Dom Robinson reviews

Distributed by
Encore Entertainment

Cat.no: EE 1126

Cert: 15

Running time: 127 minutes

Sides: 2 (CLV)

Year: 1987

Pressing: 1998

Chapters: 24 (11/13)

Sound: Dolby Surround

Widescreen: 1.85:1

Price: £14.99

Extras : None

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Director:

James L. Brooks (As Good As It Gets, I'll Do Anything, Terms Of Endearment, The War Of The Roses)

Producer:

James L. Brooks

Screenplay:

James L. Brooks

Music:

Bill Conti

Cast:

Tom Grunick: William Hurt (Altered States, Body Heat, Children Of A Lesser God, Jane Eyre, Kiss Of The Spiderwoman, Lost In Space, Michael, Smoke, Until The End Of The World)
Aaron Altman: Albert Brooks (Defending Your Life, I'll Do Anything, Lost In America, Private Benjamin, Taxi Driver)
Jane Craig: Holly Hunter (Always, Copycat, Crash, The Firm, Home For The Holidays, A Life Less Ordinary, Once Around, The Piano, Raising Arizona)
Ernie Merriman: Robert Prosky (Dead Man Walking, Last Action Hero, Miracle On 34th Street (1994))
Blair Litton: Joan Cusack (Addams Family Values, The Allnighter, Grosse Pointe Blank, Mister Wrong, My Blue Heaven, Nine Months, Toys, Working Girl)
Bill Rorish: Jack Nicholson (As Good As It Gets, Batman (1989), Blood And Wine, Chinatown, The Crossing Guard, Easy Rider, A Few Good Men, Hoffa, Little Shop Of Horrors (1960), Man Trouble, Mars Attacks, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, Terms Of Endearment, The Two Jakes, The Witches Of Eastwick, Wolf)
Angry Messenger: John Cusack (Bullets Over Broadway, City Hall, Con Air, Corrina Corrina, The Grifters, Grosse Pointe Blank, The Road To Wellville, Say Anything, Shadows And Fog, The Sure Thing, True Colors)

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William Hurt is the charming, handsome anchorman. Perfect for the screen, were it not for his lack of total understanding and handling of world events. Holly Hunter is a compulsively-driven and excellent producer but wants to buck the trend towards style-over-substance news presentation but clearly it didn't work in reality because satellite television has taken to that format in a big way eleven years on. Despite this, she aims to help Hurt become a top newsman with brains to back his brawn.

The love triangle is completed by Albert Brooks, an experienced and talented reporter, devoid of any on-screen charisma, but who is jealous of the relationship developing between the other two both on- and off-screen.

The picture quality is disappointingly average, alas. Throughout the film there is what can only be described as a flickering effect during the film and some dark scenes have a fuzzy look to them. I know this isn't my set-up causing this. Apart from it not happening on any other discs of mine, the 'rolling bars' freeze when I press 'pause' so it's not a case of outside interference.

The print is framed at the theatrical ratio of 1.85:1 and this film has never been released on video in a widescreen version.

The sound doesn't get much of a workout, this being a romantic comedy, but the dialogue and score from Bill Conti come across very clearly. There is some rear speaker effects in the TV studio, but this is mainly restricted to background chatter from the technicians.

The laserdisc contains 24 chapters during the 127 mins of the film and could use a few more. There is no trailer, which is prevalent on nearly all Encore's releases, but at 127 minutes the disc is nigh-on full.

Overall, this is quite an entertaining comedy, which also has a little something to say about the fact that not all news should be taken at face value. However, the quality of the transfer isn't all it could be. That said, this disc is selling for the price of the average VHS tape and I'd still take this laserdisc over a tape any day.