WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Red Corner
Genre:Thriller

Reviewed In Issue 30 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Richard Gere, Bai Ling, Bradley Whitford

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 5
Sound Rating: 4.5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
Internet Links

Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): MGM Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number): ML10107096
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $44.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 122
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1997
(LD Release Date):
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Jon Avnet
(Screenplay/Written By): Robert King
(Story): NA
(Music): Thomas Newman
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Richard Sylbert
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Peter E. Berger, ACE
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Wolfgang Petersen & Gail Katz
(Co-Producers):
(Producers): Jon Avnet, Jordan Kerner, Rosalie Swedlin, Charles Mulvehill

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

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Red Corner stars Richard Gere as Jack Moore, an innocent man on trial for murder in China. Includes the original theatrical trailer, commentary and an eight-page booklet with production notes and trivia.

LaserDisc Picture:


LaserDisc Soundtrack:
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz): Yes
(Aggressive System Surround): Yes
(Intense 25Hz Bass): No
(Deep Bass Challenging): No
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield): Yes
(Aggressive Split Surround): Yes
(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:
DVD To LaserDisc Comparison:
The LaserDisc and anamorphic DVD pictures exhibit excellent chroma fidelity with vibrantly hued colors, deep and solid blacks and natural fleshtones. The DVD’s absence of chroma noise and increased vertical and horizontal resolution though enhances sharpness and detail for a picture that is more film-like and preferred, though the LaserDisc is certainly exemplary. Shadow detail is better delineated and overall contrast creates a picture with greater realism. There is no apparent noise or artifacts on either versions, and both render a gorgeous picture experience, but the DVD’s chromatic accuracy and richer hues make for the preferred picture. The letterbox DVD and LaserDisc aspect ratios are 1.85:1, while the letterbox version is 1.82:1. The Dolby® Digital 5.1 discrete soundtracks on both the DVD and Laser Disc sound superb. The LaserDisc matrix PCM soundtrack also sounds excellent and delivers a subtle surround presence when the discrete has no surround signal, except for, of course, aggressive soundfield spatial envelopment, which is effectively often. Dialogue sounds natural with excellent spatial integration. And the music score is nicely recorded with the discrete better delineated. While the discrete surrounds are directionalized at times, there is minimal .1 low frequency effects. Even so, the soundfield envelopment often is effectively delineated with the matrix version sometimes being the preferred experience due to the unacceptable absence of surround in some scenes and the three-channel limitation of the discrete soundtrack. The DTS® version is superior in spatial and ambience resolution and is preferred.