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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Substitute 2, The: School’s Out
    Genre:Drama

    Reviewed In Issue 31 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Treat Williams, B. D. Wong, Angel David, Michael Michele, Larry Gilliard, Jr., Guru

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

    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Artisan Entertainment
    (Catalog Number): LD60426-WS
    (MPAA Rating): R
    (Retail Price): $34.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 90
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1998
    (LD Release Date): 8/98
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): Steven Pearl
    (Screenplay/Written By): Roy Frumkes & Rocco Simonelli
    (Story): NA
    (Music): Joe Delia
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Wing Lee
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Mayin Lo
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): Steven Bakalar & Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein
    (Co-Producers): NA
    (Producers): Robert Salerno & Morrie Eisenman

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.78:1

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

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    The Substitute 2: School’s Out is an action-packed drama starring Treat Williams. After his brother, a concerned teacher, is murdered during a carjacking, Carl, an ex-Green Beret turned mercenary, signs on as a substitute teacher at his brother’s school in order to find the killer. Given his military training, the knife-wielding students are no match for him—but the discovery that the murderer was someone from the school, puts Carl in a whole new frame of mind.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The LaserDisc, matted at 1.78:1 is generally sharp and detailed. Color fidelity appears yellowish, but otherwise rich and warm with natural fleshtones and deep, solid blacks. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered, but neither exhibit a natural vibrance or openness. Minor noise and artifacts are apparent.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The matrix PCM soundtrack is sometimes robust and powerful with deep bass. At times, dialogue sounds very strident or ADR-processed with poor spatial integration. Surround envelopment is often effectively aggressive.
    (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:
    		 No
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    		 No
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    		 No
    Superb Cinematography:
    		 -
    Reference LaserDisc:
    		 No
    Collector Edition:
    		 No
    DVD To LaserDisc Comparison:
    The LaserDisc and non-anamorphic DVD are matted at 1.78:1 and are similar in visual quality, but the DVD is slightly sharper with finer detail. Images on both versions are generally sharp and detailed. Color fidelity on the LaserDisc appears yellowish when compared to the more fully saturated DVD. Colors are rich and warm with natural fleshtones and deep, solid blacks. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered on both versions, but neither exhibit a natural vibrance or openness. Minor noise and artifacts are apparent, but the DVD is more solid and is preferred. The DVD’s Dolby® Digital discrete 5.1 and LaserDisc’s matrix PCM soundtracks sound very similar except that the discrete soundstage images slightly wider during music sequences. Bass energy is just slightly more punctuated when the discrete’s .1 LFE channel is engaged, though at times the matrix version actually is more robust and powerful. Spatially, the matrix delineates a more dimensional soundfield. At times, dialogue sounds very strident or ADR-processed with poor spatial integration. Surround envelopment is often effectively aggressive, but the discrete version’s split surrounds are not particularly distinguished. Even during gunfire, they are monaural, often reducing the soundtrack to a 4.1 mix.