John Hughes flicks bring us back to high school

"High School Flashback Collection" - Has a filmmaker ever connected with a particular age group as strongly as John Hughes did with the teens of the 1980s?

I doubt it. Hughes films were practically sacred texts back then. No one captured the high school experience in all its awkward, painful, embarrassing and joyful glory like he did. I remember watching those flicks in the theater and nodding - sometimes wincing - with recognition.

This week Universal rereleases three Hughes films - "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Weird Science" - as the "High School Flashback Collection." It's the third or fourth DVD release for these films, but this one stands out because bonus content appears on all three discs. Let's dig in:

"Sixteen Candles": Still my favorite Hughes flick, this ranks as one of the best teen comedies ever. Molly Ringwald heads a stellar cast in a story about an insecure suburban everyteen who wants just one thing for her Sweet 16: the love of school heartthrob Jake Ryan. The movie is hilarious without resorting to the gross-out, and it contains several moments that still bring a lump to my very-far-from-being-a-teenager's throat. Add in Anthony Michael Hall's triumphant, Oscar-caliber performance as The Geek, and you have a flick for the ages. This edition includes the remastered video and soundtrack (with the correct music cues) of the most recent DVD release and adds a nice retrospective featurette with comments from cast members, journalists and filmmakers. Sadly, Ringwald and Hughes don't participate. (Rated PG-13)

"The Breakfast Club": Ringwald and Hall join Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson in this drama about high school students from different social circles who fight, bond and make out over the course of a daylong Saturday detention. (Hughes, who grew up in Northbrook, sets the action in the old Maine North High School building in Des Plaines.) Sheedy's character - the "Basket Case" - still feels out of place to me, but the movie holds up well. The DVD includes a commentary with Nelson and Hall, a retrospective featurette and a look at the origins of the "Brat Pack" label attached to the young stars of this era. (Rated R)

"Weird Science": Hall completes his John Hughes hat-trick in this comedy, where he plays one of two high school dorks who use their knowledge of science to create the perfect woman, played by '80s goddess Kelly LeBrock. The movie is the most formulaic of the three, but it packs some big laughs, most of them provided by Hall and Bill Paxton in a classic supporting role as sadistic older brother Chet. The DVD includes a retrospective featurette. (Rated PG)

It's been more than 20 years since these films came out, but their appeal endures. These new DVDs are the best to be released for these films, even if Hughes is absent from the bonus features. (Universal, $39.98; Note: Movies available separately)

"Speed Racer" - Based on the reviews and the way this film tanked at the box office, I expected the worst. But "Speed Racer" is an entertaining (if flawed) adaptation of the cult-favorite 1960s cartoon show. Filmmaking brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski, the architects of the "Matrix" trilogy, set the film in a dazzling digital world ablaze with primary colors. I liked the Wachowskis' unique visual style, which includes brief forays into animation and the use of characters to "wipe" from one shot to the next. I also liked its tone; the film embraces the sillier aspects of the cartoon show without putting them through a filter of irony. The film's stumbling block is its script, which is bloated with too much dialogue and a much-too-complicated plot. Still, "Speed Racer" is a visual marvel that should be seen, flaws and all. The DVD is light on bonus features; only two small featurettes are included. (PG; Warner Home Video, $28.98)

"Young@Heart" - This wonderful documentary tells the story of the Young@Heart Chorus, a group of senior citizens who perform offbeat versions of rock and punk songs. You'll laugh and cry as you watch these feisty seniors try to learn songs from Sonic Youth and Coldplay while dealing with health issues and the ever-present reality of death. Seek out "Young@Heart"; it's a heartwarming, life-affirming film. The DVD comes with deleted scenes. (PG; Fox, $27.98)