Silver Streak

Rating:
Summary: Pryor Jumpstarts Comedy-Thriller
Review: "Silver Streak" is an important film in the sense that it is the first film that "mainstreamed" Richard Pryor. Previously, Pryor was best known for his work on comedy albums, concerts, and "blaxploitation" films. I was thirteen when this film came out and it was an impetus for me to seek out Pryor's other rawer, more verboten body of work. Needless to say this was the first film to team Pryor with Gene Wilder and the chemistry they had was priceless. As for the film, the mixture of thriller and comedy is for the most part sucessful. Once Pryor enters the fray at the film's halfway mark it's like a shot of adrenaline. I attribute the film's sluggish first half to mediocre director Arthur Hiller. Patrick McGoohan's suave villainy is also a major plus here. A good supporting cast (Ned Beatty, Ray Walston, Scatman Crothers, Richard Kiel) is on hand here. Jill Clayburgh, who proved to be an able actress in subsequent films, is basically just on hand here as eye candy.

Rating:
Summary: A good film to be sure
Review: Action, romance and humor all in one film. Can't believe anyone can keep getting thrown off a train and living as much as George (Wilder) does in this movie--but why quibble? McGoohan (a bi-sexual actor to be sure) lucks out in playing Deveraux, who never has to do anything more than hold comely Hilly's (Jill Clayburgh's) hand. Probably some kissing scene between Devereaux and Hilly was written out at McGoohan's request (he wrote out Number 6-kissing-other-people scenes on The Prisoner, it says so in The Unofficial Prisoner Companion book).

Rating:
Summary: Not their best work, but entertaining and a repeat-viewer
Review: Firstly, I'm still scratching my head over a previous review insisting McGoohan is bisexual because he stopped kissing women in the movies after 1956. The true story is he's a devout Catholic, and he promised his wife and kids he wouldn't do any more screen kisses. And he hasn't. Period. There's nothing more to it than that; there's no bisexual cover-up going on. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but for crying out loud, it hasn't even been hinted at in a tabloid in a career spanning 6 decades! The only place I've seen it is here and in some very bizarre Prisoner fan fiction. And what exactly does that have to do with Silver Streak, anyway? Nothing.

That being said, this isn't Wilder's, Pryor's or McGoohan's best work, but it's entertaining. It's unfortunate it takes so long for Pryors' character to be introduced as he adds his usual manic energy and sarcasm to the film. McGoohan gets a chance to play with his much-underrated dry comic timing and delivery that one only gets to see in force in the Moonshine War and Danger Man.

Fortunately, Wilder carries the film well, alone for much of it, but brilliantly. His bewilderment and frustration never gets old, and he has quite a lot of fun playing with the Hitchcockian themes rampant both on and off the train.

Thanks much for putting it on DVD!

Rating:
Summary: An extremely entertaining comedy/thriller
Review: Gene Wilder's first foray into comedy\thrillers is a pure delight as the film is quick paced, funny and extremely enjoyable. Wilder's comic style has always been an acquired taste, but those who give him the time could ultimately discover that the man is an underrated comic genius, period. This film utilizes his charm and hysterics in equal measures to good effect as his character comes across assasins, hillbillys and moronic cops. And just when you think it is not going to get any better, the hilarious Richard Pryor comes along to give the film another dose of zesty comedy which showed for the first time the immense comedic chemistry between Wilder and Pryor that would later become a classic comedy pairing in the likes of "Stir Crazy" and "See no evil, Hear no evil". *Fans of Hitchcock will also enjoy this even more as the film is a pardoy\homage of many of Hitchcock's motifs*.

Rating:
Summary: Who Shot Rembrandt?
Review: Good buddy movies are a thing of the past. They still crank them out nowadays, but now it feels less like a creative team up, and more like a marketing ploy to see who they can pair up and hope fireworks and hilarity ensues. They don't work. One of the best comedy pair-ups of the last 30 years or so is, no doubt, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. They hit comedy/buddy paydirt with this film and "Stir Crazy", but they tarnished their reputation when doing the terrible "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil" in 1987, and the even worse, "Another You" in 1990. This is their best team up, and they haven't shined like this since then. What is most surprising when I first watched this film, is that Pryor doesn't even show up until halfway through the movie. I almost forgot he was in it. Gene Wilder playes a tired, average joe book publisher named George Caldwell. A publisher of instruction books who is looking for a relaxing train ride from Los Angeles to Chicago. So you know that's not what he gets. He immediatley befriends salesman Bob Sweet(the wonderful Ned Beatty), and the lovely Hillie(Jill Clayburgh). Before you know it, good 'ol George is wrapped up in mystery when he claims to of seen Hillie's boss murdered and thrown from the train. What ensues is a fun and entertaining comedy/drama/mystery, with George trying to figure out what he saw and who these people are that are soon after him. Pryor plays Grover, a criminal that George meets up with when George takes a police car with Grover in the back. It's a funny and most welcome introduction to the character. Together, George and Grover try to stop the train and clear George's name. Directed by Arthur Hiller, the movie is nicely paced and put together. It moves right along and is always entertaining. I don't know much about Arthur Hiller and his career, so I won't really say anything about why Amazon called him a hack, when this movies is nicely done and shot.It's A hybrid of comedy/drama/mystery, the film pretty much succeeds on most fronts, but the mystery is hardly deep or complex, and isn't too hard to get around. It is obvious that the script is playing with, and a homage to, the Alfred Hitchcock formula. The comedy is nicely done and proper for such a film. The first half without Pryor was a nice set-up, and was working well on it's own, but it just gets better when Pryor and Wilder finally team up. Wilder is a comedy god. There is no doubt about it. His sly, deadpan way with a word or a physical scene, are always incredible. And even when he's more subtle, as he is here most of the time, he is still funny. His regular, suburban joe of a character works for the movie and the plot, making him a total fish out of water when it comes to being the hero and getting involved with guns and murder. It is a way that makes the character more human, and more relatable. Pryor is Pryor. There is no denying the man. He certainly brings the film up to another level. And, of course, Wilder parading as a black man is a comedy classic. Reason enough to view the movie!. Patrick McGooham also stars as Roger Devereuax, a man who may or may not be in on the mystery. As usual, McGoohan brings his usually classy and slick persona to the character of Devereaux, and is always a pleasure to watch. Veteran actor Ray Walston also appears, as does Richard Kiel, who people will probably best remember as Jaws from 2 James Bond movies. Why Wilder and Pryor?. Why do they work?. They are so different from each other, that they compliment each other. Does that make sense?. Wilder, with his normal, sly, sometimes manic humor, and Pryor with his, well, just Pryor being Pryor. It's such an interesting combination that it is destined to work. And work it does. "Silver Streak" is a witty little film that I can say has earned the good word it has usually gotten these last 29 years. It's a nice movie that nicely pairs two comedic geniuses in a solid and worthy endeavor. Ride these rails!.

Rating:
Summary: DVD reproduction is too dark
Review: I am a huge fan of this film. I was greatly disappointed with the DVD version, however. Many of the scenes that are on the train, and in less than full sunlight, are much too dark. I was hoping to recapture some of the neat photography with the widescreen version (some is lost with the full screen VHS version) on a projection TV. Only those scenes that showed the outdoor panorama of the train passing was fully captured with the DVD.

I like the show, but I can't recommend this DVD.

Rating:
Summary: DVD looks good to me!
Review: I've waited for this title on DVD ever since the format arrived. Even though the disc is essentially bare-bones (although the original theatrical trailer is included), you do get an anamorphic widescreen transfer--I've never seen the movie look this good. For the price, not a bad deal. I'm not sure what the other reviewer meant about the DVD being too dark; the colors and brightness look just fine to me. As to the movie itself, I always thought it was best described as a screwball comedy on rails. Only drawback (for some) might be that a lot of the comedy was probably unintentional! If you're a train freak like me, you know you have to have it.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite of the bunch
Review: Of all of the collaborations between Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, this one is my favorite. The characters are well drawn, the plot is balanced nicely between the elements of romance, adventure and mystery, plus the dialogue sparkles wittily.

The story is about a man who decides to combine a business trip with a little bit of relaxation, by taking the train from Los Angeles to Chicago. Along the way, he is involved with a beautiful woman, murder, a loveable thief and slate of "bad guys" well worthy of black hats.

The film is a charming diversion from the world; one that can be enjoyed by most of the family. It is a must have, either as a family film (for kids over 13) or a "date" movie. If you like to laugh, then add Silver Streak to your collection.

Rating:
Summary: DVD Edition Needed
Review: Really like to see this movie in DVD!!

Rating:
Summary: A pretty good movie
Review: Silver Streak is a pretty good movie, and I enjoy it whenever I watch it. But the transition from violence to humor is sometimes a little hard to take. In one scene, Gene Wilder is being really funny, and in the next one, people are dying. This movie is more violent than one would expect.

Gene Wilder was great, and he was excellent with Richard Pryor. The bathroom scene is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. If you've never seen this movie, you should see it just for the bathroom scene. It's a hoot.

A person that never seems to get any credit is Patrick McGoohan, who did a wonderful job as Roger Devereau, the bad guy of the movie. Another memorable scene from this movie is towards the end when Patrick McGoohan is hanging out of the train, but I won't give it away.

This movie is really exciting. Most people I know who have seen it, really enjoy it. And everyone in the movie did great. This movie should definitely been seen by all Wilder, Pryor, and McGoohan fans.