Broadcast News Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Broadcast News Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 26, 2011

Winner of Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, James L. Brooks' "Broadcast News" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; audio commentary with James L. Brooks and film editor Richard Marks; the documentary "James L. Brooks - A Singular Voice"; video interview with Susan Zirinsky; deleted scenes; and standard featurette. The disc also arrives with a 18-page illustrated booklet. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Really, how good are you?

The main characters in Richard L. Brooks’ Broadcast News work for a network news bureau in Washington, D.C. They invest so much energy into their professional lives that have practically none left to properly manage their personal lives. Because of the imbalance between the two, they often feel insecure and lonely, and on rare occasions even angry.

Jane Craig (Holly Hunter, The Piano) is a young producer from Atlanta who simply does not know how to slow down. She is tense, sarcastic, and so smart that often times her colleagues feel uncomfortable in her presence. She is the ultimate perfectionist, the type who set aside time to cry and vent.

Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks, Modern Romance) is a brilliant reporter with one serious weakness - he looks terrible on camera. He can manage pressure but not how his body reacts to it.

Tom Grunnick (William Hurt, Children of a Lesser God) is tall and handsome, the type of man every woman would love to be seen with during a charity event. He is also a talentless reporter on a mission, looking to advance up the corporate ladder rather than improve. Tom has just moved to Washington D.C.

Aaron and Jane have been best friends for years. At the bureau they have complimented each other and followed the same high journalistic standards, shared the good with the bad. Now Aaron hopes that perhaps they could also share their lives. But Tom joins their team and quickly dazzles everyone with his charm, including Jane, who suddenly realizes that her biological clock is ticking. When Tom asks her out, she enthusiastically accepts - and immediately breaks Aaron’s heart.

Broadcast News is a different type of romantic film - it is too smart, too subversive, too well researched not to be taken seriously. Director Brooks shot it in 1987, four years after his Terms of Endearment won five Oscars awards, at a time when the major networks and their most familiar faces were evolving and searching for new identity.

On the surface Broadcast News seems to be about three people who try hard to have some sort of normal relationships in an abnormal environment. They begin experimenting but quickly discover that it is a lot harder to be sincere when they are not reporting or directing than it is to look sincere when they are actually delivering the news.

These characters and relationships, however, are only a small part of a much bigger picture whose focus of attention is on the mechanics of real television news coverage. Various processes - including producing, delivering and even manipulating the news - are all carefully documented, offering the viewer a real sense of how the news networks operate.

Hunter was selected to play the frisky heroine two days before shooting of Broadcast News was to begin. Director Brooks was lucky to meet her while she was visiting New York City. Without her Broadcast News would have been a very different, I dare say, simpler film. She is the engine that makes it run.

Brooks and Hurt are also terrific. The latter, in particular, plays the pretty but clueless anchor to perfection. Jack Nicholson has a tiny role as the network's senior anchorman as well.

Note: In 1988, Broadcast News won Silver Berlin Bear for Best Actress (Holly Hunter).

Broadcast News Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, James L. Brooks' Broadcast News arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:

"Supervised and approved by director James L. Brooks and editor Richard Marks, this new high-definition digital transfer was created on a DFT SCANITY Film Scanner in 4k resolution from the original 35mm camera negative, and color corrected on a Baselight Eight in 2K resolution. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS system and Pixel Farm's PFClean system.

Telecine supervisors: James L. Brooks, Richard Marks, Lee Kline.
Telecine colorist: John Persichetti/Sony Colorworks, Los Angeles."

This is an excellent high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is outstanding, clarity terrific, and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. Edge-enhancement is never a serious issue of concern; neither is macroblocking. I did not see any traces of heavy noise corrections - the fine film grain is wonderfully resolved and consistent. Color reproduction is also impressive; the variety of reds, blues, greens, yellows, browns, grays, and blacks look rich, fresh, and natural (only at the end of the film - the airport scene - I noticed some very short color instability, but I it is fairly obvious that it is inherited). The various close-ups convey outstanding depth and tightness. Even the darker scenes from the studio look very strong. Finally, there are absolutely no stability issues to report in this review. I also did not see any large damage marks, cuts, warps, or stains. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Broadcast News Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Criterion have included optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:

"The 2.0 surround soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the original 35mm Dolby A magnetic tracks. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube's integrated audio workstation." The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is solid. It has a good range of dynamics and pleasing, natural crispness. The dialog is clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. There are no balance issues with Bill Conti's music score either. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or dropouts to report in this review.

Broadcast News Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - an audio commentary with writer, director, and producer James L. Brooks and film editor Richard Marks. The overwhelming amount of the comments provided in the commentary are from the director, who recalls how Broadcast News came to exist, his first encounter with Holly Hunter, the political convention that inspired him to shoot the film, Susan Zirinsky's assistance, how various scenes in the film were short, etc. Indeed, a wonderful, very informative commentary. Recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2010. In English, not subtitled.

• James L. Brooks - A Singular Voice - a documentary film, broken into three chapters, exploring the career and legacy of writer, director, and producer James L. Brooks. With special guests composer Hans Zimmer, actors Marilu Henner, and Julie Kavner, writer and producer Al Jean, ICM Chairman and CEO Jeff Berg, critic Ken Tucker. In English, not subtitled. (37 min, 1080p).
  
  -- Groundbreaking Television
  -- Moving into film
  -- The zeitgeist

• Alternate Ending and Deleted Scenes - a gallery of scenes assembled for this release by editor Richard Marks and James L. Brooks. The alternate ending has an audio introduction by the director. In English, not subtitled.
  
  -- Alternate Ending - (11 min, 1080p).
  -- Deleted Scenes - (20 min, 1080p).

• Susan Zirinsky - a video interview with Susan Zirinsky, who was the model for the Jane Craig character in Broadcasting News. Conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2010. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• Featurette - a standard featurette, produced by 20th Century Fox, with raw footage from the shooting of the film, as well as interviews with James L. Brooks, Albert Brooks, and Holly Hunter. In English, not subtitled.
  
  -- Featurette - in English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080i).
  -- Interviews and on-set footage - in English, not subtitled. (19 min, 1080i).

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Broadcast News. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - 18-page illustrated booklet containing Carrie Rickey's essay "Lines and Deadlines" (the author is the film critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Her essays are collected in various anthologies, including American Movie Critics, The "Rolling Stone" Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, and Top of the Order).

Broadcast News Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

James L. Brooks' Broadcast News is a thinking man's film - smart, playful, and deliciously sarcastic. It is a real eye-opener. Criterion's treatment (with a top-notch contribution by the guys at Sony Colorworks) of the film is excellent. The supplemental features included on their disc are also very informative. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.