5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
Ryden Malby (Alexis Bledel) graduates from college in the middle of the late-2000s recession and is forced to move back in with her parents, because her dream job has been given to her college nemesis Jessica Bard. Ryden and her best friend Adam (Zach Gilford) must find a job for Ryden before she loses hope for her future dream as an editor of a big publishing company. But will sudden feelings for her long time friend interfere with her dreams?
Starring: Alexis Bledel, Zach Gilford, Michael Keaton, Jane Lynch, Bobby ColemanComedy | 100% |
Romance | 86% |
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
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Portuguese, Spanish, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Ah, I pity the poor, penniless souls who graduated from college during the height of last year’s recession. For recent grads, it’s hard enough finding employment during economically stable times— you’re young, inexperienced, and woefully under-qualified for your dream job. Even worse, you’ve been groomed from childhood to believe you’re a special snowflake, a one-of-a-kind talent, and suddenly you’re competing against drones with identical skill sets for a low-paying job on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder. For impossibly idealistic English majors—and I’m speaking from experience here—the options seem even more limited. Take a low-stress receptionist job and work on a novel between phone calls? (Guilty.) Put major life decisions on hold while teaching English in Japan? (Uh-huh.) Eek out a modest living writing magazine articles and movie reviews? (Why hello!) So, in the most general way, I relate to Post Grad, a comedy about life after college and the awkward search for meaning, purpose and, oh yeah, a job. Thematic relevancy aside, though, the film is an almost unendurable viewing experience, a tedious, incoherent excuse for a comedy that tries much too hard to be quirky and cute.
Come on Ryden, MySpace? Really? Did Facebook not sign off on the film?
Post Grad graduates cum laude on Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that, like a successful interviewee, has more strengths than weaknesses. Clarity is about average throughout; there are a few soft shots that seem to be the result of focus that's slightly off, but most of the time fine detail is easily apparent in the wizened wrinkles on Michael Keaton's face, the mesh of a trucker cap, the gauzy texture of one of Alexis Bledel's many blouses, and Rodridgo Santoro's two-day stubble. Colors are also strong and natural, from the bright red of Ryden's marching band uniform to grandma's turquoise scarf and jewelry, and skin tones are warm, if a bit over-tanned at times. That said, the cinematography is quite bland, suffering from that flat, overly bright lighting that seems to be a staple of all studio comedies. Though black levels are deep and contrast is tight, the image never really has dimensionality or presence. On a technical level, I didn't catch any banding, blocking, or artifacts, and the film's grain structure is fully intact and rarely noticeable.
Post Grad's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is one of those adequate but wholly unmemorable mixes that get the point across, so to speak, albeit without much gusto or flourish. Aside from a few pop songs and Christopher Beck's rather dippy score, the rear channels get very little engagement. You'll hear a minimum of office ambience, some ocean roar at the beach, and a few scattered environmental sounds, but it's all kept at a fairly low volume and does little to really set the scene audio-wise. The music sounds modestly full, though, and the few sounds effects that the film calls for—like the metal-on-metal crunch of a car crash—are well-implemented and convincing, if lacking in heft. The priority here is clearly on the dialogue, which is bright, clean, and easily discernable. There's nothing in this mix to wow the sensitive ears of audiophiles, but there are no real audio mishaps either.
Deleted and Alternate Scenes (SD, 13:41)
Includes nine scenes that you couldn't pay me to watch again, plus a music video for "Over and
Over."
"One Day" Music Video by Jack Savoretti (SD, 3:35)
You know those movie tie-in music videos where they awkwardly cut in clips from the film? This
is probably the worst one I've ever seen.
Real Life Advice with Alexis Bledel and Zach Gilford (SD, 4:20)
Bledel and Gilford sit on some comfy looking white chairs and talk about their own post-
graduation experiences.
Know Your Strengths: Career Advice (SD, 6:01)
Marcus Buckingham, author of Find Your Strongest Life, gives us his inspirational Tony Robbins
schtick about how to become a happy, successful career woman. And no, it doesn't involve
leaving your job to take a chance with your maybe boyfriend in New York.
How Not to Get a Job (SD, 3:29)
A top ten list of clips from the film showing everything that Ryden did wrong.
A Guide to Moving Back Home (SD, 2:58)
Likewise, this is a kind of checklist of of things that you should do if you ever have to move back
in with your folks, illustrated with clips from the film.
Dress for Success (SD, 2:03)
Director Vicky Jenson, costume designer Alexandra Welker, and Alexis Bledel say a few words
about the clothing in the film.
Find Your Match! The Best Job for You
This is one of those personality quizzes where you answer a few questions and the results tell you
what sort of job you should have. I got "Fashion Designer - Little Miss Trendsetter" and the
descriptions read, "You prefer the finer things in life and are happiest among the beautiful people!
You know that it takes hard work to realize your dreams and unique style shines through in
everything you do." OMG, it knows me so well!
What Not to Wear
Man, will these bonus features ever cease? This is another quiz, one that tests your corporate
fashion sense. I got "Fashionista! You're on an upwardly mobile path to success—fashionably!
You've got the smarts and style to go straight to the top." Why, thank you.
Post Grad Confidential (SD, 13:56)
Screenwriter Kelly Fremon and producer Ivan Reitman discuss the origin of the script, the six or
seven re-writes (no surprise there), and the difficulty of achieving a balance between drama and
comedy. I'd say.
Trailers (1080p, 10:45 total)
Includes trailers for Aliens in the Attic, Fame, Amelia, All About
Steve, and Whip It!
I like to imagine that the actors in this screenshot are looking down at a Blu-ray copy of Post Grad that they're about to bury in the ground, so as to save at least one person from having to sit through 88-minutes of torture so effective that it should be used instead of waterboarding to pry information out of terrorist detainees. Except, I'm sure there's some clause in the Geneva Conventions solely about the misuse of Post Grad. Stay away if at all possible.
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