Get Shorty

Pure pulp pleasure, from the poetically profane dialogue (faithfully adapted from Elmore Leonard's novel) to the cast of peerless character actors. Golden Globe-winner John Travolta wuz robbed of a deserved Oscar nomination for his performance as unflappable Miami loan shark Chili Palmer, who indulges his passion for movies by muscling in on an exploitation film producer's dream project. Gene Hackman is the hapless producer, with Danny DeVito as the diminutive superstar who can make the project a go, and an uncredited Bette Midler as a not-so-grieving widow. Highly recommended. (K. Benson) [DVD Review--April 5, 2005--MGM, 2 discs, 105 min., R, $29.98--Making its second appearance on DVD, Get Shorty: Collector’s Edition features a new high-definition transfer and a choice between 5.1 DTS surround or 5.1 Dolby Surround. DVD extras include a commentary track by director Barry Sonnenfeld (which was originally on the 1996 laserdisc edition), a Bravo page-to-screen featurette (30 min.), two 'making-of' featurettes titled 'Look at Me' (27 min.) and 'Wiseguys and Dolls' (21 min.), two six-minute outtake featurettes, a "making-of" on 'The Graveyard Scene' (4 min.), along with the deleted graveyard scene (4 min.), a photo gallery, trailers, and a sneak peek at the sequel Be Cool. Bottom line: a cool extras package for a wonderful flick.] [Blu-ray Review—Oct. 30, 2018—Shout! Factory, 105 min., R, Blu-ray: $34.99—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1995’s Get Shorty features an excellent transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 audio. Extras include audio commentary by director Barry Sonnenfeld, a 'Page to Screen' TV episode (29 min.), the production featurettes 'Look at Me' (27 min.), 'Wiseguys and Dolls' (21 min.), 'The Graveyard Scene' (8 min.), 'Going Again!' (6 min.), and 'Party Reel' (6 min.), as well as a collection of vignettes (6 min.). Bottom line: this fun film shines on Blu-ray.]