DVD All Ray Peterson wanted from his vacation was a quiet week at home. Unfortunately, mysterious new neighbours, strange noises from a basement and a missing resident soon turn his peaceful suburban break into a full-blown neighbourhood investigation.
Details
Ray Peterson is looking forward to a relaxing week off work, spending his time lounging around the house and enjoying the quiet comforts of suburban life. However, his plans quickly unravel when the mysterious Klopek family move into the dilapidated house next door. Rarely seen during the day and only emerging at night, the strange new neighbours immediately attract suspicion from the residents of the street.
Before long Ray and his friends begin noticing odd behaviour. Strange noises echo from the Klopeks' basement late at night, the garden appears to be dug up during thunderstorms and the house itself looks more like something from a horror film than a suburban neighbourhood. Naturally this sparks a wave of curiosity - and paranoia - among Ray and his neighbours.
Encouraged by his overenthusiastic neighbour Mark Rumsfield and the permanently hungry Art Weingartner, Ray soon finds himself swept up in a ridiculous amateur investigation. Convinced the Klopeks are hiding something sinister, the trio begin spying on the house using binoculars, walkie-talkies and increasingly far-fetched theories.
When elderly neighbour Walter Seznick suddenly disappears, leaving his beloved dog wandering the street alone, the amateur detectives become convinced foul play is involved. Taking advantage of the Klopeks' temporary absence, Ray and his friends decide to break into the house and finally uncover what secrets may be lurking in that suspicious basement. Needless to say, their plan doesn't exactly go smoothly.
Picture & Sound
For a film of this age the picture is in surprisingly good condition. Universal have done a solid job cleaning up the transfer, resulting in a bright and colourful presentation with a respectable level of detail throughout. Some scenes show a little excessive contrast during night sequences and the print does exhibit the occasional grain and dust speck, but overall the transfer holds up well.
The soundtrack reflects the film's age, but the Dolby Surround mix is more than adequate. Dialogue is clear and the musical score is surprisingly effective. While the surround channels are used sparingly, the sound design suits the film's mix of comedy and suspense perfectly well.
Menu & Extras
The menu is a fairly simple static affair with the various options listed plainly on screen. Interestingly, the packaging fails to mention that the disc includes an alternate ending. Whether this was meant to be a hidden Easter egg or simply an oversight is unclear, but it is certainly one of the more worthwhile extras on the disc.
The remaining extras are fairly typical of catalogue releases. Production notes, biographies and web links provide little of real interest, although fans of Tom Hanks can browse through his filmography and even view the trailer for Apollo 13. The theatrical trailer is also included, though like many older trailers it suffers from noticeable print damage.
Overall
Released in 1989, shortly after the success of Big, The Burbs arrived at a time when Tom Hanks was beginning to establish himself as one of Hollywood's most reliable comic performers. Strangely, the film never received the recognition it probably deserved and instead developed a cult following through video releases and late-night television showings.
The film works best as a satire of suburban paranoia. Beneath the slapstick humour and increasingly ridiculous conspiracy theories lies a clever send-up of suburban life, where perfectly trimmed lawns and polite small talk can quickly give way to suspicion and gossip. Bruce Dern's over-the-top military neighbour is particularly memorable, and Rick Ducommun provides plenty of laughs as the permanently snack-obsessed Art.
Although the plot itself is fairly simple, the film remains hugely entertaining thanks to its cast and its wonderfully absurd take on neighbourhood paranoia. It may not be one of the most famous comedies of the era, but The Burbs has quietly become something of a cult favourite over the years. If you've ever wondered what your neighbours might be getting up to behind closed doors, this film may not provide the answers - but it will certainly make you laugh while asking the question.
Special features
- Alternate Ending
- Production Notes
- Cast and Filmmakers Biographies
- Theatrical Trailer
- Universal Web Links
