Superdome Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Superdome Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 15, 2020

Jerry Jameson's "Superdome" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive commentary by the director and critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchel as well as trailers. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The scenario that Jerry Jameson’s film Superdome describes might have appeared plausible in the early 70s, but in modern America it is unrealistic. Simply put, the security mechanisms that are put in place before the big game each year would instantly terminate it.

The film spends time with a number of different characters whose lives take unexpected turns just days before the Superbowl in New Orleans. One of them is Mike Shelley (David Janssen), the experienced but jaded manager of the Cougars, who are the favorites to win the Lombardy Trophy. Another is multiple all-pro player Dave Walecki (Ken Howard), who can barely wait for the big game to start, but also fears that he has lost control of his personal life. Former star turned businessman P.K. Jackson (Clifton Davis) is also in town but getting ready to participate in a very different game, a dirty one, and he has been warned that if he makes a bad play he would pay dearly. Then there is Lainie Wiley (Donna Mills), a reporter from the Big Apple, who has landed in town determined to please her unusually demanding bosses, even if she has to use her attractive figure to get the job done.

While having a bite to eat with his secretary Mike meets Lainie, and shortly after they go out on a casual date that leaves the former with the impression that he might have finally met a girl that is worth being in a relationship with. The impression then evolves into a solid conviction that it is so and Mike begins making plans for a future with Lainie and without professional football.

Dave is also forced to reconsider his plans for the future but only after his wife, Nancy (Susan Howard), unexpectedly arrives in town and openly addresses his failure to protect their marriage. In the ensuing drama, he is also forced to reevaluate what professional football means to him.

At the right time P.K. goes to work to do what has to be done so that he can stay alive, but a series of unexpected murders complicate his game plan. He begins improvising with his lover, Sonny (Vonetta McGee), and in the ensuing chaos is also forced to reevaluate the role football has had in his life.

The murders bring everyone closer and then, in different ways, irreversibly alter the direction of their lives. Meanwhile, the killer remains on the loose, and as kick-off time approaches it becomes apparent that the Cougars’ star quarterback, Jim McCauley (Tom Selleck), is his next target.

A quick glance at the official synopsis for Superdome may leave one convinced that it is likely to deliver the same type of high-energy entertainment that Larry Peerce’s thriller Two-Minute Warning offers, but these films are actually quite different. The former uses action to strengthen the character transformations that are at the heart of its story, which is essentially why the drama in it is far more attractive than the mystery surrounding the identity of the killer as well as the action preceding his capture. The latter has good character arcs as well, but it is all about the action – it is fast, very intense, and by modern standards perhaps dangerously realistic.

Jameson had a huge cast of stars at his disposal and given the nature of the project did a good job managing them. What does this mean exactly? It means that some of them had fairly small but meaningful parts that had to be done with the right type of awareness, and when the final credits roll this is precisely the feeling one gets from this film. Indeed, there is a lot going on in it but it is not a competition where different stars try to outdo each other. On the contrary, it is very much an ensemble piece with quality contributions that ultimately make it look coherent.

Superdome Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Superdome arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a very nice new master. The film looks healthy, stable, and fresh. I have never owned a copy of it in my library and do not have another source to compare the current release with, but I like the overall appearance of the new master quite a lot. Density levels, depth, delineation, and fluidity are about as good as I expected them to be. Some of the darker areas could have benefited from small encoding optimizations, but I think that the current presentation is still very solid. The color grading job is convincing as well, though I suspect that some of the nuances could be expanded just a tiny bit more. There are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, warped or torn frames to report. (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).

Superdome Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Clarity is very good. However, there are a few segments with minor yet noticeable dynamic unevenness. This unevenness is undoubtedly on the original element that was used to produce the new master for the film, but an elaborate restoration almost certainly would have introduced some enhancements to either minimize or remove it. Just to be clear, you should not expect to be distracted, but a few times the audio does begin to sound a bit 'dated'.

Superdome Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this new commentary, Jerry Jameson and critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchel discuss in great details the era in which Superdome was conceived, the casting choices that were made as well the decision to shoot on location in New Orleans, the visual style of the film and its tone, etc. It is another very solid commentary from Mr. Berger and Mr. Mitchel with fantastic and often quite hillarious recollections by director Jameson.

• Trailers - trailers for the following titles from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. Juggernaut
  2. The Silent Partner
  3. When Eight Bells Toll
  4. Slayground

Superdome Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Superdome offers a parade of '70s stars that never really try to outdo each other, which believe it or not is the main reason why the film looks quite attractive today. There is just a wide range of solid performances in it from people that are fully aware that they are contributing to a multi-layered ensemble piece. No, it is not a masterpiece, but it has all the key qualities that I expect from a good vintage made for TV film. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a healthy new master and comes with a very nice exclusive new audio commentary featuring director Jerry Jameson. HIGHLY RECOMENDED.