WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

North Dallas Forty
Genre:Drama

Reviewed In Issue 32 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, Charles Durning, Dayle Haddon, Bo Svenson, Steve Forrest, G.D. Spradlin

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 1.5
Sound Rating: 2.5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Paramount Home Video
(Catalog Number): LV8773WS
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $34.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 119
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1979
(LD Release Date): 12/98
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Ted Kotcheff
(Screenplay/Written By): Frank Yablans, Ted Kotcheff & Peter Gent
(Story):
(Music): John Scott
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Alfred Sweeney
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Jay Kamen
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Jack B. Bernstein
(Co-Producers):
(Producers): Frank Yablans

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography): Panavision
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.40:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1

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

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Based on the novel by former NFL player Peter Gent, North Dallas Forty is about the lives of football players off the field. Nick Nolte is Phillip Elliott, an aging, painkiller-popping receiver playing for the North Dallas Bulls. After seeing a coach insist that an injured player take a painkiller and go back on the field, he begins to question the entire institution of professional sports.

LaserDisc Picture:
The 2.35:1 picture is oversaturated and dark, with poor contrast and shadow delineation that lacks visual detail in the darker scenes. Colors are overly dark and smeared, completely lacking clarity and definition. Fleshtones are inconsistent, and often dark orange in hue. The entire picture is wanting in openness, with colors so rich and solid, the picture looks "thick" and plugged-up. Minor noise is apparent throughout, but there are no distracting artifacts.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The original theatrical soundtrack was recorded in mono, and the soundtrack here is pseudo-stereo, or essentially, big fat mono. The music score and occasional ambient effects give the false impression that the soundtrack is stereo. This is a very mediocre experience that sounds bright overall.
(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:
No
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
No
Superb Color Fidelity:
No
Superb Cinematography:
-
Reference LaserDisc:
No
Collector Edition:
No
DVD To LaserDisc Comparison: