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Flashdance
R1 - America - Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Pat Pilon (29th October 2007). |
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The Film
 The first scenes of the movie play over 'What a Feeling', by Irene Cara, but thanks to my clubbing days, I'll always associate that song with the Global Deejays version. I suppose that goes to prove how influential and enduring this movie has become. The movie has had influence everywhere. In fact, the music-video-look of the movie actually become a music video with Jennifer Lopez's 'I'm Glad'. The movie is so dated, in fact, that poking fun at it is just not as fun as it sounds. Leg warmers, big hair, synth songs, it's all there and all shoved in your face, it seems. This is only because the movie more or less started this style (or at the very least brought to the nation) and it goes to show how popular it became. The movie has some impressive talent in it. Adrian Lyne directed, Jerry Bruckheimer produced and Joe Eszterhas wrote. Okay, that last one isn't all that impressive, but on the whole the movie is technically pretty impressive. Mr. Lyne's signature lush cinematographic eye is present, and the musical scenes are very energetic. These scenes are imbued with Mr. Esztersas's signature sleaze. The rest of the movie is more or less a basic romance story, and unfolds in typical style. Mr. Bruckheimer and his knack for gearing movies towards the general population is probably responsible for this part of the movie. Together, things work pretty well, making for a nice movie. The only real problems come with the acting and the ramifications of that problem. Star Jennifer Beals (who's had a ressurgence in popularity with her role in 'The L-Word'), at the start of her career, was cute, but wasn't the best actress. She's okay when she doesn't have to emote or talk too much but when she has to cry or tug at your heartstrings, it's a bit flat. The stand-up comic/cook friend (Kyle Heffner), as well, can't seem to do anything right. The only consistently good actor in the entire movie is Michael Nouri, but then again he doesn't have to do much with his role. He's rich, he's handsome, and that seems to be enough for his range. What really works is the energy of the movie during the musical numbers. Like 'Coyote Ugly' after it (also, coincidentally, produced by Mr. Bruckheimer), the love story is simple and ultimately pointless. The movie is about Jennifer Beals, a welder-by-day, exotic-dancer-by-night who dreams of being a ballerina. The real fun comes in the dance sequences. They're full of life and Mr. Lyne's great eye comes out. The scene are (well, for the time, at least) sexy and vibrant. The music is very appropriate and the rhythm and flow of these scenes is very impressive. The choreography and costumes are horribly dated, but the movie made $150 million dollars for a reason. It sure wasn't the stand-up comedy, I can tell you that. Whatever the reason, the movie hit it big and its influence can still be seen today. It's horribly dated, which makes for some fun viewing. I wasn't old enough to have seen the movie in theatres, so maybe I don't completely understand its appeal. It's not a bad movie and it has its nice moments. I just wish someone could answer one question for me: What kind of gym do these girls work out in?
Video
1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture, to me, is more impressive than the sound. The print has been wiped clean of all specks, dirt, scratches and any possible blemishes. The colours may be a tiny bit faded, but they're still very bright and colour saturation is very nice. The contrast is also very good, with colours being distinct, yet transitions very smooth. There isn't much noise in the darker scenes and the film doesn't exhibit any grain. I think I noticed a little bit of edge enhancement in a couple of scene, but I had to look for it. The print looks very nice, though from the first scene you can tell it's not a new release. It is, however, a very strong picture.
Audio
The movie comes with English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, French Dolby Digital 2.0 surround and Portuguese Dolby Digital 2.0 mono tracks. The original track was probably stereo and the mixers did a nice job keeping the original feel intact. The dialogue is centered and always clear and unmuffled. There isn't too much ambiance or use of the rears in these scenes, but these things weren't in the original mix so this can be forgiven. The musical numbers bring out a bit more in the sound field, with the front speakers coming alive a bit more. It's nothing to spectacular and overall seems a bit flat. However, the music is clear and distinct, and every note of that synth score comes out very clearly. English, Spanish, French and Portuguese subtitles are provided.
Extras
The special features come in the form of five featurettes, each of which focus on one aspect of the movie and each of them featurette Jerry Bruckheimer, Adrian Lyne, Michael Nouri and a few other cast and crew members. Fans of Jennifer Beals, however, will be disappointed to know she is completely absent from these featurettes. The featurettes are 'The History of Flashdance' (14:41), 'The Look of Flashdance' (9:13), 'Flashdance Music and Songs' (6:11), 'Flashdance, The Choreography' (10:09) and 'Releasing the Flashdance Phenomenon' (8:52). Together, they make a terrific documentary about the movie and its enduring appeal. The producer, director and various other people recall how the movie came about and talk about the more iconic parts of the movie, like the water sequence (parodied countless times), and the ripped sweatshirts and legwarmers. The actors talk about their characters and how they got the part. A very important part of the movie, the discussion of the music is a lot of fun. It's a very interesting and well-rounded documentary. What's left after that is pretty small. A teaser trailer (1:31), a theatrical trailer (1:56) and a preview for 'Dreamgirls' (2:31) finish out the disc. It's a nice package. The set also comes with CD with 6 songs from the movie. You can listen to 'Flashdance: What a Feeling' by Irene Cara, 'Manhunt' by Karen Kamon, 'He's a Dream' by Shandi, 'Lady Lady Lady' by Joe Esposito, 'Romeo' by Donna Summer and 'Maniac' by Michael Sembello. It's a good way to relive the good old days.
Overall
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