Kuffs

KUFFS came out in 1992, still very much during Christian Slater's heyday when teenaged girls still swooned over him and dudes sought to emulate him. Baby Jack Nicholson, he was dubbed, for having that same smirk and cool cat delivery. I loved KUFFS when it came out. It ranks up there, for me, with the likes of  Heathers , Pump Up the Volume , and  True Romance - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) . KUFFS wasn't a box office hit. I think folks couldn't grasp the weird tone, the rampant goofy fourth wall breaking and the occasionally cartoony humor warring against the serious action beats.There's an early title card in the movie that reads: "In 1851, San Francisco could not afford enough policemen to protect its population. So the city was divided into districts which were sold to private citizens. Merchants who wanted to, paid these men for police protection. Today, the men and women who own these districts are called PATROL SPECIALS."This is a real thing, a legit thing, what San Francisco wrought. There really were neighborhood police forces authorized in Frisco's city charter comprised of law-enforcing civilians, these unsworn officers who were assigned to or had purchased a specific district and who charged their clientele hourly rates for their services. I guess you could say it's sort of a legal protection racket.It's a star vehicle for Slater, and he's effortless here. He plays George Kuffs, a young slacker who dropped out of high school and who abandons his girl (Milla Jovovich) when she tells him she's pregnant. So, early on, we learn the cut of his jib. After this, Slater goes to work redeeming his character.George's older brother, Brad (Bruce Boxleitner), is a Patrol Special who owns District 33, and he tries his durndest to turn his brother around. Except George, who shirks responsibility like a champ, pooh-poohs him. Cue a tragic thing that goes down, and, suddenly, George has inherited the safeguarding of Brad's district.George's turnaround doesn't come at the expense of his irreverence and his giving the finger to authority. He just applies his anarchic powers for good. It's one of my favorite things about the movie, that George is like this Bugs Bunny figure wreaking havoc wherever he went. This is a straight-up crime thriller as much as it is a satiric puncturing of conventions. So we're also made privy to a now motivated Kuffs trying to get the goods on a shady local businessman (George de la Peña) and his brutal minion (Leon Rippy) who has a habit of wearing these ugly, ugly shirts. But George is the unknown element. Clients who'd subscribed to his district are frenziedly unsubscribing. And the San Francisco police who'd worked with his brother see him as this callow, untested youth. Turns out, too, that his brother's business isn't so solvent. In two weeks George must come up with a $50,000 balloon payment or the business folds.Luckily, there's no end of folks trying to buy his private police force, including that same shady local businessman. Luckily, it turns out he's a natural pistolero.I don't know that I can pinpoint the true tone of this movie. I don't even try, really. KUFFS has entertained me over and again since it first came out. It's action-packed enough. I get the humor that's sometimes sly and witty, sometimes wacky and dopey. The only knock I got is that way too silly sequence with Tony Goldwyn and his spiked coffee. The pantomime sound effects were a little too much. I appreciate the judicious fourth wall breaking, because it means there's more of Slater talking, and I love his line delivery, his phrasing. And, if you're a fan of Milla Jovovich, know that she's never looked more gorgeous than as George' girl, Maya. Anyway, KUFFS is a fun but smirky little film. Seeing as how Christian Slater is a fun but smirky performer, it's a perfect match.

Needless to say I was quite excited to get this on blu ray.. I planned on buying it since January when it was announced and the week after it's release was my birthday so it was meant to be. Then I seen it was released up against 2 other movies in The Boxer and Paradise Alley and I grew nervous.. but thankfully that was all for ware as they weren't given the most attention as Kuffs was (I feel sorry for the fans of those films, they both deserved better. Shout shouldn't have released them all at one time.)I'm not reviewing the movie as I'm sure anyone on here looking at this blu ray has seen it.. (however if you haven't you need it's a great movie!) Instead I'm focusing on the BR itself. Overall Shout did what I was hoping for, I knew it wouldn't get tons of things like some films do but I'm glad it got a decent release. The transfer is fantastic.. granted it starts off rough during the opening credits (you can see a few dots, the Universal logo looks rough,) but by the end the movie looks the best it ever has (it sure beats my 1990's era VHS by far.) Audio wise you can hear everything fine and the captions are small and not overbearing. It's very solid on the technical side.Special Features wise is a disappointment and why it's 4 stars instead of 5. The lack of any actors talking even for just a minute was a major bummer. I was really hoping to hear from Slater, Goldwyn, Rippy, or De La Pena, but none of them could be bothered apparently. DLP hasn't talked about the film at all.. woulda loved to heard from him. Instead you get a real short 11 minute interview with the producer and director.. it's not bad in fact I learned a few things, and they come off real good, and even want to do a 2nd one.. but it just felt incomplete to me without anyone else included. The doc on Faltermeyer wasn't bad either.. but I came off feeling the same. I just wanted more I guess. You get a few TV spots which was neat so there's that.Overall this is well worth the money.. just don't expect any epic extras. I hope Shout gets a few more Slater movies at some point.. would love to see a special edition of The Legend of Billie Jean away from Mills Creek , Pump up The Volume, or Broken Arrow from them..

I have seen this movie a few times before I bought the Blu-ray Disc. I have been a fan of Christian Slater and Milla Jovovich over these past many years (gosh they look so very young here) and this movie is just light comedy with some really funny parts that stand out. There is one part that makes me belly laugh every time it comes on, don’t look away from the screen or you’ll miss it. It may not be Shakespeare but it still entertains.

Perfect movie. Disc not so much. I'm not as picky as most people but this is an overstock Amazon one. What do I mean? Lot of people handling these discs so you may get a scratch pattern or two on one you buy LIKE ME. No issues with playback though. Thank God they started making players that resemble data and made multilayer films on DVDs because of this back in the 90s. Great bargain buy though!

This was definitely one of my fave' movies of the 90's. Young tearaway George Kuffs (Slater)has just dumped his pregnant girlfriend, <Milla Jovovich> when his older, policeman brother Brad (Bruce Boxleitner - Babylon 5> is murdered. Hopeful for some payback, George joins the local police force in order to catch his brother's killer, whilst also attempting to win back the girl, and in doing so learns to grow up somewhat in the process. As the billboard in the movie says quite aptly really, 'Life: what happens whilst you're making other plans.'The soundtrack is also, just perfect for the film's different moods; 'I don't wanna live without you' may be the most moving song I've heard on a film. My only complaint is that it's not out on DVD!

Bought as a gift for my brother as this is skmething we ways used to watch together. One of our favourite films.

Great film, not available over here on region 2 for some reason but this one came from Australia and is region free so will play in any DVD player

not that great but I just like Crisitian true romance slater and it reminded me of my younger years

Never trust a bald barber, love this film