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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Touch
    Genre:Comedy

    Reviewed In Issue 26 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Bridget Fonda, Christopher Walken, Skeet Ulrich, Tom Arnold, Gina Gershon, Lolita Davidovich, Paul Mazursky & Janeane Garofalo

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 2.5
    Sound Rating: 3
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
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    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): MGM
    (Catalog Number): ML106283
    (MPAA Rating): R
    (Retail Price): $39.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 97
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1997
    (LD Release Date): 6/9/97
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): Paul Schrader
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
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    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
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    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1

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

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard, Touch stars Skeet Ulrich as Juvenal, a young saint who emerges from years of seclusion in a monastery to work in a Los Angeles rehab center. There, Juvenal quietly begins healing the infirm with just a touch of his hands, but when word gets out about his ability, he becomes an overnight media superstar. To the washed up ex-evangelist Bill Hill (Christopher Walken), a Psalm-quoting, gun-toting religious fanatic (Tom Arnold) and a scandalous talk show host (Gina Gershon), Juvenal is heaven-sent to be managed, packaged and peddled. When he falls for Hill’s attractive assistant (Bridget Fonda), he no longer feels like touching anyone else in town.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The problematic picture, matted at 1.85:1, is plugged up with a yellow overtone affecting all aspects of color fidelity, making the picture very ugly to look at. Images are wanting in sharpness and detail with poor, muddy shadow detail. Noise and artifacts are apparent.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The soundtrack is basically conventional in design with a monaural presence, except for the well recorded, but infrequent music score. Dialogue is occasionally ADR-produced and wanting in spatial integration.
    (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: