The Choirboys Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Choirboys Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 15, 2021

Robert Aldrich's "The Choirboys" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include new video interview with actor Don Stroud; new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson; and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Another day. Let's roll.

Everything Joseph Wambaugh did to remove his name from the official credits of The Choirboys makes perfect sense because it is difficult to see the film as anything else but an original Robert Aldrich project. Interestingly, there was never an odd miscommunication between Wambaugh and Aldrich that somehow misled the latter to produce a dud. Aldrich had a very good grasp of the original material, but still shot the film as he wanted it to look. This is basically it, really, and all other explanations of Wambaugh’s reaction(s) and Aldrich’s response(s) are made up stories. (I only mention this because if you start digging up old articles about the drama that ensued after Wambaugh saw the film, you will encounter a lot of colorful stories that were written by folks that wanted the truth to be a lot more complicated than it was).

In the film, Aldrich introduces the cops as a motley crew of imperfect but decent characters whose lives are like extreme, seemingly never-ending roller-coasters of emotions. Some days they have it easy on the streets of LA and feel proud to be wearing the police badge. But some days they reach the city’s gutter and getting back up isn’t easy. It is when they usually get roughed up and make mistakes that put their lives in grave danger, and when occasionally the people they are supposed to help die in awful accidents.

To deal with the pressure of their daily existence, the cops routinely organize wild parties where they essentially let some steam off. There is always plenty of alcohol involved and even some recreational drugs. Gambling is part of the fun activities as well. Sexual games are advertised and encouraged too, but the lack of sober participants ensures that they never materialize -- or at least not as described a day or two before the fireworks begin. This is one of the main reasons why the film does not share the tone and attitude of the novel that inspired it. Despite their frustrations and loses, some of which become quite dramatic in the second half of the film, the cops never reach a point where they begin to see their existence as a cycle of misery that isn’t worth enduring. In the novel, Wambaugh describes the cops a lot like the people that they are called to confront and help, and once they drop their uniforms and badges, they become unrecognizable. In other words, the lightness and optimism from the film simply aren’t in the novel.

The unfiltered roughness of the comedy and drama are quite unique as well. The novel also has outrageous material but it is part of a very particular, gradual buildup that is in sync with Wambaugh’s description of the reality the cops belong to. Whenever appropriate, Aldrich unleashes mayhem whose mad energy produces such extreme contrasts that it begins to look like the entire film is about to fall apart.

Folks looking for a legit message to emerge from The Choirboys are guaranteed to be disappointed by it. In the current socio-political environment, some folks will likely be offended by its directness as well. But this is what makes the film so fascinating to behold -- it hits hard absolutely everything it perceives to be a meaningful target. Class, race, sexuality, social order, status, laws and language are all on Aldrich’s radar, and soon as the opening credits disappear, he begins firing at will.

Some of the greatest American character actors from the 1970s are in this film: James Woods, Burt Young, Randy Quad, Perry King, Louis Gossett Jr., Don Stroud, and Charles Durning.

The Choirboys Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Choirboys arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. Some close-ups can look rather decent, especially if the camera remains static and there isn't too much lighting, but elsewhere definition and depth are far from impressive. Grain often looks smudgy as well, so even the 'good' looking footage does not have a solid organic appearance. Clarity is rather good, but in a lot of the darker areas there is plenty of black crush that looks rather smeary (see screencapture #9). Needless to say, fluidity isn't convincing either. The primary colors are solid and there are good supporting nuances. However, there is room for some rebalancing work. Some highlights can be rebalanaced as well, and if they are nuances will be improved, but they are not a serious issues on this master. In brighter footage edge-enhancement is often easy to spot. Image stability is good. There are no distracting large debris, cuts, stains, marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. So, this release isn't comparable to The Hard Way, but there are still plenty of issues on it that give the film a dated and mostly unconvincing appearance. (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).

The Choirboys Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one 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.

I did not encounter any anomalies to report in our review. The audio is shard, very crisp, and clean. Balance is good too. Dynamic intensity and nuances are fine, but even during mass footage where there is a lot happening variety is limited. I think that when the current master was prepared the audio was optimized as best as possible.

The Choirboys Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Don Stroud - in this new video interview, Don Stroud recalls what it was like to work with Robert Aldrich on The Choirboys and interactions with other cast members, and quickly explains what could have been done to have the film look appear more authentic. The interview was conducted exclusively for Kino Lorber. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, critics Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson offer a typically informative and entertaining analysis of The Choirboys and discuss its sense of humor and ability to offend, the episodic structure of the film, the unique nature of the drama, the film's reception, etc.

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for The Choirboys. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

• Radio Spots - a couple of vintage radio spots for The Choirboys. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

The Choirboys Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Choirboys is a mad dark comedy that can quite easily make sensitive heads explode. The novel that inspired it has a very different tone and attitude, but I am not at all convinced that this is a legit reason to dismiss the film. It is a genuine Robert Aldrich firecracker that has all of the key characteristics the famous director's work is known for; it just happens to be a lot more aggressive than usual, which I think is the reason why it works so well. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an old and rather unattractive master that was supplied by Universal Pictures, so if you want to add it to your library, pick it up during a sale.