7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Bubby is a demented man-child kept locked his entire life in a squalid apartment by his depraved mother. But when Bubby - who can only communicate by mimicking what others say and do - escapes into the outside, he soon discovers the wonders of sex, crime, rock & roll and pizza. Will this 'mad bastard' be destroyed by the realities of our cruel world, or does a higher calling ultimately await him in the most unlikely place of all?
Starring: Nicholas Hope, Ralph Cotterill, Carmel Johnson, Norman Kaye, Paul Simpson (II)Horror | 100% |
Dark humor | 18% |
Drama | 13% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The kid's completely crackers!
There are some films that defy logic and stray so far from the mainstream that it's hard for a
casual
-- or even in some cases hardcore -- movie watcher to realize that something so radically
different from the usual deluge of material released on a weekly basis both to theaters and on
home
video even exists on some back, dusty shelf of a small independent video store. It's a shame that
most audiences are never exposed to, and in many cases painfully unaware of, some of the
wonders
of cinema that go unnoticed because they don't have a major studio backing them; a Brad Pitt or
Julia Roberts to slap on a poster, marquee, or video box to sell tickets or discs; or
cross-promotions with a
fast-food joint to make sure everyone and
their cat sees the movie at the local multiplex. Bad Boy Bubby is one such film,
an
obscure little title that's quite unlike anything that passes for mainstream moviemaking, whether
second-rate direct-to-video rubbish or the finalists for the Best Picture Oscar. In this case,
though,
it's something that's definitely not for everyone. Obscure, yes; offensive, absolutely; wondrous,
no
doubt; Bad Boy Bubby is the very definition of esoteric cinema, a film likely to divide even
those viewers that dare explore the twisted world that defines its very existence.
That's one way to keep the cat from scratching the furniture.
Bad Boy Bubby explores on Blu-ray with a 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Never once offering the sort of pristine and eye-catching imagery used to demonstrate the power of the format, Bad Boy Bubby instead revels in its darkness and grit. The opening act of the film inside the worn down apartment features plenty of heavy grain, the effect adding a worn, grimy, and disturbed look to the image. Bubby's jaunt into the outside world allows the transfer to liven up, but just a bit. Grain remains, but there is more in the way of bright colors and detail to be seen on the city streets than in the incredibly pedestrian apartment. Still, the movie, and by extension the transfer, never revels in eye-catching colors or fine details. It's all merely adequate, and no one object, even the old standbys that tend to look great on Blu-ray -- clothing and building façades, for instance -- look flat and lifeless. It's all part of the film's intended appearance, however, and this Blue Underground transfer satisfies in context.
Bad Boy Bubby lets loose on Blu-ray with a pair of 5.1. lossless soundtracks, one each of the DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD variety. Unfortunately, a production error has rendered parts of the Dolby TrueHD track defective on the promotional copies received by reviewers. As a result, only the DTS track will be discussed in this review. Blue Underground has assured that this problem will be eliminated from retail copies for listeners who prefer, or can only access, the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. All things being equal, however, there should be no discernible differences between the two. The DTS track recreates the film's unique sound field heretofore described well and makes criticism somewhat difficult given the uniqueness of the experience. Sound doesn't literally fly around the soundstage as one might expect it to; in fact, the back channels don't deliver a deluge of discrete or supportive effects as most of the presentation meanders across the front. Sound is generally clear when focused; music in particular sounds quite good, whether the gentle playing of a violin in chapter 16 or an onslaught of bagpipes that play with incredible volume at reference levels in chapter 19. Sound effects, such as screaming emergency vehicle sirens, flow across the soundstage nicely. Dialogue often remains focused up the middle but does branch out to other parts of the soundstage when the visuals call for a more spacious presentation. A unique experience but nothing particularly earth-shattering, Bad Boy Bubby sounds fine on Blu-ray, all things considered.
Bad Boy Bubby wanders onto Bu-ray with a few supplements. Christ Kid, You're a Weirdo (480p, 23:56) offers an interview with Director Rolf de Heer who discusses the origins of the project and the development of all the ideas that made their way into the final product. He also speaks on the performances, shooting the film and abandoned filmmaking techniques that would have made the film too unbearable, the use of multiple cinematographers, the unique method of sound recording used in the film, ideas for different endings, and more. Being Bubby -- Interview with Star Nicholas Hope (480p, 14:18) features the actor recalling how he landed the part and his work on the picture, including its experimental nature, themes, his preparations for the performance, shooting some of the more explicit scenes, audience and critical reaction to the picture, and more. Also included is the Bad Boy Bubby theatrical trailer (480p, 1:51) and the short film Confessor Caressor (480p, 19:37) that propelled star Nicholas Hope to Bad Boy Bubby.
Sometimes disturbing, sometimes repulsive, but always fascinating, Rolf de Heer's Bad Boy Bubby represents one of cinema's obscure treasures that drifts about as far from the mainstream as any film can go. Not for all audiences but a spectacle to behold for those that can stomach its many explicit visuals and blasphemous dialogue, Bad Boy Bubby features one of the medium's finest acting performances to go along with one of its quirkiest but most curious pieces. Blue Underground's Blu-ray disc offers a faithful-to-the-source presentation. Neither video nor audio are liable to impress audiences hoping for a glossy and pristine fit-and-finish but they do make for a pleasant combination that recreate the intended experience. Meanwhile, the disc serves up a few quality extras. Cautiously recommended.
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