This is an unusual transfer from Universal. It shows heavy interlacing in the opening credits. Thankfully this is corrected and it runs quite smoothly till about 4/5th through when the combing (from interlacing) appears again... but only briefly. This is not, in my opinion, utilizing the 'alchemist' method of transfer but rather an oversight. We'll probe Universal for an answer but overall the image quality, anamorphic on a dual-layered DVD, is quite acceptable. The image is expectantly free of damage or speckles. The screen captures below should give you a good idea of what it looks like.

I didn't find the 5.1 channel audio is particularly well separated but it does export the film's wonderful music very adeptly. Guitar riffs can sound punctuating and... quite real. Dialogue is always clean and clear. There are optional Spanish subtitles (surprisingly no English).  

Supplements include a worthwhile director commentary. Actually John Sayles is the writer/director and editor of Honeydripper. His 2.0 channel commentary is excellent and he admits to simply free-associating throughout as the film runs. As you can imagine he has so much to impart on all fronts and he is genuinely enjoyable to listen to. Sayles knows about music and I found his discussion of this the most illuminating. There are some brief interviews with John Sayles, Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton and producer Maggie Renzi. They last about 5 minutes each and are more-or-less soundbites responding to individual questions. There is a Behind the Scenes featurette running about 1/2 hour with the same participants from the interviews (and a couple more) giving input as preparation of scenes are made. 

I loved the film but it may not be for everyone. Some might find it slow and plodding but Sayles continues to demonstrate a profound ability to capture an aura - a feeling - a moment... so very well. Even with the DVDs eccentricities we recommend for presenting the film for home viewing. This is a darn good film. 

Gary W. Tooze