6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Andie is an outcast at her Chicago high school, hanging out either with her older boss, who owns the record store where she works, or her quirky classmate Duckie, who has a crush on her. When one of the rich and popular kids at school, Blane, asks Andie out, it seems too good to be true. As Andie starts falling for Blane, she begins to realizes that dating someone from a different social sphere is not easy.
Starring: Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James SpaderComedy | 100% |
Romance | 65% |
Coming of age | 32% |
Drama | 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 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: Dolby Digital 2.0
German: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
John Hughes made an indelible imprint on the 1980s, essentially giving shape to what feels like fully half of the decade's defining cinematic trend: the High School film (the other being musclebound Action films). Hughes may not have kicked off the decade's high school life/romance/comedy hybrid genre -- one could point to Fast Times at Ridgemont High for that distinction -- but his Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off certainly came to stand as essential viewing for the decade. His sharp writing, insightful glimpses into real feelings, ability to shape tangible characters, and capture a quintessential cut-out of the decade's inward emotions expressed in its outward peculiarities has made many of his films unquestioned classics. Hughes wrote, but did not direct, Pretty in Pink, 1986's Howard Deutch-helmed classic that tells a simple tale of tangled teenage romances and upended emotions in a film that may lack the dramatic impact of his The Breakfast Club and the biting wit of Bueller but that embodies his style as well as any other.
Pretty in Pink's Blu-ray is sourced from a 4K remaster and the result is hands-down one of the nicest looking filmic 1080p transfers on the market today. The picture abounds in grace and classic cinema textures. A fine, even, consistent grain field which holds steady throughout lends to the image a vital cinematic façade. It's a beautiful rendering that is fully supportive of the movie's textures, which present with consistent, flattering, natural sharpness and are perfectly accentuating of the source photographic elements. Facial features boast wonderful clarity and intimate definition while period attire likewise reveal very capable line, stitching, and fabric definition across a full spectrum of attire, from the proverbial rags to riches. Some of the densely decorated locations are a treasure for high definition clarity, notably the TRAX record store which offers album covers, posters, decorative work, and more in easily visible and tactile abundance. Colors are rich, revealing the period pastels and louder, bolder tones alike with equal vitality and nuanced intricacy. Skin tones are perfectly natural and black levels are wonderfully deep and true, offering true density without hindering shadow detail. The print is meticulously clean and the only true stumbling block, if one can even call it that, comes during the club scene in chapter eight where the smoky, low light backgrounds occasionally struggle to hold compression artifacts at bay. Otherwise, this one is practically perfect. It's a shame it has of yet not earned the UHD treatment. This is a terrific foundation that would undoubtedly deliver a quintessential 4K/HDR experience, but fans can rest assured that Pretty in Pink has never even approached this level of fine, filmic excellence for home consumption.
Pretty in Pink's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is not particularly expansive through the rear channels, but it is prodigiously active along the front. Generally speaking, the soundtrack soars with wonderful definition and vitality. The 80s beats sing out of the speakers with incredible clarity and perfectly wide front-end spacing and dominance, aided by a healthy, balanced low end support. Surrounds fold in some elements, such as at a club at the 12-minute mark, but the majority spills from the front side. Ambience, too, lingers along the front, particularly in places like the record store and various school locations with some opening through the rest of the stage during the finale. Dialogue is clear, center-positioned, and well prioritized for the duration.
Pretty in Pink includes a new retrospective, a look at the original ending, a trailer, and an isolated score. This release is also part of the
"Paramount Presents" line which includes unique packaging beyond standard Blu-ray case and slipcover components. Find below a brief text overview.
No DVD is included, and neither is a digital copy code.
Pretty in Pink is one of the defining motion pictures of the 1980s, here lovingly restored in 4K. The picture quality is practically perfect and the audio is excellent. It's disappointing that a more thorough assortment of extra content was not included, but fans will be tickled pink with the exquisite 1080p video presentation. Very highly recommended.
Remastered
1984
1988
20th Anniversary Edition
1989
1982
1987
1987
1999
2011
2010
Unrated Version
2004
2009
30th Anniversary Edition
1985
1999
25th Anniversary Edition
1995
20th Anniversary Limited Edition Packaging
2004
1985
1998
Warner Archive Collection
1986
1991
2011