The first trailer for Craig Brewer’s Footloose arrived two weeks ago. It looks like a cross between the original film and some bump and grind teen monstrosity like Honey or Step Up. Which is no surprise once you realize MTV is behind the reboot. Regardless, other than sucking the soul out of a somewhat beloved classic in order to entice teens with shitty opinions to spend money, why even bother?
Paramount is either asking the same question, or is prepared to jump on the Footloose reboot gravy train, because the company has decided to put out its first Blu-Ray copy of the 1984 flick on September 27. In order to entice you to purchase the Blu-Ray, Paramount is also including five brand new special features, mostly exploiting Kevin Bacon. In fact, Bacon’s initial screen test and a montage of the costumes the man wore in the film are the headliners. There are also two brand new interviews, with Bacon and Sarah Jessica Parker and a “Remembering Willard” featurette.
Additionally, Paramount will include extras available with previous releases. Commentary with Bacon, producer Craig Zadan, and writer Dean Pitchford will be available, as well as the original theatrical trailer and three “Footloose” featurettes. It seems like a pretty slick release for something that will only run buyers $14.99, but then again, you can usually find a DVD copy for $5 bucks at Walmart.
MTV’s pushing the whole “reboot killed the eighties star" thing and I’m sure we’ll be forced through a few more trailers in the coming months. Though it may not be as relevant thematically to today's teens, the Footloose Blu-Ray is sure to have a hell of a lot more heart than the new nonsense. Besides, it’s better to watch Kevin Bacon then, than to catch a DirectTV commercial.
