7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
In the summer of 1963, innocent 17-year-old Baby vacations with her parents at a Catskill's resort. One evening, she is drawn to the staff quarters by stirring music. There, she meets Johnny, the hotel dance instructor, who is as experienced as Baby is naive. Baby soon becomes Johnny's pupil in dance and love.
Starring: Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes, Jack WestonRomance | 100% |
Teen | 50% |
Coming of age | 27% |
Music | 26% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 6.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
English, English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 1.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Feel the music.
One of the most iconic films from the 1980s is the 1960s-set Dirty Dancing, a movie
that
solidified the late Patrick Swayze as a force to be reckoned with on the Hollywood landscape and
helped sell a few soundtracks for RCA. Dirty Dancing is indeed a movie built around its
stars and its sounds; all else, it seems, that falls in between is fairly meaningless, repetitive, and
predictable, but there's an intangible that doesn't show up on the soundtrack
or the cast roster that makes the movie far better than it deserves to be: magic. Dirty
Dancing's fun and innocent coming-of-age story is nicely, if not somewhat generically,
captured through its timeless spirit of
invigoration and boundary-breaking in the name of true love. Through the dance routines,
happening soundtrack, hackneyed plot developments, and artificial characters flows a magical
energy current that sparks the story of a young girl's
rebirth on summer vacation as she transitions from being a "Baby" to coming to know a love
that's born of her tender heart and meager ways. Her story may not be an original one, but as
it's presented in Dirty Dancing, it takes on a surprisingly touching and genuine feel that,
despite the lack of any real surprises in the movie, constantly injects a jolt of positive,
feel-good vibes into every scene and certainly helps in energizing the picture through to its
memorably-staged and, literally, uplifting finale.
Nobody puts Baby on a bad Blu-ray. Oh...uhhh...hmmm...
Dirty Dancing stumbles onto Blu-ray with what is, unfortunately, one of the worst transfers out there. The 1080p, 1.78:1-framed image disappoints on almost every level, with problems so egregious and detrimental to the viewing experience that even those without a care in the world as to how relatively "good" or "bad" a transfer looks will be alarmed at the obvious missteps throughout. It's bad enough that one opening shot looks like some Coke was spilled on the screen, or that a hazy blue line randomly but briefly appears over the left-hand side of the screen during an establishing beachside shot in chapter six, but those represent the least of Dirty Dancing's problems. The picture looks terribly rough at the outset; whether or not the establishing shots (beyond the highly-stylized opening title sequence) were meant to look like they were captured on spotty 1960s film stock is up for debate, but the transfer renders the opening scenes terribly, sporting murky details, excess noise, plenty of popping white speckles, low levels of detail, and spotty color reproduction. Then the fun really begins. The transfer is packed with excessive aliasing that causes an unnatural wavy effect on various objects throughout the film; the white-with-blue-stripes shirt that Jerry Orbach's character wears upon his arrival to Kellerman's fluctuates so badly that it's enough to induce a headache. Adding insult to injury are jagged edges that are noticeable in practically every scene; lines in clothing are particularly susceptible, and even human outlines can take on a blocky outer edge. If that were not enough, the image sometimes appears artificially smoothed over and flat, flesh tones are often displayed with an aggressive red push, blocking is often visible, and blacks usually overwhelm the image and devour any details in their wake. The plusses of the transfer are few; fine detail can appear as borderline decent in a few scenes, particularly when examining the textures on tree trunks or more intricately-crafted clothing. A few bright exterior shots later in the film also resolve facial details fairly well. Color reproduction is steadily bland, with some shades, particularly reds, unnaturally boosted, while other shades seem dimmer in comparison. Indeed, Dirty Dancing can look passably good if one were to glance at just the right moment. Still, a few decent shots can't make up for what is nothing short of an abysmal transfer that is one of the worst the format has seen, particularly among high-profile films.
Dirty Dancing's Blu-ray release stirs up a passable but ultimately underwhelming PCM 6.1 uncompressed soundtrack. This is a fairly flat and routine track that lacks much kick and vigor, two elements desperately needed to bring the true Dirty Dancing experience to fruition. The track proves to be front heavy with some light rear channel supportive elements in musical reproduction, but the various songs remain entrenched across the primary three channels. Some of the punchier tunes heard throughout do offer some low end support, but generally, the presentation will leave listeners wanting a fuller, clearer, and more robust presentation of the picture's famed soundtrack. Fortunately, the finale sounds comparatively good, offering a more engaging presentation that enjoys the richest clarity and proves the most satisfying listen in the film. The track also delivers some scattered atmospherics that also come primarily through the front; never does the listener feel truly immersed in the world of Dirty Dancing. Unfortunately, some dialogue becomes lost and/or muffled underneath music and sound effects, but the spoken word is, in general, suitably clear and discernible. While not on the same level as the bottom-feeding transfer, this uncompressed soundtrack rates as mediocre at best and a far cry from what the picture deserves.
Dirty Dancing whirls onto Blu-ray with plenty of extra features, the package headlined by
a
pair of audio commentary tracks. The first, featuring Writer Eleanor Bergstein, makes for a
quality
listen as she reminisces on how the screenplay came to be, beginning with her assemblage of a
soundtrack around which she constructed the story. She also discusses the contrast between
the styles of music in
the
film, the performances of the cast, shooting locations, tweaks to the script as the filmmaking
process moved along, plenty of minor anecdotes from the set, Dirty Dancing's popularity
at the time of
release, the use of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" in the finale,
and much more. Though only the film's writer, Bergstein shares a broad array of knowledge
about
the entire filmmaking process, making this a fairly engaging listen that fans will enjoy. Track two
is a compilation commentary with Choreographer Kenny Ortega, Assistant Choreographer
Miranda Garrison, Cinematographer Jeff Jur, Costume Designer Hilary Rosenfeld, and Production
Designer David Chapman. This track isn't always as smooth and natural as listeners may be
accustomed to, but the strength of the information more than makes up for what is a somewhat
choppy feel. Each participant covers the information behind their primary task on the film but
they
also expand into other segments of the filmmaking process
to complete what is a
fairly well-rounded track. Also included is the Dirty Dancing 20th Anniversary Pop-Up Trivia
Track, which is listed with the subtitle settings and not in the special features menu.
Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze (1080i, 12:29) is a retrospective interview piece that
features the late actor sharing his thoughts on the film's construction, the importance of dance in
society, the picture's themes, his love of dance and acting, the work of the crew and cast, the
pace of the shoot, and the soundtrack and his contributions to it. The piece is intercut with
scenes from the film and behind-the-scenes footage. Tribute to Jerry Orbach (1080i,
6:34) looks back at the life and career of the star, the piece narrated by Kelly Bishop. Next up is
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey Screen test Montage (1080p, 1:12), followed by
Jennifer Grey Screen Test Comparisons which contrasts the actress' screen tests with
either the final or extended scene from the film. Included is Baby Blackmails Lisa
(1080p, 0:53 screen test and 1:08 extended scene) and Baby Confronts Dad (1080p,
1:06 screen test and 1:37 final scene).
Multi Angle Dance Sequences (1080p) allows viewers to watch two scenes -- The
Lift (0:49) and Everybody Dance (1:56) from four different perspectives. Next up is
The Classic Story on Stage (1080p, 13:20), a piece that serves as an overview of the
stage
production
of Eleanor Bergstein's story, looking at the changes, the similarities, the casting, the new
additions to the soundtrack, and more. This disc also features a trio of interview segments with
Actress Jennifer Grey (1080i, 11:23), Writer Eleanor Bergstein (1080i, 18:39), and
Choreographer Kenny Ortega (1080i, 15:24). Following these interviews is a trio of music
videos: "Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen (1080i, 3:49), "She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze
(1080i, 3:53), and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (1080i,
4:45). Next in line is Emile Ardolino Tribute (1080i, 13:31), a look back at the career of
the film's late director. Also included is a collection of eleven deleted scenes (1080p, varied
runtimes), three alternate
scenes (1080p, varied runtimes, and ironically, looking better than the final versions found on
this disc), six extended scenes (1080p, varied runtimes), a collection of outtakes (1080p,
0:41), and a photo gallery (1080i).
No doubt about it, Dirty Dancing is a classic, but that doesn't make it a universally-loved film. A picture comprised of straight formula but with an underlying magical energy and charm in the way it so easily goes about its business in creating the ultimate feel-good romance and coming-of-age tale, the picture delivers what it aims for without trying to be something that it's not. Supported by one of the most popular soundtracks of all time, Dirty Dancing is a film that's sure to remain a favorite among genre fans that enjoy its heartwarming coming-of-age story, even if the picture never really separates itself from its similarly-themed peers from either a dramatic or structural perspective. Unfortunately, Lionsgate's Blu-ray release is, technically, a total disappointment. Even casual viewers with no concern for the intricacies of what makes for even a decent picture quality will immediately note this transfer's many flaws, and the uncompressed mix, while not necessarily a poor one, isn't befitting of the picture's music-dependent soundtrack. The disc does contain a quality assortment of extras, but the abysmal picture quality is a deal-breaker that cannot be ignored. Buyers are urged to hold out for Lionsgate's upcoming re-release which will, hopefully, offer the vastly improved transfer the film deserves. As it is, this is a disc to avoid even at the cheapest of sale prices.
Limited Keepsake Edition | with Book
1987
30th Anniversary Edition
1987
30th Anniversary Collector's Edition
1987
30th Anniversary Edition | Retro VHS Collection
1987
1987
1987
35th Anniversary Edition
1987
1987
2004
40th Anniversary Edition
1984
2006
2001
Dance-Off Edition
2008
2014
2017
2002
2007
2007
1985
2016
2007
1980s Best of the Decade
1984
2010
2008
2012
2012
2010
2014