American Graffiti

AMERICAN GRAFFITI [1973 / 2016] [Collectible Pop Art Series] [Blu-ray] Where Were You in 1962? Digitally Remastered Picture Supervised By George Lucas!From director George Lucas [‘Star Wars’] and producer Francis Ford Coppola [‘The Godfather’], ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ is a classic coming-of-age story set against the 1960s backdrop of hot rods, drive-ins and rock' n' roll. Starring Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips and Suzanne Somers in their breakout roles, this nostalgic look back follows a group of teenagers as they cruise the streets on their last summer night before college. Nominated for five Academy Awards® and including Best Picture and Best Director, ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ features the howling sounds of Wolfman Jack and an unforgettable soundtrack with songs by Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys and Bill Haley & His Comets.FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1973 45th Academy Awards®: Nominated for Best Picture. 1974 46th Academy Awards®: Nominated: Best Director for George Lucas. Nominated: Best Original Screenplay for Lucas, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz. Nominated: Best Supporting Actress for Candy Clark. Nominated: Best Film Editing for Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas. 31st Golden Globe Awards®: Win: Most Promising Newcomer for Paul Le Mat. Nominated: Best Director for George Lucas. Nominated: Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for Richard Dreyfuss. British Academy of Film and Television Arts: Nominated: Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Cindy Williams. Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing for George Lucas. Writers Guild of America: Best Original Comedy for George Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck.Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Wolfman Jack, Bo Hopkins, Manuel Padilla Jr., Beau Gentry, Harrison Ford, Jim Bohan, Jana Bellan, Deby Celiz, Lynne Marie Stewart, Terence McGovern, Kathleen Quinlan, Timothy F. Crowley, Scott Beach, John Brent, Gordon Analla, John Bracci, Jody Carlson, Del Close, Chuck Dorsett, Stephen Knox, Joe Miksak, George Meyer, James Cranna, Johnny Weissmuller Jr., William Niven, Al Nalbandian, Bob Pasaak, Christopher Pray, Susan Richardson, Fred Ross, Jan Dunn, Charlie Murphy, Ed Greenberg, Lisa Herman, Mark Anger, Kay Lenz, Caprice Schmidt, Joe Spano, Debralee Scott, Ron Vincent, Donna Wehr, Cam Whitman, Jan Wilson, Suzanne Somers, Warren Knight, Sam McFadin, Kris Moe, Linn Phillips III, George Robinson and Linda Christensen (uncredited)Director: George LucasProducers: Francis Ford Coppola and Gary KurtzScreenplay: George Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard HuyckCinematography: Jan D'Alquen and Ron EveslageVideo Resolution: 1080p [Technicolor]Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 [Techniscope]Audio: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo and French: 2.0 DTS-HD Mono AudioSubtitles: English SDH, French and SpanishRunning Time: 112 minutesRegion: All RegionsNumber of discs: 1Studio: Universal Studios Home EntertainmentAndrew’s Blu-ray Review: Of all the youth-themed nostalgia films in the past couple of years, George Lucas's ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ is among the very best to date. Set in 1962 but reflecting the culmination of the 1950s, the film is a most vivid recall of teenage attitudes and mores, told with outstanding empathy and compassion through an exceptionally talented cast of relatively new players. Set in Modesto, California, in 1962, a time and place of early rock n’ roll, drag races, and diners, ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ follows four friends over the course of one summer night. They navigate relationships, their futures, and the post-high school decisions that will impact both.At first glance ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ is definitely a nostalgia trip back to the early 1960s, the teenage years of its now legendary filmmakers and producer Francis Ford Coppola who at the time had just directed ‘The Godfather’ and writer/director George Lucas who would go on to create the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ was in 1973 and set over one summer night in a small town in California in 1962. ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ depicts the adventures and misadventures of a group of teenagers on the brink of adulthood and for me too much time on their hands. Upon closer reflection ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ casts a bitter/sweet shadow over a time of perceived innocence, suggesting that the ideal of a simpler way of life was just a front for a far bleaker and cynical reality. It’s one of the all-time great feel good films, but its sly cultural commentary is what makes it the film genre it was and some say it is a masterpiece; well I personally would not go so far to declare this statement, but at the time of its release in 1973 it was very ground-breaking.Francis Ford Coppola was the nominal producer, and Gary Kurtz was co-producer. The superior original screenplay, in which the predominant comedy values are deftly supported by underlying serious elements of adolescent maturation, was written by director Lucas in collaboration with Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck. This was George Lucas’s second feature; and his first venture into filmmaking was the film ‘THX 1138’ that was a futuristic socio-political drama, and if you look carefully with one of the cars featured in ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ you will see it has THX 1138, now how ironic is that and very surprised no other reviewer has pointed this out.Of course the other outstanding feature of this film is the use of 40 American platter hits, and the film opens with Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock,” which served George Lucas really well. Karin Green was the music coordinator. Kim Fowley produced the two original recordings for the film, done by Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids, playing a local rock band engaged for a freshman hop. It was also perhaps the most influential aspect is the soundtrack. Daring to narrate the plot with music, Lucas compiles a stunning sampling of tunes from the time and blasts them throughout the entire length of the movie. Radio announcer Wolfman Jack keeps the beats flowing, transitioning from one scene to the next with melodic aplomb, while keeping an optimistic tone that spectacularly enhances the humour of risky antics and stimulating misadventures.In many ways ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ set the template for the coming-of-age teen film. The characters are all distinctive types and the film is set over just one night, where the revelations that the characters experience have a profound impact on how they view themselves and their place in the world. The four main characters are the nice guy Steve Bolander [Ron Howard] who to me looked like a right nerd, the tough drag-racing guy John Milner [Paul Le Mat], the awkward nerdy guy Terry ‘The Toad’ Fields [Charles Martin Smith] and the slightly whimsical Curt Henderson [Richard Dreyfuss], plus a very young performance by Harrison Ford.For the most part ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ is a joyous and frequently very funny vicarious night in the life of a likeable group of characters. The film’s multiple intersecting narratives and exhilarating constant use of diegetic music (heard by the characters in the film as well as the audience) create a wonderful sense of time and place. American Graffiti has lost none of its charm or energy, making it one of the many great masterpieces of the New Hollywood era. ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ functions as a final farewell to childhood dreams before reality steps in. The main sting in the tail is that the film also signifies the end of the post-WWII American Dream. It is especially telling when Curt Henderson is teased about his ambition to one day shake hands with President John F Kennedy. With today’s Audiences and definitely in 1973 will recognise that Curt Henderson will never fulfil that ambition and on top of all that it was the year that President Kennedy would be assassinated and all their dreams will be shattered.At the end of the film, we get an on-screen epilogue that reveals that John Milner [Paul Le Mat] who was tragically killed by a drunk driver in December 1964. Terry "The Toad" Fields [Charles Martin Smith] was reported missing in action near An Lộc [Province in Southern Vietnam] in December 1965. Steve Bollander [Ron Howard] is an Insurance Agent in Modesto, California. Curt Henderson [Richard Dreyfuss] is a writer living in Canada. Initially the Executives at Universal Pictures insisted that the on-screen epilogue at the end of the film it had to be ditched 100%, but George Lucas put his foot down, as he said that it put the whole film in prospective and felt if it had been deleted would of wrecked the premise of the movie. But it was suggested that if you put the main four characters names on the screen, you should also put the four main girl characters on the screen, but George felt it would have made that end of the film too long and disrupt the flow and especially for creative reasons and again George was again emphatic in putting his foot down and saying a big NO!‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ instantly captured the hearts of audiences and critics, and was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Director. A fun-filled cultural snapshot imbued with classic rock and reminiscence, the film has also been honoured twice on the American Film Institute’s 100 best films list and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Though guaranteed to remain an integral part of cinema history, and the film ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ will likely always be more appreciated by American audiences of a certain age who experienced first-hand the bitter happenings of the pre-Vietnam, pre-counterculture movement of the 1960s.AMERICAN GRAFFITI MUSIC TRACK LISTINGAT THE HOP [Performed by Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids]A THOUSAND MILES AWAY [Performed by The Heartbeats]BARBARA ANNE [Performed by The Regents]FANNIE MAE [Performed by Buster Brown]GEE [Performed by The Crows]HEART AND SOUL [Performed by The Cleftones]I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU [Performed by The Flamingos]PARTY DOLL [Performed by Buddy Knox]PEPPERMINT TWIST [Performed by Joey Dee & The Starlighters]SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER [Performed by The Tempos]WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE [Performed by Frankie Lymon]YA YA [Performed by Lee Dorsey]CHANTILLY LACE [Performed by The Big Bopper]SHE’S SO FINE [Performed by Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids]LOUIE LOUIE [Performed by Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids]THE GREAT PRETENDER [Performed by The Platters]LITTLE DARLIN’ [Performed by The Diamonds]ALMOST GROWN [Performed by Chuck Berry]BOOK OF LOVE [Performed by The Monotones]GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART GOODNIGHT [Performed by The Spaniels']AIN’T THAT A SHAME [Performed by Fats Domino]THE GREAT IMPOSTER [Performed by The Fleetwoods]LOVE POTION #9 [Performed by The Clovers]YOU’RE SIXTEEN [Performed by Johnny Burnette]MAYBE BABY [Performed by Buddy Holly]ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK [Performed by Bill Haley & The Comets]ALL SUMMER LONG [Performed by The Beach Boys]GET A JOB [Performed by The Silhouettes]TO THE AISLE [Performed by The Five Satins]CRYING IN THE CHAPEL [Performed by Sonny Till and The Orioles]DO YOU WANNA DANCE [Performed by Bobby Freeman]GREEN ONIONS [Performed by Booker T & The M.G’s]RUNAWAY [Performed by Del Shannon]TEEN ANGEL [Performed by Mark Dinning]SINCE I DON’T HAVE YOU [Performed by The Skyliners]COME GO WITH ME [Performed by The Del Vikings]SIXTEEN CANDLES [Performed by The Crests]SOME ENCHANTED EVENING (uncredited) [Music by Richard Rodgers / Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II]ONLY YOU [Performed by The Platters]SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES [Performed by The Platters]THE STROLL [Performed by The Diamonds]JOHNNIE B. GOODE [Performed by Chuck Berry]THAT’LL BE THE DAY [Performed by Buddy Holly]SURFIN’ SAFARI [Performed by The Beach Boys]Blu-ray Video Quality – ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ [1973] Blu-ray comes courtesy of Universal Studios and is via their Collectible Pop Art Series. The film is encoded with a 1080p very nice encoded image that was restored and remastered with the supervision of George Lucas. There is definitely some visual intention to evoke a feel for the 1960’s genre and is free from any artefacts that blighted previous releases and also the print appears free of any bad compression artefact aspect of the print and you have three image choices and I went for the third high resolution image which is a total knockout and is the best to show off this low-budget film. So all in all a good visual presentation all round.Blu-ray Audio Quality – But with this remastered ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ [1973] Blu-ray, we are presented with two audio soundtracks that are English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo and French: 2.0 DTS-HD Mono Audio and the English one is well suited for the classic 1960s music that is presented throughout the film, which provides, delivers the right atmosphere and especially the tone that this film genre requires. But most important the majority of the classic rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack recreates an atmosphere that will make you feel like you are hanging out in the early 1960s with some friends.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:Special Feature: The Making of ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ [1998] [480i] [1.33:1] [78:10] This is a very informative original documentary that features many interviews and other footage of the cast and crew for the film ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ [1973]. This is a seven part special feature, which includes The Making of ‘American Graffiti’ – Genesis of the Project; A Personal Story; Casting; Production Begins; production Stories; Post Production and Final Words. This is a very informative documentary that features many interviews and other footage of the cast and crew for the film and any true fan of the film should be thrilled with what is offered with this very extensive special feature and more than enough time to explain many aspects of the film, from George Lucas's first conception to its final theatrical release. Also with other various members of the cast provide interviews for their retrospective view of their character in the film. From conception and struggles in development, to relating to characters and fleshing them out, casting, filming anecdotes, and remembering the experience. We also get to hear that despite unanimous praise at a January 1973 test screening attended by Universal executive Ned Tanen, the studio told Lucas they wanted to re-edit his original cut of ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI.’ Producer Coppola sided with George Lucas against Ned Tanen and Universal, offering to "buy the film" from the studio and reimburse it for the $775,000, which is equivalent to $4,437,291 in 2016 it had cost to make it. Universal Pictures reissued ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ in 1978 and earned an additional $63 million, which of course is equivalent to $231,332,143 in 2016, which brought the total revenue for the two releases to $118 million and again equivalent to $433,288,776 in 2016. In the initial release 5 minutes was edited out, but when the DVD came out and of course the Blu-ray release, the edited parts allowed George Lucas to reinstate those deleted scenes. So all in all we get a conclusive and thorough documentary feature that is a very fitting tribute to this classic film ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI.’ Contributors in include George Lucas [Writer/Director], Francis Ford Coppola [Producer], Willard Huyck/Gloria Katz [Co- Screenwriters], Walter Murch [Sound Montage and Re-Recording], Fred Roos [Casting Director], Ron Howard [Steve Bolander], Richard Dreyfuss [Curt Henderson], Cindy Williams [Laurie Henderson], Paul Le Mat [John Milner], Charles Martin Smith [Terry "The Toad" Fields], Candy Clarke [Debbie Dunham], Mackenzie Phillips [Carol Morrison], Harrison Ford [Bob Falfa], Bo Hopkins [Joe Young], Kathleen Quinlan [Peg], Suzanne Somers ["The Blonde" in T-Bird] and Haskell Wexler [Visual Consultant]. Finally, as usual you can either play each special feature separately or Play All.Special Feature: Screen Tests [1998] [480i] [1.33:1] [23:00] Here you have a selection of never-before-seen screen tests and what you get is four separate categories, which include “Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss and Paul Le Mat.” “Ron Howard and Cindy Williams.” “ Mackenzie Phillips and Paul Le Mat” and “Charles Martin Smith.” I have to laugh at the blurs in these screen tests, of showing people who didn't quite make it and it is totally high-larious! There are four sets of screen tests, viewable together or individually. If you are a fan of these sorts of extras, there are tons of goodies here, especially very long takes, but if you are not a big screen test fan, then these may be slightly torturous to view. As usual you can either play each category separately or Play All.Theatrical Trailer [1973] [480i] [1.33:1] [3:00] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI.’ Despite it not being shown in Techniscope, it is still a brilliant presentation.Special Feature: My Scenes: Bookmark your favourite scenes in the film.Special Feature: U-Control: The Music of American Graffiti: Instantly identifies the each songs heard while watching the film, and create a custom playlist of your favourite songs.Special Feature: Video Commentary: Here we get to view a picture-in-picture personal video commentary with Director George Lucas in a private viewing cinema, where he appears in a smaller screen area at the bottom left hand of the screen and explains in detail about all aspects of the film and especially about certain scenes and why he wanted them to appear in the film, even when mistakes happened that he insisted on being allowed to be kept in the film. I like this extra, as it was great to hear the very personal views from George Lucas and the reason why he wanted to make this film, especially in a sort of documentary presentation.Special Feature: BD-Live: Enter through your internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more. But of course if you are not connected to the internet, then this will not work.Special Feature: pocket BLU App: Experience an exciting new way with the App for the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and now enhanced for iPad.Finally, a very long, long time ago, somewhere in America, George Lucas was able to make films that didn't involve lightsabres, or the Force. But this flashback to 1962 will remind you of what you did, what your parents did, or, even, what your grandparents did in the old days of drive-ins and sock hops. ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ is a very good film, very funny, tough, and unsentimental. It is full of marvellous performances from actors, especially Candy Clark, Richard Dreyfuss, and Cindy Williams, which were hardly known for their previous screen credits and performances. But for me ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ really represents and obverses that world in California in the 1960s and all of the specific main characters are portrayed is totally fascinating. ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ still shows us the mark of a superb filmmaking talent and especially if you like this type of genre film of days gone by. If you are feeling nostalgic or you are simply a fan the 1960s era in this ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ film, well it will certainly and should provide exactly the sort of experience you are looking for and it will also give you the best 1080p visual experience you are seeking with this film of the era of the 1960s in California that you wish you would love to go back in time to experience one more time, well this film will satisfy all your hearts desires for a brief moment in time. Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom

"American Graffiti" is a classic coming-of-age film that explores the lives of a group of teenagers in the early 1960s. Here's a review of the movie:Nostalgic atmosphere: The film creates a nostalgic and authentic atmosphere that perfectly captures the feel of the early 1960s. The music, car culture and fashion are all spot-on and will transport you back in time.Strong ensemble cast: The film features an all-star cast of young actors, who deliver strong and memorable performances. Each character is well-developed, and the actors do a great job of bringing them to life.Relatable story: The story of "American Graffiti" is relatable and timeless, exploring the experiences and emotions of teenage life in a way that will resonate with audiences of all ages.Well-written script: The script for "American Graffiti" is well-written and smart, with a number of clever and witty lines that will make you laugh out loud. The dialogue is natural and believable, and the story is told with a great sense of humor.Iconic film: "American Graffiti" is an iconic film that has had a lasting impact on popular culture. It is widely considered one of the best coming-of-age films ever made and is a must-watch for fans of the genre.Overall, "American Graffiti" is a classic film that will entertain and inspire you. If you're a fan of coming-of-age stories or simply enjoy films that capture the spirit of a particular era, this is a movie that you should definitely check out.

If you've seen the movie, you already like it. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth watching for an idea of what life and music was like for kids in 1962. Certainly top drawer music of the day, along with the legendary Wolfman Jack. We used to listen to him most every night when the signal was good, lol. If the signal faded? We just tuned over to 1520 AM KOMA Oklahoma with J. Mike WIlson and Rodney the Rodent. Such great fun, great memories.

Despite the fact that the blu-Ray got stuck in my blu ray player (not sure if it was the fault of my player or the blu ray), it's a wonderful movie. I spent about two hours watching all of the extras and learned a lot about the movie.My only problem with the blu-ray itself is that the movie is subtitled but the music is not. I didn't really expect it to be, but as big as the music is in this movie, I figured it would be showcased. Instead we get "Rock and roll song playing". But as someone who loves 60's music, I know most of the words anyway.Watch all of the extras and it's like an extended version of the movie with info about how they wrote it and came up with the idea, the casting the music, etc.This was definitely worth buying and I know I'll be watching it a lot!

Great looking classic cars. 58 Chevy.

Great video

My wife and I love this movie!

Great movie night!

Lucas least celebrated but to me maybe best film: it is a very original representation of youth through the filter of memories and the vision of a young director who see, in that little town, on that main street and exactly on that moment of (his) life a crossroad not just of feelings, characters and stories, but almost a fantastic metaphoric place where all his cinema meet: light of clubs and cars at night look like those of spaceships in Star Wars, Harrison Ford is like Han Solo temporarily landed on earth and dressed like a mythical guy with no name that simply runs up and down the town, while his car tag is THX1138, exactly like his fist film.American Graffiti seems to smartly captivate the audience with easy going atmosphere, innocent gags and popular pop music, but it is a bittersweet dream of something that has already happened and, when you are young, do not know if and how it is going to happen: the uncertainty of future and life, the feeling of youth passing by and already expiring.Shot and directed with a mix of documentary style, acting improvisation and yet also a great care for details and audio (splendid) and visual impressions (director of photography is the great Haskel Wexler), American Graffiti is a true and genuine masterpiece, exactly like young Richard Dreyfuss face.

You get the film , which was shot in 16mm wide angle according too G Lucas and not 35mm to save money, so its a bit grainy in some of 'darker shots' (lack of light ) and giving them a short depth of field , thats how little he knew about film making , somebody who knew about lighting came in and saved him , and it comes with the most annoying director commentary , Lucas is shown in a smaller window over the film, why its done like this is never explained but we dont need to see him at all and he has this annoying habit of talking to someone/thing screen left? The sound alone would have been sufficient. He dose tell us which characters in the film are him ect which is good but he also tell us things like this is the first film with real 'live' sound recorded on the street giving it a swimming effect, im not so sure about this and other facts Wells Touch Of Evil dose this in the opening sequence beautifully , that did take years to restore as he intended but the notes were available to read so.... not a new technique George, he also clams its the first film with a multi strand story being told all at the same time ,later he mentions an Italian film that had something similar , though he dosnt name it , Once upon a Time in the West sprang too mind because that was made like that and before A G im sure there are more.The overall impression i got was that Lucas wasn't a very good director at all , im not a fan of Star Wars and for me this is his best film, he cast the film very well with non stars , more cost saving , but he was right about most of the choices and the script must have been very good though it is funny when he tells us the studio hated it and offered to buy it back and not release it .Its a good fun film , if you've never seen it, with a cracking soundtrack and the idea was copied in 'Dazed and Confused' and thats great too , if you've not seen that , i recommend it if you enjoyed this.mistakes i saw in this film on Blu-ray was the crew hiding behind the kids at the hop when the camera pans 360 during the spotlight dance ,one's holding a light i think ,hes the one crouching down when the camera pointing his way haa haa caught you!

(This is a review of the old-fashioned DVD, not the Blu-Ray.)What can I say about American Graffitti? Most of you have probably seen it already. It's of the best-loved movies ever made, on one of the lowest budgets and shortest shooting schedules imaginable.The extremely talented cast of (at the time!) relatively unknown actors and actresses were allowed to improvise some of their scenes, and encouraged to actually make mistakes in some others. The movie was shot almost entirely at night, which made it a challenge to get lighting and focus right. The movie's theme and settings were underpinned with a soundtrack of almost continuous pop music hits of the day -- an unusual device which provided a 'greek chorus' effect to heighten aspects of the plot as well as re-creating an authentic sense of time and place. Lucas's vision for his movie was incredibly clear -- from the opening scene to the startling end-credits -- which helped keep his constrained and sometimes haphazard shooting environment on track. Just goes to show how freshness in filmmaking is actually achieved.Later on, George Lucas made the original Star Wars in much the same manner, with the same result; again with a huge return in profits and a fanbase which will never waver, despite his more turgid and predictable sequels and prequels and remakes. Lucas's success from his first two 'blockbuster' hits means that he now commands all the shooting time and resources he could ever want. That he chooses to spend them tinkering with his own perfection is a shame. However, he's done his bit, made two of the most popular and iconic films of the 20th century --tinker away all you want, George, if it makes you happy!American Graffitti is still one of my very favourite movies of all time. I'm delighted to finally own it on DVD.The DVD is pretty good. There is some loss of sound quality, but not enough to spoil the experience; however, some of the dialogue seems less clear than it was at the cinema. However, I certainly got caught up in the film once again, so this flaw was not too distracting.While the DVD 'Bonus' material is excellent, I did find it difficult to navigate the 'retro' menu icons at first, and it took a while to figure out how to get to what I wanted. Once I did, though, the trip was worth the trouble.The Bonus features include a "Making Of-" featurette, a reasonably up-to-date cast history section, information on Universal's website, an overview of the film and the original cinema trailer for the film, which asked: "Where were you in 62?"The "Making Of-" Bonus was superb, containing extended interviews with Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and all of the major actors, as well as interesting insights into filmmaking provided by the people who actually ran the cameras, helped write the screenplay, supervised the casting, etc. Unlike some Making Of features, this one doesn't waffle around, but leads us chronologically through all of the steps taken to get this film from Lucas's original idea to screen. I learned a lot from this enjoyable Bonus feature.For those folks interested in subtitles, this DVD has them ...in many different languages. I have not watched the movie with subtitles on, so cannot comment on their quality.Hey, this film is a classic, and deserves a spot on any movie-lover's DVD shelf.

Innovative at the time of its release, American Graffiti is George Lucas' part autobiographical homage to his youth. It depicts overnight events in 1962 small-town America where four young friends, Curt (Dreyfuss), Steve (Howard), John (LeMat) and `Toad' (Smith) are enjoying cruising in their cars, hanging at the drive-in and listening to hit music. They live in a mostly safe world of high-school hops, cheerleaders and big cardigans with numbers on.Curt and Steve have graduated high school and have college places awaiting in the city. Curt is undecided about whether to stay or go, while Steve is determined to conquer new and far-off pastures. His steady girl, Laurie, is hurt by his determination to leave and tries to hurt him in return.Nerdy-but-nice Toad hopes for a rise in status when Steve entrusts his slick auto to him for safekeeping while he's away, but despite a promising start to his new appeal, Toad's evening descends into touching, comic farce.John is the cool guy with hot wheels, beating all comers who try to race him. Despite his image, he harbours a sense of the triviality of his life and an envy of his smarter friends who have college ahead. He inadvertently finds himself babysitting an irritating adolescent, before taking on yet another out-of-town challenger (Harrison Ford) in a '55 Chevy who wants to topple him from his throne.All the principle actors are excellent in their roles and convey a real sense of life for young kids at a turning point in their lives, in an America about to lose its innocence.Legendary DJ Wolfman Jack's voice threads the music together and he appears in a scene which recreates a real encounter between him and Lucas when the latter was a teen.Extras include a good documentary featuring interviews with all the main cast and with Lucas and Coppola. They explain their difficulties in working with reluctant studios, tiny budgets and a new concept. The end credits are preceded with a brief montage telling what became of the four fictional youths and this puts a sombre but somehow appropriate perspective on the film.Picture quality good, though of necessity dark, but sound needs some tinkering with TV settings to get the best out of it.

George Lucas doeesn't have many directorial credits to his name, and quite frankly his credits outside of the star wars and Indy franchises are almost non-existent. But this movie is surely one of his best. The reason I say 'one of' is because I cant decide whether 'raiders of the lost ark' beats this to my number 1 fav movie spot.So why does is this movie so magical for me?, well the time period and setting is something I can relate to even though I'm not american and wasnt born in the 50s. I guess certain things are universally similar for people growing up no matter what age or region and this movie showcases some of the poignant aspects of ealy manhood very well. The characters are lovable in their own ways, the script and dialogue is warm and believable. The actors are cast perfectly and it was almost a movie I didn't want to end such was my engorssment and enjoyment.I haven't seen the sequel and maybe I never will but if this was all Lucas had ever done in his film career I would still consider him a movie legend in my eyes. 11/10