6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Seven friends, fresh out of Georgetown University, cope with the fears and realities of adulthood.
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd NelsonRomance | 100% |
Teen | 55% |
Coming of age | 46% |
Drama | 5% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Love sucks.
When is a "classic" not particularly "classic?" When it's only a classic of its own sub-genre, a
picture
that's wholly representative of a class of films that defined an era but is otherwise of little
aesthetic,
thematic, or emotional value. St. Elmo's Fire is one such member of a rather small and
select grouping of motion pictures, director Joel Schumacher's (Flatliners) 1985
effort a prime example of the
1980s "Brat Pack" collection that, along with The Breakfast Club and a few select others,
strove to capture the all-too-familiar "coming of age" refrain but with a then-edgier 1980s flair
that
dealt with the nitty-gritty of interpersonal relationships and the challenges of love, lust,
separation,
aspiration, greed, frustration, confusion, self-worth, and any number of distinct physical and
emotional challenges that defined every character, each of whom struggled with a singularly
unique-to-the-picture issue. A fine concept but not nearly as well-executed here as in The
Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire's true value indeed lies in its status as a
picture-perfect
snapshot of a bygone cinematic era that's nowadays best enjoyed as but a curiosity rather than
as a
film that offers anything but the most shallow of views on the challenges of life in the real world.
The gang.
St. Elmo's Fire arrives on Blu-ray with a rather handsome 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. The image holds up remarkably well, generally free of print damage and delivering a strong color palette despite the film's occasional and very mild faded appearance. Though colors are bright yet naturally rendered throughout, several do tend to stand out above the rest -- particularly those that tend to dominate the frame -- for instance the flamboyant Jules' red top or her apartment's pink wall. The film comes alive and offers its clearest and most finely-tuned images during daylight exterior shots. Fall leaves sparkle as they dot the screen; brick façades look marvelous, and streets and sidewalks offer strongly-defined lines and textures. The transfer remains generally sharp with only a hint of softness every now and again. Close-ups of faces don't reveal much lifelike texture and detail, but the transfer retains a consistently moderate layer of grain throughout. Blacks and flesh tones hold up well. St. Elmo's Fire makes for a pleasantly strong visual Blu-ray catalogue release from Sony.
St. Elmo's Fire bursts onto Blu-ray with a robust Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. In the film's opening minutes, dialogue tends to become lost under a deluge of music and sound effects. For instance, the playing of a saxophone competes heavily with the spoken word for the track's most audible source of sound, resulting in a garbled mess of a moment. Fortunately, however, this isn't always the case. Most of the dialogue may be heard clearly and distinctly throughout, but there is no denying the soundtrack's power and eagerness to allow each sound to dominate the soundstage. The 80s music heard throughout positively blares at reference levels, so much so that it'll likely have listeners scrambling for the remote on more than one occasion. Some of the track's more bass-heavy moments, particularly in its music, also pack a solid wallop that penetrates nicely into the listening area. Ambience is a mixed bag; the recreation of the sounds that are scattered about the bar sometimes sound canned and unnatural, while at other times listeners will feel immersed in a rich, lifelike experience. St. Elmo's Fire is loud to a fault and sometimes can't keep its priorities straight, but generally speaking, this is a better-than-adequate track that should satisfy fans.
St. Elmo's Fire serves up several bonus features. First among them is a commentary track with Director Joel Schumacher. The director, with a monotone voice and even-keeled presentation, recalls the era that inspired the film, the assemblage of the cast and the actors that became known as the "Brat Pack," the film's sets and cinematography, the characters' negative traits, and plenty of other interesting tidbits. Joel Schumacher Remembers 'St. Elmo's Fire' (1080p, 14:21) features the director recalling many of the same facts as discussed in the commentary, speaking briefly on a wide range of subjects, including the origins of the project, shooting in scope, the wardrobe, the score, the assemblage of the cast and his disdain for the term "Brat Pack," and more. Original Making-of Featurette (480p, 8:03) is a vintage piece that features cast and crew sharing their thoughts on the story's themes, intercut with footage from the film. Also included is the music video "Man in Motion" by John Parr (480p, 4:21) and a collection of 12 deleted scenes (480p, 15:41). This disc is also BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) enabled and features 1080p trailers for A River Runs Through It, Ghostbusters, The Da Vinci Code, Assassination of a High School President, Adoration, and Easy Virtue
St. Elmo's Fire remains a classic as a snapshot of a particular time and place, the film perhaps second only to The Breakfast Club as the ultimate 1980s coming-of-age motion picture. Though not particularly all that deep, memorable, or even merely noteworthy for its themes and address of the issues of its day, St. Elmo's Fire is nevertheless worth checking out for historical purposes and for the collection of actors that, together, makes for one of the finer and most natural ensemble casts of the decade. Sony's Blu-ray release generally impresses. Boasting a strong 1080p transfer, a hit-or-miss but more often than not suitable lossless soundtrack, and a short but as-expected collection of extras, St. Elmo's Fire comes recommended for movie collectors looking to fill in the holes that call for historically important films in their burgeoning libraries.
20th Anniversary Edition
1989
35th Anniversary Edition
1987
2012
1983
40th Anniversary Edition
1984
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2000
Remastered
1984
2009
1995
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2002
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2006
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1998-2003
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Unrated Edition
2015
Dance-Off Edition
2008