Plot: What’s it about?
Andrew Morenski (Jon Cryer) is a high stakes broker on Wall Street, but he always come out on top and has a clientele that most brokers would drool over. But when an inside trading scandal has him on the wrong side of some shady dudes, he is pushed into the arms of the police. He is needed to testify against those involved, which means his life is under a very real threat and by turn, he needs protection. As he eats at a diner with two cops however, the situation turns lethal and as the bullets fly, Andrew manages to escape intact. In an effort to remain under the radar of both the police and the hitmen, he goes to live with an aunt, with a most unusual plan in his head. He wishes to enroll at the local high school as Maxwell Hauser and as a student, no one will suspect him of hiding from dangerous criminals. So he cuts & dyes his hair, shaves his beard, and gets some cooler clothes, which he thinks will be enough to blend in. But times have changed and now as if the hitmen weren’t enough, he now faces the cruel world of high school again.
This is one of those 80s movies they show on television often and of course, I tried to watch it as much as I could. I had an old tape of it as well, but after so many viewings, it clunked out and left me without recourse. But now the folks at Anchor Bay have issued Hiding Out on DVD, which means I can watch it as much I want to, without fear of wearing out the disc. Which is good, since I love this movie and in a terrific new widescreen transfer, it is bound to be spun more times than I can count, without a doubt. Yes, the storyline is implausible, the acting is unmemorable, and the whole high school scene is overdone, but even so, this is one cool picture. Although Hiding Out is not a good movie in the usual sense, it has a lot of heart and tons of humor, which makes the difference. I think Jon Cryer, Keith Coogan, and Annabeth Gish all turn in more than passable performances, while the script is outrageous at times, but very humorous also. I wish this disc could have been given a nice selection of supplements, but even as it stands, it is more than worth a look and if you’re a fan, you’ll want to add this one to your collection.
This is pretty much a one man operation, with Jon Cryer behind the wheel and I think he manages quite well. He is probably better suited for smaller roles in most films, but he handles the lead here with ease, perhaps due to the nature of the character. It’s hard to swallow the premise of the whole Wall Street angle, but once Cryer is back in high school, I think it’s all smooth sailing from then on. This is of course not a very demanding role, but Cryer still deserves some credit, as he makes Max likable and that’s important here. Other films with Cryer include Hot Shots, Superman IV, Pretty in Pink, Holy Man, and Penn & Teller Get Killed. The cast also includes Keith Coogan (Adventures in Babysitting, Soulkeeper), Annabeth Gish (Double Jeopardy, The Last Supper), and Claude Brooks (Solarbabies, Born on the Fourth of July).
Video: How does it look?
Hiding Out is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I’ve suffered through television versions for years, so seeing this new widescreen presentation was terrific. As expected, some age related flaws surface, but nothing too serious in the end. The print looks cleaner than I had figured, with minimal nicks or debris, but some grain is evident. The colors look solid, but a tad muted at times, while contrast is even handed and never falters much. All in all, an above average visual transfer for this staple of 1980s teen cinema.
Audio: How does it sound?
As this is a dialogue driven teen comedy, the audio is rather basic and laid back, which is what we find with the included 2.0 surround track. The musical soundtrack sometimes opens up the speakers a little, but on the whole, this one is locked into the front channels. This is how it should be however, so the elements seem natural and well presented. The dialogue remains crisp and easy to understand, with no volume errors in the slightest to report. In the end, this mix isn’t too memorable, but it is about as good as the material can sound.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
