Buddy Holly Story [P&S]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

From the time he was a high-school student in Lubbock, Texas until his tragic death at age 22 in 1959, Buddy Holly ignored the condemnation by townspeople and his conservative relatives and dedicated his life to the new music he became famous for performing: rock 'n roll. Gary Busey stars as Buddy Holly in this widely acclaimed big-screen biography and sings well enough on camera for the film's adapted musical score to win an Oscar. Among the classic songs by Buddy Holly and the Crickets which can be heard are: Oh Boy, That'll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, and Not Fade Away. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Screen: Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: French, English, Spanish
• Features:
  • Production Notes
  • Interactive Menus Languages
  • Director Steve Rash and Gary Busey Audio Commentary
  • Bonus Trailer
  • Talent and Filmographies
  • Scene Selections

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score - 1978 (Joe Renzetti)
•     Nominated Best Actor - 1978 (Gary Busey)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 1978 (Joel Fein, Tex Rudloff, Willie D. Burton, Curly Thirlwell)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comed - 1978 (Gary Busey)

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association

•     Won New Generation Award - 1978 (Gary Busey)

• National Society of Film Critics

•     Won Best Actor - 1978 (Gary Busey)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Gary Busey - Buddy Holly
       Don Stroud - Jesse
       Charles Martin Smith - Ray Bob
       Maria Richwine - Maria Elena Holly

• Director:

  Steve Rash

• Producer:

  Fred Bauer, Fred T. Kuehnert

• Book Author:

  John Coldrosen

• Screen Story:

  Alan Swyer

• Screenwriter:

  Robert Gittler

• Cinematographer:

  Stevan Larner

• Composer (Music Score):

  Joe Renzetti

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Joe Renzetti

• Editor:

  David Blewitt

• Production Designer:

  Joel Schiller

REVIEW:

• Music that helped pioneer the rock era is at the heart of this biopic of the 1950s American songster whose life was cut short at age 22 in a plane crash. The most remarkable aspect of this film is Gary Busey's dead-on portrayal of Holly. Busey sings Holly's songs himself, and he makes the character his own without trying too hard to match Holly's iconic physical appearance. Busey won the National Society of Film Critics award as best actor of 1978, and he was nominated for an Oscar, but Academy honors went solely to Joe Renzetti for the pulsating score. The movie avoids wallowing in clichés and successfully recaptures the frenzied energy and serendipity of the early years of the rock era. First-time screenwriter Robert Gittler died the same year that the film was released. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

CUSTOMER REVIEWS: