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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Dead Man On Campus
    Genre:Comedy

    Reviewed In Issue 32 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Tom Everett Scott, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Poppy Montgomery

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 3.5
    Sound Rating: 3
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
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    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Paramount Home Video
    (Catalog Number): LV331743-WS
    (MPAA Rating): R
    (Retail Price): $34.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 94
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): No
    (Theatrical Release): 1998
    (LD Release Date): 3/99
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): Alan Cohn
    (Screenplay/Written By): Michael Traeger & Mike White
    (Story): Anthony Abrams & Adam Larson Broder
    (Music): Mark Mothersbaugh
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Carol Winstead Wood
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Debra Chiate
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): David Gale & Van Toffler
    (Co-Producers): Maggie Malina
    (Producers): Gale Anne Hurd

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.82:1

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

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Studious shy-guy Josh (Tom Everett Scott) meets up with party animal Cooper (Mark-Paul Gossellar), and the two set out to break all college records for drinking, drugging and, er, making friends in the lowbrow comedy Dead Man On Campus. Wasting away an entire semester, Josh and Cooper both face expulsion until they discover a clause in the school’s charter that roommates of students who commit suicide will be awarded automatic A’s for their trauma. So the boys set out to find the most suicidal student in school. What will those wacky college students think of next? Good for a few laughs.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The 1.82:1 LaserDisc is nicely rendered, but wanting in clarity in the interior scenes. Colors are generally natural, especially in exterior scenes, with accurate fleshtones, warm colors and deep, solid blacks. Contrast is nicely rendered, but shadow delineation is wanting in visual information and definition. Noise is apparent throughout both versions, but artifacts are only occasional.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The matrix PCM Dolby Surround soundtrack is largely monaural directed with surround envelopment added by the music score, which at times has an aggressive presence. The matrix version actually sounds slightly more spatial, though the discrete is slightly better defined. Dialogue is completely non-spatially integrated and sounds quite forward and “produced.” This is a mediocre sound experience that is disappointing considering this is a modern production.
    (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:
    The non-anamorphic DVD, viewed in component video, and the LaserDisc exhibit similar quality that is generally natural, but wanting in better clarity in the interior scenes. Colors are generally natural, especially in exterior scenes, with accurate fleshtones, warm colors and deep, solid blacks. Contrast is nicely rendered, but shadow delineation is wanting in visual information and definition. Noise is apparent throughout both versions, but artifacts are only occasional. The DVD appears sometimes digital. Both LaserDisc and DVD versions measure 1.82:1. The DVD Dolby® Digital discrete soundtrack is not dramatically different from the matrix PCM Dolby Surround LaserDisc. The sound is largely monaural directed with surround envelopment added by the music score, which at times has an aggressive presence. The matrix version actually sounds slightly more spatial, though the discrete is slightly better defined. Dialogue is completely non-spatially integrated and sounds quite forward and “produced.” This is a mediocre sound experience that is disappointing considering this is a modern production. Then too, the soundtrack is mis-credited as “5.1” when there is no .1 LFE enhancement.