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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Pecker
    Genre:Comedy

    Reviewed In Issue 32 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci, Bess Armstrong, Mark Joy, Mary Kay Place, Martha Plimpton, Brendan Sexton III, Mink Stole, Lili Taylor

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

    Supplementals
    Special features on both discs include a making-of featurette that lets us meet the real Baltimore photographer who actually took Pecker’s photos.

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): New Line Home Video
    (Catalog Number): ID5129LI
    (MPAA Rating): PG13
    (Retail Price): $39.99
    (Running Time In Minutes): 86
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1998
    (LD Release Date): 3/99
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): John Waters
    (Screenplay/Written By): John Waters
    (Story): Stewart Copeland
    (Music): Stewart Copeland
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Vincent Peranio
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Janice Hampton, ACE
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): Mark Ordesky, Jonathan Weisgal, Joe Revitte & Joe Caracciolo, Jr.
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers): John Fiedler & Mark Tarlov

    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): Dolby Digital 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:
    Edward Furlong is Pecker in this terrific John Waters satire about a Baltimore photographer who makes it big with his pictures of everyday life. Lili Taylor is the New York art dealer who discovers Pecker and turns him into an art world darling. Christina Ricci and Brendan Sexton III are two of his friends who become alienated from Pecker when his celebrity destroys their lives. Mary Kay Place is fantastic as Pecker’s mom who runs a thrift shop and offers fashion tips to the homeless, and the performance by Lauren Hulsey as Little Chrissy, Pecker’s sugar-binging little sister is not to be missed.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The picture exhibits vivid, eye-popping colors, but wanting in clarity. Fleshtones are slightly orange in hue, but blacks are deep and solid. Interior scenes appear slightly plugged-up. Contrast and shadow delineation are generally nicely rendered. Minor noise is apparent on the 1.85:1 LaserDisc, but there are no distracting artifacts.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The soundtrack is too loud overall on both the discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital and matrix PCM soundtracks. While quite loud and forward sounding relative to the other elements, dialogue sounds natural though closely miked or ADR-processed. Overall, SPL is rather extreme and pushes toward distortion and irritation at times. The music score is loud as well with deep bass and enhanced .1 LFE on the discrete version. Directional sound effects are generally effective and surround is at times 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 picture exhibits vivid, eye-popping colors on both the LaserDisc and DVD, but both versions are wanting in clarity. Fleshtones are slightly orange in hue, but blacks are deep and solid, especially on the DVD. Interior scenes appear slightly plugged up, but the DVD is distinguished with finer detail and background definition that is not apparent on the LaserDisc. Contrast and shadow delineation are generally nicely rendered. Minor noise is apparent on the LaserDisc, but the DVD is often impressively solid, especially in a darkroom scene. There are no distracting artifacts. The LaserDisc, letterbox and anamorphic DVD aspect ratios measure 1.85:1. The soundtrack is too loud overall on both the DVD and LaserDisc discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital, and matrix PCM LaserDisc soundtracks. While quite loud and forward sounding relative to the other elements, dialogue sounds natural though closely miked or ADR processed. Overall, SPL is rather extreme and pushes toward distortion and irritation at times. The music score is loud as well with deep bass and enhanced .1 LFE on the discrete version. Directional sound effects are generally effective and surround is at times aggressive.