Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5276 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-09-04
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 110 minutes

Synopsis
Humorous tale set aboard a train bound from Los Angeles to Detroit. Gene Wilder plays an editor who becomes involved in art forgery and a murder plot, as well as having a romantic escapade with a young sexy female...all during one train ride.

Customer Reviews

A Train Ride Of Good Solid Comedy
I generally find American TV comedy to be unfunny, I just can't abide all that canned laughter on their comedy shows that appear so forced into making the audience laugh at something that just isn't funny that I've always wondered what on earth it is that they are laughing about, maybe it's the different culture thing. Now there is no laughter track on Silver Streak because it's a film and that's the amazing difference. To put it bluntly the Americans are rubbish at TV comedy but great at the movie counterpart and I've never understood why.

Silver Streak features perhaps America's best double act in the last few decades, with the exception of Steve Martin and John Candy from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, I refer to Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor of course. This was their first film together and the fact that Pryor does not feature in the film until roughly halfway through and instantly gels with Wilder was a sign that they were going to have a very successful relationship, although since Pryor's death Wilder has made the claim that they were not as close as many believed but that does not stop them being very, very funny indeed. The two are big screen comedy geniuses, sparking off each other and raising the other's performance constantly.

The idea of a story using a trek across America has always appealed to me, films such as the previously mentioned Planes, Trains...., Dumb and Dumber etc and Silver Streak all feature this aspect and it is one that I enjoy enormously, it seems to give the film time to establish the characters in a smooth and leisurely way and allows the plot to unfold gently and draws the viewer in.

The feeling for the 1970's is everpresent and as this is my nostalgic decade that can only be a good thing, I won't go into plot details but this film is well worth the 113 minutes of your time if you take my advice and buy it, it is probably the best American comedy film of the 70's and for Wilder and Pryor it was only surpassed by the masterpiece, Stir Crazy.
A very pleasant, gentle film.

Love this film. An old favourite
I think I first saw this film on video in the 80s when I was about 8 years old. Great cast, fun setting, excellent score by Henry Mancini. I recently bought the DVD in the sales and the film still holds up as being very entertaining. I'd say it's fun for the whole family. Comedy/Murder mystery adventure type film. James Bond fans might note that Richard Kiel plays a henchman with metal teeth in this film. I believe he cast as Jaws in Spy Who Loved me afterwards because of this film. Anyway, definitely get this film. They don't make them like this anymore.

Silver Streak
Gene Wilder sets off on a restful journey on the Silver Streak train. Soon after hitting it off with gorgeous secretary Jill Clayburgh he discovers her boss on the train has been murdered. Trying to reason with the suspects he is thrown off the train, and throughout the rest of the journey he is on and off it. The police catch up with the villains, Wilder, Clayburgh and their friends escape and the runaway train crashes dramatically into the terminus. Good fun and some comical episodes.