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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Pirate Radio

    Featured In Issue 148, May/June 2010

    Picture3
    Sound3.5
    WSR Score3
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Universal Studios Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    61106154
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    Language and some sexual content including brief nudity
    (Retail Price):
    $36.98
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    117
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    Not Indicated
    (Theatrical Year):
    2009
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    04/13/10
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Richard Curtis
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    DTS HD Lossless 5.1, DTS 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    The story of "Pirate Radio" is traced back to the 1960s when rock music radio broadcast was censored by the British government. When a group of rebellious deejays decides to defy the ban, they take to the seas to broadcast music and mayhem to millions of adoring fans. The music of The Who, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and many more artists are featured. (Gary Reber)

    Special features include commentary with Director Richard Curtis, Producer Hilary Bevan Jones, and Actors Nick Frost and Chris O'Dowd; six featurettes: "Tuning In" (HD 03:38), "7th Of Heaven (HD 03:03), "All At Sea" (HD 02:56), "Getting Ship Shape" (HD 03:07), "Hitting The Decks" (HD 03:50) and "Mark's Love Den" (HD 03:00); 16 deleted scenes with optional intros by Director Curtis (HD 50:24); and BD-Live functionality.

    The 1080p 2.36:1 VC-1 picture exhibits a gritty cinematic character with a filtered color palette that subdues hues. Blacks are crushed and lack refinement. While fleshtones are generally natural looking, the imagery just doesn't pop. Resolution is not particularly sharp, and the picture feels dated, as probably intended. The result is a less-than-stellar picture experience, though, a few scenes manage to weigh in with strong visuals. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is conventionally produced, with production sound dialogue that lacks spatial integration. While dialogue is perfectly intelligible, it is disconnected. The music recording quality is mediocre due to the oldness of the music tracks that frame the storytelling. The music, while drawn from memorable performances, never is center stage. This is disconcerting. Surround envelopment is comprised of subtle atmospheric sound effects and the music, which at times is aggressively presented. The soundtrack just never seems to connect, and with the lackluster visuals, the overall experience is wanting. (Gary Reber)

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