1941 (1979)
Runtime: 2 hrs 26 mins
Synopsis: Steven Spielberg's 1941 is a big-budget zany comedy detailing the hilarious panic that gripped Los Angeles after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Army General Joseph Stilwell (Robert Stack) is in charge of protecting the Californian coastline in the weeks following Pearl Harbor. Dan... Steven Spielberg's 1941 is a big-budget zany comedy detailing the hilarious panic that gripped Los Angeles after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Army General Joseph Stilwell (Robert Stack) is in charge of protecting the Californian coastline in the weeks following Pearl Harbor. Dan Aykroyd and John Candy are members of a tank crew responsible for setting up a cannon in Ned Beatty's backyard. As explosions burst forth and air-raid sirens scream, John Belushi, Tim Matheson, and Treat Williams are part of the army corp reacting to the news of war with a somewhat energetic craziness. They dance at the USO, compete with each other to get the prettiest girls, and watch as Hollywood Boulevard becomes a pile of ruins. The film features cameos by many Spielberg friends and associates, including directors Sam Fuller and John Landis and actors James Caan, Mickey Rourke, Penny Marshall, and Susan Backlinie, reprising her famous skinny-dip from the first scene in JAWS. Michael McKean and David Lander, otherwise known as Lenny and Squiggy from LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY, play Willie and Joe--a hat's-off salute to Bill Maudlin's famous World War II cartoon characters. The film suffered from critical venom upon its initial release but has since become a cult fave. [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Ned Beatty, Treat Williams, Lorraine Gary
Screenwriter: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
Story: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, John Milius
Composer: John Williams
Producer: Buzz Feitshans
DVD Info
Release:
Feb 23, 1999
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Widescreen - 2.35
- Single Side - Dual Layer
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - Spanish
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - French
Additional Release Material:
- Documentary - 1. MAKING OF 1941
- Additional Footage - 1. Spielberg's Home Movies
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage
- Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical
- Outtakes
Text/Photo Galleries:
- Storyboards
- Production Stills
- Publicity
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
A loud, chaotic, overproduced comedy that's often more destructive than funny.
It may possibly be that Mr. Spielberg has chosen gigantic size and unlimited quantity as his comedy method in the awareness that he has no gift whatsoever for small-scale comic conceits.
Unworkable farce, it maybe, but it is also blessed with the buzz of brilliance.
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