Search - Fuzz

Fuzz treads the line between raucous comedy and gut-churning melodrama. Based on an "87th Precinct" novel by Ed McBain (aka Evan Hunter), the film stars Burt Reynolds and Jack Weston as, respectively, detectives Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer. Their current assignment is to bring in Deaf Man (Yul Brynner), a mad bomber who has been targeting politicians. A subplot concerning a couple of punks who get their kicks by setting fire to sleeping winos is dramatically justified by the main storyline, but it was this element that caused a lot of trouble for the producers of Fuzz when a pair of real-life teenagers decided to imitate the film. On a lighter note, Raquel Welch co-stars as Detective Eileen McHenry, who is obliged to go undercover -- and under covers -- with fellow officer Bert Kling (Tom Skerritt). And as a bonus, viewers are treated to Burt Reynolds' first "drag" scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Burt Reynolds - Detective Steve Carella
Jack Weston - Detective Meyer Meyer
Tom Skerritt - Detective Bert Kling
Yul Brynner - El Sordo
Raquel Welch - Detective Eileen McHenry

Richard A. Colla's Fuzz (1972) has come to DVD in a basic, decent, but unexceptional edition, built around an above-average transfer, letterboxed in its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The movie is overloaded with action, characters, and activity -- mostly courtesy of the screenplay by Evan Hunter from his own novel, which always made the precinct or the detective squad, as opposed to one detective, the focus of the action -- which Colla does a masterful job of coordinating; the director's juggling act and the interlocking story fragments that make up the plot are a wonder to behold, even if the movie is unsatisfying on some important dramatic and entertainment levels. This transfer is about as good as Fuzz has ever looked, at least since its first theatrical run, capturing the realistic lighting -- everywhere from the institutional harshness of the squadroom to the darker ambience aboard a subway car -- beautifully, and also the shift in tone and texture as a pursuit moves into the open air and goes on from midday into the dead of night. The letterboxing also shows how tightly and precisely Colla and his director of photography, Jacques Marquette, worked out their camera angles for maximum tension and suspense, and there is a lot more sustained tension watching the movie in this edition than in any full-screen presentation. The sound is so good that, much more so than it was in a theater, it is easy to spot the dialogue that is looped in. The 16 chapters are adequate, given the plot twists in the story. The movie comes with the original trailer, which has a very strange sound setup -- there are huge variations in the audio levels even within the same shot, and nothing like that shows up in the movie. There are no other bonus features, which is a shame -- a commentary track by one or two of the stars might have made this a real keeper. The disc opens automatically to a simple menu that is easy to maneuver. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

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2	The White Dawn (PG)
1	Steelyard Blues (PG)
6	Walkabout
6	Hard Times [Widescreen/Fullscreen] (PG)
S	Bootleggers (PG)
4	Call of the Wild (PG)
2	Superfly (R)
These movies have the subject or theme of Fuzz...
2	McQ (PG)
18	Magnum Force (R)
88	Beverly Hills Cop (R)
1	Year of the Dragon (R)
18	Running Scared (R)
1	Hustle (R)
60	Heathers [Widescreen] (R)
4	The First Deadly Sin (R)
2	The FBI Story (NR)
2	Electra Glide in Blue (PG)
39	Beverly Hills Cop II (R)
1	Downtown (R)
9	Dead Bang (R)
63	Robocop (R)
12	Stakeout (R)
36	Robocop 2 [Special Edition] (R)
These movies share cast/crew with Fuzz...
3	Gator (PG)
11	Sharky's Machine (R)
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2	Thieves Like Us (R)
4	End (R)
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1	Hustle (R)
1	Shamus (PG)
3	Clint Eastwood Collection: The Rookie (R)
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6	Nashville (R)
18	Battlestar Galactica (PG)
8	The Player (R)
3	Madigan (NR)
13	Sudden Impact (R)
These movies are similar to Fuzz...
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