Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Date with an Angel Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 14, 2020

Tom McLoughlin's "Date with an Angel" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film; audio commentary by the director; making of featurette; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

If you were not around during the ‘80s you should not waste your time with Date with an Angel because you almost certainly won’t get what makes it special. I am sorry but I have to be blunt because there is something in this film that is a lot more important than its story, and you can detect and appreciate it only if you experienced the ‘80s. If you were around during the ‘80s and you still can’t tell why so many people love the film, then you most likely dealt with some serious issues in your life that made it impossible for you to connect with the decade’s zeitgeist. I realize that after I identify the 'something' I will probably get a few emails from readers who would politely point out various issues with the narrative that make the film a genuine stinker, but this is perfectly fine because they will de facto prove my point.

Jim (Michael E. Knight), a free-spirited and broke musician, is about to marry Patty (Phoebe Cates), a spoiled and seriously fashion model. But with just hours before their wedding Jim discovers an angel (Emmanuelle Beart) who has landed awkwardly in his pool and broken her wing. At first, he assumes that after a wild night with his best friends his fuzzy mind is just playing tricks on him and refuses to believe that the angel is real, but when his head clears and the visitor crashes on his couch, he becomes speechless. Then when his friends discover the visitor and despite his protests decide to get rich by transforming her into a model, he becomes concerned. And when Patty discovers that he has spent the night with ‘another girl’ and goes berserk, he becomes very, very concerned. Meanwhile, the healing angel falls madly in love with her savior and, in the process, makes his life a living hell.

What are some possible issues that director Tom McLoughlin could have avoided? To be honest, I cannot think of a single one because his film is essentially a giant and hopelessly romantic dream, which means that anything could happen in it. This is what makes dreams interesting and memorable -- they unleash all kinds of possibilities and for a short period of time some or all of them become real. In other words, the film is a visualization of a personal dream and McLoughlin shares it with the public, so it does not matter if it is in any way imperfect.

Now, what is the ‘something’ that makes the film special? It is its spirit, which is a combination of an incredible, free of cynicism sincerity and a conviction that life is an adventure full of beautiful surprises. During the ‘80s there were a ton of films that had it -- E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Gremlins, Labyrinth, Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy -- and the people that saw them theatrically absolutely felt its presence. This is the reason why even the ‘bad’ ones are now often seen as decent cures for serious cases of nostalgia -- their spirit makes people feel better.

In terms of storytelling Date with an Angel does not produce any surprises. Almost immediately after Jim encounters the angel you know that there will be a special connection between them. What you don’t know is if it is going to last. But it does not matter because in this film the resolution is essentially meaningless. Just like in an actual dream all the excitement happens long before the finale, while your mind recognizes the possibilities and for a short period of time is willing to accept the impossible as possible.

*In a very candid and very interesting new audio commentary that is included on this release, McLoughlin mentions that initially he and the producers of the film considered offering Knight’s role to Jim Carrey. It is good that they failed to get him because with Carrey on board the film would not have been as charming as it is.

Date with an Angel Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.36:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Date with an Angel arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by StudioCanal. I think that it is pretty good, though it is very easy to tell that in certain areas there is definitely room for improvement. For example, depth should be superior, especially during darker and indoor footage where some density fluctuations tend to produce unnatural flatness. Clarity can also be improved, but the original cinematography actually introduces quite a bit of unevenness in backgrounds where the angel's halo emerges. The area where some of the most significant improvements can be made is color reproduction. The primaries and the supporting nuances are nicely balanced, but saturation should be better. The best news about this master is that it is free of problematic digital adjustments, so even when projected the film still has a pretty good organic appearance. A few dirt spots, specks and blemishes can be seen, but there are no large distracting debris, cuts, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Date with an Angel Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

When the current master was prepared, the audio must have been optimized as best as possible because I did not detect any traces of age-related anomalies or even minor dynamic fluctuations/instability. On my system the dialog was crystal clear and Randy Kerber's music sounded terrific. I was actually quite impressed with the lossless track.

Date with an Angel Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, Writer/director Tom McLoughlin discusses in great detail what it took to bring Date with an Angel to the big screen, the key themes that define its story, the style of the film and its period ambience, etc. It is an outstanding commentary, so if you enjoy the film find the time to listen to it in its entirety.

• Trailer - an original trailer for the film. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

• Making of Featurette - an archival EPK sourced from a VHS. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 1080p).

• Sound Bites - short clips from interviews with the director, cast and crew members. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

Date with an Angel Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you are struggling with a severe case of '80s nostalgia, Date with an Angel is for you. It is a hopelessly romantic film whose sincerity and conviction that life is an adventure full of beautiful surprises makes it impossible to dislike. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but good master that was supplied by StudioCanal. It also features a really, really good audio commentary by director Tom McLoughlin. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.