DVD DETAILS:
Vision
The anamorphic widescreen transfer preserves the film as an entertaining and colorful pulp fantasy, with ornate sets, vibrant costumes and splendid color making for a genuinely lush imaginativeness. The film is thus undeniably arresting (or diverting perhaps) as a visual spectacle, with fine effects and flying sequences vividly recreating a kind of comic book love of innocence. Dunaway’s lair inside a deserted carnival setting is particularly effective, full of decayingly garish colors and textures and an amusing sense of clutter – it is a fantasy world separate from the surrounding reality of small town America (though filmed in England): the pop-culture madness beneath surface Americana. Makeup effects are always well-deployed to make Dunaway an imposing figure. The film captures the DC comics look respectfully and the impressive effects sequences towards the end are duly extravagant and climactic. That said, the film is all visual, its thematic moments somewhat unusual but not more substantial than needed for passable entertainment – perhaps that was all it was meant to be. However, the design does nicely capture the transition from order to chaos as symbolic mother (and sexually ambiguous) Dunaway uses the power source to violate nature, which, ironically, symbolic daughter Supergirl must restore. The transfer preserves the ornate visual design of a movie that reveals a reactionary view of feminism.
Sound
The audio transfer is effective enough, presented in THX with excellent distribution and directional tricks, particularly in the special visual effects sequences, which are nicely built towards in terms of the accumulation of sound and score. Off-screen sounds are capably deployed and unusual noises are matched in crispness with realistic details, as all about this transfer is vivid and precise. The peaceful Argo City is nicely set amidst the howling world of space outside and the both peaceful and chaotic Earth (chaotic due to Dunaway’s dubious interference with nature) is well-conveyed. Voices are all spatially distributed to take fullest advantage of home theatre depth and the constantly active backgrounds ensure the film’s pace does not sag. At times, the dialogue between Dunaway and her “companion” (Brenda Vaccaro) is amusing in a cross-talk manner, although the opportunity to have them really play off one another is somewhat squandered. There are some disorienting voices and whistles in Bochner’s drugged state and the final creature is as impressive aurally as visually, the score at its peak as the foul creature appears, summoned perhaps from within Dunaway herself, a reflection of her own damnable animus. Finally though, Slater silences the chaos loosed by Dunaway, her soft-spoken nature triumphing over forceful bitchiness. On home theatre, this transfer will provide an additional thrill for younger viewers. read more
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