Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Summer Lovers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 24, 2015

While it’s easy to see a through line of sorts joining Randal Kleiser’s 1980 ménage à deux (so to speak) The Blue Lagoon, with his ménage à trois from two years later, Summer Lovers, there’s perhaps a subliminal call back to the film that first put Kleiser on the cinematic map, 1978’s Grease. The score to that musical included the ebullient tune “Summer Nights” which detailed the hot and heavy romantic activities of young folks enjoying the freedom of life in the sun. That could certainly be a précis of sorts for Summer Lovers, a film which offers astonishingly beautiful Grecian scenery, not to mention the blandishments of stars Peter Gallagher, Daryl Hannah and Valérie Quennessen. Ostensibly an exploration of sexual awakening, the film probably works better as a libidinous travelogue than as any kind of meaningful drama.

Gallagher and Hannah portray Michael and Cathy, a couple who have been together for some time and are perhaps considering getting even more serious, but who have embarked on a once in a lifetime vacation to the Greek island of Santorini. Some Fifty Shades of Grey-ish sexcapades early in the film show that the duo is at least open to experimentation, and once gorgeous French archeologist named Lina (Quennessen) enters the fray, the couple becomes a triple, with a number of soap operatic repercussions ensuing. Dramatically Summer Lovers often verges perilously close to camp, but chances are many simply won’t notice, as the scenery, both from Greece and the fabulously beautiful stars, is too sumptuous to ignore.

Summer Lovers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Summer Lovers is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. While just slightly soft looking quite a bit of the time, the transfer boasts really beautifully lush and appealing color, capturing that odd teal-blue color that seems to be part and parcel of the waters surrounding the various Greek islands. Detail is excellent in the many brightly lit outdoor scenes, and overall the palette looks natural and is extremely well saturated. Grain is natural looking and resolves without any issues.

Summer Lovers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Summer Lovers features a vivid sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track which captures the ambient sounds of island life, as well as supporting the film's occasionally risible dialogue with excellent clarity and prioritization. The score by Basil Poledouris sounds nicely energetic, as do the many source cues.

Summer Lovers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary features writer-director Randal Kleiser.


• Isolated Score Track is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.


• The Making of Summer Lovers (480p; 12:14) is a vintage EPK.


• Basil Poledouris: His Life and Music (480i; 48:13) is a really nice piece done by Film Score Monthly highlighting this underappreciated composer.


• Screen Tests (480i; 15:10)


• Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:28)


• Red Band Trailer (1080p; 2:06)


• MGM 90th Anniversary Trailer (1080p; 2:06)

Summer Lovers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's not much (or at least not enough) "there" there in Summer Lovers, at least from a dramatic standpoint. That ultimately may not matter one whit, for the film's sumptuous scenery and incredibly glamorous stars enchant the eyes even when the mind (and perhaps more importantly, the heart) couldn't care less. Technical merits are generally very good to excellent, the supplemental package is appealing, and Summer Lovers comes Recommended.