On June 16th, Paramount Pictures is released PRETTY IN PINK on Blu-ray for the very first time. This 1980s classic stars Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader and Harry Dean Stanton. We received a review copy, which I was excited about since I haven’t seen the film until shortly after its initial release in 1986.
Directed by Howard Deutch and written by John Hughes, PRETTY IN PINK revolves around Andie (Ringwald), a high school girl with a platonic best friend Duckie (Cryer) who she isn’t aware is in love with her, and a good-looking classmate Blane (McCarthy) who is just starting to notice her. Andie hopes to go to the school prom, and wants Blane to ask her, but she’s scared her simple life in a poor part of town won’t appeal to Blane and his rich boy circles. Her father Jack is unemployed and still mourning the loss of Andie’s mother, and her job at a local record store is barely keeping the bills paid, though the store’s boss Iona (Potts) keeps the atmosphere fun. There’s also Blane’s friend Steff (Spader), who resents Andie since she’s apparently the one girl in school he hasn’t conquered sexually. As Duckie tries to come to terms with his hidden love and affection for his best friend, Andie gets closer and closer to Blane, all the while hiding her true self.
The whole movie builds up to the school prom, and one of the most notable aspects of the production was the altered ending, which is completely different from the original filmed finale. One of the nice features of the Blu-ray focuses on the changed ending, although this is actually a previously seen bonus feature that was originally placed on the 20th Anniversary DVD release. You also get an isolated score track, which is pretty fun if you enjoy the 1980s music as much as I do, and the original theatrical trailer. The best “new” feature I could see was the “Filmmaker Focus” which is a short conversation with director Howard Deutch talking about his memories of how the film came together, how the studio responded to it, and how the ending was changed. He also discusses specific scenes of the film, and the different actors and their performances. It’s a fun bonus to watch, and I honestly wish it was a bit longer. Perhaps the only letdown of this release is the absence of a commentary track, which the 20th Anniversary DVD had, along with other bonus featurettes missing from this release. I’ll never understand why the studio can’t just duplicate the old bonus features and add new ones, especially considering this is the first time the movie hit Blu-ray. But all that aside, the transfer is stunning, almost looking like the film was shot yesterday.
If you like John Hughes movies, or just 1980s cinema, PRETTY IN PINK is definitely a must-own title, but I have to admit the 20th Anniversary DVD was a more impressive package overall. The slipcase cover does feature a fold-out movie poster, which is cool. If you missed the studio press release on the Blu-ray, you can read it below.
Video
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC (34.00 Mbps)
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: Dolby Digital 2.0
German: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles
English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese
Newly Remastered Film Arrives on Blu-ray™ for the First Time Ever June 16, 2020
Produced and written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, the beloved teen classic PRETTY IN PINK is the latest addition to the Paramount Presents line. Newly remastered from a 4K transfer supervised by Deutch, the film arrives on Blu-ray for the first time ever June 16, 2020.
Designed for collectors and fans, the Paramount Presents Blu-ray Disc™ line showcases the studio’s renowned library, from film-lover favorites to celebrated classics. Presented in collectible packaging that includes a foldout image of the original theatrical poster, and an interior spread with key movie moments, the PRETTY IN PINK Blu-ray also includes a new Filmmaker Focus with director Howard Deutch and, for the first time, the film’s isolated score track from composer Michael Gore. Also included is the previously released featurette “THE LOST DANCE: The Original Ending.”
Teen sensations Molly Ringwald (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club) and Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire) drew rave reviews for their starring performances in this timeless love story. Andie (Ringwald) is a high school girl from the other side of town. Blane (McCarthy) is the wealthy heartthrob who asks her to the prom. But as fast as their romance builds, it’s threatened by the painful reality of peer pressure. The film also stars Jon Cryer, James Spader, Harry Dean Stanton, and Annie Potts and features a phenomenal new wave soundtrack, including the title track by the Psychedelic Furs.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
