WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Devil in a Blue Dress
Genre:Thriller

Reviewed In Issue 20 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle, Maury Chaykin

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 4
Sound Rating: 3.5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Columbia/TriStar Home Video
(Catalog Number): 51346
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $34.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 101
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1995
(LD Release Date): 4/1/96
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Carl Franklin
(Screenplay/Written By): Carl Franklin
(Story): NA
(Music): Elmer Bernstein
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Gary Frutkoff
(Visual Effects): D-Rez Hollywood
(Costume Designer): Sharen Davis
(Editor): Carole Kravet
(Supervising Sound Editors): Robert Grieve
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Jonathan Demme & Edward Saxon
(Co-Producers): NA
(Producers): Gary Goetzman & Jesse Beaton

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): SDDS (8) Digital
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
The suspenseful Devil In A Blue Dress is based on Walter Mosley’s book and stars Denzel Washington as Los Angeles private eye East Rawlins, a distinguished WWII veteran who gets fired from his aircraft-industry job due to a dispute. Needing work, he accepts a C-note from the shady DeWitt Albright (Sizemore) to find Daphne Monet (Beals) which takes him to the minority neighborhoods of 1948 Los Angeles. Daphne is a mysterious lady involved with a wealthy mayoral candidate and Easy soon finds himself facing blackmail, hipocracy and cutthroat big city politics.

LaserDisc Picture:
The matted 1.82:1 picture was transferred using the Sony HD process. It is sharp and detailed and exhibits excellent contrast and shadow detail with but the slightest noise in the darker scenes. Colors are vivid with natural fleshtones and deep, solid blacks.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The sound and dialogue quality is very good, but the soundtrack is essentially mono in predominance with subtle envelopment.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: