6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Beer, broads and baseball combine with hilarious results in Artie Lange's Beer League...an over-the-top comedy about a group of misfits whose weekly softball games seem to have a lot more to do with getting into fights for macho dominance than hitting home runs. Artie is an unemployed and unmotivated drunk that is predictably still living with his mother. He is on a losing softball team, and he and his teammates are facing the end of softball as they know it if they can't pull it together. When love enters his life, it unexpectedly alters Artie's low self- esteem, and the odds for winning, not only the league trophy, but a new life, are certainly looking up. He and his teammates will have to go for the win, and survive all the comedy and chaos along the way.
Starring: Artie Lange, Ralph Macchio, Anthony DeSando, Cara Buono, Jimmy PalumboComedy | 100% |
Sport | 36% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Artie Lange’s now well publicized battles with various addictive behaviors perhaps removes a bit of the already iffy comedy that Beer League offers in its depiction of a kind of hapless shlub (played by Lange, of course) whose two loves in life are beer and baseball. The (many?) failings of one Artie DeVanzo (Artie Lange), including but not limited to drunken escapades, provide quite a bit of the ostensible humor in Beer League, and those who like basically brain dead raucous comedies with a juvenile humor bent may get a passing laugh or two out of the shenanigans, even if the “meta” aspect of it all vis a vis Lange’s real life may put a bit of a chill on the proceedings.
Beer League is presented on Blu-ray by MVD Marquee Collection, an imprint of MVD Visual, and FilmRise with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 (the back cover incorrectly lists a 1.85:1 aspect ratio). Dustin wasn't overly enthusiastic about the Echo Bridge Entertainment release, which was encoded via MPEG-2. Judging solely on the basis of screenshots (I've never seen the Echo Bridge Entertainment version), this looks pretty much identical in terms of a rather nicely vivid palette, but it seem to boast at least somewhat better clarity and resolution of the grain field. This still looks like an older master to my eyes, with things like minor wobble and a generally kind of gritty appearance, but my hunch is fans of the film will be generally well pleased with the appearance of this presentation. Detail levels are very good to excellent throughout, and fine detail perks up considerably in close-ups. There are recurrent if minor signs of age related wear and tear courtesy of dirt, scratches and other passing flecks and specks.
There's both good news and bad news with regard to this release's audio. Dustin complained about pretty anemic amplitude on the Dolby Digital 5.1 track included on the Echo Bridge Entertainment release, but he was considerably more pleased with the uncompressed LPCM 2.0 track that the Echo Bridge Entertainment version also offered. This release has none of the amplitude issues with the Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but unfortunately the 2.0 track on this disc is also in lossy Dolby Digital. Both tracks sport fine fidelity within a lossy context, and the surround track does considerably open up the outdoor game material, but this is another release where my score is based at least in part on my firm belief that Blu-ray discs should have at least one lossless audio option.
The way we list supplements has changed pretty dramatically since 2008 when Dustin wrote his review of the Echo Bridge Entertainment release, but it looks to me like all of the supplements from that release have made it to this one.
The Echo Bridge Entertainment release of Beer League seems to be kind of exorbitantly priced now, so for any fans of the film that didn't pick up that version, this MVD and FilmRise outing at least is economical, and it provides arguably (slightly) better video and what look to me like the same supplements. Unfortunately this release only offers lossy audio, for those who are considering a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
Enlarged Edition w/ Extended Cut
2011
2006
35th Anniversary Edition
1989
2006
1998
Big Hairy American Winning Edition
2006
1998
1994
1998
1990
1999
Let's Get Sweaty Edition
2008
1996
1994
2005
2011
1994
2008
2002
2014