6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Two young men evading the police for a crime they didn't commit are cryogenically frozen in the early 1960s. The next thing they know is that they are in a strange new world (thirty years on).
Starring: Brian Wimmer, Peter Berg, Marcia Gay Harden, Cassy Friel, Peter GallagherSci-Fi | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
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 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
As a Man Out of Time movie, 1991’s “Late for Dinner” aims more for sweetness than shock, though it certainly doesn’t discount the value of a nice surprise. It’s a strange time travel feature from director W.D. Richter, who previously helmed the eye-crossing cult comedy “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension,” making an obvious effort to soften his touch with complex storytelling by taking on a screenplay (credited to Mark Andrus, “As Good as It Gets,” “Georgia Rule”) that’s more emotional, surveying a tale of cryogenic reawakening and the sacrifice of time. The plot is obviously scrambled, with visible staples in place to hold the narrative together, but sincerity remains, helping to guide light comedy and warm dramatics to a welcome place of personal reunion, highlighting the picture’s strengths with intimacy.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a stable viewing experience. Grain is tastefully managed, supplying a more filmic quality. Fine detail is generally good, with inherent cinematographic softness displayed without disruption, while facial features and costuming retain textures. Colors are stable, often caught battling the Southwestern sun for vibrancy. Evening encounters featuring neon signs and greenish cryogenic particulars bring out more varied hues. Skintones are natural and accurate. Delineation isn't challenged, supplying satisfactory distances and communicative blacks. Print remains in decent shape, with a few points of damage detected, along with some mild speckling.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't deliver much in the way of weight. Opening with a song from the 1950s, the track isn't built for bigness, keeping sharper and milder with thin soundtrack selections and light scoring. However, fullness isn't entirely missed, as dialogue exchanges are clean and secure, capturing an emotional range tied to feverish revelations that never slips into distortion. Atmospherics are mild but perceptible, creating a feel for public spaces and desert expanse. Sound effects tied to accident scenes are welcomingly boosted.
There is no supplementary material on this disc.
Some weirdness remains in "Late for Dinner," including the introduction of a cryo lab assistant (played by Kyle Secor), who's still alive when Willie and Frank awake. He's written out of the movie in a suspiciously swift manner. Richter also leaves in a movie mistake, with Wimmer clearly calling Harden "Tess" during an intimate moment, watching the actress break character and correct him during the scene. It's a shame there isn't an audio commentary included on this Blu-ray to help understand how this Freudian goof made it into the final cut. While it's a bumpy ride at times, "Late for Dinner" does retain substantial charm and an encouraging amount of tenderness as it winds through the time travel routine, finding fresh areas of disbelief to explore.
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Theatrical Unrated and Rated Versions
2012
Warner Archive Collection
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Warner Archive Collection
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Warner Archive Collection
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