DVD Corner's blog

Valley Girl Blu-ray Review

“Valley Girl” is a more grounded teen film.

“Valley Girl” is the tale of two lovers from different sides of the tracks as it were. Julie (and her pals) live in the San Fernando Valley which is more ritzy and preppy. Randy is a punk from the city (Hollywood). Despite their differences, these two opposites attract, but can their romance work or will Julie’s prejudices and ex boyfriend Tommy stand in their way?

When it comes to 80s teen romantic comedies, director Martha Coolidge’s “Valley Girl” feels decidedly different from the rest. It doesn’t flow like the standard teen film, it’s shot almost like a documentary, and it doesn’t have a Hollywood vibe. Instead, it takes inspiration from “Romeo And Juliet” (minus the death) and shows cities, class systems, cliques, and people as they are. It’s like a more sophisticated rom com to use some of the valley slang that is so prominently featured here.

Equally appealing here is the soundtrack which fuels the movie. Not only does it solidify the place and time of the movie, but it’s just a downright good soundtrack filled with tunes by Sparks, The Psychedelic Furs, Modern English and The Plimsouls.

Despite the fact that no one looks like a teen, the cast is also top notch here with Nicolas Cage (in an early role) and the underrated Deborah Foreman making charming leads. A special shotout should also go to Elizabeth Daily as the scene stealing Loryn and Julie’s hippie parents played by Colleen Camp and Frederic Forrest.

As likable as “Valley Girl” is, Andrew Lane and Wayne Crawford’s script does have its issues. While it may be a retrospective case, the story does contain some elements that are more than a little unsettling in this day and age with the toxic friends and stalking elements. On top of that, the movie has a tendency to feel slightly incomplete as storylines come and go such as Skip having eyes for Beth’s mom and Tommy fooling around with Julie’s friend Loryn. The movie itself also just kind of ends abruptly in a rather strange fashion.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? Expect to see dirt specs, natural grain, but infinitely sharper colors than past releases.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The dialogue is soft but the music is lively.

Extras:
* “Valley Girl” trailer
* 2 music videos.
* “The Girls,” “The Boys,” “The Parents,” “The Bands” and “The Producers-Writers”- 2003 extras which contain lengthy interviews with cast and crew members.
* “The Music Of Valley Girl”- A featurette about the songs in the film.
* “Storyboard To Film Comparison”- Speaks for itself.
* “20 Totally Tubular Years Later”- A 24 minute retrospective with interviews and stories about the film.
* “In Conversation: Martha Coolidge And Nicolas Cage”- A 20 minute sit down conversation between the director and actor.
* “Show And Tell”- Heidi Holicker (Stacey) shows off memorabilia to Martha Coolidge.
* “Greetings From The San Fernando Valley”- A featurette on the Valley.
* “Valley Girl In Conversation”- A new chat between EG Daily, Heidi Holicker and Martha Coolidge.
* A solo commentary by Martha Coolidge

November 19, 2018 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | 80s Teen Comedy, Deborah Foreman, Nicolas Cage, Romantic Comedy Movie, Shout Select, Teen Comedy, Valley Girl Blu-ray