"L.A. Story" is legendary comedian-actor Steve Martin's love letter to the City of Angels. Being in a magical city with predictably pliant weather can make the life of a meteorologist seem monotonous. When TV weatherman Harris Telemacher (Steve Martin) begins receiving secret messages from an electronic freeway sign, he leaves his longtime girlfriend (Marilu Henner) and embarks on a frivolous romance with a vapid, young model (Sarah Jessica Parker), which ultimately leads him to true love with the woman of his dreams (Victoria Tennant). (Gary Reber)
Special features include 18 deleted scenes and outtakes (HD 20:51); the featurettes "Mick Jackson's L.A. Story" (HD 23:58), "The Story Of L.A. Story" (HD 12:34) and "The L.A. of L.A. Story" (HD 15:33); original theatrical marketing materials; trailers; TV spots and a digital code.
The 1.85:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed on film using the Panaflex Camera system and sourced from a 2K master Digital Intermediate format. The picture is vibrant with a vivid color palette that exhibits rich and warm hues. Colors pop. Fleshtones are perfectly natural and healthy. Contrast is excellent with deep, natural black levels, revealing shadow delineation, and natural white levels. Resolution is a bit soft but satisfying throughout.The interior scenes are well lit.This is a beautifully rendered film with virtually no perceivable grain. The imagery pops and colors are vivid. (Gary Reber)
The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is rather monaural focused. The soundstage is dimensional. Dialogue focused, the sound is nicely integrated spatially. Narration is perfectly projected. Surround energy is basically an extension of the frontal music. The music is nicely expansive across the soundstage extending to the surrounds. Atmospherics enhance the realism of the locations. Sound effects enhance the dramatic moments with thunder, rain, a signage explosion and other effects. Deep bass provides good dynamics and support. (Gary Reber)