Cherry 2000 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Cherry 2000 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 20, 2015

Steve De Jarnatt's directorial debut "Cherry 2000" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Signal One Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; promotional materials; audio commentary with the director; new video interview with actor Tim Thomerson; and archival featurette. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Heartbroken

Steve De Jarnatt’s directorial debut, Cherry 2000, takes its audience on a journey to a future where romance -- the good, old-fashioned kind -- no longer exists. Here men and women pre-arrange their dates and get exactly what they want when they commit to a relationship. There is no room for improvising, and pleasure, in its purest form, is a big business. For men who don’t have the time or desire to pre-arrange their intimate lives there are other options -- like Cherry 2000, an elegant replicant that looks like a supermodel and does all the things men expect women to do when they are in a relationship with them.

Sam Treadwell (David Andrews, Wyatt Earp) is in a perfect relationship. He owns a lovely Cherry 2000 (Pamela Gidley, Thrashin') that cleans his home, cooks for him, and is always in a mood to make love. He is happy and very much in love with the replicant.

But Sam’s life is turned upside down when the replicant shorts out and he discover that the Cherry 2000 line is no longer in production. A shady dealer offers to sell him a newer model, but he refuses to upgrade and instead decides to enter the dangerous Zone 7 where he could pick up a used Cherry 2000 from a massive junkyard. He then hires the sexy tracker E. Johnson (Melanie Griffith, Working Girl) to lead him to Zone 7 and help him get out of it alive.

This is a good film to see late at night when the mind prefers to quickly process information and relax rather than carefully analyze it. It is the only time when its story could make some sense.

The influence of George Miller's The Road Warrior is felt right from the opening credits. Obviously, Jarnatt had a much smaller budget to work with and as a result the mass action sequences are not as impressive as the ones seen in The Road Warrior, but the carefully chosen locations from Nevada’s toxic waste fields are outstanding and its post-apocalyptic vibe is quite similar.

The tone of Cherry 2000, however, is different. Indeed, the film probably makes most sense as a parody because only then the silly posturing seems somewhat logical. Unfortunately, there is also a plenty of static in it that creates the impression that a lot of the actors were not entirely sure precisely what type of film they were contributing to. The lack of good chemistry between the leads is especially telling as they completely fail to convince that their characters are in fact interested in their journey -- more often than not they look stuck in the film and at times even annoyed by the fact that they must interact with each other.

Some of the footage from Zone 7 does look interesting but the action does not quite work as intended. It would have been much better if De Jarnatt and cinematographer Jacques Haitkin simply would have spent more time exploring the area. (For a much more atmospheric trip to post-apocalyptic America, see Richard Stanley’s thriller Hardware).

Cherry 2000 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, Steve De Jarnatt's Cherry 2000 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Signal One Entertainment.

The release appears to have been sourced from the same master that Kino Video accessed when they prepared their Blu-ray release of the film for the U.S. market. This is certainly good news as the film looks quite nice in high-definition.

During the darker footage shadow definition could be more convincing, but depth is almost always very pleasing. Clarity is also good. Contrast levels remain stable, but there are areas where they could have been managed better. There are no traces of recent degraining corrections. Grain is visible throughout the entire film and for the most part remains well exposed. However, it is not difficult to tell that it could be better resolved. The best news here is that there are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Unsurprisingly, even though there are some minor density fluctuations here and there, from start to finish the film has a pleasing organic appearance. Colors remain stable and saturation is good, but there are nuances that could be expanded. Lastly, overall image stability is very good. There are no large debris, cuts, or damage marks, but a few tiny flecks can be spotted. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Cherry 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio does not appear to have been recently remastered, but depth and clarity are very good. There are no balance issues. Basil Poledouris' music score easily breathes and the dialog remains clean and stable. Also, there are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Cherry 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Cherry 2000. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Promotional Materials - an excellent collection of original posters, lobby cards, and production stills.

• Making Cherry 2000 - presented here is an archival promotional featurette with raw footage from the shooting of Cherry 2000 in Nevada. Also included are short comments from cast members and the film's producers. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Tim Thomerson Interview - in this new video interview, Tim Thomerson recalls his initial impressions of the script for Cherry 2000, what it was like to work with the rest of the cast, and how specific sequences were shot in Nevada. Tim Thomerson also discusses the visual style of the film and its cult status. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Steve De Jarnatt discusses the odd future world in which Cherry 2000 is set, how and where various sequences were shot (a few of the locations in Nevada had plenty of toxic waste materials and apparently were quite dangerous), The Road Warrior's influence on the film's visual style, some of the important warnings in the film about the future of our planet, etc. The commentary is moderated by Walter Chaw from FilmFreakCentral.net.

Cherry 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Steve De Jarnatt's directorial debut, Cherry 2000, is very much a product of its time. This may actually be the film's biggest strength because the dated look gives it a certain charm. Otherwise the film is quite inconsistent, goofy, and at times almost unbearably silly. See it if you enjoyed Richard Stanley's Hardware, but keep in mind that it is a much lighter film. RECOMMENDED.