directed
by Joe Dante
USA 1997
"What happens when Governor Farley of Idaho (Beau Bridges) decides to close his state’s borders rather than allow a planeload of immigrant orphans to make it their home? The answer is hilarious, frightening, scandalous – and may well be the start of The Second Civil War."
Theatrical Release: March 15th, 1997 - TV
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: HBO Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC
Big thanks to Adam Lemke for the Review!
| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution |
HBO Home Video Region 1 - NTSC |
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| Runtime | 1.36.24 | |
| Video |
1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | English 2.0 | |
| Subtitles | English, Spanish, French, None | |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: HBO Home Video Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 10 |
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| Comments |
The
transfer – It’s amazing that such little care has been put into this dvd,
yet we come out with such a top notch image. I could find no instances of
combing (indicating a progressive transfer). The colors are rich and the
clarity is pristine. The aspect ratio
however leaves me worried. The film was made for HBO, so I can only assume
it was shot with 1.33:1 (tv ratio) and 1.78:1 (theatrical ratio) in mind.
The presentation here is 1.78:1, which looks OK despite the occasional
instances of minor head chopping. The real
problem arises when the film shows TV footage that s clearly intended for
1.33:1. In order not to crop away vital information, the image will change
to 1.66:1 with an unbalanced black bar on the right side of the frame
only. You will still notice cropping, but information
like the “Live” graphic on the news broadcast (see last capture) can still
be deciphered. This is rather sloppy, but does not ruin the viewing of the
film. Audio and extras – Clear audio, could have benefited from a 5.1 track, but this being an HBO production, 2.0 was most likely intended. The extras are nil, the menus are lazy, and the overall package design is quite ugly. The film – Joe Dante is one of America’s finest filmmakers and this film proves exactly why. Made in 1997, it plays today as an eerily prophetic vision of the politics of our nation over the past 9 years (Florida, Lewinsky/Clinton, a nation divided by War, etc.). First-rate satire is not easy to come by, and Dante has an impeccable ability at keeping the pacing both dramatic and funny at the same time, something Kubrick managed with Dr. Strangelove. It’s unfortunate that as a director, Dante is still being relegated to cable television to make his edgy satires, as seen in his recent Masters of Horror episode “Homecoming.” These are some of the sharpest political films our country has ever produced, and they deserve to be seen! Don’t let this half-ass produced DVD deter you from checking this out! |
DVD Menus
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Screen Captures
Subtitle sample
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Example of black bar on right
side of frame during television sequences.
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| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution |
HBO Home Video Region 1 - NTSC |
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Mail cheques, money orders, cash to: or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
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Gary Tooze
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Thank You!
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