Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4376 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-10-13
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Blood Simple made it clear that the cinematically precocious Coen brothers (writer-director Joel and writer-producer Ethan) were gifted filmmakers to watch out for. But it was the outrageously farcical Raising Arizona that announced the Coens' darkly comedic audacity to the world. It wasn't widely seen when released in 1987, but its modest audience was vocally supportive, and this hyperactive comedy has since developed a large and loyal following. It's the story of "Ed" (for Edwina, played by Holly Hunter), a policewoman who falls in love with "Hi" (for H.I. McDonnough, played by Nicolas Cage) while she's taking his mug shots. She's infertile and he's a habitual robber of convenience stores, and their folksy marital bliss depends on settling down with a rug rat. Unable to conceive, they kidnap one of the newsworthy quintuplets born to an unpainted-furniture huckster named Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson), who quickly hires a Harley-riding mercenary (Randall "Tex" Cobb) to track the baby's whereabouts. What follows is a full-throttle comedy that defies description, fuelled by the Coens' lyrical, redneck dialogue, the manic camerawork of future director Barry Sonnenfeld and some of the most inventively comedic chase scenes ever filmed. Some will dismiss the comedy for being recklessly over-the-top; others will love it for its clever mix of slapstick action, surreal fantasy and homespun family values. One thing's for sure--this is a Coen movie from start to finish, and that makes it undeniably unique. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Interactive Menus
Theatrical Trailer
Languages: English Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles: Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, English for the hearing impaired.

Synopsis
A childless couple unable to adopt decide that a couple who just had quintuplets won't mind if they steal one of the babies. Thus begins the Coen brothers' madcap romp RAISING ARIZONA. Holly Hunter stars as Ed, a cop who is devastated when she learns that she cannot get pregnant. Nicolas Cage is her husband, H.I., an ex-con who wants nothing more than to make his wife the happiest woman in the world. So if she wants a baby, she's going to have a baby, one way or another.
Heading up the supporting cast of bizarre characters are John Goodman and William Forsythe as crazy cousins who have just busted out of prison, Sam McMurray and Frances McDormand as Ed and H.I.'s swinging friends, and Randall "Tex" Cobb as a motorcycle madman hired to rescue the baby. RAISING ARIZONA is the Coen brothers' most consistently funny film. Carter Burwell's score, replete with infectious yodeling, is relentless, Barry Sonnenfeld's cinematography is beautifully wacky, and the manic dialogue is the brothers' most quotable. The film is a treat for the ears and the eyes, a one-of-a-kind sensation from a marvelous pair of filmmakers.

Customer Reviews

..."NO ....JUST CIRCULAR..."
This was a firm favourite of mine as a teenager, due mainly to the plethora of brilliantly quotable lines (teenagers,eh?) But it is still just as original, funny, strange and clever as it ever was, with a great cast of actors, the role of a lifetime for Nicolas Cage, which i'm sure helped him break out and be considered a very versatile actor, and of course the ever fantastic Holly Hunter, plus some wonderful supporting players. The Cohen brothers may of gone on and honed their craft as film makers,but they have never beaten Raising Arizona for laughs.

Sly & subversive fun
This is one of the great overlooked comedies of all time. It features Nicholas Cage, John Gooden and Holly Hunter in roles that will be a surprise to you based on other work they've done. Nicholas Cage in particular is great fun as a loopy crook who is attempting to set his life straight when his wife (Holly Hunter) decides they need to kidnap a baby; John Gooden is Cage's ex-con buddy. But instead of following this formula through predictable, Hollywood paces, the Coen brothers send it over-the-top. You can't help but laugh at the plot, the actors, and the movie makers themselves for putting this concoction together. Buy it, watch it, make your friends watch it.

Good fun
Good fun, and one of the few films where Nicholas Cage is well cast (I don't think he cuts it as a romantic lead or an all-action hero).