6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Lenny is a real estate developer who moves to Los Angeles and has instant success selling tax shelters to the Beverly Hills elite. He embraces his new financial status and begins to live the high life until rumors of a government crackdown on tax shelters causes investors to back out of deals, and scares new investors away. Desperate and scared and deeply in debt, Lenny seeks to regain his edge by using cocaine, but finds only a downward spiral into drug addiction.
Starring: James Woods, Sean Young, John Kapelos, Steven Hill, John RothmanDrama | 100% |
Romance | 82% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Harold Becker's "The Boost" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original theatrical trailer for the film. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Together we are invincible
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Harold Becker's The Boost arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.
The Blu-ray release appears to have been sourced from the same master that MGM used for the initial DVD release of the film. There are some obvious limitations, but the film does look quite good in high-definition. Many close-ups, for instance, boast decent depth, and even when light is restricted definition remains quite nice (see screencaptures #3, 8, and 12). Obviously, during the darker footage shadow definition could be better, but there are no serious distracting anomalies. Generally speaking, colors remain stable. However, saturation and balance should be better, and ideally there should be a wider range of nuances. Grain is visible throughout the entire film, but with some encoding optimizations it would have been better exposed and resolved. Regardless, the film has a slightly dated but quite nice organic appearance. There are no basic stability issues. Also, there are no large damage marks, cuts, debris, or burn marks, but a few tiny scratches can be seen. So, a new master would have given this film a much fresher appearance, but the current technical presentation is rather nice. My score is 3.75/5.00. (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).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.
The film has a subtle but very effective soundtrack. It benefits rather well from the lossless treatment, but you should not expect to hear a great deal of dynamic movement. Balance and separation are good. The dialog is stable, clean, and easy to follow, but optional English SDH subtitles should have been provided for people that may need them.
Unfortunately, the audio commentary with James Woods and director Harold Becker as well as the deleted scenes that appear on the old DVD release of The Boost are not included on this release.
James Woods delivers a career defining performance in this incredibly cynical film about an ambitious trader who gets a lucrative job offer and relocates with his wife to LA. I always thought that The Boost could end up in The Criterion Collection as it remains relevant today, but it is now out on Blu-ray via Olive Films. Consider adding the Blu-ray to your collection, but also get the old DVD release as it has a very nice audio commentary with James Woods and director Harold Becker. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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