Troop Beverly Hills

Yes, I'm thankful that Shelley's other films like Caveman and The Money Pit DID get released in wonderful widescreen around the same time, and Outrageous Fortune is due out as a widescreener on May 6 - but why then was Troop Beverly Hills relegated to putrid pan-and-scan?

And where do most of these hunks of junk soon end up? That's right - the giveaway bin for duds - your generic $5.99 "special" at your local Boxmart store. You know, where you find all the other weak standard screen butcherings of everything from Doc Hollywood to Spies Like Us.

I think Shelley deserves much better than this, and the same goes for her performance in Losin' It, which became another travesty of DVD justice that wound up on the pan-and-scan cutting room floor. (Thankfully her excellent tawdry turn in Night Shift also survived on widescreen, at least.)

I'll quote another reviewer named Mike from this same website, who I don't know but am in complete agreement with:

"...4 Stars for the DVD - and that's only because it's finally been released on DVD. It has nothing to do with it being a bare bones release (no special features for this 80s CLASSIC!), but rather it's ONLY been released in Full Screen! WHY!?"

Yes - WHY indeed? It costs virtually nothing more to leave it in its original widescreen format, and if anything it's a lot more trouble and money to blow up and crop off almost half the picture of every scene of a film! Mike continues:

"DVDs are more or less for collectors, and true collectors definitely prefer widescreen! I do anyway, and I'm kinda sad there is no widescreen presentation."

You said it all, Mike! But I was more than sad. I was devastated!

So I advise all Shelley Long fans to rush out and buy Caveman, The Money Pit, Night Shift and Outrageous Fortune. But hold off on buying Losin' It and Troop Beverly Hills until they give us our well-deserved W-I-D-E-S-C-R-E-E-N !!!


...blue-light special, isle thirteen...cookies...   April 5, 2006
lettylynton
18 out of 20 found this review helpful

This was one of those fabulous 80's movies that Shelley Long made after her surprising "Cheers" departure. As a kid growing up, I loved this movie because it was so funny. My brother and I would watch it all the time, it got to a point where we memorized most of the lines (...blue-light special, isle thirteen...cookies...)

"Troop Beverly Hills" is a the story of a Beverly Hills homemaker (who's going through a divorce) that attempts to lead her daughter's wilderness girl troop. Phyllis Nefler (played by "Cheers" star Shelley Long) leads this group of spoiled Beverly Hills princesses.

Along their journey, they learn how to be "real wilderness girls" in a non conventional way while fighting the evils of Vesta Plendor (played by the very funny Betty Thomas.) Vesta will stop at nothing to prove Phyllis and her troop are nothing more than a group of pampered Beverly Hills brats.

Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper from "Three's Company") also has a small part in this movie as Francis Temple, the good-natured wilderness girl official. Ironically, Tori Spelling (of 90210 fame) also has a small part belittling the girls from Beverly Hills!

If you're looking for classic 80's movies that are slightly off the beaten path, that everyone will love, I also recommend: Three for the Road, Who's That Girl?, Splash, The Wizard, She-Devil, Just One of the Guys, Steel Magnolias & Quick Change.

This is a great movie for kids or teenagers because it has a positive message. It is also very wholesome, there isn't any s-e-x in this movie, or any profane language.


Great "Flash Back to the '80's" Movie   July 8, 1999
6 out of 9 found this review helpful

Troop Beverly Hills is one of the greatest "'80s" movies there ever was. I saw this for the first time when I was ten (I'm 19 now) and I have loved it ever since. You just have to love this dyfunctional bunch of spoiled little rich girls because they try so hard to accomplish their task of becoming Wilderness Girls when everyone is against them. Will they succeed, or give in to what everyone else believes? Only time will tell. For those of you who are true children of the "'80s" check out the cast for such stars as Kellie Martin, Tori Spelling, and Jenny Lewis. I love this movie because it makes me feel ten years old again. Grab the sleeping bags and Barbies out of the closet and make a night of it with Troop Beverly Hills! You won't be disappointed!


ATTENTION KMART SHOPPERS!   October 9, 2004
S. Quinto (Guatemala, Guatemala)
5 out of 8 found this review helpful

Shocking but as time passes by I understand why 80's comedy cheap movies where the cream of the cop....well they were simply carefree movies that didn't mind been extremely cheesy, corny, lame and outrageous, Beverly Hills Trooper, is one of those absurd movies that as simple as it comes, it's really funny....I was a kid when this movie came, and as a BOY I thought the movie was well, s..., but then it was so so so out of place, out of reality, that you end up laughing and liking Miss Long....well this is a akward movie about some brats from of course Beverly Hills tryin' to make it into the wilderness, but they missachieve some purposes cos of their wealthy nature, this movie is funny. One of those cult ones. *****FIVE STARS


The Greatest   June 16, 2000
Dale Hagan (Illinois)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Troop Beverly Hills is the funniest and greatest moovie ever made. The Beverly Hills Troop is looking for a new Wilderness Girl leader Hannah's mom Philis Nefler volunteers to be the new leader. meanwhile the head leaders assistant Velda Plender is trying to get rid of the troop. Mrs. Nefler is going through a divorce. So she takes the girls shopping and to get their nails done and they earn patches for it. Velda doesn't think that is right so she sends a spy to spy on Mrs. Nefler's troop. They are earning patches that wilderness girls do not earn. At the cookie fundraiser the troop that sells over 1,000 boxes gets to attend the annual Jamboree Troop Beverly Hills sells over 4,000 boxes and they end up winning the contest. Velda gets fired and ends up working at K-Mart.