6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 1.5 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
Josh Miller is a studious and responsible pre-med student entering college as a freshman. His wild, hard-partying roommate, Cooper Frederickson, on the other hand, is a spoiled rich kid who never studies and spends his time getting drunk and ogling coeds. Before long, Cooper's fun-filled lifestyle has corrupted Josh, and both are on the verge of flunking out of school. That's when they discover a little-used codicil in the college's charter stating that any student whose roommate commits suicide will automatically receive straight A's. Since their third roommate has moved in with his girlfriend, Josh and Cooper set about recruiting the most depressed, suicidal classmate they can find. The prime candidate: Cliff, a mentally unbalanced wild man.
Starring: Tom Everett Scott, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Poppy Montgomery, Lochlyn Munro, Randy PearlsteinComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 1.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
School is supposed to be deadly serious business but for more than a few students it's an opportunity for booze and babes rather than books and baccalaureate. That's certainly the story of Dead Man on Campus, Director Alan Cohn's hit-and-miss Comedy about the importance of receiving, not earning, good grades in order to hold onto the opportunity to continue doing everything college has to offer but leaning. It's a decent premise but within a larger movie that languishes during its second half, struggling to hold interest during a wash-rinse-repeat stretch of sequences that only test the viewer's patience rather than fine-tune the experience once it reaches what should be its main draw.
Maybe it's time to retract the praise for Paramount from the Head of State review. Well, there's certainly truth to "Paramount is hitting home runs with most every release" but, Dead Man on Campus is the reason for the word "most." This is a terrible presentation. It's almost impossible to describe. Most generally speaking, the image looks like it's being seen through a mesh filter. It sort of looks like watching a movie on the PlayStation VR, but worse. It looks very low-res, grossly over processed to where grain is not at all organic, details are flat and lacking more than even simple structural definition, and colors languish in tepid output. There's only basic visible texture to faces, allowing viewers to see the big picture crudeness but experience absolutely no feel for even the slightest detail. Forget facial pores and lines, fine detail in dorm rooms or clothes, and textures around campus. Its all nonexistent. As mentioned, colors are severely wanting. They're dim and disappointing. Black levels are decent, at least (see a nighttime scene at the 21-minute mark), but skin tones are pasty and flat. There are some signs of print wear and tear as well. This is a terrible presentation. What a shame because the movie isn't half bad, at least in its first half.
In contrast to the video presentation, the audio track at least rates as "serviceable." While the track is best described as "flat" there's at least a modicum of life about it. Surrounds are used sparingly but width is fine and clarity meets a baseline acceptable level. Listeners will never feel immersed and engaged in the film's soundscape, though, keeping them at arm's length with a track that is proficient with the basics but fails to deliver anything more advanced. That's partly due to the straightforward sound design but the track could certainly stand a little more pure clarity and definition to all of its moving parts. Music is acceptably detailed and wide but lacking lifelike output. Campus environmental sounds come across as stifled rather than lively. Dialogue is at least workably clear and centered but the track, overall, is wanting for significantly more dynamism, more expression. What's here works in context (particularly paired with a so-so movie and a horrible video presentation) but there's much room for improvement as it is.
This Blu-ray release of Dead Man on Campus includes one extra: the film's Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:20). No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.
Dead Man on Campus posits an interesting premise but struggles to hold interest as the roommates go about the process of selecting their victim. It's repetitious and tiresome, a shame because at its heart is a decently funny movie about clashing college personalities and the lengths they will go to in order to fulfill their own selfish interests. Adding insult to injury is a horrible Blu-ray, easily one of the worst Paramount has released in some time. Horrifically processed video, a flat lossless soundtrack, and no extras beyond a trailer make this a disc well worth avoiding.
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