Search - Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid on DVD


Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
Actors: Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Alan Ladd, Carl Reiner, Barbara Stanwyck
Director: Carl Reiner
Genres: Comedy
PG     1999     1hr 28min

Bonus features: theatrical trailer film highlights talent bios production notes and web links. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/23/2005 Starring: Steve Martin Run time: 89 minutes Rating: Pg

     

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Movie Details

Actors: Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Alan Ladd, Carl Reiner, Barbara Stanwyck
Director: Carl Reiner
Creators: Steve Martin, Carl Reiner, Michael Chapman, David V. Picker, Richard McWhorter, William E. McEuen, George Gipe
Genres: Comedy
Sub-Genres: Steve Martin
Studio: Universal Studios
Format: DVD - Black and White,Color,Widescreen,Letterboxed - Closed-captioned
DVD Release Date: 03/16/1999
Original Release Date: 05/21/1982
Theatrical Release Date: 05/21/1982
Release Year: 1999
Run Time: 1hr 28min
Screens: Black and White,Color,Widescreen,Letterboxed
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Languages: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

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Member Movie Reviews

Damian M. (ratchet)
Reviewed on 3/11/2009...
Ridiculous Steve Martin b/w film combining parts of old b/w films with new shorts to create the (at times non-sensical) story. Pretty unique idea, I think. Blended very well, worth a watch.
2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Movie Reviews

5 stars for brilliant editing & hilarious parody!
Dave | Tennessee United States | 10/03/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before I bought this recently I had never even heard of it. I'm a huge fan of film noir & so I had to see if a parody would be entertaining. It is now my favorite Steve Martin movie! The script is hilarious & clever & will keep you laughing constantly. The plot brilliantly fits in clips of famous film noirs of the 40s, & you get to see Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Burt Lancaster, Barbara Stanwyck, & Lana Turner "interact" with Steve Martin as he tries to solve a mystery after being hired by the very beautiful Rachel Ward. Filmed in black & white & with wonderful music by famous composer Miklos Rozsa, you cannot go wrong with this ingenious comedy. FYI, this was the final film for the legendary costume designer Edith Head. If you're a film noir or Steve Martin fan then this is a must-have!"
Inspired Genius
C. T. Mikesell | near Eugene, Oregon | 01/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is one of those movies that are so jaw-droppingly brilliant that you can't believe what you're seeing. While the acting is a bit stiff in places, and Steve Martin's occasional use of "dangerous words" doesn't fit with a 40's noir film, the premise and near perfect execution of intercutting old and new films is incredible. For instance, Steve Martin's character's name is Rigby Reardon. On the surface it has that alliterative "Sam Spade" quality so you chalk it up the pastiche. Later however, actors from the old movies refer to someone off-screen as "Mr. Reardon" or "Rigby," and you realize how things were set up from the beginning. Likewise, Rigby's reaction to the words "cleaning woman" seems like just an odd quirk at first - until later, when it gives him an excuse to strangle Bette Davis. The scene of Rigby and Alan Ladd sharing a plate of cookies is simply amazing.The DVD skimps on extras, but as it's an inexpensive title you're still getting full value for your movie purchasing dollar. Don't miss the original theatrical trailer, though; I don't recall having seen it before and Steve Martin's narration as funny as anything in the film itself (who else could include "sliding" as a major reason to see a movie?).If you're a fan of the old 40's detective/suspense films, you'll really appreciate this movie. If you're a newcomer to the world of film noir, the movies spliced in here (conveniently listed in the end credits) are some of the best. If you're just looking for laughs, the gags are spaced out quite a bit in parts, but that gives you an opportunity to appreciate the dramatic side of Steve Martin you don't always see. Steve Martin and Carl Reiner should be very proud to have made this movie. You should be proud to include it in your DVD library."
My favorite Steve Martin movie of them all...
R. Lindeboom | Paso Robles, CA USA | 06/26/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Steve Martin and Rachel Ward are almost too funny for words in this one. With this film, Carl Reiner did to 40's film noir what Mel Brooks did to Star Wars with his Spaceballs -- though I'd say that Reiner's Dead Men Don't far excels Spaceballs. This, as while Mel Brooks uses some great one-liners and sight gags in his send-up of space flicks, Reiner's brilliant pastiche of old clips from classic films (complete with Bogart, Cagney, Milland, etc.) cut together with Steve Martin acting against these scenes is simply astounding in its technical acheievement while being some of the funniest moments ever put to film. This is Steve Martin at his best and Rachel Ward is stunningly beautiful -- with her beauty punctuating her delivery of key scenes in a way that only compounds the comedy, as you'd never expect to see something like this in real life. When she removes the bullets from a wounded Steve Martin, you just have to break out damned near belly laughing. The whole effect works brilliantly and the writing, filming, costumes and acting all work together in a seamless work that is one of the most under-rated films of all time. Thanks for putting it on DVD, I'd about worn my VHS copy out over the years of playing."