One of Joe Dante’s finest pictures speaks heart-to-heart to gee-whiz space fans — transporting us from our backyard to the far reaches of the galaxy. With a boost from aliens unknown, Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix and Jason Presson are the intrepid space cadets that construct a fantastic vehicle from mysterious dream-signals, no Interociter required. Their dreams hint at the secret desires in their adolescent imaginations, even without an it’s-all-a-dream sandpit. They dare fly where no man has flown before, a genuine escape from the petty pressures of Junior High. New and old input on the Blu-ray finally tells the full story of the making of an underrated wonder movie.

Explorers

Blu-ray

1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 109, 106 min. / Street Date May 25, 2021

Starring: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson, Amanda Peterson, Dick Miller, Dana Ivey, James Cromwell, Brooke Bundy, Robert Picardo, Leslie Rickert, Mary Kay Place.

Cinematography: John Hora

Film Editor: Tina Hirsch

Production Design: Robert S.