“Bueller?”
“Bueller?”
Who can forget the clever and hilarious Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (PG-13), once they’ve seen it? Now that the films of John Hughes have come to Amazon Instant Video, you can refresh your memory (and funny bone!) with a nostalgic trip back to the 80’s—and maybe your own high school experiences—any time you like. The Instant Video of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is $2.99 to rent, and only $5.99 to buy.
Sixteen Candles (PG), the film that made Hughes’ muse Molly Ringwald a star, is also available in Instant Video format as a $2.99 rental and $9.99 purchase. In this film Ringwald plays a girl whose entire family forgets her sixteenth birthday due to her older sister’s impending marriage. As she pines for the dreamy upperclassman Jake, it seems like the only boy who’s pursuing her is a creepy, geeky freshman. Watch for John Cusack in an early, small role. Note that while this film was rated PG when it was released, due to some strong language and suggestive situations it would probably be rated PG-13 if it were released today.
Ringwald went on to star in Hughes’ Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club, too.
Pretty in Pink (PG-13), which also introduced the world to the immensely talented Jon Cryer (more recently of Two and a Half Men fame), is currently free to rent for Amazon Prime members and $2.99 to rent for non-members. It’s the story of a smart but poor girl who falls for a popular boy from a wealthy family, much to the consternation of both of their sets of friends.
The Breakfast Club (rated R) brought us not only Ringwald, but Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall (Weird Science, PG, yet another Hughes teen comedy) and Judd Nelson, and it’s currently available at $2.99 for the Instant Video rental and $9.99 for the purchase.
After making his name with this string of hit films about teens, Hughes went on to make some memorable comedies with adult stars, too.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (rated R), starring Steve Martin and the late John Candy, is an all-time comedy classic. It tells the story of one man’s desperate attempt to get home in time for Thanksgiving and the seemingly endless supply of obstacles and disasters the world can throw in his way. This Instant Video rental is currently $2.99, and the download is only two dollars more, at $4.99!
Uncle Buck (PG) is another of Hughes’ later comedies, and it also stars John Candy. In it, Candy stars as the fun loving and well meaning but hapless uncle who’s called in to care for his nieces and nephew (Macauley Culkin in his first major role) during a family crisis. The Instant Video is $2.99 for the rental, $7.99 to buy.
The surprising dramedy She’s Having A Baby (PG-13), starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern, is an oft-overlooked Hughes gem about a pair of upwardly mobile yuppies who come to question their plans to put career above all else when an unplanned pregnancy comes into the picture. This Instant Video is free to rent for Amazon Prime members and $2.99 to rent for non-members.
Definitely consider buying Planes, Trains and Automobiles while it’s on sale for $4.99 and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off while it’s just $5.99 to purchase. Both of these films are essential additions to any video library, especially if you’re a comedy fan.
And remember, when you buy a digital download you don’t have to store it on your Fire. Purchased content is stored in Amazon’s Cloud by default at no extra charge. You can stream purchased or rental videos to your Fire from the Cloud anytime you have a Wifi connection, and you can download purchases from the Cloud for future viewing when you know you’ll be away from a Wifi connection. Simply tap the Cloud tab under the Videos menu to access any of your video rentals and purchases. If you need to free up space on your Fire after watching a video you’ve downloaded, you can delete it from your Fire without deleting it from the Cloud, so it’ll always be there for future viewings.
See this page on Amazon for full details about Amazon Instant Video and the Kindle Fire.