‘The Big Bus’ Blu-Ray Review – Inconsistent Disaster Spoof Movie Offers Fleeting Amusement

A wonderful spoof of disaster films, The Big Bus is about the world’s first nuclear-powered bus—a 75-ton monster on 32 enormous wheels—and its maiden journey from New York to Denver. Jockeying the world’s greatest bus, of course, is the world’s greatest bus driver (Joseph Bologna, Cops and Robbers). His co-pilot (John Beck, Sleeper) is given to sudden blackouts and has a penchant for driving on the shoulders of the road. A pair of evil-doers (including José Ferrer, Cyrano de Bergerac) vow to destroy the bus at the outset, thus providing hilarious suspense. Guess who will die (laughing) among the all-star cast also featuring Stockard Channing, René Auberjonois, Ned Beatty, Ruth Gordon, Harold Gould, Larry Hagman, Sally Kellerman, Richard Mulligan, Lynn Redgrave, Bob Dishy, Stuart Margolin and Howard Hesseman. Wonderfully directed by James Frawley (Kid Blue, The Muppet Movie).

For thoughts on The Big Bus, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here. 

[youtube https://youtu.be/8VuXnHIaTrw?t=110]

Video Quality

Kino Classics presents The Big Bus with a major upgrade in the form of a new 1080p master transfer in 2.35:1 sourced from a 4K scan of the Original 35mm Camera Negative that looks really great. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain free of any compression artifacts or other such anomalies. The grain always resolves evenly without becoming loose or clumpy. The film features some vibrant colors within the production design and costumes that radiate off the screen with a great vibrancy. 

The film is remarkably clear with no noticeable instances of damage or dirt detected here. Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up solid black levels that stay strong even in the shadows. There is a welcome uptick in fine detail that should please longtime fans. Subtle details in the background make an impression more than ever before, often revealing new gags you previously would have overlooked. Kino Classics has put their best foot forward here.  

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a top notch DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that serve this film really well. Dialogue and background noises are balanced in perfect harmony with all competing elements so that nothing gets overshadowed. This track shows no discernible age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. All of the sound effects and music appear to be faithful to the intent of the creative team. The soundtrack delivers an experience that is both vibrant and clear. This disc maintains a flawless sense of fidelity that aids the tone of the overall narrative. This is another winner from Kino Classics. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson provide an incredibly informative track in which they discuss the origins of this film, the cinematic landscape of the time, the impressive ensemble, the films that inspired this spoof, the ways in which the film was ahead of its time and more. 

• TV Spots: There are three TV spots totaling a minute-and-a-half provided here. 

• Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided for The Big Bus. There are also trailers provided for Honky Tonk Freeway, Million Dollar Mystery, Take This Job and Shove It, In God We Trust, Continental Divide, D.C. Cab and Moving Violations. 

Final Thoughts

The Big Bus is an early entry into the rich spoof genre, but like many of this ilk, not all the laughs hold up and the humor can be very inconsistent. The film maintains a base level of amusement, but it is not something that keeps you laughing out loud throughout. The ensemble is pretty great all around, and they give it their all to sell these jokes. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a formidable A/V presentation and some good supplemental features. If you are a fan of the film, this release does not disappoint. Recommended 

The Big Bus is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.