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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Urban Cowboy
    Genre:Drama

    Reviewed In Issue 28 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    John Travolta, Debra Winger, Scott Glenn & Madolyn Smith

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 3
    Sound Rating: 3
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Paramount Home Video
    (Catalog Number): LV1285-WS
    (MPAA Rating): PG
    (Retail Price): $39.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 135
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1980
    (LD Release Date):
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):

    Credits Information
    (Director): James Bridges
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
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    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.32:1

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

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Based upon the story by Aaron Latham, Urban Cowboy is a dramatic tale of love, jealousy and cowboy machismo. John Travolta stars as Bud Davis, who becomes a usual at the nightclub known as the “31/2 Acre Concrete Prairie”—Gilley’s. There, Bud meets a pretty lil’ two stepper named Sissy (Debra Winger), who thinks Bud is a ”real cowboy” and marries him for it. When Gilley’s gets a new mechanical bull, Bud becomes more interested in riding it than keeping an eye on Sissy—especially when Wes (Scott Glenn), a dangerous ex-con, schemes to steal her heart and rob the honkey-tonk. Their turbulent marriage takes a turn for the worst as both Sissy and Bud are “lookin’ for love in all the wrong places” and it takes a real cowboy to set things straight.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The picture, framed at 2.32:1, exhibits good quality with natural color fidelity that is slightly brownish throughout. Fleshtones are accurate, colors are rich and warm and blacks are deep, but slightly grainy. Images are generally sharp and detailed. Slight noise is apparent, but there are no artifacts.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The Dolby® Digital discrete soundtrack is predominantly mono, except for the well defined country music score.
    (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: