Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Dirty Dancing Blu-ray Movie Review

Nobody puts Blu-ray in a corner.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner May 4, 2010

With the creation of any new format, early adopters run the risk of stumbling onto flawed releases that don’t truly do a film justice. Lionsgate was one of the first studios out of the gate with several of their most popular catalog titles (Stargate, Terminator 2, Saw), including the gold standard of “chick flick” cinema, Dirty Dancing. It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since the original Blu-ray release of Dirty Dancing, but given the technical mistakes on the first stab, this seems a fitting timeframe to finally deliver the version fans have been waiting for. Loaded with new special features, a remastered video presentation, and lavishly displayed in a comprehensive box set, this should represent the final definitive version of the beloved classic. Keep in mind the word “should” as we dig into the nuts and bolts of this release.

The pose that captured the hearts of millions.

During the summer of 1963, the Houseman’s and their two daughters head to the Kellerman’s Lake Resort for several relaxing weeks among the aging elite. Put out by the idea of wasting her precious summer, 17-year-old Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) expresses her frustration by wandering the grounds of the resort in search of something more interesting than routine dance lessons and buffets. Before long, the exploratory young woman stumbles onto the off-limit staff quarters, and a nightly dance orgy in the employee-only rec house. Taken by surprise at the blatant sexuality on display, Baby’s eyes gravitate toward Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), the primary male dance instructor at the resort. He takes little notice of Baby until she interjects herself into a precarious scenario involving Castle’s pregnant dance partner, who doesn’t have the time or money to undergo an abortion. Baby solves the problem by agreeing to dance with Castle at a nearby resort (while his partner undergoes an abortion), but their teacher/student relationship is initially plagued by Castle’s preconceived notions of silver spoon vacationers. His opinion quickly shifts as he realizes Baby is different from the girls who’ve passed through in prior years, and a forbidden romance soon blossoms between the well-off daughter of a prominent physician, and the resident bad-boy. As the days pass by, the dancing duo further evaluate their relationship with one another, and struggle to find acceptance in a society grounded in class separation.

Since everyone with a desire to see Dirty Dancing has likely been exposed to it by now, my opinion on the film will have little bearing on the perceptions of long-time fans. Keeping this in mind, I can appreciate the film for what it is, but never felt it deserved praise for being more than a feel-good romance built around provocative dance sequences. At its best, the film contains raw sexuality centered on the impressive chemistry between Swayze and Grey, set against a backdrop of spectacular music. These key elements are what give Dirty Dancing its reputation as one of the must-have romantic stories in cinema history, and carry fans past the trivial misfires in the generic plot. When I refer to misfires, I’m not suggesting the film is riddled with plot holes or unnecessary elements, but merely pointing out the obvious nature of its message. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize society is based on a class system, and prejudice is a problem that permeates more than just racial or religious sectors. Therefore, the contrived “forbidden love” angle of the film takes shape as a wrecking ball to the head by the final act, as we meander to the inevitable happy ending. As I said before, these elements don’t ruin the overall experience (especially true for the female members of the audience), since the film tackles its routine subject matter in an endearing fashion, but implying the story provides anything fresh is a bit difficult to stomach.

Moving past my lukewarm reaction to the general storyline of the film, Dirty Dancing remains one of the timeless classics in a genre that often struggles to withstand the test of time. Perhaps it’s Patrick Swayze’s understated charm, the endearing dance choreography, or the instantly-recognizable soundtrack that captured the hearts of teenage girls everywhere, but no matter the reason, the film continues to gather and retain legions of fans with each sequential home video release, paving the way for countless productions centered on the modern-day dancing phenomenon.

Dirty Dancing Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 34Mbps), this remastered version of Dirty Dancing corrects many of the atrocities that plagued the prior edition, but remains a victim of less-than-ideal source elements. Beginning with the positives, we're no longer subject to horrendous aliasing, stair-stepping borders, black crush within shadows, egregious red push, and abundant layers of noise. Additionally, it appears the video engineers in charge of the digital clean-up have removed burn marks, dust blobs, and other stand-out deficiencies found on the prior release. From a coloring standpoint, this edition takes the drab hues we've grown accustomed to over the years and delivers a naturalistic vibrancy that enhances the visual proficiency of the overall experience.

Considering the number of improvements listed thus far, it would only be natural to question my reasoning behind providing such a low score in the video category. As much as I wish I could say everything is roses and sunshine with this remastered transfer, fans hoping for a tremendous bump in clarity will surely walk away disappointed. I never viewed the film during its original theatrical run, so any comments on the quality of the source material are mere speculation, but it seems Dirty Dancing is destined to remain a soft, low-budget production. There's clearly a marginal step up in the transition to 1080p (mostly visible in the fabric of clothing or individual strands of hair), but compared with some of the remarkable remasters we've witnessed in a relatively short span of time, Dirty Dancing ranks near the bottom.

Dirty Dancing Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similar to the quality of the visual presentation, the step up to a lossless 7.1 audio track seems an exercise in futility. This isn't terribly surprising considering the underwhelming nature of the lossless 6.1 presentation on the prior release, but I'd hoped for a remastered audio experience to accompany the improvements in the visuals. Instead, we're given the same front-heavy mix, dialog that lacks crisp precision, and a legendary soundtrack that seems almost lifeless. Out of these weaknesses, the one that stands out as a profound disappointment is the reproduction of the musical material, since that's one of the key reasons why fans revisit the film time and time again. Listening to songs such as "Hungry Eyes" or "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" should generate goose bumps rather than auditory irritation (Ok, it's not THAT bad), so the fact that these songs don't ring true in the way they were originally intended is a profound shame.

Bottom line, if you own the prior Blu-ray release, there's no need to upgrade for the audio alone.

Dirty Dancing Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aside from providing a wealth of special features, this new "Keepsake Edition" comes housed in a bulky 2-inch thick box that stands about an inch taller than a typical Blu-ray case. The box opens like a shoebox to reveal a tri-fold cardboard case housing the two discs, and a separate hardbound book with full color photos and nostalgic tidbits from the film. Also included are two random marketing advertisements and the sheet with your digital download code (for use with the separate digital copy disc).

New to this edition:

Kellerman's: Reliving the Locations of the Film (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 12:24 min): The retreat setting for the film is revisited by various members of the production crew as well as employees of the Mountain Lake Hotel where the bulk of the footage was shot. According to the interviews within the featurette, the Hotel has become a nostalgic getaway for avid fans of the film.

The Dirty Dancing Phenomenon (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 13:43 min): Lionsgate Executive Jim Gladstone discusses the production of Dirty Dancing by a fledgling studio named Vestron, who acquired the rights to the script following the success of Flashdance and Footloose. Other interviews focus on budgetary limitations, low expectations prior to the release of the soundtrack, and the tremendous word-of-mouth that spread like wildfire during the theatrical release.

In Memoriam (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:58 min) Jerry Orbach, Jack Weston, Emile Ardolino, Max Cantor, and Patrick Swayze are all memorialized through clips taken from the film.

A Tribute to Patrick Swayze (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 15:15 min): Donny Swayze (Patrick's brother) and Patrick's wife Lisa Niemi provide a sentimental look at his life. Beginning with his childhood, and continuing through his years as a ballet dancer and actor, this supplement focuses on Swayze's career up through Dirty Dancing, before jumping forward to his diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. Prepare to choke back a few tears.

The Rhythm of the Dancing (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 4:08 min): Swayze discusses the music in Dirty Dancing, and the inspirational role his wife played in songs such as "She's Like the Wind" (which he performed on the soundtrack). During the interview segment, we're provided a glimpse of his home recording studio.

Fan Reel (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:42 min): Presented as a brief montage, this supplement shows fans from all over the world paying tribute to the film in their own unique way.

James and Julia Derbyshire: Dancing Across the Pond (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 4:41 min): This corny segment presents a fan couple who reenacted a dance sequence during their wedding and listed it on YouTube.

Dancing to the Music (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 16:32 min): The main players involved in the production of the soundtrack reminisce on the impact music played in the film's ultimate success.

Theatrical Trailer (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 2:25 min)

Eleanor Bergstein Script (1080p): as the title implies, this is a text-based copy of the entire Dirty Dancing script, with an introduction provided by writer Eleanor Bergstein.

Interview with Miranda Garrison (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 13:19 min): This is the only new interview included on this release, featuring the actress that played Vivian Pressman and served as assistant choreographer for the film. The information she provides focuses largely on the development of the dance routines throughout the production.

Vintage Featurette (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 6:45 min): this supplement is little more than marketing fluff released around the time Dirty Dancing hit theaters.

Dirty Dancing: Live in Concert (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:22:56 min): If you're interested in watching a concert production released in the wake of the film's success, here's your chance (complete with some of the worst fashion the 80's had to offer).

Digital Copy on a separate disc for download on PC or Mac (iTunes compatible).

Carried over from the prior release:

Feature-Length Audio Commentaries: The first commentary track features writer Eleanor Bergstein, and dates back to the original DVD released nine years ago. If you're interested in the production history of the film and the events that inspired Bergstein's original story, this is a worthwhile listen. The second commentary track surfaced on the 2003 Ultimate Edition DVD release, and incorporates contributions by Choreographer Kenny Ortega, Assistant Choreographer Miranda Garrison, Cinematographer Jeff Jur, Costume Designer Hilary Rosenfeld, and Production Designer David Chapman. This track is less entertaining and insightful than the prior offering, but delves deeper into the technical aspects of the production.

A Tribute to Emile Ardolino (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 13:28 min): This retrospective look at the life of the late director includes interviews with Miranda Garrison (assistant choreographer), Jennifer Grey, Kenny Ortega (choreographer), Eleanor Berstein (writer), and Luis M. Rodriguez Villa (Emile Ardolino's partner).

A Tribute to Jerry Orbach (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 6:33 min): Narrated by Kelly Bishop (his co-star in Dirty Dancing), this supplement is a biographical look at Orbach's career on Broadway and his long stint on the "Law & Order" television series (which ended shortly before he passed away in 2004).

Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 12:28 min): The late actor discusses the influence of dance on his life, themes he appreciated in Dirty Dancing, and provides information on the production design of the dance sequences.

Outtakes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 38 sec)

Music Videos (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0): "Hungry Eyes", "She's Like the Wind", and "The Time of my Life".

Multi-Angle Dance Sequences (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 2 min): Two scenes (The Life and Everybody Dance) are presented with the option of viewing four different angles.

Interviews (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0): Jennifer Grey (11:13 min), Eleanor Bergstein (18:36 min), and Kenny Ortega (15:21 min) are asked specific questions about working on the film, and the role they played in the final product. Since these interviews are included on the prior edition, I'll spare you a lengthy description.

Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey Screen Test Montage (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:10 min): Various clips of the acting couple performing dance-related screen tests are included.

Jennifer Grey Screen Test Comparisons (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, various brief runtimes): Actress Jennifer Grey is shown in character during screen tests of two scenes, followed by the final version from the film.

Deleted Scenes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 11:48 min): 11 deleted scenes are individually listed.

Alternate Scenes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 2:38 min): 3 alternate scenes are individually listed.

Extended Scenes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 7:47 min): 7 extended scenes are individually listed.

Photo Gallery (1080p)

Feature Length Trivia Track

Dirty Dancing Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

At this point, you're probably wrestling with a cost-benefit analysis, which becomes increasingly difficult for those who already own the prior Blu-ray edition. On the one hand, we have a remastered video presentation that clearly surpasses the dismal quality of the initial flawed presentation, yet remains hampered by core deficiencies in the source material. There's always a chance we'll see a dramatic restoration at some point in the future (culled from pristine elements in a secret vault), but until that happens, I'd suspect Lionsgate has provided the best possible presentation with the available print. Moving on to the special features, I'm extremely happy with the wealth of information throughout the extensive supplemental package, but shocked at the decision to cram this volume on a disc that also contains the main feature. Gone are the high-definition supplements of the prior release (downgraded to standard definition), which now accompany newly produced material in across-the-board 480p.

In summary, you essentially have a technically sound presentation (though far from proficient by typical Blu-ray standards), and an extensive standard definition supplemental package. If you absolutely love the film and look forward to adding a pronounced (yet bulky) box set to your growing collection, this is an easy purchase decision. However, those with only a lukewarm attraction to the 1987 classic should weigh the cost of double-dipping on a product that's far from definitive, and sample this as a rental first.