This is the city… and only Dan Aykroyd and Oscar winner Tom Hanks can save it in this hilarious box-office blockbuster that pays homage to the famed original police radio and TV dramas of the 50s and 60s. As part of The Fabulous 80’s series this Blu-ray includes a bonus double-sided fold-out poster of all new artwork created by Rich Davies.
‘Dragnet' is directed by Tom Mankiewicz (‘Diamonds Are Forever', ‘Live and Let Die', ‘The Man with the Golden Gun', ‘Superman: The Movie', ‘Superman II') and written by Dan Aykroyd and Alan Zweibel. Zweibel is known for producing ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm' – and won 4 Emmy’s between 1975-78.
Aykroyd plays Joe Friday, nephew of the original series star of the same name. He had always been a huge fan of the 1951 Dragnet series, giving many of his previous characters the ability to recite technical jargon in the same way that Joe Friday recites laws and police procedures; such as when Elwood describes the specifications of the “Bluesmobile” in The Blues Brothers.
Aykroyd originally wanted his ‘The Blues Brothers' co-star Jim Belushi to play opposite him, but he was unavailable and Tom Hanks was cast as Pep Streebek instead. Streebeck’s TV watch was real. SEIKO invented it in 1983. It had a black-and-white display and a separate battery pack/tuner about the size of a Walkman.
Tom Hanks still knows the “City of Crime” rap song off by heart which he recorded with Dan Aykroyd to promote the film. It was played constantly on MTV throughout the summer of 1987 and Hanks broke in to the rap on The Graham Norton Show back in 2016.
Harry Morgan from the original series reprises his role as Bill Gannon now a captain and Friday’s boss. The film was a substantial hit, grossing more than $66 million domestically, and ranking 14th at the 1987 box office.
Aykroyd is at his comedic best as the namesake nephew of Detective Sgt. Joe Friday. Like his uncle, he's a blue suited, by-the-rules cop who reluctantly joins forces with his footloose partner Pep Streebek (Hanks) to rescue the City of Angels from the machinations of a power-mad Reverend and corrupt Police Commissioner.
‘Dragnet' is released on Blu-ray by Fabulous Films Ltd / Spirit Entertainment on Monday 3rd March 2025.
To celebrate the release we've got 2 copies on Blu-ray to give away. For your chance to win, enter below:
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