Screenwriter Colin Higgins parlayed his success from the comedic, Hitchcockian thriller Silver Streak, into directing his screenplay Foul Play, another comedic, Hitchcockian thriller, about a San Franciscan librarian getting unknowingly involved in an assassination attempt, which also turned into a box-office success thanks in part to chemistry between co-stars Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase.
Buy Foul Play Blu-rayCatholic Archbishop Thorncrest (Eugene Roche) sees his double in a mirror and gets murdered with the double taking his place. Meanwhile, recently divorced Gloria (Hawn) is attracted to Tony (Chevy Chase) at a party but he comes on too strong. On her drive home, she pulls over to help a motorist, Scotty (Bruce Solomon), who hides camera film in a cigarette pack in her purse unbeknownst to Gloria.
They plan a date at a movie theater so Scotty can get the pack back from her. Arriving after the movie has started, it’s soon revealed that he’s been stabbed and dies shortly thereafter. When Gloria goes to get the manager, they return with the lights on and Scotty’s body gone. After leaving the theater, she is nearly run over.
Later, albino Whitey Jackson (William Frankfather) attempts to capture Gloria at her work. She escapes to a singles bar where she makes the acquaintance of Stanley Tibbets (Dudley Moore). She asks to go back to his place immediately, which Stanley misreads, leading to a hysterical sequence where he shows off his decked-out bachelor pad, which includes the drug Spanish Fly, which he has no qualms about using, making for an uncomfortable, outdated joke.
Back at her apartment, a man with a scar (Don Calfa) comes for the cigarette pack. He strangles Gloria and she stops him by stabbing him with knitting needles. She calls the police, but faints after seeing Whitey. When she comes to, there’s no evidence of the attack, which puzzles Tony, his partner Fergie (Brian Dennehy) Ferguson, or her landlord, Mr. Hennessey (Burgess Meredith). While under police protection, Gloria and Tony fall for each other. The police investigation gets closer to the bad guys, who continue their pursuit of Gloria and with their assassination plans.
The script strikes a good balance of comedy and thrills and it features a number of good plot twists as the mystery reveals itself to the characters and the audience. It also leads to a thrilling car chase through the busy streets of San Francisco as Tony, Gloria, and two new friends attempt to stop the assassination.
Sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative, the video has been given a 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer displayed at the film’s original aspect ratio, 1.85:1. Colors are strong across the spectrum, from rich earth tones to bright primaries of floors. The image presents a sharp focus that reveal texture details and a light film grain
The audio is available in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0. Dialogue is clear and stays in the front center channel. On the 5.1 track, the surrounds mainly present the music of Charles Fox’s score and The Mikado opera with occasional ambient sounds, such as the car crash into the Italian restaurant. The subwoofer provides minimal support to the music and effects.
The Special Features are:
- Audio commentary by Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
- Fair Play: Remembering Colin Higgins (16 min) – Sound Editor Nicholas Eliopoulos talks about working on Higgins’s films. Higgins appears from an archival interview.
- TV Spot
- UK Radio Spot
- Seven trailers for films KL Studio Classics has released that have one degree of separation.
Foul Play is a delight. Higgins wrote and directed a very good movie anchored by the chemistry between Hawn and Chase, which led to them reuniting in Neil Simon’s Seems Like Old Times, and a talented supporting cast. The new Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics delivers a pleasing high-def video presentation. The movie is also available on 4K Ultra HD.
