6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
An iconic tribute to a culture, place and state of mind that defined small town America in the early 80s. It is a universal moment in time, when everything you know to be true starts fading. The story is personal, yet familiar, set against a visually arresting landscape of music and vistas of Americana.
Starring: Shiloh Fernandez, Ashley Greene, Heath Freeman, Brett Cullen, Melinda McGrawDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
I think it’s official: our collective nostalgia for the 1980s—and our semi-ironic retrospective veneration of the “me” decade’s pop culture—has run its course. It’s done. Over. Exhausted. It was (mostly) fun while it lasted. Ray-Bans came back and indie bands rediscovered synthesizers. The A-Team got a 21st century make-over, and Hot Tub Time Machine transported us to the party-hard Reagan era in a Jacuzzi. Sure, why the hell not? I’m still trying to forget the why-must-you-rape-my-childhood horrors of the recent live-action/CGI Smurfs movie—and the ear-grating shrillness of Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel—but, by and large, the ‘80s revival gave us Cold War kids plenty of opportunities to look back fondly on the good times. What it didn’t give us, however, is any new culture, recycling old fashions, music, and storytelling tropes. In particular, there’s recently been a strain of distinctly John Hughes-ian coming-of-age teen drama/comedies that try to ape the style and attitude of the Brat Pack movies; I’m specifically thinking of Adventureland, Take Me Home Tonight, and Skateland. The latter will probably—hopefully—be the last of its kind. Skateland isn’t a bad film, by any means, but it doesn’t give us anything we haven’t seen before.
Skateland may be a low-budget production, but it certainly doesn't look the part, thanks mostly to cinematographer Peter Simonite, who gives the film a lush, warm, appropriately summery look. While most movies like this are shot digitally nowadays, Skateland was filmed on 35mm, and the 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer featured here is rich and natural, with no traces of excessive DNR, edge enhancement, or other unnecessary tweaks to the original image. The one noticeable fault I can see in the picture is the prevalence of a somewhat heavy intermingling of noise and grain during darker scenes, but this is hardly a deal-breaker. Clarity is strong; the image might not always be tack sharp—focus can drift a bit, and nighttime scenes seem a little softer—but there's lots of visible fine detail in most shots, from the fabric of Richie's yellow tank-top to the hairs of Brent's wispy mustache. Most scenes have a lightly golden, sunlit cast and all of the colors are rich, especially the vivid purples and blues in the skating rink. Black levels are equally dense, and contrast—with the exception of a few scenes where shadow detail gets crushed—is punchy without ever looking overblown.
Skateland features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that more than capably handles the film's restrained sound design. There's one car chase scene that offers a few cross-channel swooshes and pans, but other than that, this just isn't a movie that calls for big, bombastic sound effects. You'll hear the usual amount of quiet ambience in the rear speakers—party chatter, outdoorsy noise, etc.—but nothing particularly stand-out-ish. What the mix does perfectly, though, is music. The soundtrack is jam-packed with 1980s hits—from Blondie's "Heart of Glass" to Lipps Inc.'s "Funkytown"—and it sounds great, filling every channel and even giving the subwoofer cause to throb with bass every now and then. Dialogue is clear, balanced, and understandable throughout, and there are no sudden drop-outs, hisses, or buzzes. The disc includes optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
The '80s are out, and Skateland sends them off with one final warmly nostalgic, if never entirely original look back. While it's not quite as good as 2009s exceptionally similar Adventureland, the film is engaging and well-acted, with a last epic summer vibe that hard to dislike. Fox's Blu-ray looks great and sounds sweet, so if you're jonesing for a hit of feathered hair, NASCAR mustaches, and El Caminos, Skateland is worth at least a rental.
2013
2016
2012
2006
2013
Captive Hearts
1986
2010
2012
1985
2014
2017
1987
2011
1983
2000
2013
2015
1998
2014
2009