The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad I Love the 80’s DVD review

God save the Queen!

Paramount Home Entertainment and VH1 celebrate the best films of that unforgettable decade in the second wave of the I Love the 80’s Collection. Thirty of the most memorable motion pictures released by the studio between 1980 and 1989 were released on DVD yesterday, February 3rd—all accompanied by a special bonus CD containing songs by some of the era’s popular recording artists.

Anyone who’s gotten hooked on VH1’s hit TV show I Love the ‘80s, with its vivid flashbacks of the decade’s people, pop culture, fashions and fads, will find plenty to love in the I Love the ‘80s DVD series. The second installation in the I Love the ‘80s film series gives preppies, punks and everyone else who loved the ‘80s a chance to take home a little bit of fun pop culture history. This unique collaboration between Paramount Home Entertainment and VH1 debuted in August 2008 with 40 of the decade’s outstanding films. In addition to the bonus CD containing four songs by some of the era’s top recording artists, the promotion offers consumers two free music downloads with the DVD purchase (while supplies last) giving them even more opportunity to relive the 80’s.

Among the films released was the Jim Abrahams, David and Jerry Zucker produced The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad, which was based on their short-lived 1982 ABC TV series Police Squad!, which was cancelled after only six episodes.

What didn’t work in a weekly televised format, certainly worked in theaters, as granite-jawed, rock-brained Detective Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen as a combination of Don Quixote and Inspector Jacques Clouseau), bumbles across a plan to use mind-control to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II, who is on a state visit to the USA.

The creators of Airplane! and what some consider the grand-daddy of the genre, The Kentucky Fried Movie, spin an incredibly funny, if implausible tale, that no one can deny is utter hilarity. From its staple opening siren going into the girl’s locker room, to the incredible physical comedy, The Naked Gun takes the genre to the next level. Once the mayhem starts, it just doesn’t give your gut a break until the end. There’s also heavy doses of action to keep you engaged throughout the show.

This new I love the 80’s Edition comes complete with a candid group commentary by Director David Zucker, producer Robert Weiss and host Peter Tilden. The disc also features the original theatrical trailer, but again, as with other releases in this series, there is a noticeable dearth of extra features.

The music CD included in the case contains music by Echo and the Bunnymen, Erasure, INXS and A-Ha – tunes sure to bring back memories of big hair and even bigger parachute pants.

Director: David Zucker
Writers: Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zuker, Pat Profit
Cast: Leslie Nielsen, George Kennedy, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, O.J. Simpson

Original Release Year: 1988
DVD Release Date: February 3, 2009

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad is presented in widescreen format, in English and also dubbed in French, with 5.1 Surround audio.

Film

Extras

The latest additions to the I Love the ‘80s Collection are:

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