7 | / 10 |
Users | 2.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
An anonymous love letter left in Michael Ryan's locker on the last day of school wreaks havoc on his life and the lives of everyone who come in contact with it.
Starring: C. Thomas Howell, Lori Loughlin, Kelly Preston, Cliff De Young, Fred WardErotic | 100% |
Teen | 43% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Romance | 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 (48kHz, 24-bit)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Released during the blur of teen cinema in the 1980s, “Secret Admirer” often plays like an effort from the 1940s. While R-rated and periodically raunchy, co-writer/director David Greenwalt infuses the feature with unexpected good taste, laboring to find an alternative way to play up shenanigans featuring horny teens without giving in to the habits of the subgenre. Not that “Secret Admirer” is a film fit for the entire family, but I’ve never encountered a picture about sex that was so afraid to mention the word “sex” when detailing a few amorous escapades, almost going out of its way to deny salacious details. Lacking invention but agreeably acted, the movie invests entirely in misunderstandings, more interested in the potential for a farce than a true inspection of virgin confusion. Greenwalt has the chance to do something special with the material, but his timing is stiff, his writing dull, and his lead character absurdly unappealing.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation utilizes an aged scan, delivering noticeable flatness to the viewing experience. Colors are acceptable but rarely vivid, only punching through with brighter neons and louder costuming, though skintones are passable. Detail isn't terrific, but a few close-ups manage to carry some necessary texture. Softness dominates, and a minor amount of filtering is detected. Delineation struggles during evening adventures, with some solidification losing frame information. Source offers plenty of speckling and few scratchy passages, but overt damage isn't encountered.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix juggles the limited needs of "Secret Admirer," finding the film's farcical intentions registering clearly, emphasizing louder performances and verbal speed. Dialogue exchanges are never threatened, blended well with soundtrack selections, which retain instrumentation and pop spirit, and scoring captures a mood of discovery with clarity. Atmospherics for party sequences and school encounters are appealing, and wilder sound effects for mishaps are suitably aggressive.
There's a break-up-to-make-up finale engineered to give viewers a jolt of satisfaction, but the screenplay never earns the artificial surge of concern. "Secret Admirer" isn't successful as a date night effort, failing to create characters worth investing in, especially when they often act like idiots for no reason. Thankfully, the picture is nicely acted by the adults, with Wallace handling broadly comic reactions and Ward embracing exaggerated masculinity. And Loughlin is the most natural out of the younger actors, finding authenticity in Toni's frustration as her plans to win Michael's attention constantly blow up in her face. There are thespian charms to cling to when the feature goes south, weirdly denying the vulgarity that's a cornerstone of the genre. "Secret Admirer" would rather be sweet and gentle, but there's not enough kindness within the movie to support the delicate mood. And as a comedy, there are barely any laughs.
Collector's Edition
1983
1982
1983
1983
2010
1991
Slipcover Edition | Limited to 2,000
1979
1985
American Pie 3 | Unrated + Theatrical
2003
2009
2013
1976
1985
1983
1982
Limited Edition - 2,000 copies
1984
Warner Archive Collection
1986
1982
1985
1989