Search - Alice's Restaurant on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Profanity Movie Release: 1969 DVD Release: 01/23/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 51 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 12 Genres: Comedy Drama, Americana, Coming-of-Age

Intrigued by the counterculture tale of Arlo Guthrie's epic 1968 talking-blues record The Alice's Restaurant Massacree, director Arthur Penn, co-scripting with playwright Venable Herndon, adapted the song into the 1969 feature Alice's Restaurant. Hippie outsider Arlo (Guthrie, playing himself) encounters suspicion from the straight world; visits his dying father, renowned leftist activist/singer Woody Guthrie (Joseph Boley), in the hospital along with friend Pete Seeger; and hangs out in the title converted church/commune created by his friends Alice (Pat Quinn) and her husband Ray (James Broderick). After Alice's "Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat," Arlo is arrested for littering by rule-following Officer "Obie" Obanhein (William Obanhein, playing himself). That littering arrest helps Arlo avoid the Vietnam draft, but the commune is threatened after more personal, old-fashioned conflicts over sex and partnerships permeate Alice and Ray's alternative world. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Arlo Guthrie - Arlo
Pat Quinn - Alice
James Broderick - Ray
Michael McClanathan - Shelly
Geoff Outlaw - Roger

Famed folksinger Arlo Guthrie stars in the funny 1960s film Alice's Restaurant (based on his song). Sadly, MGM's work on this 1.85:1 widescreen transfer is only slightly above passing. While many of the colors and black levels appear solid and bright, overall the film retains a somewhat soft look that is often distracting to the viewing. However, the major flaws can be overlooked due to the film's age and budget. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono in English and sounds about as good as a 2.0 soundtrack is going to get. The soundtrack is generally clear of most excessive hiss or distortion, though the bulk of the mix sounds flat and uninspired. Also included on this disc are Spanish and French subtitles. The extra features on =Alice's Restaurant include an informative but weak commentary track by Guthrie and a theatrical trailer for the film. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide