6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Gus Kubicek is a depressed and overweight cartoonist who recently won a battle against Hodgkin’s disease. His caring sister Lizzie Potts, a nosy romance novelist, responds to his sadness by trying to set him up with a suitable woman. Yet to do so she must make him seem more dynamic and attractive. When Gus falls in love with Emily, he adopts the persona of Lobo Marunga, a leather-clad biker from New Zealand.
Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Jami Gertz, Shelley Long, Kyle MacLachlan, Kevin ScannellComedy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
In 2012, Steve Guttenberg released a memoir, with “The Guttenberg Bible” detailing his quest to become a working actor in Hollywood, with dreams of achieving stardom. The book is attentive to the lean years of the 1970s, and his rise to screen prominence in the 1980s, but information beyond that isn’t available, with Guttenberg trying to end on a slightly happier note of experience and fame. He made his mark with hits such as “Police Academy,” “Cocoon,” and “Three Men and a Baby,” and he shares the strange ride of success, with particular attention to monetary offers, showing little shame when it came time to accept money gigs during his most in-demand years. The 1990s were less kind to Guttenberg, with 1990’s “Don’t Tell Her It’s Me” (also known as “The Boyfriend School”) a good example of a thespian chasing a paycheck instead of paying close attention to the material. Guttenberg (reportedly paid a million dollars to commit to the project) joins Shelley Long and Jami Gertz in an adaptation of a Sarah Bird novel (the author takes on screenwriting duties), working to conjure some kind of romantic comedy magic with an idiotic plot that’s often far too cruel to register any warmth. That Guttenberg, or anyone, agreed to take part in this hopeless endeavor is amazing, triggering more post-screening conversation than the movie itself.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Don't Tell Her It's Me" is sourced from a "brand new 2K master," giving fans of the film a new viewing option for a title that's gone out-of-print with previous home video releases. Detail is softer, delivering light textures on costuming and decoration, and facial surfaces aren't crisp, limiting makeup work with Gus's sickly appearance. Exteriors retain slight dimension, exploring South Carolina depth. Colors are appreciable, delivering snappier hues with period outfits, and greenery is passable. Skin tones are natural, and Gus's illness is preserved with a bloodless appearance. The blue eye contact gag registers as intended. Delineation is acceptable. Grain is on the chunky side, with some blockiness. Source is in decent condition.
Something is off about during the 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix, which delivers detectable channel instability. This is especially evident with dialogue exchanges, which "move" slightly between the fronts, creating an unnatural and restless sound. It's unclear if this is a technical error or a source issue, and it's also found in soundtrack selections and scoring.
"Don't Tell Her It's Me" isn't sweet. It's borderline cruel, highlighting manipulative behavior and a strange disregard for the well-being of others. It's messy too, as the subplot highlighting Trout and Emily's relationship is largely eliminated from the picture, diminishing the reporter's confusion and possible projection as she pursues Lobo, giving her the romantic partner of her dreams. Perhaps on the page, Bird's imagination didn't register so harshly, permitted room to explore characters caught up in their own schemes and fears, generating a more natural sense of insanity. As a movie, "Don't Tell Her It's Me" nearly registers as a parody of the subgenre, going to extremes to provide a level of buttery escapism capable of delighting viewers. Sadly, sourness dominates the endeavor, which doesn't offer tingly ways of attraction, putting on a puzzling show of aggressive personalities, cold-blooded deception, and phony feelings instead.
2024
2013
1960
1993-2004
1926
1993
1934
Warner Archive Collection
1975
Laurel & Hardy
1939
1981
1933
2006
1955-1956
1932
1927
1927
1932
1932
1932
1933