5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.9 |
Assistant D.A. David Corelli is trapped between friendship and the law when the brutal murder of an important San Francisco millionaire points toward his former lover and college friend, Trina Gavin, a beautiful woman with a mysterious alter ego. As details of the murder victim's sexual escapades emerge, Corelli uncovers evidence that the victim was blackmailing a powerful politician with incriminating photographs. But as the crucial witnesses are systematically murdered and attempts on Corelli's life are made, the case assumes a paranoid veneer in which nothing is certain and no one can be trusted.
Starring: Linda Fiorentino, David Caruso, Chazz Palminteri, Angie Everhart, Richard CrennaErotic | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Mystery | 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 5.1
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
If you talk to ten people familiar with the erotic-thriller genre, chances are good that nine will rattle off Basic Instinct as the pinnacle of the category’s success. Released in 1992, the film quickly gained notoriety for its graphic depictions of sex and violence, marking the beginning of a new direction for the film’s screenwriter, Joe Eszterhas. Following quickly on the heels of Basic Instinct, Eszterhas wrote the screenplay for Sliver, Showgirls, and another psychologically-themed erotic-thriller titled Jade. In theory, Jade should have been a huge success, allowing executives over at Paramount to be blinded by visions of money dancing around their faces. After all, the producers managed to cast David Caruso in the lead role (hot off his success on “NYPD Blue”), hired William Friedkin to direct (The French Connection, The Exorcist), and had a newly completed script by the recent master of the erotic-thriller genre. Unfortunately, what originated as a foolproof recipe for success quickly turned into one of the least erotic or thrilling movies in the history of the genre.
Look in the mirror at the conclusion of the film and I'll bet this will be the expression on your face.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 29Mbps), Jade offers little improvement in the transition to high-definition. The primary disappointment in the image quality is a general lack of fine object detail within intricate surface textures, leaving most aspects of the picture a touch on the hazy side. This doesn't appear to be a result of excessive DNR application, since facial features don't carry the tell-tale wax texture and film grain remains readily apparent in a number of shots. Rather, the marginal level of detail can likely be attributed to the soft-focus lens used by cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak, which only leaves room for subtle improvements as we increase the resolution. In fact, it appears the video engineers over at Lionsgate attempted to squeeze every last pixel out of the source material, since they used nearly twice the bitrate of other recent releases. Moving along, the coloring of the film runs a bit hot at times, generating overly saturated tones that stop just shy of bleeding among one another (a good example is the introductory walkthrough of the initial murder scene). While I can't say I'm a huge fan of the style this generates, it appears consistent across prior releases on various home entertainment formats (VHS, DVD), and reflects the intentions of the filmmaker. On the bright side, I never noticed artifacts or other digital anomalies, edge haloes were thankfully absent, and black levels remain largely proficient through the duration of the feature.
Considering the nature of the genre, I didn't expect the lossless audio track to create a robust presentation. After all, most "erotic thrillers" follow a formulaic sound design that consists of front-focused dialog with jazzy music permeating the background. Jade doesn't necessarily escape that mold completely, but the film contains two elements that set it apart from the rest of the herd. First, I adored the musical score by James Horner, who's always shown a certain knack for composing arrangements that incorporate disarming stretches that culminate in dramatic crescendos. If you watch the initial scene of the film where the camera travels aimlessly around a beautiful house full of ancient artifacts, it's difficult not to feel a little unnerved at the shot of the fertility mask toward the top of the stairs. Now, imagine that sequence without Horner's score attached to it, and there's not much residual impact. The other highlight of the film from an audio standpoint arrives courtesy of a surprisingly effective car chase. The sequence occurs around the midpoint of the film, which is perfect timed within a ninety minute journey that otherwise remained devoid of high-level multi-channel separation. In the end, the lossless audio mix doesn't register anywhere near the top of my favorite audio presentations, but it's still proficient enough to please most genre fans.
The only supplement included on the disc is a standard definition trailer for the feature presentation.
Jade is a deeply flawed film with few redeeming qualities. The original set-up is interesting enough, and there are fleeting moments of entertainment value, but by the time you reach the conclusion of the story you'll be shaking your head in disbelief. I've personally sat through the film three times now, and my perception hasn't changed one bit. If you happen to find more value in the production than I was able to over the years, you'll still be disappointed in this shallow Blu-ray offering. Between the marginal technical upgrade, the complete lack of special features, and the continued negligence of the director's cut, this is a release that will only appeal to die-hard fans, or collectors who can't pass up a good deal.
1988
1985
2014
1993
Unrated Edition
2010
1974
2017
1978
1973
1930
2017
1990
Special Edition
1991
Special Edition
1992
Limited Edition
1998
Unrated Director's Cut
1992
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1976
20th Anniversary Uncut Director's Edition
2003
Collector's Edition
2006
1989