TUNNEL VISION (1976)
Label: MVD Rewind Collection
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 68 Minutes
Audio: English PCM 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1), 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Director: Brad Swirnoff, Neal Israel
Cast: Chevy Chase, Howard Hesseman, John Candy, Lynne Marie Stewart, Ron Silver
The comedy-anthology film Tunnel Vision (1976) is co-directed by Neal Israel (Bachelor Party) and Bradley R. Swirnoff (Prime Time), while made in '76 it's set in the near-future of 1985 where a new television channel called "TunnelVision", is free of censorship and has become incredibly popular, so much so that a Congressional Oversight Committee hearing has been organized by a Senator McMannus (Howard Hesseman, TV's WKRP in Cincinnati), because of it's perceived negative effects on the population, including increased murder rates, and basically creating a nation of shut-in who just stay home all day and binge-watch the network's wild programming. During the hearing the committee grills he network's CEO Mr. Broder (Phil Proctor, Cracking up) while playing a random selection of programming which includes shows, programs, commercials, and news programs that have aired on the channel. The senate hearing is the wraparound of this anthology, and the main feature are the clips being played.
The idea is that the programs are supposed to be a prediction of what television we would be like in the 1980s, and predictably and perhaps not wrongly, they assume that TV programming and pop-culture would be, well, a lot dumber, racist, and sexist. We get commercials for a mail-order proctology school, and a pill that imbues you with the knowledge of a book without actually having to read it, plus a ridiculous PSA with SNL's Chevy Chase as himself, and an on-going gag about a mayoral race that satirizes the two political parties. We also get TV programming like the gameshow "Remember When" wherein contestants must answer deeply personal and embarrassing questions under threat of electric shocks, one of them being Joe Flaherty of SCTV in a dress, the "Young Peoples After School Press Conference", a children's show hosted by Henry Kissinger (Roger Bowen, M*A*S*H) and a dirty version of Kermit the Frog, a bumper for a Charles Manson starring show called Charlie's Girls, the action-cop show "Get Head!" whose star is a disembodied head, this one featuring John Candy (SCTV), the Candid Camera knock-off "Secret Camera" sponsored by the CIA, and a parody of All In The Family called "Ramon and Sonja": about a gypsy family who hurl non-stop racial and ethnic slurs, featuring SNL's Lorraine Newman. There's also a Mary Tyler Moore" styled single-girl sitcom parody called "Marie", the titular character played by Lynne Marie Stewart (American Graffiti) who is dating a character played by Gerrit Graham (Phantom of the Paradise). Also included are a trailer for the high-concept comedy film "The Pregnant Man", sort of a precursor to Twins.
Honestly, the humor here has not dated all that well, there's an overabundance and overreliance on stereotypes, misogyny, and racial humor, it punches down a lot of the time, and the parody and social commentary is not all that sharp or particularly witty in my opinion. That sad, I didn't hate this, I was born in the 70's and grew up in the 80's and for better or worse I do have a soft spot for this non-PC humor of the era, its part of my formative DNA, and I chuckled a fair amount, and laughed way too hard at the morning show film critic parody featuring "Gene Scallion", a riff on the mustached film critic Gene Shallot that I grew up with. While the humor has not dated all that well, some of it totally cringe in hindsight, just as an early peek at future stars like SCTV's John Candy, Doug Steckler, and Joe Flaherty, and SNL's slum Chevy Chase and Lorraine Newman, I found this worth a watch, and sort of fuzzily nostalgic viewing. It certainly doesn't hit the heights of comedy anthologies like Kentucky Fried Movie or Amazon Women on the Moon, but if you like that sort of sketch comedy, and stuff like SNL, SCTV and other lesser sketch comedy anthologies like The Groove Tube this 70's comic relic is still plenty entertaining.
Audio/Video: Tunnel Vision (1976) makes its Blu-ray debut from MVD Rewind Collection in 1080p HD widescreen, with he option to view in both 1.33:1 fullscreen or 1.66:1 widescreen, sourced from a brand new 4K scan. The film looks pretty solid in HD, grain is present an well managed, grain structures are intact, and colors are well-saturated. Some of the content was filmed on video taps and transferred to film, so they look less stellar than those shot on film, but that is true to the source limitations. Audio comes by way of English PCM 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles. The track is clean and well-balanced, no issues with age-related wear that I cold detect.
Extras include a new Audio Commentary from Cult Film Historian Marc Edward Heuck; a new 45-in Interview with Co-Writer & Co-Director Neal Israel conducted by Stuart Shapiro; 8-min Tunnel Vision Continuity Script; 3-min Archival Photo Gallery; 4-min New Photo Gallery; 5-min of Radio Spots; a 3-min Theatrical Trailer and and 10-min of MVD Rewind Collection Trailers.
The single-disc Blu-ray arrives in a clear keepcase with a Reversible Wrap featuring a pair of vintage movie poster artwork, the first-pressing includes a Limited Edition Slipcover with the usual MVD Rewind Collection embellishment of faux-wear, VHS rental stickers, which always looks cool. inside in a Fold-Out Mini-Poster with he same artwork as the a-side wrap.
Special Features:
- New Feature Audio Commentary from Cult Film Historian Marc Edward Heuck
- New Interview with Co-Writer & Co-Director Neal Israel conducted by Stuart Shapiro (45:07) HD
- Tunnel Vision Continuity Script (8:25)
- Archival Photo Gallery (2:55) )
- New Photo Gallery (3:50)
- Radio Spots (5:12)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:56)
- MVD Rewind Collection Trailers: Mondo New York (1:23), The Linguine Incident (2:18), Ghoulies (1:55), Cheerleaders Wild Weekend (2:17), Terminus (1:26)
- Reversible Artwork
- Collectible Mini-Poster
- Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only)
Screenshots from the MVD Rewind Collection Blu-ray:
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