Neighbors (1981)

Reviewed By Jason Lockard

John Belushi was an iconic comedian, who tragically died way too young. At the time of this review we are only a few days removed from the anniversary of his passing at the age of 33 through a "speedball" a mixture of cocaine and heroine. Very sad!

Before his passing he starred in a dark comedy entitled Neighbors. This would be his final film. Now the good folks at Mill Creek Entertainment is giving this cult comedy classic a retro release that the John Belushi film truly deserves.

The film follows Earl Keese (John Belushi) and his wife, Enid. They live a hum drum kind of life, but that is all about to change. His routine is disrupted when loudmouthed Vic (Dan Aykroyd) and Ramona, move into the house next door. Ramona and Vic take Earl and his family to a bizarre ride of crazy behavior that nearly drives Earl insane.


 
This film while not John Belushi's best. It is still a unique and crazy ride that you might expect would come from a duo involved with Saturday Night Live and that brought us The Blues Brothers. The story is a bit thin, but thankfully it doesn't drag. The story moves along and you don't get bored with it! The direction of John G. Avildsen (best known as Oscar winning director for Rocky) is good you can see he has a vision for what this film need to be and sticks with it to the end.

This film is rated R! Now while there is some profanity and some sexual situations. I have to say I have seen more offensive stuff in PG-13 films in this generation. So that is just something to keep in mind what thinking about this film.


Now for the blu-ray release itself. The film is presented in it's original 1.85:1 widescreen format and in English 2.0 DTS-HD Master audio. There is some imperfections in the picture but they are very minor. Nothing that should take away from the viewing of this. As for bonus features there is English subtitles for the hearing impaired.

I have to say I enjoyed the film even if it was a bit thin. But what makes this release even more of an must is the retro part. A slipcover that looks like an old VHS tape. It has that worn look and for people who remember going to the video stores and picking up VHS tapes to rent, this is nostalgia. Than there is different artwork blu-ray case as well! For people like me who love the artwork this is awesome.

I can not tell you how much I love what Mill Creek Entertainment is doing with these Retro releases. This retro release stands out on the shelf next to The Blues Brothers.

So if your a fan of John Belushi your collection is not complete until you own his final film on Blu-ray. In my opinion this Retro VHS version blu-ray is the way to do it! Head over to www.Millcreekent.com today.


Moral Rating: violence, adult language, sexual situations
Audience: Teens and adults.
Genre: comedy
Released: 1981
Movie Rating: B
Blu-ray Rating: A