Tab Hunter Confidential Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Tab Hunter Confidential Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 29, 2021

Tab Hunter kind of jokingly states that he's more than ready to be forgotten as he delivers comments at the close of this hugely appealing documentary, which might then beg the question as to why Hunter even did the documentary, or not so coincidentally co-wrote the book upon which it was based. That one niggling irony aside, Tab Hunter Confidential probably owes its genesis as much to Hunter's longtime partner Allan Glaser, who produced, as it does to Hunter (at least as an "instigator" for a project), but Glaser's close relationship with Hunter may have helped the star open up about his life, work, and trailblazing status as a late(r) in life "I'm out and proud" icon.

It looks like FilmRise released Tab Hunter Confidential several years ago. Those wanting a bit more information on what's included are encouraged to read Stephen Larson's Tab Hunter Confidential Blu-ray review of that version. Aside from packaging (this comes in a standard black Blu-ray case), this appears to be the exact same release as the one Stephen reviewed.

Tab Hunter Confidential Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Tab Hunter Confidential is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of FilmRise and MVD Visual with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (largely) in 1.78:1 (as with many documentaries, archival video can be in a variety of different aspect ratios). As Stephen mentioned in his review, this was cobbled together from a pretty wide array of sources, and as such there's an understandably heterogeneous appearance to things. The "contemporary" interview segments pop generally very well (for some reason the Debbie Reynolds moments didn't quite have the clarity of some of the other interviews). The older material is hugely variant in quality, and again as Stephen mentioned in his review, there are interlacing and upscaling anomalies present at times.

Tab Hunter Confidential Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Longtime readers of my reviews know I tend to chafe at only lossy audio options being offered on a Blu-ray disc, though the fact that this is by and large a "talking heads" enterprise might make the Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 mixes at least somewhat more palatable. That said, the surround track's engagement of the side and rear channels is spotty at best. It's also probably arguable that when the film starts to delve into Hunter's rather unexpectedly successful music career, a lossless audio option would have been preferable. Optional English subtitles are available.

Tab Hunter Confidential Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Bonus Interviews (HD; 36:27)


• Trailer (HD; 2:00)

Tab Hunter Confidential Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hunter may or may not really be happy to be forgotten, but those who watch this appealing documentary may understandably find its subject unforgettable in his own charming way. Video is generally good, with an understanding that archival elements can look iffy at times, but lossy audio may disappoint some. With caveats noted, Recommended.