Blu-ray Review – Harlem Nights

In the years leading up to the production of 1989's "Harlem Nights," star Eddie Murphy was viewed as basically unstoppable. He was young, hilarious, and participated in major box office hits, including the top-grossing movie of 1984, "Beverly Hills Cop." Hollywood quickly learned Murphy could put butts in seats, even for mediocre endeavors, such as 1986's "The Golden Child," and he managed to turn a stand-up comedy feature (1987's "Raw") into event cinema. Murphy was everything, especially to Paramount Pictures, who looked to the actor to generate blockbusters, including 1987's "Beverly Hills Cop II," and especially 1988's "Coming to America," which wasn't warmly received by critics and not expected to reach a large audience by the studio, but it became a word-of-mouth smash, proving Murphy didn't need a gun or a fast mouth to inspire ticket sales. By 1989, Murphy could make any project he wanted to, and he did, putting himself in charge of "Harlem Nights," which marked his directorial debut. Suddenly, the superstar was the principal creative force for a period gangster film, generating a major ego-stroke effort that also happens to be incredibly entertaining, periodically hilarious, and loaded with outstanding talent both in front of and behind the camera. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com