6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A musician from Montana finds work and other things at The Continental Baths in New York City, 1974.
Starring: Robert Aberdeen, Ellen Sheppard, Don ScottiDrama | 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
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
1975’s “Saturday Night at the Baths” presents a time and place for audiences during the decade, with co-writer/director David Buckley offering a snapshot of celebratory happenings involving the gay community. Instead of simply making a documentary about time at the Continental Baths, the production hopes to touch hearts and minds with this drama, which examines one man’s journey of sexuality, making discoveries about himself while working in a scene he doesn’t fully understand at first. “Saturday Night at the Baths” is no great offering of storytelling, but it does have a distinct fingerprint when it comes to detailing a moment in history, capturing the jubilance of performance and the thrill of living free, with Buckley understanding more about the scene than the demands of dramatic structure.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation shows its age at times, but the overall effort to bring a largely obscure endeavor to Blu-ray is successful. Detail for "Saturday Night at the Baths" is appealing, with a sense of skin particulars and period fashion. Bath interiors are open for inspection, and New York City tours are dimensional, helping the time capsule appeal of the feature. Colors is respectfully refreshed, offering natural skin tones and brighter costuming. Club lighting is also alert. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is heavier but film-like. Wear and tear is present during the viewing experience, along with some points of damage.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA does encounter plenty of source-related issues, showing its age with a tinny sound that restrains dialogue exchanges. Intelligibility isn't threatened, but clarity wavers from scene to scene, and there's never a full sense of vocal power. Music is also a bit strange at times, perhaps reaching the limits of the original equipment, as some Continental Bath performances fail to offer a larger presence in the mix, as one might expect from such an environment.
"Saturday Night at the Baths" is much more interesting when exploring the iconic Continental Bath location (which eventually became the infamous "Plato's Retreat" in 1977), offering performance clips and a general sense of life that delivers some excitement and a look at the culture of the day. As a viewing experience, "Saturday Night at the Baths" is uneven, more enticing when stripped of sludgy character business, examining the purity of mutual attraction and self-expression.
1964
1965
Avere Vent'anni
1978
1974
1973
1970
1974
Standard Edition
2020
2016
1971
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1973
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1970
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1966