Deep in Vogue Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Deep in Vogue Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 12, 2021

Hey, who says you can't teach an old dog (and/or reviewer) new tricks? I unashamedly admit I had little to no knowledge of "vogueing" before Madonna's eponymous single devoted to the practice was released, and even then I assumed that the term related in some fashion and/or style conscious way to the magazine. If you're done laughing at that idiocy, maybe you're ready to move on to the fact that it's also previously unknown information to me personally as imparted by the documentary currently under review that the whole vogue movement (if it can properly be termed that way) wasn't just relegated to New York and North America, but that in fact there were other "northern" climes affected, notably in the UK, which is where Deep in Vogue maintains its focus. Now my already admitted lack of knowledge about this particular "culture" means I'm not sure if things have been the same in the United States as they are in the United Kingdom, but "across the pond" (as they say) vogueing involves "houses" of dancers who are quasi-families, with what the documentary states are normally led by "mothers" or "fathers" who also can act as choreographers. This social structure provides much needed support for individuals who have experienced trauma courtesy of their sexual preference or other arguably linked phenomena like being trans.

And in fact it's in some of the interview segments or other confessional aspects of Deep in Vogue that the documentary really finds its power, appropriately enough. A lot of the people in the documentary have obviously been deemed "outcasts", but they all reveal a steely resilience and at times a surprising joie de vivre. The whole "house" structure is kind of intriguing in and of itself and also lends the documentary a distinctive ambience. Those who enjoy "vogueing" will also enjoy some of the dance scenes on display. There is an actual narrative thrust to the documentary, as it charts preparations for Manchester's Icons Vogue Ball, with some of what might be called both internecine and intramural relationships playing into the competition.

Deep in Vogue Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Deep in Vogue is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of FilmRise and MVD Visual with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (mostly) in 1.78:1 (some archival video can be in narrower aspect ratios (see screenshot 9 for an example). Some of the material here, notably some of the dance material, looks like it was caught "fly on the wall" style and can be a bit less well detailed than the more stationary interview and/or confessional statements, but generally speaking, this presentation offers secure detail levels and a nicely suffused palette.

Deep in Vogue Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While a spec that this release offered a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track had been added at one point, it turns out that this features only DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 audio. Given the prevalence of the thumping house music that fills the soundtrack, it frankly might have been nice to have had a surround track, but the 2.0 track on this release offers robust fidelity and some nicely wide dynamic range. All of the interview and/or confessional material is delivered without any problems, and the musical elements are also problem free. Optional English subtitles are available.

Deep in Vogue Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Amy Watson, Dennis Keighron-Foster and Darren Prtichard


• Additional Footage (1080p; 18:28) offers more interviews and the like.


• Trailer (1080p; 1:40)

Deep in Vogue Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anyone who has ever felt themselves to be on the "outside" of some "inside" group will find a lot to commiserate with in Deep in Vogue, and this documentary should certainly appeal to anyone in the LGBT+ (the way this release terms it on the back cover) communities, especially if they have a fondness for the club dance scene. What's especially interesting about Deep in Vogue is its northern UK sensibility. Perhaps some music fans know of a genre called "northern soul", and while it's not exactly the same, there is certainly northern soul on display in abundance throughout this fascinating and even provocative documentary. Technical merits are generally solid, and Deep in Vogue comes Recommended.