Plot: What’s it about?
Roy Knable (John Ritter) never thought his constant television watching and overall couch potato behavior would cause him much trouble, but he was wrong on that issue. With all the time he spends crashed in front of the tube, Roy is always looking for better shows, so when a salesman offers him the most advanced satellite system available, of course he jumps at the chance. This doesn’t sit well with his wife, who is already frustrated with his recent behavior, but since the dish is offered on a free trial basis, she doesn’t complain too much. While flipping through the channels on his new system, Roy runs into some problems with reception. So when he goes outside to adjust the dish, he doesn’t expect much to happen. But when he ends up sucked into the television world, he knows the system he bought was much more than he bargained for. At the same Roy gets sucked in, so does his wife (Pam Dawber), and the two find themselves trying to survive the shows they get plopped into. With only their wits and a remote control to survive inside the television world, the Knables must rely on their two kids to spring them out. With this strange phenomena, there must be some devilish and hellish force behind the satellite system.
This is one of those movies that people either love or hate, there isn’t much middle ground here. I will say that the movie improves with repeat viewings, and the movie just seems better the second time around. The jokes and satires come and go by so fast and furious, it’s hard to pick everything up the first time you watch the film, but you’ll notice more and more stuff with each viewing. This is almost like a skit film, but there’s one prominent storyline with a plethora of smaller, less important subplots. This movie is packed with references to other films and television shows, so plenty of in jokes are present throughout. There is such a variety of gags, spoofs, and other funny business, there’s bound to be something here for every comedy fan to enjoy. If you’re a couch potato, like me, you’ll get every joke in the movie, and you’ll have a blast trying to spot all the visual gags. While I like this movie a lot, I know many of my friends despise it, and claim it’s stupid and childish. If you like the storyline and love spoofs, then this is a film you should rent to see how you feel about it. If you’re like me though, and need to own this film, the disc is good enough to warrant a purchase.
This film was directed by Peter Hyams, who also served as the director of photographer for this movie. Hyams takes the film in a very dark direction, yet keeps it light and funny in ways I cannot explain fully. This is a rare comedy on Hyams’ resume, among such films as End of Days, The Relic, and 2010. The lead roles in this film are played by John Ritter and Pam Dawber, both of whom do a wonderful job, given the unusual things the film calls for them to do. While Ritter’s cinematic career has been less than stellar, he turns in one of his best performances here, even taking a little stab at his own fame. Ritter (Bride of Chucky, Sling Blade) should take on more comedic roles like this, he’s pretty good at them. Dawber (Mindy from Tv’s Mork & Mindy) gives an equally effective performance as the lovable, yet bitchy Helen Knable. Also giving humorous performances are Eugene Levy (American Pie, Vacation) and Jeffrey Jones (Beetlejuice, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), who liven the film up quite a bit. The supporting cast includes Heather McComb (Anywhere But Here, The Joyriders), David Tom (Pleasantville), Bob Dishy (Used People, Jungle2Jungle), and Joyce Gordon (Billy Madison, Police Academy).
Video: How does it look?
Stay Tuned is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is the only release this film has had where the film looks good. After years of suffering through awful looking versions, fans can rejoice now that Warner has issued this film in sparkling form. The widescreen transfer looks amazing, especially when compared to previous releases. The colors are bold and vibrant with no traces of problems, and flesh tones are natural and free from all distortions. Contrast is right on target as well, with no visible detail loss and well separated shadows. I commend Warner for taking such good care of a catalog title, and hope to see more of the same to come from them.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release has a remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, which really brings the film’s audio to life in splendid fashion. The music comes through well, and the high level effects sound excellent here, this is easily the best this film has ever sounded. The dialogue is what takes the cake though, and no errors occur there. The volume is consistent, and no separation issues arise to spoil the fun. I think it’s great Warner is going back to remaster these catalog titles, but I wish they would also include the original track, if only for reference sake.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains talent files, the theatrical trailer, and bonus trailers for other Morgan Creek releases. Sadly, the talent files are just a visible list of name, no other information is given on them. A nice six minute featurette is also included, which offers interviews with various cast and crew members.
