City Slickers – BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION

by

Who came up with City Slickers?

Billy Crystal became well-known for his work on the comedy show ‘Soap,’ a parody of daytime dramas, and quickly transitioned to film. He developed a strong professional partnership with Rob Reiner, starting with a small part in ‘The Princess Bride’ and then a memorable role in the hit 1989 film ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ Crystal actually came up with the idea for ‘City Slickers,’ a story about a man nervously approaching his 40th birthday – an idea inspired by his own fears as he turned 40 in 1998. The screenplay was written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, an experienced writing team previously known for the popular sitcom ‘Laverne & Shirley’ and successful films like ‘Splash,’ ‘Spies Like Us,’ and ‘Parenthood.’

The City Slickers story…

The movie centers around Mitch Robbins, a New Yorker facing a crisis as he approaches middle age. Looking for a change, Mitch and his two friends, Ed and Phil, decide on an unusual vacation: a two-week cattle drive from New Mexico to Colorado. They soon find out that life on the trail, especially under the stern guidance of trail boss Curly, is much more challenging than they expected, trading the comfort of their office lives for the demands of wrangling cattle.

Getting the team together….

The film was directed by Ron Underwood, who was well-regarded for his work on the comedy horror film ‘Tremors’. The cast included Billy Crystal alongside Bruno Kirby, known for his roles in ‘When Harry Met Sally’ and ‘The Godfather Part II’, and Daniel Stern, who had previously worked with acclaimed directors like Woody Allen and Robert Redford and found success in ‘Home Alone’. Interestingly, the role initially went to Rick Moranis, but he had to step down when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. After some encouragement from his wife to take the part, he began filming, but ultimately left due to the emotional difficulty of focusing on work during such a difficult time. Daniel Stern was then asked to take over, and a pay increase helped convince him to accept.

Oscars beckoned……

Despite a relatively small budget of $27 million, City Slickers quickly became a box office hit, earning $179 million. Much of its success was due to Jack Palance’s unexpectedly comedic performance, which ultimately won him an Oscar. He playfully proved he was still fit by doing a one-armed push-up on stage after accepting the award. Palance seemed genuinely surprised by his win, considering he was up against strong competition from Tommy Lee Jones (JFK), Harvey Keitel (Bugsy), Ben Kingsley (Bugsy), and Michael Lerner (Barton Fink).

Those City Slickers – BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION bonus features……

City Slickers is a feel-good comedy, often funny thanks to Billy Crystal’s jokes about getting older. This special Blu-ray edition includes a lot of extra content, such as:

  • 2K restoration from a 4K scan
    • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
    • Original stereo audio and optional DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
    • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
    • Audio commentary with director Ron Underwood and actors Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern
    • Go Cowboy!, a newly filmed interview with director Ron Underwood
    • Top of the Class, a newly filmed interview with actor Robert Costanzo
    • Country Bumpkin, a newly filmed interview with actor Kyle Secor
    • Escape to the Country, a newly filmed interview with actor Josh Mostel
    • Back in the Saddle: City Slickers Revisited, an archival behind-the-scenes featurette with insights and interviews from the cast and director
    • Bringing In the Script: Writing City Slickers, an archive interview with Billy Crystal, screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel
    • A Star is Born: An Ode to Norman, an archive interview on how Norman’s birth was filmed
    • The Real City Slickers, an archival featurette where guests share why they chose a working ranch for their dream vacation
    • Deleted scenes
    • Theatrical trailer
    • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley
    • Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw

I have to say, the best part of this is definitely the commentary track. Hearing the director, Billy Crystal, and Howard Stern chat with the star is just gold – so many fun stories and behind-the-scenes moments! It really shows why he hosted the Oscars nine times, second only to Bob Hope. The new interviews are great too, and they fit really well with the older footage, especially knowing we’ve sadly lost both Palance and Kirby since then – both passed away back in 2006.

The 1994 sequel to City Slickers wasn’t successful; its weak plot about a treasure map only earned $43 million, effectively ending any plans for further films. However, this new limited edition release serves as a fun reminder that age shouldn’t stop anyone from enjoying life.

Here’s the City Slickers trailer….

City Slickers blu-ray limited edition is available from 19th January 2026

Read More

2026-01-17 03:24