WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Wedding Singer, The
Genre:Comedy

Reviewed In Issue 30 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor, Allen Covert, Angela Featherstone, Matthew Glave, Alexis Arquette, Frank Sivero, Christina Pickles

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 5
Sound Rating: 4
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
Internet Links

Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): New Line Home Video
(Catalog Number): ID4253LI
(MPAA Rating): PG13
(Retail Price): $39.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 97
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1998
(LD Release Date):
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Frank Coraci
(Screenplay/Written By): Tim Herlihy
(Story): NA
(Music): Michael Dilbeck
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Perry Blake
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Tom Lewis
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Brad Grey & Sandy Wernick
(Co-Producers): Ira Shuman
(Producers): Roberts Simonds & Jack Giarraputo

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

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
The Wedding Singer is a fun-filled trip down memory lane—1980s style. Wedding singer, Robbie (Adam Sandler) and waitress, Julia were obviously meant for each other, but it takes three weddings, a bar mitzvah and assistance from Billy Idol to make them realize it.

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): 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:
DVD To LaserDisc Comparison:
The LaserDiscs look extremely natural with beautiful colors, natural fleshtones and deep blacks. Images are sharp and detailed with excellent shadow detail and contrast. However, when compared to the component anamorphic DVD, the LaserDiscs literally pale in comparison. Both versions are sure to please, but the DVD is stunning with its eye-popping color and clarity. The anamorphic and letterbox aspect ratios are undermatted at 1.82:1, while the LaserDiscs are 1.85:1. The Dolby® Digital discrete 5.1 soundtrack on the DVD and LaserDisc is conventional in sound design. Surround envelopment is limited pretty much to subtle ambience and the fun music score, which generally is aggressively engaging. The matrix PCM LaserDisc version does much better at resolving ambience than the discrete. The split surrounds, on occasion, are aggressively directional in the music scoring. The DTS® Digital Surround version sounds slightly more transparent with ambient resolution comparable to the matrix PCM version.