Fletch (The "Jane Doe" Edition)

Amazon.com

Gregory McDonald's lightweight mystery novel about an undercover newspaper reporter cracking a police drug ring is transformed by screenwriter Andrew Bergman (Blazing Saddles, and writer/director of The Freshman and Honeymoon in Vegas) into a fairly sarcastic and occasionally very funny Chevy Chase vehicle. Enjoyment of the film pivots on whether you find Chase's flippant, smart-ass brand of verbal humor funny, or merely egocentric. If you don't like Chase, there's really no one else worth watching (Geena Davis is sadly underused). Chase seems born to play I.M. "Fletch" Fletcher, a disillusioned investigative reporter whose cynicism and detached view on life mirrors the actor's understated approach to comedy. Fletcher offers Chase the opportunity to adopt numerous personas, as his job requires numerous (bad) physical disguises, and much of film's humor centers on the ridiculous idea that any of these phony accents or bad hairpieces could fool anyone. These not-so-clever disguises are put to use when Fletch becomes involved in the film's smart but continually self-mocking two-part mystery. As well as trying to gather drug-smuggling evidence against the LAPD for a long-overdue newspaper story, a rich and apparently terminally ill stranger also offers Fletch a large payoff to kill him. While the film does a fairly good job juggling both of these plots, not to mention tossing in a love interest as well, it's subservient, for better or worse, to Chase's memorable one-liners and disguises. Followed by two forgettable sequels that lack both the original's wit and Chase's attention span. --Dave McCoy

Description

Chevy Chase is at his hilarious best as Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, a newspaper reporter who changes his identity more often than his underwear. While working on a drug expose, he stumbles onto a scam that gets him up to his byline in murder, police corruption and forbidden romance. For this ace newsman, it'll be the story of the year, if he can only stay alive till the deadline. Featuring all-new bonus features, Fletch: The "Jane Doe" Edition is a must-own comedy-thriller classic. Just don't call him "Irwin"!

Customer Reviews:

Movie - 5 Stars, Extras - NO STARS.......2007-08-15

The exec at Universal who approved of the extras on this DVD needs to be fired... or better yet, escorted to the Hollywood border and banished for life. I have never seen worse extras on a DVD - these extras are so bad, I would rather have a version of the DVD without them.

The extras completely disrespect this film.

I want my money back.

The film is probably Chevy Chase's best work... and one of the few good mystery films to come out of Hollywood since CHINATOWN.

So what do we get for extras? A completely self-indulgent film starring the *producer of the extras* who thinks that he is funny - but he is not. He does a pile of lame gags that are not funny, and interviews some cast and crew memebers - which would be okay, except at least half of the interviews are about *him* - the producer of the extras! He's some guy in his late 20s who obviously thinks the world revolves around him. After a few minutes, you're tired of the guy - his ego is *massive* and his talent is miniscule.

No Chevy Chase interview - which is weird because Chase has done all kinds of low budget films lately - many haven't even been released (BAD MEAT).

Also - nothing about the Fletch novels by Greg Mcdonald - the *source* of the character and story. The novels were so popular that they bought the rights to use the novel's logo for the movie. But from these extras you would never even know there was a book - let alone and entire series. And you's never know these books are big award winners, and bestsellers. They just ignore the books completely.

Instead of any behind the scenes, instead of anything about the books, instead of anything about the director (who made some great stuff - and made Robert Redford into a big star), instead of anything that focuses on the very clever plotting of the story (from the book), we get a short about the extras producer and a bunch of random clips from the film.

Someone at Universal should lose their job over this.

See the movie, avoid the extras at all costs.

- Bill

Meh.......2007-07-25

While this holds a special place in people's hearts, it really is a mediocre film. Chase's one-liners are funny at times (I did pull-over before, I'll pull over later) and other times complete miss-fires (I'm not talking nodoz or cough syrup, I'm talking the hard stuff). The movie, while not the best, can be watched again and again and has garnered quite the cult following. The bad thing about this edition? The absolutely horrendous featurette that features more of some guy who worked on the DVD trying to round up cast members and worrying about himself than it pays attention to the movie itself. What a terrible terrible feature.

Classic Chevy.......2007-07-03

You know what Fletch is -- classic Chevy Chase in a movie written for, well, classic Chevy Chase. While the plot is rather thin, it is a solid, if not perfect, vehicle for Chase's comic genius honed in SNL skits. The direction is a little heavy handed for Chevy Chase; you can readily see the moments when Chase is acting according to script, vice when he's adding his own comic touches. Nevertheless, Fletch is a pure-fun movie that will appeal to almost any age. And if it weren't for the infamous "Fetzer valve," an awful lot of mechanical glitches would still be chocked up to gremlins!

One of the best, if not the best, Chevy Chase role of all time.......2007-06-03

When I was about eight years old, Fletch was released in the movie theaters. And I absolutely loved it. Everything about it was cool, from the dorky tall guy humor, to the car chase in the Alfa, to the Harold Faltermeyer soundtrack. Indeed, it sat at the top of my list (along with Beverly Hills Cop (Special Collector's Edition), another detective-who-impersonates-people-with-hilarious-results flick with a Faltermeyer score) of Movies To Live By, for many years. I used lines such as, "Can I borrow your towel? I just hit a water buffalo" with my classmates, but all I drew were blank stares and comments like, "you're weird." Such was third grade.

Many years later, I made the mistake of selling my VHS copy of Fletch in a bulk auction with about thirty-three other tapes. I was moving, so it made sense, but I regretted losing my only copy -- and there was no DVD available to replace it!

So now the movie has been released on DVD (a second time after a gap of a few years) in the "Jane Doe Edition," so named for Irwin Fletcher's by-line. And now that I am married, and my wife has seen the movie with me, I am aware of the movie's shortcomings. In fact, if you don't like Chevy Chase, you might think this movie is just downright dumb. But I find it so easy to identify with a character who uses his wits to get himself out of trouble that I can easily overlook some less-than-credible plot elements and the use of Geena Davis as a doormat.

Here's how the story goes: Fletch is an investigative reporter pretending to be a junkie, blending in on the LA beach with many who are the real thing. He is trying to find out the source behind the drugs so that he can make headlines in the newspaper he works for. At the same time, he is offered $50,000 and a foolproof escape plan to kill a wealthy man named Alan Stanwyk, who says he is dying of bone cancer.

Much of the story revolves around Fletch pretending to be other people while he gently pries information out of gullible and confused bystanders. In a typical scene, Fletch passes for a government messenger (Mr. Poon) who has to collect information on allegations about the company Stanwyk has married into. He interviews the CEO of Boyd Aviation, who also happens to be Alan Stanwyk's father-in-law, and finds out all kinds of information that helps get to the bottom of the unusual proposition. Whether this seems credible or not is beside the point. The characters Chase comes up with take center stage, as he wriggles his way into any subculture he pleases by using a few props and a quick wit.

The "Jane Doe Edition" does have a few extras, of course, besides the external sleeve that reveals various Fletch identities, depending on perspective. In the Special Features you will find a chuckleworthy mockumentary in which an amateur filmmaker does some interviews with people who worked on the movie. There is also a brief bit in which the make-up artists and producers talk about the many disguises Fletch uses. Besides the obligatory trailer, you will also find a clever montage piecing together some of the funniest moments of the movie, grouped loosely by category: foreign phrases, noises made with the mouth, et cetera. It's fun for long-time fans in particular.

One of my only misgivings about the DVD is the lack of any new Chevy Chase material. There are no interviews with him, no commentaries, nothing more recent than what he did in the original movie. His career is not exactly red-hot these days; would it have been so difficult to get him on board? My guess is that his asking price was a bit too high, but there are legions of twenty- and thirty-something American men who make this movie a part of their own personal philosophy and religion. It is this cult following which should keep the "Jane Doe Edition" sales strong for years to come.

Finally!!! Fletch is a modern classic this DVD worth the wait!!.......2007-05-30

Fletch is a true modern classic. I have been looking for a updated DVD of this great movie for years. This DVD version is well worth the wait. All Fletch fans will love it and new Fletch fans will be created. The special features are just "OK", but just to have this movie in a high quality DVD format is just what doctor "Rosen Rosen" ordered.

Average customer rating:

Almost as Good as Fletch
Great transaction. Thanks!
Fletch Lives.... Fletch Laughs
Fletch Lives on
In his next film, please wear more disguises!

Fletch Lives
Starring: Chevy Chase , Hal Holbrook , Julianne Phillips , R. Lee Ermey , and Richard Libertini
Director: Michael Ritchie
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009W5F3
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Product Description

Director Michael Ritchie and Chevy Chase team up once again for FLETCH LIVES, with Chase reprising the role of Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, newspaper journalist and master of disguise. When his recently deceased aunt bequeaths her decrepit manor to him, Fletch travels down south to rural Louisiana. Initially, things go well, especially when he hooks up with a flirtatious southern belle. But when he wakes up the morning after, he's shocked to find that she has been murdered. In order to catch the killers and clear himself, the intrepid, chameleon-like Fletch must infiltrate the congregation of Jimmy Lee Farnsworth (R. Lee Ermey), a greedy local preacher who wants to gain control of Fletch's land in order to build a Bible-themed amusement park. Written by Leon Capetanos, FLETCH LIVES crackles with the same blend of rapid-fire dialogue and visual jokes as the original.

System Requirements:

Starring Chevy Chase, Hal Holbrook, Julianne Phillips

Directed by Michael Ritchie

Running time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

Amazon.com

Before his movie career completely tanked, Chevy Chase made one of the few films that gave him a chance to display his comic versatility: 1985's Fletch, the Michael Ritchie-directed comedy about an investigative reporter who specializes in going undercover on big stories. Lightning, however, didn't strike twice when Ritchie and Chase went back to Gregory MacDonald's novels for a second helping. This sequel features Chase once again as Fletch, super-reporter, who heads from L.A. to the South, where he supposedly has inherited an estate. Before long, he's become involved in a murder plot and is trying to stay out of the killer's sights himself. The material is considerably weaker, revealing Chase's shortcomings as an ad lib comic. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Almost as Good as Fletch.......2007-04-11

Though the sequel isn't as laugh-packed as "Fletch", it still has many great moments and always at the very least will be funnier than Hudson Hawk or for that matter Chevy's own "Funny Farm".

Great transaction. Thanks!.......2007-01-30

Fast delivery. Good packaging. Good deal. Need I say more.

Fletch Lives.... Fletch Laughs.......2007-01-09

I've enjoyed this movie every time I've watched it. I love Chevy Chases quick wit, subtle humor & facial expressions that keep you wanting more. Comedies these days are laden with extreme cursing & bad taste... Fletch is none of that! Good old fashioned FUNNY!

Fletch Lives on.......2007-01-04

The Fletch movies are some Chevy Chase's best work. The role is perfect for him and he brings the movie alive. I only wish there had been more then two movies.

In his next film, please wear more disguises!.......2006-09-30

I don't think I'd ever heard of Fletch before meeting my boyfriend, never mind Chevy Chase. Since then, I've had the opportunity to see some of the Chevy Chase films that he's best known for, but I still prefer the National Lampoon series. They're slightly more memorable. I consequently bought my boyfriend all the Fletch books by Gregory McDonald last Christmas or something. I finally relented and watched Fletch Lives, cos I was getting sick of the puppydog eyes.

Fletch Lives has Chevy Chase in a number of disguises, and all but one I recognised as being him. He's certainly one of those actors who can put on a totally different accent without any effort, and I applaud him for that, cos it's something I cannot do. It makes the characters more realistic, unlike certain actors who cannot put on a different accent no matter how much you pay them. But it still doesn't make me like Keanu Reeves any less.

Fletch discovers he's inherited a rather run down mansion down south, gives up his job, and moves down. Along the way he has daydreams along the lines of the Song Of The South movie (which I saw many, many years ago) and gets into a song & dance routine, probably spoofing Song Of The South? There's another mystery to be solved, when a woman he sleeps with, is dead by morning. Poor Fletch. Wonder what the real cause of it was?! :) He sets about solving the mystery.

I bought my boyfriend quite a few of the books, so it's a shame there's only been two films. There might even be more Gregory McDonald Fletch books out there, that I missed. There could have been a real film franchise there.

Fletch Lives is good, but is less memorable than the National Lampoon Vacation series, but still worth a watch.

Average customer rating:

Movie - 5 Stars, Extras - NO STARS
Meh
Classic Chevy
One of the best, if not the best, Chevy Chase role of all time
Finally!!! Fletch is a modern classic this DVD worth the wait!!

Fletch
Starring: Chevy Chase , Joe Don Baker , Dana Wheeler-Nicholson , Richard Libertini , and Tim Matheson
Director: Michael Ritchie
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: 0783227981
Release Date: 1998-08-19

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Movie - 5 Stars, Extras - NO STARS.......2007-08-15

Meh.......2007-07-25

Classic Chevy.......2007-07-03

One of the best, if not the best, Chevy Chase role of all time.......2007-06-03

Finally!!! Fletch is a modern classic this DVD worth the wait!!.......2007-05-30

Bryan Duncan & The Neho Soul Band: Music City Live

Average customer rating:

Bryan Duncan & the Neho Soul Band: Music City Live

Bryan Duncan & The Neho Soul Band: Music City Live
Starring: Bryan Duncan; Ricky B. Rogers; Walter Finch; Samuel A. Matthews; Phil Curry; Fletch Wiley; Tim Gaines; Matthew Burgess
Director: Bryan Duncan; Ricky B. Rogers; Walter Finch; Samuel A. Matthews; Phil Curry; Fletch Wiley; Tim Gaines; Matthew Burgess , and Ricky B. Rogers
Manufacturer: Red Road Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000BZ8MYK
Release Date: 2005-11-03

Customer Reviews:

Bryan Duncan & the Neho Soul Band: Music City Live.......2006-03-20

Entertaining, hand-claping and in the groove. If you've never had a chance to catch'em live, here's your chance... Inlightening, toe-tappin' and a'lil bit-a-soul... Not the best camera angles but still a ton of fun...

Average customer rating:

Movie - 5 Stars, Extras - NO STARS
Meh
Classic Chevy
One of the best, if not the best, Chevy Chase role of all time
Finally!!! Fletch is a modern classic this DVD worth the wait!!

Fletch [Region 2]
Starring: Chevy Chase , Joe Don Baker , Dana Wheeler-Nicholson , Richard Libertini , and Tim Matheson
Director: Michael Ritchie
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00005UWQW

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Movie - 5 Stars, Extras - NO STARS.......2007-08-15

Meh.......2007-07-25

Classic Chevy.......2007-07-03

One of the best, if not the best, Chevy Chase role of all time.......2007-06-03

Finally!!! Fletch is a modern classic this DVD worth the wait!!.......2007-05-30

Average customer rating:

polished little filmettes
Tight DBZ movie

Luminous Depths DVD
Starring: David Bryan , Timi Lee Holcomb , Fletch Sears\ , Bob LeBlanc , and Greg Estep
Director: David Bryan
Manufacturer: dbZ Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Music Video & Concerts | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00022EWBY
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Customer Reviews:

polished little filmettes.......2000-12-07

Are these music videos? These are nothing like what they show on MTV. Where are all the black chicks shaking their a***s? The music is good, and the video is tightly edited to shape the music. On that one song with the atomic explosions on it, the edits are a fraction of a second, and in sync with the music. On another song, there are fast motion street scenes where nothing changes in the background, going along with the music of Van Gogh type depression, and one powerful scream. Does this guy paint? The films are of varying quality. Some shot with new digital infra-red and some with hand held 16mm film with no lights. This reminds me of the early Scorsese pictures where Martin filmed with natural lighting only. The sound is consistent high quality. These are not basement tapes. The music is modern, even futuristic. That one song with the pyramids, I've never heard anything like that before, anywhere. Overall, very short polished films. Well worth a look and a listen.

Tight DBZ movie.......2000-10-15

This movie is very good because there are lots of battle scenes.

Fletch [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2&4 Import - Great Britain ]

Average customer rating:

Fletch [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2&4 Import - Great Britain ]
Director: Michael Ritchie
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2&4 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), Danish (Subtitles), Dutch (Subtitles), English (Subtitles), Finnish (Subtitles), Norwegian (Subtitles), Swedish (Subtitles), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: Chevy Chase added a classic comic hero to the film landscape with Fletch, one of his few truly popular star vehicles in a famously misguided post-Saturday Night Live career. Chase plays Irwin M. Fletcher, known to everyone as Fletch, a Los Angeles Lakers-loving investigative reporter with a gleeful disdain for deadlines and a knack for pushing the buttons of his frustrated editor (Richard Libertini). He's also known for donning numerous disguises and assuming zany false identities to help gain information. While pursuing an ongoing story about a powerful drug dealer who operates from Venice Beach, he comes across an intriguing offshoot in which he becomes intimately involved. Aviation executive Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) has an unusual proposition for Fletch: If Fletch agrees to an elaborate plan to kill him, for reasons Stanwyk refuses to divulge beyond explaining that he has bone cancer, Fletch will walk away with a healthy sum of money and a plane ticket to Brazil. Curious yet suspicious by profession, Fletch begins investigating Stanwyk's true motives, which leads him through numerous misadventures. Among them are a visit to a stuffy country club; a high-speed car chase with an unwitting passenger; repeat encounters with Stanwyk's wife (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), although she may not be his only one; and a trip to Provo -- that's Utah, not Spain. Inspired by a novel of the same name by Gregory McDonald, Fletch went from thriller to comedy as it was adapted into a vehicle for Chase. SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Trailer(s),

Fletch (Fletch: El Increible) [NTSC/REGION 1, 3 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]

Average customer rating:

Fletch (Fletch: El Increible) [NTSC/REGION 1, 3 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]
Director: Michael Ritchie
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Average customer rating:

Fletch [Region 2 Import]

Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Subtitles: English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish

ASIN: B000N54FYO

Product Description

"Fletch", based on a novel by Gregory McDonald, is a murder-for-laughs-thriller. Until last week, Fletch (Chevy Chase) was just another mild mannered reporter fighting for the truth, justice and a window office. But things change when he goes undercover as a minor league junkie to trace some drug traffickers. Whilst on this assignment he meets Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) who says he is dying of bone cancer and asks Fletch to murder him, so that his wife will benefit from the insurance. Stanwyk it seems has arranged the perfect crime - a feigned robbery, a getaway Jaguar and a first class ticket to Rio... But something doesn't seem quite right. And as he dons various guises in an attempt to discover the truth, Fletch finds himself being threatened, shot at, accused and arrested. And that's by the people he's trying to help!

DVD:

DVD

DVD