Entrenched in pop culture, the Griswold family likely needs little introduction: in this, the first of four “Vacation” films, Clark (Chevy Chase) takes his wife (Beverly D'Angelo) and children (Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron) on a trip from Chicago to California's Wally World---encountering plenty of problem-plagued stops along the way. From its opening bait-and-switch auto-buying fiasco to wrong turns into bad neighborhoods, this reputed comedy classic seems, two decades later, to be little more than a hoary collection of every cliché in the hazard-filled road-trip book (and a running gag with the supposedly happily-married Clark coming on to sexy motorist Christie Brinkley runs out of gas long before her skinny dip in a motel pool). “Are we there yet?” is the question non-fans will be asking long before the Griswolds reach their destination. For its many admirers, however, National Lampoon's Vacation has finally been saved from its cropped and edited broadcast television showings with this remastered widescreen release. Extras are a bit scarce, but the running commentary from "Griswolds" Chase, Hall, Barron, and cousin Randy Quaid, along with producer Matty Simmons, and director Harold Ramis, is good for a few laughs. Very optional. [Note: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Vegas Vacation are also newly available.] (T. Rich)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 17, 2010—Warner, 98 min., R, $24.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1983's National Lampoon's Vacation sports a nice transfer with DTS-HD sound. Blu-ray extras include an intro by costars Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid and producer Matty Simmons, as well as an audio commentary by Simmons, costars Chase, Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, and Dana Barron, and director Harold Ramis. Bottom line: simultaneously released on Blu-ray with National Lampoon's European Vacation, this popular ‘80s comedy makes a solid high-def debut.]
National Lampoon's Vacation
Warner, 98 min., R, DVD: $19.98 Volume 18, Issue 6
National Lampoon's Vacation
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