WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Drunks
Genre:Drama

Reviewed In Issue 28 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Richard Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Calista Flockhart, Spalding Gray, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Gorge Martin, Amanda Plummer, Parker Posey, Howard Rollins, Anna Thompson & Dianne Weist

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 3.5
Sound Rating: 3
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): BMG Independants
(Catalog Number): ID3721BM
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $39.99
(Running Time In Minutes): 90
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): No
(Theatrical Release): 1995
(LD Release Date):
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Peter Cohn
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
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DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.82:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
(Theatrical Sound): Ultra Stereo
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital): No
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Based on the play “Blackout,” by Gary Lennon, Drunks tells the honest tale of Jim (Richard Lewis), a self-pitying man wrestling the demons of alcoholism and drug addiction. He frequently attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in a dingy church basement where he is surrounded and supported by a myriad of other smokers and alcoholics. The meetings are not pleasant to witness—each alcoholic has a painful story, each one taking it one day at a time.

LaserDisc Picture:
The 1.82:1 picture exhibits slightly oversaturated colors with generally natural fleshtones and deep, undefined blacks. Images are generally sharp and detailed with mediocre shadow detail and contrast. Noise is apparent, especially in the darker scenes, but there are no detected artifacts.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The Ultra Stereo matrix surround soundtrack decodes nicely through a Dolby Surround/ProLogic decoder. Dialogue sounds completely natural with excellent spatial integration. The jazz music score sounds terrific with pleasing soundstage imaging.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz): No
(Aggressive System Surround): No
(Intense 25Hz Bass): No
(Deep Bass Challenging): No
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield): No
(Aggressive Split Surround): No
(Center Back Surround Imaging): No
(Directionalized Dialogue): No
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: