Sixteen Candles

An uncommon teen sex comedy that was seen through the eyes of a young female resonated with teenagers back in 1984. And now those teenagers who've now become adults can enjoy the humor and heart of that film on Blu-ray. "Sixteen Candles" will make one laugh with its depiction of nerdy boys, while also tugging at the nostalgic heartstrings at the heartbreak of having a high school crush.

Out in a fantastic high-definition release from Arrow Video, "Sixteen Candles" was the late filmmaker John Hughes' first film and made stars out of both Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall. The two talented actors became part of the notorious "Brat Pack" and got cast again together a year later in Hughes' "The Breakfast Club."

The story of Samantha (Ringwald) whose 16th birthday gets ignored and overshadowed by her older sister's wedding shows the trials and tribulations (in one day) of a teenage girl growing up in the early 1980s. Sam has a crush on the seemingly unavailable Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) but Sam's awkward ways squash any notion of approaching her unrequited love.

Instead, she's hounded by Farmer Ted (Hall) who harasses her on the bus, at the school dance, and later in a pivotal scene, in a car where the two find a mutual way to get along.

Along for the fun ride in "Sixteen Candles" are young actors John and Joan Cusack (in small roles) and the foreign exchange student Long Duck Dong (Gedde Watanabe), who became an iconic comedy movie character.

It wouldn't be an Arrow Video Blu-ray release without a slew of bonus material. There's only one archive documentary titled "Celebrating Sixteen Candles." The rest of the brand-new extras feature separate interviews with many of the supporting actors that appear in the film. Even though these actors don't have as much screen time as Ringwald or Hall did, these talented people created movie roles in "Sixteen Candles" to enjoy for even more years to come.

"Sixteen Candles"
Blu-ray
$39.95
www.arrowvideo.co.uk