Sneakers [Collector's Edition]

Sneakers [Collector's Edition]

Director: Phil Alden Robinson Cast: Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
, Robert Redford
Robert Redford
, Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
, River Phoenix
River Phoenix
Phil Alden Robinson
Sneakers [Collector's Edition]

Sneakers [Collector's Edition]

Director: Phil Alden Robinson Cast: Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
, Robert Redford
Robert Redford
, Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
, River Phoenix
River Phoenix
Phil Alden Robinson

DVD (Wide Screen)

$5.99 
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Overview

"Phil Alden Robinson's Sneakers finally gets the treatment it deserves on this Collector's Edition release, five years after its first appearance on DVD and 11 years after its original release. The disc comes loaded with so much material that it represents almost a technological jump over the old release -- except that this technology was there, just not used. Among the bonus features, the most enjoyable is the 40-minute featurette ""The Making of Sneakers,"" which reveals the movie's origins a decade before its release, during the making of WarGames. Robinson, Lawrence Lasker, and Walter F. Parkes tell of the ten years it took (while working on other movies) to get the film written and then produced, while moving from one studio to another (Paramount lost it, Universal ultimately got it). In the course of getting it made, they all got to be older than the oldest character in the script -- an irony that wasn't lost on them. There are also interviews with various experts in such fields as number theory and telephone hacking (the legendary John Draper (aka ""Captain Crunch"") who was partly the basis for the Dan Aykroyd character), and cast members Robert Redford, Mary McDonnell, and David Strathairn -- we find out that Carl, the youngest of the hackers, was the character with which the filmmakers most identified. There's a certain sadness in seeing River Phoenix in his interview sequences, but the making-of film is still an unabashed delight. The audio commentary by Robinson, Lasker, and Parkes offers its own enjoyment, although it will be of slightly more interest to professionals -- filmmakers, screenwriters, producers, actors, critics, etc. -- than to the casual viewer. In the first two minutes, we learn that there was a major change made in the plot because the original story had the Redford and Ben Kingsley characters accidentally killing a man, which they realized would make Redford's character irredeemable in the eyes of filmgoers. Instead, they changed his indiscretion to hacking into Richard Nixon's personal bank account and transferring funds to the Black Panthers and other leftist organizations of the late '60s, and that change linked the movie's opening to its finish. The discussion is filled with little bits of information like that, all presented in a lighthearted tone; unlike some writers and directors discussing their work, these guys never fool themselves into thinking they were writing, or even pondering, +Hamlet. As for the film-to-video transfer, the newer disc's image does seem to offer a lot more picture information -- and a generally brighter picture -- than the original DVD release; both are letterboxed in the non-anamorphic ratio of 1.85:1. There is also a trailer. The only thing missing from this new edition is some acknowledgement of James Horner's excellent score. The producers have used the same 16-chapter breakdown that was utilized for the 1998 edition."

Product Details

Release Date: 06/03/2003
UPC: 0025192330421
Original Release: 1992
Rating: PG-13
Source: STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code: 1
Presentation: [Wide Screen]
Sound: [Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Surround]
Language: English
Time: 2:06:00
Sales rank: 13,932

Special Features

Feature commentary with writer/director Phil Alden Robinson; "The making of Sneakers" featurette; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Robert Redford Martin Bishop
Sidney Poitier Donald Crease
River Phoenix Carl Arbogast
Dan Aykroyd Mother
Ben Kingsley Cosmo
David Strathairn Whistler
Mary McDonnell Liz
Timothy Busfield Dick Gordon
George Hearn Gregor
Stephen Tobolowsky Dr. Werner Brandes
James Earl Jones Bernard Abbott,Buddy Wallace
Gary Hershberger College-Aged Bishop
Jojo Marr College-Aged Cosmo,Actor
Bodhi Elfman Centurion Night Guard
Denise Dowse Bank Teller
Donal Logue Dr. Gunter Janek
Juel Bestrop Actor
Lee Garlington Dr. Elena Rhyzkov
Hanyee Bank Secretary
Time Winters Homeless Man,Male NSA Agent
Jun Asai Piano Prodigy
John Shepard Collidge Institute Guard
Ellaraino Mrs. Crease
Shayna Hollinquist Melissa Crease,Melissa Crease
Jacqueline Brand Kiev String Quartet Member
Julie Gigante Kiev String Quartet Member
Victoria Miskolczy Kiev String Quartet Member
David Speltz Kiev String Quartet Member
Leslie Hardy Gregor's Date
John Moio Gregor's Chauffeur
James Craven FBI Agent
RC Everbeck 2nd FBI Agent
Ernie Tetrault TV Anchorman
Lori Hall NSA Phone Operator
George Kee Cheung Chinese Restuarant Singer,Chinese Restaurant Singer
Hayward Soo Hoo Chinese Restaurant Waiter
Michael Kinney Playtronics Desk Day Guard
Rudy Francis Nementz Playtronics Desk Day Guard
Ralph Monaco Playtronics Lobby Day Guard
Paul Jenkins Playtronics Lobby Night Guard
Al Foster Playtronics Desk Night Guard
George Hartmann Playtronics Stairwell Guard
Jeffrey Daniel Phillips Playtronics Perimeter Guard
Michael Boston Playtronics Perimeter Guard
Jeff Joy Male NSA Agent
Amy Benedict Female NSA Agent
Cheryl Moore-Gough Actor
Roger Callard NSA agent (uncredited)
Richard Lawrence Actor
Ryal Haakenson Actor
Shawn Flanagan Actor
Dan Ackroyd Actor
Ella Edwards madame Crease
James Horner Composer

Technical Credits
Phil Alden Robinson Director,Screenwriter
Lawrence Lasker Producer
Walter F. Parkes Producer
Lindsley Parsons Jr. Executive Producer,Producer
Brett Bentley Special Effects
Bill Baldwin Sound Effects
Milton C. Burrow Sound Effects,Sound Effects,Sound Effects
Willie D. Burton Sound Effects
William M. Elvin Producer
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