Michael Jackson was supposed to do the theme song for Addams Family Values. At the last minute, his first scandal broke and they canceled the song. The film features a hastily rendered Tag Team remix “Whoomp! The Addams Family There It Is” but there was already a Michael Jackson joke in the film.
When Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) are sent to summer camp, they are put in the Happiness Cabin. Joel Glicker (David Krumholtz) sees a Michael Jackson poster on the wall and screams. Director Barry Sonenfeld and screenwriter Paul Rudnick recorded a new commentary on the 4K UHD out now and addressed this.
“It was right as his scandal was breaking so we did not intend it to have the impact it did,” Rudnick said. “It took on a whole new resonance.”
Sonenfeld said when the joke played in 1993, it went over well.
“It had quite the impact,” Sonnenfeld said. “We thought it was funny anyway.”
The film looks great in 4K. The Addams’ graveyard in the moonlight has that pure deep night sky that is actually a soundstage backdrop. It contrasts nicely with the lush wilderness of the summer camp.
There are some subtle surround sound effects like glass breaking in the bathtub electrocution, archery arrows and zip lines at the summer camp and the house explosion.