6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Welcome to Greenleaf, a picture-postcard Indiana town where the high school is the proud focus of attention and "alternative lifestyle" means you bowl on alternate Tuesdays. But on the night of the Oscars® telecast, the town's—and the world's—center of attention is Greenleaf teacher Howard Brackett. A former student who's now a superstar actor tells an audience of millions that Howard is gay. Poor Howard. He's outted when he didn't know he was in.
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Tom Selleck, Matt Dillon, Debbie ReynoldsRomance | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Who knew that an Oscar acceptance speech could itself inspire a film which would go on to at least get one Academy Award nomination? When Tom Hanks famously mentioned one of his gay teachers and a gay classmate he had gone to school with when he won Best Actor for Philadelphia, it may have seemed like a sweet if not particularly notable momentary "validation" for those two, especially given the still roiling atmosphere surrounding AIDS/HIV as documented by Philadelphia itself. In & Out screenwriter Paul Rudnick had already amassed some impressive credits in a number of media, including a 1992 play he later adapted into the film Jeffrey, which came out a year after Philadelphia. Jeffrey obviously has some tethers to In & Out, at least in passing, but as early as Rudnick's 1982 effort Poor Little Lambs, he was investigating perceived "gender roles" and resultant discrimination. Those interested in snarky film criticism (is there any other kind?) may know that Rudnick also had a long run as fictional writer Libby Gelman-Waxner in an scabrously funny column in the late, great Premiere Magazine.
In & Out is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The back cover of this release states this was culled from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. As collector's may know, home studio Paramount released In & Out in 1080 a couple of years ago, but as of the writing of this review, that release hasn't been covered here yet, so I can't offer any thoughts on screenshot comparisons. The bottom line is, this is very inviting looking presentation that offers a nicely suffused palette and some appealing detail levels. Grain tends to fluctuate throughout, sometimes apart from things like the optically printed credits sequence (which goes on for some time), but that at least argues for no aggressive filtering. There are also a couple of passingly soft looking moments, mostly in the school environment.
In & Out features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options. This is obviously not a "whiz bang" effects laden track, but the surround version nicely opens up a rather charming and melodic score by Marc Shaiman, as well as positioning ambient environmental effects throughout the side and rear channels. Dialogue on both tracks tends to be front and center, and is always rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
The world may not have been ready for it at the time, but I frankly think In & Out would have been even more provocative and potentially even funnier if Howard had turned out to be a misunderstood straight guy. That said, there are a ton of winning performances here, and the writing is typically sharp and witty. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplements are enjoyable, including a nice commentary track available on both discs. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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