| Raising Arizona [1987] | ![Raising Arizona [1987]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SRGMP0P4L._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Actors: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson, John Goodman, William Forsythe
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £12.99
Buy New: £3.34
You Save: £9.65 (74%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (9 reviews)
Sales Rank: 4641
Format: Anamorphic, Pal, Widescreen
Languages: Czech (Subtitled), Danish (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Finnish (Subtitled), Hebrew (Subtitled), Hungarian (Subtitled), Icelandic (Subtitled), Norwegian (Subtitled), Polish (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Swedish (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Media: DVD
Running Time: 90 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5039036006125
ASIN: B00005K26C
Release Date: October 13, 2003
Theatrical Release Date: March 13, 1987
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 ..."NO ....JUST CIRCULAR..." March 26, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
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.
 A Miss for the Coen Brothers December 15, 2006
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
Raisin' Arizona is a "very" bizarre film, but it looks rather dated nowadays, let's be honest with that.
Considered new talents, this was their second production, after Blood Simple, trying to focus the genre of comedy, but willing to make their mark with their geniune stamp on it, a sort of been there, done that.
Raisin' Arizona doesn't have much of a plot, it pretty inventes itself on the way, a retarded Southerner who loves his beer and his television, is also a bit of a thief, whilst been suspected for a robbery, he relunctantly falls in love with the police woman photographer, but she can't have any babies, so they hatch a plan to steal one of the most desirable on this side of Arizona!
This is generally a laugh-out-loud comedy, full of crazy situations and ideas, like the motorbike guy out to get the baby and the slapstick chase after a failed attempt to steal money from a store to be able to flee to exile in Mexico.
There is a dated feel to this, with not very much bright light, very dark and distorted, like the expanded room with the babies crawling around with blue clear walls and also their house having been abanded at one stage, with the blow of a wind and litter every little space. This tried to be a cartoon, a big plastered one, that went all ways and ended getting twisted because the insane was too much to bear. I know it was supposed to be funny, but seriously, the characters weren't developed, they were there, because they made up their own dialogue and appeared in the appropriate scenes. The film looks choppy, uncomfortable and doesn't seem to have any sense of knowledge. The action happens without explanation.
I think, the coen brothers took a risk too soon with this material and it didn't work as planned. They had to make a start, but i think dealing with a comedy, especially black comedy, which is their speciality, wasn't mature as Barton Fink or The Hudsucker Proxy.
As far as i'm concerned, their successful career didn't begin until the Irish gangland Drama, Miller's Crossing in 1990.
No wonder it has been forgotten about.
 Seriously funny and very bizarre August 17, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
A smooth talking recidivist convenience store robber, falls for the police photographer who takes his mug-shot whenever he gets incarcerated. They marry, she gives up police work, he tries to go straight, they plan a family, she finds she can't have children, she sends him out to steal a baby from a couple whose fertility treatment resulted in a spectacular multiple-birth - quintuplets. They get a visit from a couple of his prison chums who tunnelled out, and who formulate their own plans for the baby. Then they get a visit from his employer and his wife and hellish kids, and they also have designs on the baby. Then some sort of spawn of the devil rides in on his Harley to "rescue" the baby. It all sounds very ordinary, doesn't it? Just every day stuff. I should also mention that it's incredibly funny though it may not sound like that from my pale and inadequate description.
I've become a fan of the Coen Bros films over recent months. There's something so twisted, delicious, irresistible and unexpected about their humour that once I'd watched three or four and noticed that all these gems were coming from the same two writers, I started scouring Amazon for more. I highly recommend this film and if you like it, then you'll probably like the others. My favourites are this film, The Hudsucker Proxy, O Brother Where Art Thou, The Big Lebowski and The Man Who Wasn't There. There are a couple that I've yet to see so that list could be shuffled later. If you haven't tried any of these films, do try one and you might find that you too become a Coen addict.
A CLASSIC COEN DARK COMEDY July 14, 2006
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
I first saw this in London on a date with a weird Goth chick who had a thing for the Coen brothers, never ever had seen a Coen film before I was a little doubt full.
WOW was I shocked, I laughed all the way through it and became a long time Coen fan.
Out of all my collection this is still my Fav and still makes me laugh and lasted longer than my date with the Goth chick.
Buy it today and you will be making not only a wise but funny choice.
A good example of a Coen Bros film December 11, 2005
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a most entertaining film about a childless couple, a recidivist petty criminal, 'Hi', perfectly cast in Nicholas Cage and his desperate wife 'Ed' well characterised by diminutive Holly Hunter, living in a trailor in the desert somewhere in Arizona. They decide to kidnap a baby from the family of Nathan Arizona, a white wood furniture manufacturer who has quins and 'therefore wouldn't miss one of them!' There are numerous 'Coenesque' characters throughout, including 2 amusing criminal brothers,friends from jail (John Goodman)and a nightmare 'Angel of Death' on a black, fire breathing Harley, as the nemisis of 'Hi'. After many adventures, including much black humour, there is a heartwarming conclusion and a 'happy ever after ending' which means that most human emotions are touched, the essence of a good comedy. Highly recommended and a good introduction to the varied films of the eccentric Coen Brothers.
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