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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Outbreak
    Genre:Science Fiction

    Reviewed In Issue 15 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Patrick Dempsey, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Spacey

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 4
    Sound Rating: 5
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Warner Home Video
    (Catalog Number): 13632
    (MPAA Rating): R
    (Retail Price): $$39.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 128
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1995
    (LD Release Date): 8/1/95
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): Wolfgang Petersen
    (Screenplay/Written By): Lawrence Dworet & Robert Roy Pool
    (Story): NA
    (Music): James Newton Howard
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): William Sandell
    (Visual Effects): Boss Film Studios, ViFX/Video Image, OCS/Freeze Frame & Pixel Magic
    (Costume Designer): Erica Edell Phillips
    (Editor): Neil Travis, ACE, Linzee Klingman, ACE & William Hoy
    (Supervising Sound Editors): Wylie Stateman & Gregg Baxter
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): Anne Koppelson & Duncan Henderson
    (Co-Producers): Stephen Brown, Nana Greenwald & Sanford Panitch
    (Producers): Arnold Kopelson, Wolfgang Petersen & Gail Katz

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.95:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Digital
    (Theatrical Sound): Dolby Digital
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital):
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Outbreak is one of the great scare stories of our time. Rene Russo and Dustin Hoffman are two scientist-doctors who race against time to find an anti-viral serum to stop a mutant airborne infectious virus before it spreads from the small California town of its origination. The race is threatened by one of the nation’s highest ranking military officers who doesn’t want the virus’ secret history discovered. His deadly plan is to firebomb the virus... and the entire town.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The image quality of the matted 1.95:1 picture varies from scene-to-scene particularly with respect to fleshtones, which tend to exhibit a reddish hue. The picture is generally sharp and detailed. The slightest noise and grain is apparent in some scenes but otherwise the ap-pearance is solid and artifact-free with deep blacks and good shadow detail.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    Outbreak is the eighth Dolby AC-3® Surround LaserDisc to be released. The 5.1 digital presentation is excellent although it does not significantly distinguish itself in comparison to the Dolby ProLogic® matrix version, except for the creative use of the discrete palette in some scenes. One in particular is the opening jungle scene which establishes the superiority of the discrete format to excel at image specific directionality. In this scene rockets and gunfire are rampant as bullets and shells whiz by you in all directions, putting you directly in the African village battle scene. Another is in Chapter 5, “Motaba’ Punishment,” in which military helicopters fly from behind your head to RF to LF and around to LS through CS to RS and out of scene through CF. The matrix version pales in comparison to that sonic mapping of the jungle terrain. The discrete, as well, has better inner detail and slightly improved clarity, but the differences are subtle with the matrix version often sounding more open.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
    (Aggressive System Surround):
    (Intense 25Hz Bass):
    (Deep Bass Challenging):
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield):
    (Aggressive Split Surround):
    (Center Back Surround Imaging):
    (Directionalized Dialogue):
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    Superb Cinematography:
    Reference LaserDisc:
    Collector Edition: