|
We have started a Patreon page with the hopes that
some of our followers would be
willing to donate a small amount to keep DVDBeaver
alive. We are a tiny niche, so your
generosity is vital to our
existence.
We are talking about a minimum of
$0.10 - $0.15 a day, perhaps a
quarter (or more) to those who won't
miss it from their budget. It
equates to buying DVDBeaver a coffee
once, twice or a few times a month.
You can then participate in our
monthly
Silent
auctions,
and have exclusive access to many 'bonus' High Resolution screen captures - both
4K UHD
and
Blu-ray
(see
HERE).
|
|
|
Roxanne [Blu-ray]
(Fred Schepisi, 1987)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Columbia Pictures Industries Video: Eureka
Disc: Region: 'B'-locked (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:46:51.446 Disc Size: 34,896,619,304 bytes Feature Size: 34,355,973,696 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.91 Mbps Chapters: 7 Case: Transparent Blu-ray case Release date: November 21st, 2016
Video: Aspect ratio: 2.4:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 3470 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3470 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles: English (SDH), none
Extras:
• Original theatrical trailer (1:35)
Bitrate:
Description: Steve Martin delivers a magnificent performance as an engaging small town fire chief who has only one tiny flaw - his astonishingly long nose. Although he considers it no laughing matter, the hilarity never stops as C.D. Bales (Martin) contends with his bumbling crew of firemen, and his secret love for gorgeous astronomy student Roxanne (Daryl Hannah.)Unfortunately, she is attracted to fireman Chris (Rick Rossovich), who's tall on looks and short on conversation. And when C.D. agrees to coach the dumbstruck Chris in his pursuit of the fair maiden, this ticklish triangle dissolves into a hilarious series of rib-tickling romantic misadventures. Written by Martin as an update to Cyrano de Bergerac, and directed by Fred Schepisi, this remains an enchanting classic. Eureka Classics is proud to present a new Dual-Format edition for the first time in the UK.
The Film: Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, thanks to Martin's adaptation which translates the big-nosed duellist-philosopher-poet into the Fire Chief of a small American town, provides the perfect vehicle for his comic intelligence. His Chief Bales is a complex creation, falling in love with astronomer Roxanne (Hannah), a romantic beauty who craves communion with a fine mind, but automatically taking a back seat because of his appearance. Chivalrously, he supports the courtship of Roxanne by Chris (Rossovich), the dimmest of his firemen, winning her for him with his words, dictating the love letters and even hilariously stage-managing the wooing via radio-waves until the duffer repeats police messages. Chris, and the inept firemen in general, seem to have been cast in Martin's old role as the jerk, leaving the star free to parade subtler gifts. As a result, Roxanne is far and away his richest film to date, lyrical, sweet-natured, touching, and very, very funny. Excerpt from TimeOut located HERE Behind the clownish makeup, Steve Martin gives a sweet and serious performance as a latter-day Cyrano de Bergerac in ''Roxanne.'' It's easy to see why Mr. Martin, who wrote the film and served as its executive producer, was moved to re-invent this role. The turnabout of identities must have intrigued him, with one man writing love letters in the name of another; stories about confused identities have attracted Mr. Martin a number of times before. The star-crossed romance must have been appealing, too, since Mr. Martin conveys hopeless longing very well. And the nose itself is a perfect prop for a man who began his career with a fake arrow through his head, a man who has since evolved from a coolly absurdist stand-up comic to a fully formed, amazingly nimble comic actor. Excerpt from the NY Times located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Roxanne has arrived on Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment in the UK. This is dual-layered with a max'ed out bitrate. It is neither glossy nor pristinely sharp but shows some depth and colors are bright and pleasing. The visuals are decent but not exceptional - which, I suspect, is a factor of the late 80's production. The 2.4:1, 1080P, presentation is consistent and damage free with no digital noise issues.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :Eureka give the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround at a healthy 3470 kbps (24-bit) or a simpler linear PCM stereo track. The surround has some separation but the depth is more prevalent in the film's few aggressive effect sounds (fire engine alarm etc.). The film's score is by Bruce Smeaton (The Cars That Ate Paris, Circle of Iron) and remains light and pleasing in the lossless. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles and m y Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked.
Extras : Only a trailer and being Dual-Format a second disc - DVD - is included.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze November 10th, 2016
|
|
About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3500 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. 60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD
Oppo Digital BDP-83 Universal Region FREE Blu-ray/SACD
Player APC AV 1.5 kVA H Type Power Conditioner 120V Gary W. Tooze ALL OUR NEW FORMAT DVD REVIEWS
|
CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
|
Gary Tooze
|
|
Thank You!
