Stripes: Extended Cut

Following 1979's Meatballs, this 1981 comedy marks the second collaboration between Bill Murray and director Ivan Reitman (the two would later make Ghostbusters), and also features John Larroquette, John Candy, Judge Reinhold, Sean Young, and Harold Ramis.  A handful of classic moments from this movie--about a ne'er-do-well goofball who joins the Army and frustrates his by-the-book sergeant (Warren Oates)--have stood the test of time, but Stripes still looks like one of those slightly disappointing ‘80s features that squandered the brilliant talents of any number of then-players from Saturday Night Live. Making its first appearance on DVD, Stripes: Extended Cut boasts a nice-looking transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1, an extra 18 minutes of footage (including six previously deleted scenes), and bonus features such as audio commentary by Reitman and writer Dan Goldberg, and the 57-minute behind-the-scenes documentary “Stars and Stripes I and II." A strong optional purchase. (T. Keogh)