Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Pacific Heights Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 8, 2019

There are few things in life worse than a bad neighbor, and one of those few things is a bad tenant. That's a lesson Matthew Modine and Melanie Griffith are going to learn the hard and painful way in Pacific Heights, John Schlesinger's (Marathon Man, Midnight Cowboy) 1990 Thriller that pits stretched-thin landlords against a criminal and all-around bad dude who moves in, doesn't pay the rent, and makes life hell for everyone in the building. It's a movie that plays with an appropriately dark and gritty atmosphere and an overall sense of uncomfortableness, anger, and fear. It's very well done and one of the best of its class.

A young couple, Drake Goodman and Patty Palmer (Modine and Griffith), bets everything they have on a risky San Francisco investment home. It’s out of their price range and needs a ton of work, but with two downstairs apartments the numbers should add up once renovations are complete and tenants move into the rentals. Their friend Dennis (Dorian Harewood) advises them against the investment. But his advice is not taken, the property is purchased, and the money is spent to renovate it. The work goes well and the first apartment is rented to a kindly couple played by Mako and Nobu McCarthy, certainly the types to be model tenants. But the second unit is a bit of a harder sell. Neither of the potential renters are willing, or able, to provide a concrete credit history, but the unit is eventually rented out to the mysterious Carter Hayes (Michael Keaton) who drives a Porsche and pays some cash up front. But when he fails to wire the promised money and changes out the locks, Drake cuts off the power and heat when his own temper flares. Unfortunately, California law sides with Hayes. There’s practically no recourse for Drake and Patty to take, even as the problem spirals out of control and promises to cost the couple more than their property and their sanity.

Pacific Heights may not be a great film, but its a fine movie. It holds interest. It builds suspense. John Schlesinger and Scriptwriter Daniel Pyne build a barrier between Carter and Drake and Patty, literally and figuratively. Neither the young couple nor the audience is privy to much of what’s happening on Carter’s side of the door. The audience knows not what nefarious things are happening in the apartment with Carter and is left to sympathize with Drake and Patty while feeling the tension, anger, and frustration that builds quickly and exponentially until tensions boil over -- on several occasions. It’s frightening and frenetic as the true mystery of Carter’s motions and motives build and as nerves frazzle, money dwindles, prospects dim, anger mounts, and hope fades for Drake and Patty. The film’s intensity is not white knuckle but rather settles into the stomach as everything goes against the protagonists, and even the legal system is of no help, in fact putting the blame on the landlord rather than their nightmarish tenant.

Performances are solid. Keaton’s work as the legally in-his-right monster is quite good, even if he doesn’t earn much screen time, and rightly so. His character is often -- literally -- kept in the dark, springing out at only opportune moments to stoke the fire of his own making, something he does with outward balance and inner glee, a twinkle in his eye as every small detail of his plan works to perfection. Modine’s physical and emotional breaks are believably intense, too, as his character experiences a quick downward spiral into something bordering on madness. Griffith carries the film with the most balanced work. She’s mad, she’s fearful, she does her best to be the rock her unhinged boyfriend needs her to be. She carries her character’s most dramatic moments believably and with heartfelt depth, but as the balance of the third act shifts her way, as her Patty takes it upon herself to learn all she can about the tenant, the film loses steam and the appeal and feel for the domestic terror and intensity that defines the first two acts.

Pacific Heights Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Pacific Heights arrives on Blu-ray via a pressed MOD (Manufactured on Demand) disc at a resolution of 1080p, even if it really doesn't look it. The opening title sequence is certainly in rough shape and does not inspire much, if any, confidence in the product. Faded colors, modest detail, and splotches and speckles galore define the sequence and, unfortunately, much of the movie to follow. It's not in poor shape, but neither is it in excellent shape. There are some softer, hazier shots throughout. Details are never striking, but the image maintains a generally decent, if not fairly worn and aged, picture that looks like something out of a second-run, third-rate theater. Core facial and clothing textures are decent enough and environments, whether rough pre-restoration work in the house or more finely manicured San Francisco exteriors, offer acceptable clarity. Colors are regularly faded with no intensity in low or moderate light and only some agreeability even in well-lit locales, such as San Francisco exteriors, courtroom interiors, and a hospital room. Grain has not been removed but it lacks the finesse and consistency of superior filmed productions. There are no encode issue of note. The movie is certainly in passable high definition shape, and for a modest catalogue release that is pushing three decades in age and that has changed studio hands several times over the years, it's probably close to reasonable expectations, though Sony is usually known for putting out a better product than this.

Pacific Heights Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Pacific Heights brings its domestic chills to Blu-ray by way of a somewhat crude, but generally proficient and engaging, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is large, opening with aggressive music and acceptable clarity across the dominant front side. The film is largely dialogue heavy, with the spoken word offering good details and firm front-center positioning. There are some good street level details and atmospherics, including cars rushing through the stage on a couple of occasions. Din inside a hotel lobby at the 74 minute mark is a bit simplistic but effectively immersive. The track finds significant intensity, if not only baseline clarity, during a nightmare dream scene at the 53-minute mark, probably the single most sonically intense moment in the movie. Rain does come down with impressive stage saturation and feel for its driving sharpness in one scene. It's not a bad track at all. It's a little worse for wear but generally acceptable in all areas of concern.

Pacific Heights Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For this Blu-ray release of Pacific Heights, Sony has only included the film's Theatrical Trailer (480i, 1.78:1, DD 2.0, 1:08). No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

Pacific Heights Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Pacific Heights is a quality film that holds up almost three decades after release. It's tight, well managed, intense, smartly constructed, and thoroughly well performed. The audience feels the frustrations and experiences the angers on the one-sided story where much of the antagonist's doings and dealings and plans and purposes are left in the dark. It's a quality movie watching experience. Sony's nearly bare-bones Blu-ray features passable-at-best video and audio that is capable but not of supremely high quality. Recommended on the strength of the film.