6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Updated to be set in the outskirts of New York City, Shakespeare's classic romantic tragedy is transformed into a no-holes barred, punk-inflected Elizabethan stage send-up of the story of a doomed love.
Starring: Will Keenan, Lemmy, Debbie Rochon, Stephen Blackehart, Tiffany ShepisDark humor | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Troma Entertainment is a long-standing independent film studio specializing in exploitation cinema of the most extreme form. If you’re not currently a fan of their growing film library, or you’ve never heard of the studio itself, I’d suggest you tread lightly through an introduction to their material, since it’s not a genre with widespread appeal.
The latest schlock-shock venture to arrive on the Blu-ray format is a joint venture between Troma co-owner Lloyd Kaufman and writer James Gunn. For those unfamiliar with Gunn’s work since the release of Tromeo & Juliet, he went on to write both live-action Scooby-Doo films, the Dawn of the Dead remake, and directed the box-office bomb Slither. I personally enjoyed Slither a great deal, but I’m not here to comment on the merits of Gunn’s later work, since the subject of this review is his first stab at notoriety with Tromeo & Juliet. As with any Troma film, this wicked take on the Shakespeare classic contains gratuitous nudity, gross-out humor, outrageous dialog, and enough severed appendages to line the sidewalk of five city blocks. I hope William Shakespeare had a good sense of humor, because his literary classic has officially been mutilated beyond repair.
Star-crossed lovers...
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 12Mbps), Tromeo & Juliet looks as good as one should expect when accounting for the nature of the source material. It's always a bit touchy to review a production of this sort, since longstanding fans of the film will find the gains on Blu-ray a true revelation, while newcomers may feel compelled to turn it off within the first 20 minutes. Dispensing with the negatives first, we still have substantial print damage from time to time, black levels that lack depth (especially in scenes with the glass containment cell), and there's a noisy level of film grain in a handful of shots. Additionally, the film appears artificially bright, demonstrating a tendency to wash out colors and wreak havoc on contrast differentiation. On the positive side, we have a noticeable boost in color purity (even bordering on garish, such as the purple shade of Monty's shirt in the closing scene), a significant increase in detail, and a night and day difference in the overall stability of the picture. Gone are the instances of artifacting, macroblocking, or edge-enhancement, and in their place is a final product that appears quite faithful to what viewers originally saw in midnight showings at their local trash cinema. Some may cry foul at Troma's continued insistence on using a non-widescreen aspect ratio, but considering the prior DVD editions provided a similar cut, I'd wager this is the way Lloyd Kaufman intended the film to look.
Continuing with their trend of neglecting the audio portion of Blu-ray upgrades, Troma includes a lossy 2.0 audio track that mirrors the proficiency of the 2006 DVD release. While it's difficult not to be disappointed in this decision, I honestly can't picture much improvement through a remixed lossless track, since the audio elements are fairly shoddy to begin with. Dialog is reasonably clear when volume levels are stable, but there's enough variation in the proximity of voices to the recording equipment that adjustments occasionally become necessary. In addition to the dialog, we have the infamous punk-inspired soundtrack that lays the framework for the setting of the film and injects a healthy dose of nostalgia for longtime fans. The moments when the music is brought to the foreground mark the greatest strength in the overall mix, since they add a more robust feel that the dialog and environmental effects never manage to pull off. Unfortunately, there are several glaring flaws in the audio presentation that perfectionists will find off-putting. A prime example arrives around the 50:50 mark of the film, when you'll hear a distinct pop, which is followed immediate by nearly a full minute of background static. These moments add to the grindhouse feel of the production, but they don't make for demo-worthy material on your expensive home theater system.
Introduction (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0, 7:14 min): Filmed by Lloyd Kaufman, this interview featurette stars writer James Gunn and actor Stephen Blackehart, as they mockingly imply the year is 1995, and foresee the future benefits of Blu-ray high definition.
Deleted Scenes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 18:51): There seems to be an audio sync issue with this supplement, since the audio from the first deleted scene (and introduction by Lloyd Kaufman) plays over the second deleted scene. Regardless, there are still some gems included here, which fans will surely enjoy (including the Ron Jeremy scene).
Interviews (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, various lengths): Divided into eight (individually selectable) interviews, this supplement provides a retrospective assessment of the notably wacky experiences often involved in making a Troma film.
Fan Re-Creations (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 8:57 min): Two fans offer a faithful rendition of the romantic encounter within the glass box, followed by a gender-reversing version of the same sequence. In closing, we have some ridiculously stupid re-enactments by hardcore fans.
Rehearsal Footage of Jane Jensen and Debbie Rochon (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 2:33 min): Though the audio is a bit difficult to make out (and there's a phone ringing in the background of the office setting), this will still be enjoyable to any fans pining for more lesbian action (fully clothed) from the two beautiful actresses.
Rounding out the extras, we have four audio commentaries (featuring director Lloyd Kaufman, writer James Gunn, editor Frank Reynolds, and co-star Sean Gunn), a trailer for Tromeo & Juliet (standard definition), a laserdisc intro/outro courtesy of Lloyd Kaufman, and a random collection of Troma extras that aren't specific to Tromeo & Juliet.
Tromeo & Juliet is a production I've struggled to fully buy into. Several of the intentionally funny moments in the screenplay lack the clever vibe I often get from other Troma productions (cops standing around wolfing down donuts is an example of one amateur stab at comedy). That's not to say the film is a complete waste of time, since we still witness the usual trademark elements incorporated into Lloyd Kaufman's gratuitous set-ups. However, at the end of the day I simply couldn't find enough value in this repeat viewing to warrant a purchase recommendation. Stick with a rental if you're interested in Kaufman's schlock-shock cinema, but spend your money on something a bit more entertaining.
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