Hal Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Hal Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 2, 2019

The late, great Hal Ashby, who edited more than a dozen feature films before becoming a director at the age of 40, is the subject of Amy Scott’s new documentary Hal, which features interviews with Ashby’s friends, contemporaries, and admirers. From his early years in the editing room for such films as The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming and In the Heat of the Night to directing 1970s classics including Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, and Being There, Ashby’s career faltered during the next decade and never recovered before his death from pancreatic cancer in late December 1988. The director’s prolific and mostly acclaimed output, not to mention his fiercely independent and loyal demeanor, make Ashby long overdue for a proper retrospective. Though Hal isn’t a completely deep or absorbing documentary about his life, it at least provides a thoughtful overview of its most notable landmarks.

As such, Hal flirts with being a clip show of his résumé, both from an editing and directorial perspective; scenes from the above films are included as well as other 1970s efforts like The Landlord (coming soon from Kino), Shampoo, Bound for Glory, and Coming Home, as well as later fare like Let's Spend the Night Together and even his butchered final film, 1986's 8 Million Ways to Die, which was so out of Ashby's control that his name shouldn't even be on it. But considering the director's dense but relatively small career output of 13 films in 16 years, Hal isn't burdened by an excess of highlights (which, to be fair, are well-placed and, if nothing else, will entice anyone who hasn't seen them yet). For the most part, Hal offers a mixture of testimonies and stories from the director's friends, contemporaries, family members, and admirers, almost all of whom are immensely grateful for his guidance and loyalty. We're told during an accompanying audio commentary that almost every on-camera participant signed on immediately once they knew who the subject was: from frequent collaborators such as director Norman Jewison, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, and title designer Pablo Ferro to actors Jeff and Beau Bridges, Jane Fonda, and Louis Gossett Jr. and even his estranged daughter Leigh MacManus, we get a pretty decent portrait from multiple angles.

Die-hard fans expecting more of a warts-and-all examination of Ashby's life, on the other hand, may find Hal a bit on the shallow side. Although the overviews of his earlier editing works and those less-revered 1980s films are appreciated, they're not exactly covered in depth. His well-publicized addition to cocaine, which became especially problematic during that latter period, is mentioned a few times but not always as a culprit, as well as other unsavory life events like five -- count 'em, five -- failed marriages, including the first which was over before his 20th birthday. Still, most viewers should know going in that Hal is designed to be a light and celebratory tribute to Ashby's career highlights and fiercely independent demeanor; more than anything else, it offers a thoughtful reminder that our greatest achievements will be around long after we're gone, even if our lives don't end on a high note.

Oscilloscope Laboratories’ Blu-ray presentation of Hal perfectly supports the main feature with a rock-solid 1080p transfer and a nice assortment of bonus features that balance behind-the-scenes insight (including the aforementioned commentary) with a respectable number of deleted scenes. Although die-hard fans may not find the total package to be as revealing as anticipated, Hal is still worth a look whether you’re familiar with his work or just getting started.

Hal Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio with vintage photos, film clips, and similar footage in various other formats, Hal looks right on par with most modern high-def documentaries. Recent interviews are shot and lit carefully, with clean identifying graphics and unobtrusive text. Clips from Hal Ashby's films are presented in their proper aspect ratio and look to be in reasonably solid condition; many of them such as Being There, Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, and Bound for Glory look similar -- if not identical -- to their Criterion Collection and Twilight Time Blu-ray counterparts. (While lesser-known films like The Landlord look noticeably worse with jagged edges and aliasing, it's still likely that the best available source material was used.) Even Hal's transitional shots have been put together with great care; these include short clips of old editing equipment and projectors being operated by hand, which ties in to the subject matter very thoughtfully and helps maintain the film's old-fashioned atmosphere. Not surprisingly, the static vintage photos are especially impressive and there are some truly fine moments captured here. Colors, image detail, black levels, and textures all look as good as their source material will allow, which gives Hal an appropriately "patchwork" appearance that gets the job done nicely. My only mild complaint is that most of the older non-movie video clips (TV appearances, candid behind-the-scenes footage, etc.) are often presented in a rounded 1.37:1 aspect ratio and some are obviously cropped on all four sides. This can lead to a loss of on-screen text and imagery, but nothing crucial is missing.

Hal Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hal's DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track is equally effective but, not surprisingly for the genre, a mixed bag of different quality recordings. It's a primarily front-loaded affair and heavy on the dialogue (not just during the interviews, either), with occasional separation and panning effects during select movie clips. Rear channels are usually reserved for music cues, as all of the featured films were recorded in mono or stereo. No sync issues or other defects are present, with the overall track offering a solid dynamic range and well-balanced volume levels -- the latter is especially important, given the subject matter. Hal isn't exactly a demo disc by design, but this 5.1 mix serves its purpose and easily supports the film's subtle but inviting atmosphere. Just be sure and visit the setup menu first: a separate DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track is selected by default, which is fine in its own right but obviously delivers a less involving experience.

Optional English SDH subtitles have been included during the main feature only, while select audio cues also feature forced subtitles that are smaller but still very legible; these can be seen in several of the included 25 screenshots.

Hal Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Like Oscilloscope Laboratories' other Blu-rays, Hal is available as a limited edition Digipak from their official store or in a standard Blu-ray keepcase from other online outlets like Amazon. The latter was sent for review purposes and includes identical exterior artwork and no inserts or slipcover. Both versions have the same bonus features.

• Audio Commentary - This full-length group commentary features director Amy Scott and producers Christine Beebe, Brian Morrow, Jonathan Lynch, and Lisa Janssen. It's a very candid and informal track with very few lapses into silence, although somewhat unruly at times with more than a few "inside joke" moments. Topics of discussion include found footage and buried treasures, casting Ben Foster as the voice of Hal's written letters, creating a loose narrative out of his personal life and career, rights and release issues, remembering Pablo Ferro, filming the interviews, Robert Downey Sr. and Norman Jewison, a drinking game with Richard Nixon, visiting Ogden, shooting select scenes in Super 8, the production design and soundtrack, catching a few lucky breaks, juicy gossip, and a lot more. I've seen plenty of documentaries on home video but audio commentaries are not common; more often than not, the main feature says enough. Even so, given the subject matter, this additional layer reveals a decent amount of new information and die-hard fans of the director will enjoy it.

• The Cutting Room Floor: Interview Outtakes (7 clips, 21:17 total) - These deleted interview snippets include unused or extended comments from Robert Towne, David O. Russell, Dianne Schroeder, Judd Apatow, Norman Jewison, Jeff Bridges, Lisa Cholodenko, Adam McKay, Caleb Deschanel, and several others. Unfortunately, the speakers are not credited on-screen, but their words are more important; the collective subject matter includes Harold and Maude, Shampoo, working with Hal, favorite scenes, Jack Warden and Walter Matthau, Coming Home, Being There (and finding the right TV clips), Jerzy Kosinski, Let's Spend the Night Together, meeting The Rolling Stones, 8 Million Ways to Die, Jeff and Beau Bridges, and more.

• Behind the Scenes (3:58) - This short but enjoyable montage, set to "Good Morning Young Artist" by Mike Sempert -- who sounds an awful lot like Tom Petty -- includes candid moments between the "cast" (interview subjects) and filmmakers, photos and other archival materials, a film festival screening, photo shoots, and even a bit of dancing. It plays out more like a music video than a featurette but leaves a great impression.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:42) - Also available on Oscilloscope's YouTube channel if you haven't seen it.

Hal Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Amy Scott's Hal offers a well-deserved look at seminal director/editor Hal Ashby and, like most biographical documentaries, is more of a loving tribute than a warts-and-all affair. It's entirely justified due to his ultimately hopeful and loving attitude that was sometimes overshadowed by obvious frustration with the studio system. Though his near-untouchable run of 1970s films is given the lion's share of coverage. Ashby's less-remembered late-career efforts are also touched upon which is appreciated. "Thoughtful" is perhaps the best word for Hal, which assembles a respectable group of friends, contemporaries, and admirers who speak lovingly of a man who's rarely listed among the decade's best directors but probably should be. Oscilloscope's Blu-ray package is a well-rounded effort that provides a great deal of support, including an excellent A/V presentation and a nice little collection of bonus features including a full-length audio commentary. Highly recommended to die-hard fans and curious newcomers alike.