Losin' It

Rating:
Summary: Losin' It loses its widescreen status
Review: A MESSAGE FROM THE WWS:
(THE WIDESCREEN WATCHERS SOCIETY)

What a shame we the public (in this case Shelley Long and/or Losin' It fans) have been ripped off again by getting stuck with the horrible pan-and-scan mode known as "standard screen."

Widescreen has been used by 95% of all movies since 1953, and Losin' It came out in 1983 - yet although it was shot in widescreen we get nothing but standard screen.

Quality-wise, the 5 star rating system regarding DVDs should basically be awarded according to the following levels:

1 star - Standard screen version of widescreen movie, with no trailer or other features.
2 stars - Standard screen version of widescreen movie, with no other features except a trailer.
3 stars - Standard screen version of standard shot movie (most of which were of course done pre-1953.) Trailer and audio commentary could push it to 4 stars.
4 stars - Widescreen version of widescreen movie, with trailer and audio commentary, although maybe not with the cleanest picture or sound.
5 stars - Widescreen version of widescreen movie, with trailer, audio commentary and any other extras, all with perfect artifact-free picture and 5.1 or DTS sound.

Hopefully, Shelley's next movie due out on DVD will at least be in wonderful widescreen. (It is The Money Pit, slated for Feb. 3, 2003.)

And, hey - when are we also going to get a widescreen version of Shelley's masterpiece, Troop Beverly Hills? I think we've waited more than long enough!

~~~

UPDATE: Later in the summer of 2003, Troop Beverly Hills was indeed released on DVD... only in crummy standard screen. Thanks for yet another ripoff, guys.

And for those of you viewers who say you don't like those black widescreen lines at the top and bottom of your TV set, please bear in mind that in the near future all TVs will be widescreen and the big black bars will be virtually gone.

However, when you will try to play a standard screen DVD on the widescreen TV, big black bars WILL appear - this time at the right and left sides, which is a hundred times worse than top and bottom!

Think about it: a massive investment now in standard screen DVDs will in 2015 result in the same scenario as being stuck with hundreds of Beta tapes in 1985!

Rating:
Summary: Great fun, made even better by bright and talented cast
Review: I bought this (luckily used for very cheap) after reading some of these reviews on Amazon. I didn't laugh at anything; the characters were too painfully one-dimensional. Even Cruise in an early part of his career (although post-Outsiders, which was a pretty good performance) was wooden.

The story is pretty standard fare for the "teen adventure comedy" and everything ends on an upbeat note.

A strange thing was that I thought it was set in or around 1983, when it was made - yes, Dave drives a '57 Chevy, but a lot of motorhead kids in my high school (in 1983) did similar. I did notice the Tijuana cop drove a 50's style car (not sure of model) but just assumed that public services in Tijuana couldn't afford anything more modern. But at the end, when they were queued up at customs, ALL the cars were 50s-types. I thought perhaps it was going to be some joke about a classic car rally - but since there wasn't, I can only conclude that this movie was taking place in the late '50s. You wouldn't know it from the story though - only from the cars.

Anyway, even if a TV channel was showing it for free, it's not worth watching. Lame, lame, lame. Watch "The Night Before" starring Keanu Reeves and you will be much more entertained (and intrigued) in a movie that has a similar kind of "high school kids in trouble after hours" feel.

Rating:
Summary: People think this is funny??
Review: I bought this (luckily used for very cheap) after reading some of these reviews on Amazon. I didn't laugh at anything; the characters were too painfully one-dimensional. Even Cruise in an early part of his career (although post-Outsiders, which was a pretty good performance) was wooden.

The story is pretty standard fare for the "teen adventure comedy" and everything ends on an upbeat note.

A strange thing was that I thought it was set in or around 1983, when it was made - yes, Dave drives a '57 Chevy, but a lot of motorhead kids in my high school (in 1983) did similar. I did notice the Tijuana cop drove a 50's style car (not sure of model) but just assumed that public services in Tijuana couldn't afford anything more modern. But at the end, when they were queued up at customs, ALL the cars were 50s-types. I thought perhaps it was going to be some joke about a classic car rally - but since there wasn't, I can only conclude that this movie was taking place in the late '50s. You wouldn't know it from the story though - only from the cars.

Anyway, even if a TV channel was showing it for free, it's not worth watching. Lame, lame, lame. Watch "The Night Before" starring Keanu Reeves and you will be much more entertained (and intrigued) in a movie that has a similar kind of "high school kids in trouble after hours" feel.

Rating:
Summary: Great fun, made even better by bright and talented cast
Review: I first saw Losin' It on HBO in the early 1980's. It seems to have retained a certain something that demands repeat viewings, at least for me. Despite the "name" stars, Tom Cruise (in a pre-Top Gun role) and Shelley (I should have stayed on "Cheers") Long, this fun roadtrip film to Tijuana, Mexico is stolen away from them by Jackie Earle Haley as the sex-crazed, would-be Frank Sinatra, "Dave", who is on a quest for the mythical aphrodisiac, Spanish Fly and John P. Navin, Jr. as the capitalist kid, "Wimp", (my name is "Wendal"!!), who finances the trip in exchange for coming along to buy cheap fireworks to sell back home in California at a premium. One of the funniest scenes in the film takes place during an attempt by "Dave" to buy Spanish Fly in a Tijuana pharmacy. There are all the usual teen sex comedy gags, language and humor and some is unfortunately, quite tasteless and there is some brief nudity, as well. But, the bright and talented cast still manage to shine through and overcome things that might have diminished the efforts of other performers. It's definitely male, adolescent humor and not for all tastes or for those who are easily offended. But, all-in-all, it is a very funny film and is light-years better than other teen sex comedies, such as "Porky's", with it's forgetable cast of mostly unknowns who stayed that way. The exceptional cast of "Losin' It is this film's strength and they carry it. There is also some nice 1950's and 1960's music. I can personally highly recommend it to those who are looking for a fun film.

Rating:
Summary: THEY'RE LOSIN' IT ABUSING IT!!!!
Review: I LIKED THIS MOVIE. THE FIRST, TIME I SAW IS WHEN I WAS A KID. I HAD SAW IT IN THE STORE AND I HAD TO HAVE IT. IT STARS YOUNG TOM CRUISE SHELLY LONG AND OTHER STARS I LIKE THIS MOVIE IF YOU LIKE CLASSIC 80'S MOVIES THEN YOU WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE THIS MOVIE AND THEREFORE, I WOULD RECOMMEND ANYONE WHO LIKE ROAD TRIP MOVIES TO BUY THIS MOVIE.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect Everything!
Review: I loved this DVD mostly because i just love the movie itself, but it was even better to see it on DVD. The sound, picture, and just all around quality was all perfect. I laughed, I cryed, I felt as if I was right there sharing each and every experience.This a must have!

Rating:
Summary: Lose it
Review: It could have been a great flick. High school buddies go to TJ to get laid and the leather seats put in his car. They also want spanish fly to get the chicks. Going to TJ is a right of passage so I don't see why they couldn't have shown more nudity. That always helps a movie.

Rating:
Summary: You're Losin' It, Abusin' it if you don't like it
Review: This has to be one of the most underrated teen movies in the 1980's, and I've been a fan of this movie since I was 14 and now that I'm 22, I still love this movie.

The story is about 3 high school seniors Dave (the Frank Sinatra/sex obsessed pal) Woody (the sensitive intellegent person) and Spyder (a tough boy from a broken home) who plan a trip to Tijuana in search of sex, but the plan backfires as Dave's little brother Wendel 'Wimp' comes along with them as well as a runaway bride (Shelley Long)
As they arrive in Tijuana, the boys go out and look for a good time and later they meet the crooked cops, insane marine sailors and junkyard ruffians and they decide to get out of Tijuana and make it across the border.

Even though this movie has a little plot, it's fun to watch this movie and it truly deserves more recognition with today's youth. This movie is alot better than today's teen flicks.