is truly a one of kind woman. All three, Dolly, Lily, and Jane create a
perfected trilogy of characters in 9 to 5
The overall cast is perfection. Not only the three main
ladies but you have the perfection of Dabney Coleman as the mean old boss
Franklin M Hart Jr. Dabney is acting brilliance and is one of those performers
that should be a household name when it comes to talking about cinema. He is
brilliant in all his characters throughout his acting career. I will always
remember him from 9 to 5, but also another from my childhood that I praise and
love just as much, 1984’s Cloak & Dagger. Dabney started acting in 1961 and
is still going strong today with over 170 performances under his belt. From TV
to feature film he has mastered so many moments and characters that stand out.
He voiced Principal Prickly from one of my favorite cartoons of all time, Disney’s
Recess. From voice acting to major motions pictures to everything in-between,
he is perfection.
Thats what's great about this movie is a vast cast of performers. So many
wonderful examples of actors and actresses of the old days. Also starring the
amazing Henry Jones as Mr. Hinkle. Over 200 performances in his long career. He
was an amazing character actor that started in 1946 and worked all the way till
1995. TV to movies he aced many styles of characters. Starring in such greats
like 1956’s The Bad Seed, 1957’s 3:10 to Yuma, 1958’s Vertigo, 1969’s Support
your Local Sheriff, 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1971’s Support
Your Local Gunfighter, 1990’s Dick Tracy, 1990’s Arachnophobia, and so many
others. Also a wonderful character actor, an actor on the sidelines, or hidden
with out any dialogue at times, and yet was always able to stand out and perform
perfectly no matter how small or great the part was.
Also the beautiful Marian Mercer as Missy Hart. She is
another one of those actresses that never got the stardom or limelight she
greatly deserved. Mainly remembered for her many TV shows, such as Mary
Hartman, Mary Hartman, Foot in the Door, St. Elsewhere, and her longest running
series 1980-1989’s It’s Living playing the character Nancy Beebe, in which I remember
her the most from. She passed away in 2011 but to me she was a golden ticket of
perfection. Her beauty and her talent shines still to this day for me. Seeing
her again in 9 to 5 was amazing.
Next you have to mention the amazing actress Elizabeth
Wilson as Roz Keith. Wilson to me I should not even have to mention in
describing her. She started acting in the 40’s and did so until 2012. She left
us at the ripe old age of 94 in 2015, but left a wonderful array of cinema
characters. From 1955’s Picnic, 1963’s The Birds (My third favorite
Alfred Hitchcock film), 1967’s The Graduate, 1981’s The Incredible Shrinking
Woman (which might I add is one of my all-time favorites), 1987’s The
Believers, 1991’s Regarding Henry, 1991’s The Adams Family, 1994’s Quiz Show, 2012’s
Hyde Park on Hudson and many other films, plus television such as Doc from 1975
to 76. She was just fantastic in all her roles.
Others
that are worthy to mention, in reality everyone in this film deserves a write
up, but I only have so much space and time. Also starring the great Lawrence
Pressman, a huge character actor and TV personality starring in countless
memorable films, and is still acting today. I grew up watching him as the
character Dr. Benjamin Canfield on Doogie Howser, M.D. He has acted in well
over 160 performances. His starring role in 9 to 5 as the character Dick Bernly
is fantastic. Next I have to mention the one and only Norma Donaldson.
Donaldson was a true acting goddess that never got the fandom and stardom she
deserved. She was a fantastic actress. Her role of Betty in 9 to 5 was great.
She too died at such a young age, 66 years old from cancer just a total shame.
I will always be a huge fan of hers, showcasing from my childhood, watching the
many countless Cult Blaxploitation films she starred in, such as 1972’s Across 110th
Street and 1974’s Willie Dynamite. Just a priceless performer. Also starring the
amazing Sterling Walter Hayden. If you’re a movie fan, then you should know his
name. He starred in many wonderful westerns and film noir’s. All one has to do
is look at his films. 1950’s The Asphalt Jungle, 54’s Johnny Guitar, 54’s Naked
Alibi, 55’s Eternal Sea, 55’s The Last Command (A personal favorite of mine),
56’s The Killing, 64’s Dr. Strangelove, 72’s The Godfather, 76’s 1900, and so
many others. He was a passionate and prime example of perfect acting. Something
I personally spotlight him with is that he also was a writer. He wrote two
fantastic books, Wanderer (1962), and Voyage (1976). I have read both, but
Wanderer is one of my personal favorites and highly recommend anyone reading that loves good books, give it a go. Also starring Renn Woods an amazing
actress. Starred in so many cult following style of films. From 76’s Car Wash,
79’s Hair, 80’s Xanadu, 84’s The Brother from Another Planet, and one of my
personal favorite's 1986’s Jumpin Jack Flash. She is still acting today. I could go on and on about who stars in this film.
9 to 5 is directed by the one and only writer, director and
producer Colin Higgins. Higgins is another soul of cinema lost by time. He died
so young and yet left a mark in cinema history with his small years. Most
famous for I would think writing the movie Harold and Maude, and also producing
it. Next would be writing and directing The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He
also wrote and directed the very funny comedy mystery 1978’s Foul Play, starring
one of my personal favorite comedy actors of all time Chevy Chase. He also
wrote the 1976’s comedy classic Silver Streak, starring the great comedy duo of Richard Pryor
and Gene Wilder (I still can’t believe both of them are dead). Higgins to me
was a comedy master that had so many more years to write and direct. He sadly
died from AIDS at 47 years old what a total bummer.
The plot is really simple. You have Judy, Violet and Doralee
who work for Franklin Hart, a mean back stabbing and sexist boss that treats
his female employees horrible. He makes fun of them, yells at them and takes
credit for their ideas. He fires women and promotes men. Soon Judy, Violet and
Doralee end up becoming fast friends, joking about how great it would be to get
revenge on their mean boss. Now at work Violet mistakenly uses rat poison
instead of creamer in Hart’s coffee. Later she realizes what she has done.
Meanwhile what she does not realize is Hart falls out of his chair and
hits his heads knocking himself out. Violet hears that he is rushed to the
hospital. She thinks she has poisoned him and made him sick and he is going to die. All three rush to
the hospital. What they don’t know is Hart woke up and checked himself out. The
three of them arrive and mistake a dead police witness as their boss. They
freak. Violet believes she is a murderer. They end up stealing the body, and so
begins one comical wild trip into many funny outrageous moments that one has to
see to fully understand, and laugh at the perfection of the comedy.
To me 9 to 5 is one of the funniest movies ever made. It’s
so out there, and over the top that it clearly remains with you no matter how
many times you see it. The theme song is stuck in your head and still to this
day you hum it, sing it, and know what it means. I think we all have worked a 9
to 5 job in our lives and can relate, or at least I can. I have had so many
Bosses that I could not stand, and Jane, Lily and Dolly make for a perfect
revenge fantasy against those hated bosses.
Audio/Video:
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Perfection yet again. The audio is spectacular. The music,
voices, sound effects are all crisp in nature. The video, imagery is vibrant in
colors. I have seen this movie so many times from TV, VHS to DVD, but I feel
Twilight Time has thoroughly aced this reality in creating a fresh new look to
this 80’s film. Love the colors of the animation, looks brand new and fantastic
like it’s just been drawn. The whole concept of the film feels like it’s a new. That is what I love about High Definition. Twilight Time takes that
reality and applies it perfectly in creating new outlets to older films.
LANGUAGE: English
VIDEO: 1080p High Definition / 1.85:1
AUDIO: English 2.0 DTS-HD MA / English 1.0 DTS-HD MA
SUBTITLES: English SDH
Extras:
My Rating: 5 out of 5
What an absolutely freaking treat that this Blu-ray has in
special features. Twilight Time brought over many of the special features that was a part of the DVD version, and also has added new ones. One of the best sets of special features to a Twilight Time Blu-ray. Great features for a film
often forgot or swept away. There is a wonderful abundance of special features
on this Twilight Time Blu-ray:
Isolated Score Track: The music composed for the film is by
Charles Ira Fox. He has been composing music from 1965 and still is composing
today. From film to TV he has done it all. His music has been used on over 180
films and TV soundtracks, one recently to give you an idea, Quentin Tarantino’s
Dajango, and for TV, the popular reality show, The Voice. He composed the
soundtracks for the films, 1968’s Barbarella, The Other Side of the Mountain,
1983’s Strange Brew, 1985’s National Lampoon’s European Vacation, 1986’s
Longshot, among many others. He has won many, upon many awards and nominations which the best
known one by music lovers, was for composing the music, for the song “Killing
me Softly with His Song” which he would win a Grammy for Best Song of the Year
in 1973, after the great amazing Roberta Flack made the song known nation wide
with her wonderful voice. He was nominated for many Emmy awards, also nominated
for an Oscar for Best Original Song, Richard’s Window, for the film The Other
Side of the Mountain. Fox’s amazing career was awarded with a BMI Richard Kirk
Award for Outstanding Life Achievement, and also Fox was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.
Audio Commentary with Actresses Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and
Dolly Parton, and Producer Bruce Gilbert. This is the original commentary from
the DVD version. It is a wonderful listen. Loved hearing it again. Although this
commentary tends to dwindle out, and after a spark at the start, slowly fades in
not really talking about anything, but still is great hearing the people
involved with the film.
Audio Commentary with Screenwriter Patricia Resnick and Film
Historians Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman. Now this is what I look for in a
commentary. Filled with wonderful information. Film knowledge. And an expertise
in discussing the film at hand. I am a huge fan of both Redman and Kirgo, and
anything they talk about I am in engrossed with. This was a fantastic listen.
Screenwriter Patricia Resnick was fantastic to hear from.
Nine @ 25: Revisiting a Comedy Classic. This has a running
time of close to 25 minutes. You have producer Bruce Gilbert, writer Patricia
Resnick and most importantly the actors, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton
and Elizabeth Wilson all talking about the film and the memories they have from
working on the production. A great watch, seeing all them talk about their experiences.
Remembering Colin Higgins. This has a running time of close
to 5 minutes. This is a memory lane style program of Jane, Lily, Dolly and
Bruce Gilbert talking about Colin Higgins. You also get to see some archived
footage of Colin Higgins which is an amazing special feature to me, I still
feel so saddened by his death. It’s great to see this homage like program to
his memory.
Singing Nine to Five Karaoke. This has a running time of a
little over 3 minutes. So great, the title song is provided with the sing along
lyrics. Boy am I cheesy, I sang my 9 to 5 loving heart out.
Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin Interviews. This has a running
time of close to 21 minutes. Both stars Parton and Dolly are interviewed separately, and these two features are put into one set program. A great listen for any fan
of these stars, or the movie. Loved hearing them talk about everything.
Deleted Scenes: This has a running time of close to 23
minutes and is one of my favorite special features seeing all the deleted
moments that was not in the film. It plays out in a montage setting. Loved this.
Loved seeing this as a lover of this film.
Animation Reel: This has a running time of 5 minutes and 32
seconds. Live action combined with pencil animation and full animation clips
are all given, displayed in a montage setting. Another great watch, loved
seeing how the animation came together.
Gag Reel: This has a running time of 11 minutes and 37
seconds. Pure delight. Pure perfection. I laugh. Personally enjoyed this
special feature.
Original Theatrical Trailer has a running time of 1 minute
41 seconds.
You also get the wonderful and amazing six-page booklet
insert by the one and only film historian, guru of cinema, Julia Kirgo. If you read my
reviews you know I look forward to this booklet of film knowledge. These small
wonderful write ups are amazing reads. I love reading about films from someone
who loves film, and treats them with a knowledge that they deserve. The booklet has pictures, and the
original poster image.
Overall:
I feel this is a fantastic Blu-ray. High quality product of
audio and video presentation. The special features are amazing. The film itself
is one of those that can always be watched no matter how many times you see it.
The performances by all are amazing. The wonderful passion that Twilight Time
put into this Blu-ray shines in great detail. I personally feel that if Colin
Higgins was alive today he would be so proud of this Blu-ray. I feel this
Blu-ray plays homage to his memory, and his excellent reality in creating great
comedy, and memorable humor that stills shines today. This Blu-ray is highly
recommended and to me is a most own Blu-ray for any film lover. Add this beauty
to your collection. Aces all around.
INFO
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