7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
For Dan Gallagher, life is good. He is on the rise at his New York law firm, is happily married to his wife, Beth, and has a loving daughter. But, after a casual fling with a sultry book editor named Alex, everything changes. Jilted by Dan, Alex becomes unstable, her behavior escalating from aggressive pursuit to obsessive stalking. Dan realizes that his main problem is not hiding his affair, but rather saving himself and his family.
Starring: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer, Ellen Hamilton Latzen, Stuart PankinPsychological thriller | 100% |
Erotic | 97% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
English, English SDH, French
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Paramount has released Director Adrian Lyne's steamy Thriller 'Fatal Attraction' to Blu-ray as part of its "Paramount Presents" line. The studio previously released the film to Blu-ray all the way back in 2009. It holds the distinction of being the "first" in the series, bearing the number "1" on its spine (as of mid-February 2021 the series is to 15 titles strong with more to come). This new edition features a new 1080p transfer as well as a new supplement. However, it does drop several extras from that 2009 release. The audio track remains unchanged from the 2009 issue.
Living Dangerously
Paramount's new 1080p presentation of Fatal Attraction is very impressive and a solid step forward from the aged Blu-ray which looked fairly good more than a decade ago but is rendered obsolete with this new transfer. Never since theaters and certainly never for the home has the movie looked so faithfully filmic, so perfectly cinematic. The image retains a natural, organic grain structure which is light and beautiful, effortlessly flattering and a reminder of the inherent beauty of the film medium. Textures are naturally sharp, too, showcasing clothes and faces with impressive definition and intimacy, both sharper and more perfectly pronounced than the older Blu-ray, which has a muddier, flatter, smoother, more processed appearance. The image is sharp across every frame, whether background offices, a dining room or kitchen, a spartan bedroom, or various exteriors. If the camera has it in focus, it's sharp and revealing on the Blu-ray. Colors are a hair less impressive. There's a feel for slight desaturation in play, an airiness to the picture that leaves it occasionally looking dreamy and diffuse rather than tonally dense and vibrant. The lack of intense color depth leaves skin tones looking a little ghostly. On the flip side, nighttime blacks and shadows are very healthy for depth and definition. The print is free of unwanted signs of aging and there are no obvious compression artifacts when watching at recommended viewing distances. Fatal Attraction has never been so attractive; this is a very good Blu-ray that recreates the cinema experience in the home.
Fatal Attraction's "Paramount Presents" Blu-ray simply repurposes the 2009 Blu-ray's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack for this release. For a full audio review, please click here.
This "Paramount Presents" Blu-ray release of Fatal Attraction includes a new supplement and brings over three others from the 2009 disc but
scraps several of that release's supplements, including Forever Fatal: Remembering 'Fatal Attraction,' Social Attraction, and
Visual
Attraction. A review of the new supplement, and a listing of what else is included, can be found below. For coverage of the carryover content,
please click here. Fans of the film, or these supplements, will have to hang
on to the original release to have access to the full suite of extras available on Blu-ray disc. This release is the 1st in the "Paramount Presents" line
and
includes the slipcover with fold-open poster artwork. A digital copy code is included with purchase.
Perhaps the film played a bit better in 1987, but Fatal Attraction now seems not an Oscar-caliber picture but rather simply a good movie marked by solid performances on both sides of the camera but featuring a by-the-book plot and a routine conclusion. Glenn Close and her 80s hairdo continue to fascinate with her descent into madness over a seemingly trifle affair that winds up scarring more than one man's conscience. Well-paced, scary at times, engaging, and even somewhat memorable, the film plays well but doesn't hold up as an all-time classic. Paramount's new "Paramount Presents" Blu-ray -- the first of the line -- includes a gorgeous 1080p transfer. One new extra is included but several have been removed. Audio is unchanged. Pick this one up for the amazing transfer and hang onto the old disc for the extras. Highly recommended.
35th Anniversary
1987
Retro VHS Collection
1987
1987
1987
1987
2012
2009
1999
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1993
1992
Full-Length Director's Cut
2009
2005
40th Anniversary
1984
1962
Limited Edition
1998
Part Time Wife
1975
1992
1994
2015
2002
1991
Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession
1980
2013
2013
2016