Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Serial Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 21, 2017

Bill Persky's "Serial" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. There are no supplemental features on the release. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

About that orgy...

It is not exactly news that it has been a while since California moved into some distant universe where life is defined by unknown gravitational forces while conventional logic exists in all sorts of fascinating new forms. The only thing that people have not been able to agree on is just how different the state has become, and if the difference ought to be praised or used as a warning to other states that might aspire to be like it. During the last two decades the debate between those who absolutely love and those who are beyond horrified by the state’s evolution has become quite intense, and much to everyone’s dismay now there are actually elected politicians there that are openly discussing the real thing: secession. This would be something truly different, wouldn’t it? A crazy idea becomes reality and the Great California Republic rises like a phoenix from the ashes. Now here’s a brilliant story that every sane producer in Hollywood would love to turn into a great feature film.

Bill Persky’s film Serial comes from the 1970s and offers a snapshot of life in California shortly after its transition to the distant universe. It is loosely based on Cyra McFadden’s bestseller The Serial: A Year in the Life of Marin County, which clearly aspired to be a hilarious condemnation of the wild socio-cultural trends that at the time were pushing California away from the rest of the states in the union. This is important to keep in mind because if at times it looks like the film becomes a bit too chaotic it is not because Persky couldn’t decide which of its many colorful characters were worth spending time with, rather it is because the chaos actually becomes the key piece of the story. In other words, the film focuses on the total disintegration of the social system and the crazy vacuum that emerges after it. The wild adventures that the different characters have while being stuck in it are basically used only to highlight the utter ridiculousness of just about everything that defined the New California -- from the upper class’ fascination with the hippie culture to the supposedly great intellectual and physical benefits of sexual liberalism to the sudden emergence of the wacky cults that were promoted as alternative new religions.

The intensity of the satire probably could have been toned down a bit to give the film a more tangible sense of authenticity as at times it certainly looks like some of the main characters are trying too hard to look ridiculous -- and this probably would have made it easier to compare Serial to The Big Chill -- but in an odd kind of way it actually feels pretty good to see how many of the ‘free thinkers’ repeatedly get embarrassed by their own ilk. On the other hand, the funniest segments are typically the ones where the most ridiculous ‘serious’ revelations are delivered, so without them the film almost certainly would have lost its edge.

The film has a very strong cast and everyone is in top form. Martin Mull plays a concerned husband who has absolutely no idea why his wife (Tuesday Weld) has suddenly started viewing their relationship in an entirely different way, or why his elegant new secretary (Patch Mckenzie) is determined to have him join an upscale sex club that has become famous for his lavish orgies. Barbara Rhoades is a sexually liberated young woman with a seemingly endless arsenal of ‘right’ opinions, Sally Kellerman and Nita Talbot are two of her best friends, and Ann Weldon is the old-fashioned maid who is just beginning to realize that new winds have started blowing through white suburbia. Peter Bonerz is a weird shrink and Christopher Lee an influential businessman that has been seen hanging out with a gang of leather-clad bikers.

The wonderful song “A Changing World” that is heard in the film was written by the great award-winning composer Lalo Schifrin (Dirty Harry, Magnum Force), and is performed by Michael Johnson.

Serial Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bill Persky's Serial arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The release is sourced from an older master that might have been struck from an interpositive. It is difficult for me to tell, but there is no doubt in my mind that it is the only master that Paramount Pictures had in its vaults. Regardless, while the film could look a bit softer than it should, there are no traces of digital tinkering and colors are quite well balanced. Saturation clearly should be better, but the current color scheme is in fact very pleasing and there are no anomalies that destabilize the dynamic range. Ideally grain should be better exposed and resolved, but enough of is retained and for the most part density ranges from decent to good. There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Image stability is good. A few tiny white specks can be spotted, but there are no large cuts, debris, stains, or torn frames to report. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Serial Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH are not provided for the main feature.

At some point the audio was probably remastered because there really aren't any traces of anomalies that tend to create problems when hiss, crackle, and hum are left untreated on older masters. Balance is also good, though my guess is that a new remix will likely introduce some minor cosmetic improvements. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.

Serial Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray release.

Serial Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bill Persky's dramedy Serial offers one of the most bizarre yet accurate dissections of 1970s California that have been captured on film. It really is a minor masterpiece and probably should be grouped with Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill, though obviously the two films pursue different goals. Olive Films' Blu-ray release is sourced from an older master, but despite some limitations I think that the film looks quite good in high-definition. Unfortunately, there are no supplemental features on the disc. RECOMMENDED.