When Chicago pimp Smooth Walker (Howard Hesseman) finds himself deep in debt to kingpin Mom (Kate Murtagh), he decides to find a patsy to blame, inventing a fictional pimp named Doctor Detroit. But Mom wants to meet the man Walker claims is muscling in on his business. So with the help of his driver, Diavolo (T.K. Carter), Walker cons timid college professor Clifford Skridlow (Dan Aykroyd) into posing as the pimp. Skridlow initially agrees in order to help the four nice women (Donna Dixon, Lydia Lei, Lynn Whitfield, Fran Drescher) he just met—oblivious to the fact that they were prostitutes—but soon discovers what he’s gotten himself into. However, he enjoys the newfound sense of freedom, power and attention that come with his flamboyant new persona, and starts to fully embrace it. Meanwhile, Skridlow’s father is chancellor at the college, which is danger of being shut down due to lack of funding. He is counting on his son to impress a wealthy alumnus, wooing him for an endowment check. However, it becomes increasingly difficult for Skridlow to keep his two worlds separate, especially as he is fighting a turf war with Mom.

I was too young to see the R-rated Doctor Detroit in theaters when it was first released in 1983, and had somehow managed to never have seen the film until now, but I’m glad that has now been rectified. This film is hilarious—every time Aykroyd appears on screen as Doctor Detroit, with his ridiculous outfit, squinting face and sneery voice, I can’t help but laugh out loud. The underlying farcical premise of the film—someone wearing a disguise and trying to maintain two different lives that will ultimately come crashing together—is nothing new, however, it is a classic comedy format that still works quite well here. I couldn’t wait to see the worlds of the professor and the pimp collide, and the comedy that would ensue.

The film is ridiculous and over-the-top at times, but that’s what makes it so much fun. Mom feels like a cartoon villain, but the film embraces that—in one scene when Doctor Detroit crashes though a fence, we see a body-shaped hole in the wood rather than the entire fence falling down. And the Doctor himself, with the crazy costume and voice, also feels a bit cartoony. However, I liked how this over-the-top person just fits into the world of the film—it doesn’t even phase the other characters.

The supporting cast is also wonderful—the ensemble works so well together, and the comedic timing feels effortless. It’s easy to see why many of these cast members went on to do a lot of other successful comedic TV and film work. You would have a difficult time making a film like this today, with its casual drug use and prostitution themes. And some of the looks/costumes, and the film’s excellent soundtrack—featuring the music of Devo, James Brown, Rick James and Pattie Brooks—may feel a bit dated, but the movie still really holds up well over three decades later. The humor is timeless. Overall Doctor Detroit is a lot of fun, and just a feel good movie that will leave you smiling at the end. This is definitely one I will revisit again soon…if only they had actually made the sequel!

The Blu-ray looks excellent for a film that’s 35 years old. While the opening scenes during the credits have some excessive grain, the rest of the film looks quite good—easily the best the film has ever looked on home video. The mono audio track provides clear dialogue throughout the film, and the music on the soundtrack sounds great. It was far more impressive than I would have imagined.

Shout! Factory usually does a great job with the supplemental material in its line of Shout Select Blu-rays, and this release is no exception. The disc contains a brand new 24-minute interview with director Michael Pressman, vintage audio interviews, photos and promotional material, and a brand new audio commentary with director Michael Pressman and pop culture historian Russell Dyball. The disc comes packed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase without a slipcover, and the insert inside the cover is reversible, giving the viewer a choice in how to display this title in his or her collection. The alternate view for this title can be seen below:

What’s Included:

Film: (1:30:17)

• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
• Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With Director Michael Pressman and Pop Culture Historian Russell Dyball (1:30:17)
  In this all new commentary, pop culture historian Russell Dyball—the producer of this Blu-ray release—interviews director Michael Pressman as they watch the film together. The director provides some fun and interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the production of the film (it’s amazing how much he still remembers 35 years later). At the same time, Dyball interjects historical facts and statistics. While entertaining, some of the stories Pressman shares are a little repetitive to the interview that is also included on the disc.
• Interview With Director Michael Pressman (24:35)
  Interesting all new interview/conversation with director Michael Pressman. He talks about the origin of the film and how the story changed from the original shirt story, the use of improvisation, casting the quartet of women, using less closeups and more wider shots to keep all of the cast in the frame, the use of drugs in the movie, the aura of John Belushi’s death, James Brown’s presence on set, prepping the junkyard sequence, the music in the film, Glenne Headly’s cut performance, the non-existent sequel, and the differences between creating drama and comedy.
• Radio Free Detroit: Inside the Doctor Detroit Audio Press Kit (24:29)
  The contents of the original audio press kit that was sent to radio stations to promote the film. As the audio plays, text on the screen describes the clips. A lot of these interviews haven’t been heard in 35 years. The sections include:
  • Dan Aykroyd – the star provides a film synopsis, and talks about his first experience in costume, the passing of John Belushi, his range as an actor, his nature as a human being and how he’d like to be remembered, the beginnings of his career, working on SNL, the deeper meaning of The Blues Brothers, and this film’s big action sequence.
  • Howard Hessman – the actor talks about his character and experience working on the film.
  • Donna Dixon -the actress discusses her role as a high class call girl.
  • Friends of the Doctor – audio testimonials about Aykroyd’s talent from former collaborators such as Steven Spielberg, John Landis, John Belushi, and Steve Martin.
  • Devo – the band talks about their contributions to the film’s soundtrack.
  • Promos – collection of short radio spots by Aykroyd to promote the film and introduce songs from the soundtrack.
• Theatrical Trailers (3:49)
  Two trailers for the film, presented in 4:3 full frame format.
• TV Spots (1:01)
  Two 30-second spots for the film, presented in 4:3 full frame format.
• Radio Spots (4:14)
  A collection of 5 radio spots that play back-to-back.
• Photo Gallery (8:18)
  Slideshow of nearly 100 production and press kit photos, magazine articles, VHS and laserdisc covers, and movie posters. Photos auto-advances every 5 seconds.

Final Thoughts:

Doctor Detroit is a hilarious film that still holds up really well 35 years later. Dan Aykroyd delivers a fun, over-the-top, almost cartoony performance, and is joined by a talented, funny ensemble cast. Shout! Factory has delivered a solid presentation along with some excellent new bonus materials that make this a must own for fans of the film, and an easy recommendation for Aykroyd fans, or those just looking for a fun comedy.