Dudes (Collector’s Edition): Blu-Ray Review

Arriving this week on Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is 1987’s punk rock western, “Dudes”.  In 1986 Jon Cryer burst on the scene playing the lovable Duckie in “Pretty in Pink”.  After that he starred in a string of forgettable films that were plagued with troubled productions.  One of those was Penelope Spheeris’ “Dudes” which wasn’t even given a theatrical release. I actually remember renting this one from my local video store simply because I was a fan of Duckie.

Here we are, 30 years later and I honestly didn’t remember much about “Dudes” before watching Shout Factory’s new release.  This is an odd film and I can sort-of see why the studio may have had reservations giving it a theatrical release.  It’s not bad, but the psychedelic elements don’t really work well. Plus, who would this film be marketed to? People who like western? People who like Punk Rock? “Dudes” has some fun stuff. I loved seeing a younger Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), who had worked with Spheeris prior on 1983’s “Suburbia”. If you are a fan of “Dudes” this might we worth adding to your collection.

Bonus Features

• NEW “Duckie Dude” –Jon Cryer Interviewed By Penelope Spheeris (31:40)
• NEW “Suburbia Dude” – Flea Interviewed By Penelope Spheeris (26:03)
• NEW “Dude Looks Like A Lady” – An Interview With Catherine Mary Stewart (13:00)
• NEW “Mohawk Dude” – Daniel Roebuck Interviewed By Penelope Spheeris (25:14)
• NEW “Writer And Producer Dudes” – An Interview With Writer J. Randall Jahnson And Producer Miguel Tejada-Flores (14:11)
• Theatrical Trailer
• Vintage Featurette: “Making of Dudes”
• Still Gallery

By: Marc Ferman