5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.8 |
Leanne is salutatorian when she needs to be valedictorian to get her scholarship to Harvard. The only class she is worse than the leader in is history, taught by Mrs. Tingle, and the teacher hates her. When an attempt to get ahead in Mrs. Tingle's class goes awry, mayhem ensues and friendships, loyalties and trust are tested by the teacher's intricate mind-games.
Starring: Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Jeffrey Tambor, Barry Watson (I), Marisa CoughlanTeen | 100% |
Comedy | 11% |
Dark humor | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 1.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
That teacher of yours isn't going to know what hit her.
Teaching Mrs. Tingle, once titled Killing Mrs. Tingle (a title bearing a strong resemblance to the similarly themed Lois Duncan Teen
fiction Thriller Killing Mr. Griffin) ran afoul of controversy when its release date was revised and its title altered following the Columbine
school
shooting back in the spring of 1999. Never mind that the film really has no resemblance to that -- or any -- school massacre, and neither is it
particularly violent or even in any meaningful way action-oriented. It's more of a Suspense-Comedy with maybe jut a few drops more of blood in the
whole movie
than one might spill from a bad nose bleed, but just the mere fact that the film involves students in confrontation with faculty was enough to
bring about the changes, rightly or wrongly (cases for other delayed/revised films set to be released in the wake of tragedy -- Colateral Damage and Gangster Squad being the two prime examples -- make much more
contextual sense). Not to give anything away, but the new title actually fits the film a bit better than the other, anyway; in Duncan's book, the
teacher dies early on; in Tingle, she's only knocked unconscious -- and accidentally at that -- and tied to her bed while the students decide
how to best escape their dilemma. The controversy likely hindered box office performance; the result was a commercial failure of a film that didn't
recapture its modest budget, a shame considering the film is a rather delightful little psychological warfare romp between an experienced and
hardened
teacher and her naive-to-life students.
"I deserve better than this, don't I?"
Teaching Mrs. Tingle features a truly disappointing high definition (in name only, largely) transfer. At its best, it's soft and dull with a bit more in the way of clarity on larger screens over the DVD. But for the most part, the image serves up bland colors and details with practically no definition that would identify it as anything above standard. It takes on a very artificial, processed appearance, almost like blown-up video rather than film. The image is hindered by regular wear and occasional banding. Black levels can be fair, a bit noisy in places and a touch purple in others. Then there are the times when blacks just fall part; the love scene in chapter eight is the worst offender. Flesh tones do remain fairly natural, but otherwise this one's nearly indefensible. It's a truly awful Blu-ray viewing experience. The transfer is pasty, lifeless, terribly flat, and not at all even what audiences should accept for a bargain basement disc. It's a major disappointment in every way.
Though its video transfer is a mess, Teaching Mrs. Tingle's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is anything but. This is an active, aggressive, and loud track, one that enjoys good stage presence and balance throughout. Music plays with much energy and excellent spacing all around; in comparison to the video transfer it's a real treat. There's some nice ambience in school hallways; listeners will feel immersed in the busy school environment where chatty kids, slamming lockers, echoing footfalls, and other sound effects pull the listening audience into the environment. There's some fine dialogue reverberation in the gym when Luke approaches Leigh Ann with the final exam; the sense of space and emptiness in that location is quite good. Otherwise, this one is largely dialogue-driven. The spoken word comes through clearly and cleanly from the front-middle. This is a very pleasing soundtrack and really the only reason to upgrade from DVD.
Unfortunately, this Blu-ray release of Teaching Mrs. Tingle contains no supplements.
Teaching Mrs. Tingle is really quite good, an overlooked and under appreciated picture that meshes a playful underbelly with serious drama, both shaped by fantastic performances from Helen Mirren, Marisa Coughlan, and Barry Watson. The movie is engaging, thoughtful, wittily scripted, and darkly humorous. It might be Kevin Williamson's best-scripted film; it certainly lacks the directorial and visual polish of his other hits helmed by others, but it's a great little movie that shouldn't be overlooked. It's too bad Echo Bridge's Blu-ray isn't up to the task of presenting the film in a proper high definition release. The video transfer is awful, to be blunt, and with no included supplements even the solid lossless soundtrack cannot save the disc. Fans who don't already own the DVD might want to pick this up given the rock-bottom price, but otherwise hang onto that standard definition disc; this one is no better, visually.
2018
Unrated + Theatrical
2009
2011
Scre4m
2011
20th Anniversary Edition
1999
1981
1989
25th Anniversary Edition
1996
2013
Unrated Version
2008
2004
Unrated Director's Cut
2018
Special Edition
1980
2009
1985
35th Anniversary Edition
1987
Slipcover in Original Pressing
2007
2011
2000
2008