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Mac and Me: Collector's Edition (1988) - Blu-ray Review

3 beers

My birthday party at McDonalds was nothing like the impromptu dance sequences at the fast food joint in this movie.  And Ronald McDonald never came to my parties.  Why not, Mom?  Damn it.  I want a refund…or something.  Maybe a free Happy Meal?

MAC and Me is blissfully ridiculous.  Aliens in a grocery store shopping for Coke products?  Check.  Big explosions in front of said grocery store?  Double check.  Saving lives?  You bet!

The cheesy film is also unapologetically a celebration of all things associated with Ronald McDonald.  Throughout its running time, the fast food chain is practically worshipped.  And, yes, I am talking about the home of French fries and chicken nuggets.  There is a massive birthday party turned street dance completion there.  Big Mac’s are referenced and, as one of the characters works for the chain, these references include those ugly ass uniforms that dominated the late 1980s. 

"might be one of the worst movies the era ever produced.  But it is all sorts of stupid fun."


 

As a movie, MAC and Me might be one of the worst movies the era ever produced.  But it is all sorts of stupid fun.  As a result, it has developed a dedicated and largely insane cult following. 

This kid-friendly slice of American cheese is, as a flick, kitschy and cute and warm and squishy.  It is also derivative in its treatment of big-eyed alien separation, owing much of its existence to Amblin Entertainment.  I mean, come on, MAC (short for Mysterious Alien Creature) looks a lot like E.T., being small and wrinkly and a little on the ornery side. {googleads}

The differences between the two properties are small, with MAC and Me coming out on the short end.  MAC can be sucked into a vacuum cleaner.  This is still a cool effect.  He gets face-planted on a car window, too.  At least the filmmakers aren’t afraid to have some fun with the whole alien lifeform.  Hey, if you can’t be original the least you can be irreverent and, in spite of hiding the alien from the FBI and all the other similarities, we get enough differences for the movie to sort of come into its own.

Who can forget the tears that fall from the damn puppet that has been left behind by his alien family?  Those big pale eyes wet with tears!  Or, later, when he is reading the morning newspaper?  Yet, even composer Alan Silvestri’s single composition – the film’s overture –  for the movie feels jacked straight from E.T. The Extraterrestrial.  But, I suppose, this movie’s saving grace (read as only original idea) comes in the form of its wheelchair bound protagonist, Eric (Jade Calegory), who befriends the little homesick alien. 

Directed by Stewart Raffill, the movie solely exists to serve the needs of the Ronald McDonald House Charities (and, yes, that’s by design), but don’t you dare blink.  You will miss all the other product placements running throughout this space adventure.  I am sure there are drinking games associated with the sheer number of advertisements on display here.  It’s no wonder, too.  Producer and co-writer R.J. Louis, who brags about writing the script while the film was already in pre-production, was a former advert man for McDonald’s, so why not right a movie for them, too?!

Mac and Me: Collector's Edition (1988) - Blu-ray Review

This is a movie for B-grade enthusiasts like myself and, thankfully, Shout Factory knows it, putting it out on Blu-ray with a brand new scan.  We can forgive it of its shortcomings and praise it for adding shots of the alien family suffering without MAC on their home planet.  Those scenes are so strange and bizarre that they add a bit of inspiration to an otherwise mess of a copycat. 

Co-starring Christine Ebersole (Ri¢hie Ri¢h) and Jonathan Ward (FernGully: The Last Rainforest), this rescue adventure works well enough.  From dressing MAC up like a teddy bear to the cameo from Ronald McDonald himself, this is one dance party that just doesn’t quit.  Especially when MAC is tearing through suburban America in a remote control car while Bobby Caldwell sings “Take Me (I’ll Follow You)” and just wait until the birthday party at the local McDonalds!  Woot woot!

Mac tonight, anyone?

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Mac and Me: Collector's Edition (1988) - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: PG.
Runtime:
95 mins
Director
: Stewart Raffill
Writer:
Stewart Raffill, Steve Feke
Cast:
Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, Tina Caspary
Genre
: Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-fi
Tagline:
Out of this world and into your heart.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Just keep him dancing and they'll just think it's a teddy."
Theatrical Distributor:
Orion Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
August 12, 1988
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
August 7, 2018
Synopsis: From the far reaches of space, a family of extraterrestrials finds themselves accidentally transported to Earth. Escaping from a government facility, the youngest of this alien brood is separated from the others. Now alone, afraid, and millions of miles from home, this Mysterious Alien Creature (MAC) must rely on the kindness and friendship of a very special boy named Eric (Jade Calegory) in order to survive this strange new world. With the help of Eric's family and friends, they'll undertake the journey of a lifetime to reunite MAC with his family.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Mac and Me: Collector's Edition (1988) - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Collector's Edition

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray
- August 7, 2018
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

MAC and Me is presented on Blu-ray thanks to Shout Factory with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio.  Supporting a DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo track, the movie, including saturation and color levels, looks good.  Black levels are solid, too.  Special effects are a bit wonky (they were at the time of the release) but the grain level is good.  Loaded with juicy details, this is an atmospheric release that doesn’t shy away from the sunlight.  It has dark layers, yes, and those shadows are well-defined and crisp but the new transfer does not disappoint.  Some shots, due to the era of the day, are fuzzier than others but the image is reasonably well defined with crisp contrasts and solid textures. Colors are solid, with reds being a standout. Blacks are, too. Surprisingly, there's enough fine detail on display to make this seem revelatory. The era-ready color palette looks terrific, too.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • There is a brand new feature length audio commentary with Director/Co-Writer Stewart Raffill and Film Historian Marc Edward Heuck.  If you are in short supply of appreciation for this copycat, start here.

Special Features:

It wouldn’t be a Collector’s Edition without some NEW supplemental material from Scream Factory.  They don’t disappoint.  From new interviews with the director to the a new interview with songwriter Allee Willis, the goods are delivered.

  • NEW "That Little Mac In The Sky" – An Interview With Stewart Raffill
  • NEW "Down To Earth" – An Interview With Songwriter Allee Willis
  • Original Trailers
  • TV Spots
  • Still Gallery

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Mac and Me: Collector's Edition (1988) - Blu-ray Review

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