The “Addams Family” was already a long-lasting success in comic and series form, attracting more and more new fans over the decades. But for countless film fans, the two live-action movies from the early 1990s are the ultimate interpretation of the odd-morbid family – not least thanks to their eerily fun design and the cast in the best mood.
Now, 30 years after the German cinema premiere of “The Addams Family”, the first of these timelessly celebrated hits has been given an appropriate anniversary reissue: The Addams Family was released this week as a Collector’s Edition – with two cuts! In addition to the well-known theatrical version, the extended cut of the horror comedy can be seen in the set for the first time in Germany.
» “The Addams Family” Collector’s Edition at Amazon*
The Collector’s Edition is a 2-disc mediabook with a Blu-ray of the film and the German 4K premiere of “The Addams Family”. The film is on both discs in the original theatrical version as well as in the extended cut. The media book also contains a 24-page booklet. Alternatively, the Extended Cut is also completely new DVD*.
During a séance, Gomez Addams (Raúl Juliá) brings his brother Fester (Christopher Lloyd), who was believed to have been lost in the afterlife for 25 years, back to life. At least Gomez hopes so, after all the man who suddenly stands in front of the Addams mansion looks amazingly like Fester. The rest of the family, on the other hand, believes that there is a swindler striding through the halls. In particular, Gomez’s daughter Wednesday (Christina Ricci) is filled with suspicion. This is not least due to Fester’s mysterious companion, the dubious doctor Dr. Pinder Castle (Elizabeth Wilson)…
Staged by Barry Sonnenfeld, who later also shot “Men In Black” and provided the tonality of early Tim Burton through and through, “The Addams Family” attracted over a million people to German cinemas. Since then, the fan base of the film, written by Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson, has grown constantly – be it on video, DVD or through almost countless TV reruns.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the macabre humor of the eponymous family and the cynically cheerful script, one sequence has emerged as a particular fan favorite: the “Mamushka” dance scene, in which the creepy family just has (relatively) harmless fun. This scene is longer in the Extended Cut than before.
The Collector’s Edition bonus features include a foreword by Sonnenfeld to get you in the mood for the new film adaptation, as well as a newly produced special about Sonnenfeld’s vision of the Addams family. By the way, the upcoming Netflix series “Wednesday” wants to underscore the fact that their appeal goes far beyond their concise title song by presenting their very own vision of this family…
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