6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
From a turn-of-the-century immigrant vaudevillian to a rock superstar, AMERICAN POP is the story of four generations whose lives revolve around the beat of American popular music.
Starring: Mews Small, Ron Thompson, Jerry Holland, Vincent Schiavelli, Lee VingAnimation | 100% |
Music | 45% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Somewhere between the razzle dazzle of silver age Walt Disney Animation, the darker worlds and tales of Don Bluth (you better have The Secret of NIMH in your collection) and the Hobbity nostalgia of Rankin/Bass arose animator and artisan Ralph Bakshi, an early advocate of quasi-photoreal animation best known for high post-nuclear fantasy Wizards (1977) and his unfinished adaptation of The Lord of the Rings (1978), but arguably best loved for more adult fare a la the controversial X-rated Fritz the Cat (1972), hard-hitting Fire and Ice (1983) and the much lesser known, largely underappreciated American Pop (1981). Ahead of its time with a tale of an immigrant family framed, even defined by the music of the age, it's a film that's at once trippy and drug-addled, much like the songs and performances teetering across the frame, and intimate and important, with meaning that goes beyond its parade of rock stars.
This is a tough one to analyze and grade. There isn't an extensive record of the condition of American Pop's original elements, nor its journey
to this 2023 Blu-ray release. We also don't have anyone on staff who could offer more information or insight than was found in my research. The
film's trek from 1981 to today is muddled and often mysterious, and it's unclear how much work Sony put into the master utilized on this Blu-ray
release or if, more likely, the team simply acquired a master that was deemed up to par. It would be nice if studios followed Criterion's example and
documented, even in a brief paragraph or two, the work put into each catalog transfer. Regardless, American Pop's 1080p/AVC-encoded
video presentation looks... pretty good, all things considered. Certainly not incredible. But it satisfies to a reasonable point,
despite demanding a higher caliber restoration. (If, and it's a very big if, realistic budgetary constraints, the condition of the original
elements,
the cost of music rights, consumer demand, and the level of work required to bring the image in line with modern expectations somehow magically
aligned. Sad spoiler alert: they won't. Ever.)
Colors are sometimes murky (a staple of Bashki's animation shortcomings) and all at once vivid and explosive, with mixed media film footage and
other techniques meant to blend with the animation. It makes for an effective, at-times eye-popping image, even if by accident. Flashy purples, blues
and reds turn musical numbers into acidic trips reminiscent of 2001's jaunt across the stars, and the high definition encode holds its own.
Detail is
decent, though print specks and cel dust is common. Most of the wear and tear present are a product of the physical animation materials and
production rather than an issue in encoding or raw image quality. This is most likely the
best the original animation could look without an extensive, and I mean extensive, high dollar overhaul. There isn't much noise in the way of blocking
or
banding (although occasionally some exceedingly minor pixelation could be seen along line art when pausing to take screenshots), but the film's grain
has an occasional chunkiness and inconsistence that isn't exactly attractive. The good news is those of you who love American Pop, along
with those who are primed to come to love American Pop, will see all of
this as only enhancing the period personality and authenticity of a gritty, grimy animated oddity that comes to life more and more as color and music
collide.
There isn't a lot to say about Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix. It sounds solid. Clean, clear and vital. The music soars on its own merits, so the age and limitations inherent to the original recordings are expected, and personally didn't bother me a bit. I expected it. I dug it. It was like listening to a vintage record. And it even added to the period charm of hearing such beloved classics while watching them set to at-times wildly kinetic animated sequences. Prioritization is more than adequately managed, without any issues of buried dialogue or under-supported instrumentation or vocals. The only real disappointment is that a newer, remastered 5.1 experience hasn't been created to see what the film might sound like if given a modern treatment. That said, purists will be pleased. Mostly. It isn't perfect by any means -- clarity inconsistencies are present throughout and, again, debatable as to whether they're a real issue or not -- but everything I needed was satisfied with a quality and, as far as I could tell, faithful mix.
Sony's release of American Pop doesn't include any special features, which is a real shame.
American Pop is a nearly long lost relic of its time; a film that deserves far more attention and memory that it's earned in the last forty-some years. You needn't be a fan of Bashki's rotoscoped animation per se, just a lover of intimate stories, tragic struggles, trippy visuals and classic rock. There really is a lot to appreciate, even adore here, and it's no wonder the film has retained a small but loyal fanbase over the years. I wish I loved it as much as you, I do. Sony's Blu-ray release is a bit of a toss-up, unfortunately. While its AV presentation is relatively remarkable, it could be better... if the stars aligned, which let's be honest, fair or not, they won't on this one. And a complete lack of special features is a big disappointment. How better to frame the importance and uniqueness of a film like American Pop than a full supplemental retrospective? Ah well. This is probably the best you can expect of an American Pop release for the foreseeable future. My take? It justifies its price to fans, and then some. Newcomers may have to fight off a bit of buyer's remorse. Time will tell.
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