Plot: What’s it about?
Melinda (Ann Dusenberry) might look like beautiful blonde bimbo, but she has ambition and the brains to make it happen. She has some big plans to, as she wants to get involvement in the government and make the world a better place. If she can somehow get a job inside the system, she believes she could enact some real change. So she ventures to Washington, D.C. and pays a visit to her friend Debbie (Rhonda Shear), who is also a gorgeous young woman. After spending some time with her friend, Melinda heads off in search of her break and finds it at the Pentagon. She manages to land a low level position there, but one which might allow her some access and a venue to express her ideas. But she soon discovers her boss is more interested in her body than her ideas, leaving her somewhat disgruntled. A new plan emerges however, as she realizes she could use her boss’ interest in her to advance her own ideas. This leads to some tease sessions, but Melinda is able to convince her boss to implement some of those ideas, plus she manages to institute some changes within the office of her own. A conflict looms on the horizon however, as the Russians seem poised to go to battle, over some missing data. Can Melinda settle the tensions, or will she find out that even a hot babe can’t save the world?
I am always pleased to see more 80’s comedies hit DVD, even if they’re not well known, popular pictures. So when MGM announced Basic Training, I was eager to revisit the movie, until I learned the disc wouldn’t offer a widescreen treatment. I can understand the lack of supplements on this one, but there is no excuse for not offering the film in its original aspect ratio, not at this point when fans have been so vocal about the issue. This might just be an 80s comedy, a bad one at that, but even bad movies deserve some care in their presentation. But enough on MGM’s lackluster effort, let’s get to the movie itself, which might be bad, but hey, it was the 80s, after all. This is one of those outlandish sex comedies that the 80s were steeped in and like most of them, Basic Training isn’t too remarkable, though it has some moments. If you watched a lot of USA’s Up All Night, this was the kind of movie they’d often show, a cornball comedy with ample beautiful women. In fact, one time host of Up All Night, Rhonda Shear even has a substantial role here. There is some nudity, but not as much as you might expect, though skimpy clothing is frequent. I can’t really recommend this outside of 80s junkies, but if you’re in that group, its worth a look. But given MGM’s poor treatment, its hard to even recommend a rental, even to fans of 80s cinema.
I wouldn’t recommend this movie if you’re looking for classic performances, but then again, I doubt anyone would expect such efforts here. This is an over the top sex comedy, so the roles were given to beautiful women and ham handed men, both of which are concrete staples of the sex comedy genre. The women have to tease, drop their tops, and giggle, while the men drool, get overheated, and behave like buffoons. By those standards, Basic Training has some passable efforts and in this movie, that’s all we can ask. The central role here is played by Ann Dusenberry, who is fun to watch, but of course, isn’t all that talented. Then again, she is only supposed to look good and show off her body, so anything else has to be considered a bonus. And she does look good, so I can pass off her performance as acceptable. Other films with Dusenberry include Cutter’s Way, Jaws 2, The Men’s Club, and Play Nice. The cast also includes Rhonda Shear (Galaxina, The Roller Blade Seven), Angela Aames (Chopping Mall, Bachelor Party), Walter Gotell (A View to a Kill, Circus of Horrors), and Will Nye (Clue, Fatal Friendship).
Video: How does it look?
Basic Training is presented in full screen, which means it has been altered from the intended presentation. I know this is a low rent 80s comedy, but come on MGM, every movie deserves to be seen as it was intended. As such, even though this is a much cleaner image than on previous editions, its too little, too late. If we had a widescreen edition, this would be a terrific improvement over prior releases, as the print is much cleaner and the visuals are sharper, but like I said, its a lost cause from the start. This is a real shame, as MGM seems to be getting better about original aspect ratios, but this is a real miscue on their part.
Audio: How does it sound?
A mono option is included here and given the nature of the material, the audio never seems too limited. I’m sure a new surround mix would have produced a smoother, more refined experience, but this mono track is more than sufficient. As this was released in 1985, time hasn’t had much of a chance to attack the materials and as such, we have a clean and acceptable presentation. A few small hiccups creep in here and there, but on the whole, this is as crisp as you could expect from a mono soundtrack. The music sounds good, but is held back by mono’s limitations, but dialogue is always sharp and never hard to understand. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
