Grease Blu-ray offers solid video and decent audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen
presence of the
decade in this film version of the smash hit play Grease. Recording star Olivia
Newton-John
made her American film debut as Sandy, Travolta's naive love interest. The
impressive
supporting cast reads like a "who's who" in this quintessential musical about the
fabulous '50s.
Grease is not just a nostalgic look at a simpler decade--it's an energetic and
exciting musical
homage to the age of rock 'n' roll!
Musicals have seen a resurgence on home video lately thanks to the success of
Hairspray and Rent. While these two musicals are fairly recent offerings, the
way to test the quality of a production is how well it holds up over time. Grease
certainly has, as it is as popular today as it was in 1978 when it was released.
Grease has seen many incarnations on video over the years. Released on VHS in
1998, it was re-released as a 20th anniversary edition in theaters, and again released to
DVD in 2002. In 2006 it was released again on DVD as a definitiveRockin' Rydell
Edition, identical to this current Blu-ray release. The question now becomes, is this
worth the double dip if I have already purchased the previous DVD? My answer is a
resounding yes.
John Travolta was already famous fresh off the release of Saturday Night Fever a
year earlier, and the long running sitcom Welcome Back Kotterin production from
1975 to 1979. However his fame rose to higher heights after the release of this film. Olivia
Newton John was not well known before this flick, but became very well known after its
release. The song Hopelessly Devoted to You was played tirelessly on the radio for
years after the release of this film.
There is no doubt in my mind that Grease must be one of the most watched or
heard film musicals of all time. It is not a great movie by any means - certainly not at the
level of Singing in the Rain, The Sound of Music, or Evita for that
matter. It is however a fun easy kind of movie that anyone can enjoy. It does not take
itself seriously, but just seeks to entertain us for 110 minutes.
Danny and Sandy are having a summer fling while on vacation. For them, it was love at first
sight, and they spent the entire summer hanging out and enjoying romantic evenings
together. They know that when summer is over, they would not see each other again. On
the first day of school much to Danny's surprise, his summer love is at his school. Sandy is of
the better crowd of goody two shoe types, and Danny is concerned about being seen with
her. When Danny is around his greaser friends and Sandy approaches him, he is a jerk and
pushes her away out of concern for his reputation. She becomes tired of the hot and cold
treatment she is getting from Danny, and begins pushing away from him. He must decide
what is more important to him; his status within the greasers, or his love for the girl he fell
in love with over the summer.
As plain and simple as this plot is, it is much more complex than that. There are a lot of
characters the film follows, and each character has their own world that they live in that is
pretty different from the others. Grease explores the typical 1950's stereotypical
world with leather jackets, gang brawls, greasy hair, street racing, dance competitions, and
hanging out at the local diner. It not all fun and games though, as this film also tackles
dropping out of high school and teen pregnancy as well. This gives the film legitimacy and
depth, and keeps it from being a lightweight teenage coming of age flick. Teenagers grapple
with heavy things in high school, and Greaseportrays this teenage angst accurately,
but manages to be fun as well. Let's face it, this is a musical, and there are plenty of fun
and laughable moments. You feel like you are part of the different cliques in the movie, and
the music and dance drives this production strongly. This is really good stuff, and take my
advice and give Grease and spin.
Grease rocks onto the Blu-ray format in a 1080p/AVC framed in a 2:39:1 video
window. While certainly better looking than the previously released DVD disc, this Blu-ray
release is more revealing of the good and bad of the source material. All the same issues
that dogged the DVD, dog this disc as well. The print master is clean; nick and dirt free, but
a little scrubbed visually. For a film shot in 1978, grain should be much more apparent. Detail
is good, but inconsistent over the course of the film. The added detail over the DVD is
readily apparent and the bump in sharpness is also very noticeable. Colors are well
saturated, bright and brilliant, but with glossy indistinct hues. Contrast and black levels are
admirable, never blooming or crushed. There is some noticeable edge enhancement, but
only intermittently throughout the presentation. The picture was soft on occasion, but
vacillated between sharp and soft throughout the entire film. This is the best I have
seenGreaselook on any video format.
Featuring a lossless 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack, Grease is an audio
disappointment for me. This is a front heavy soundtrack with true to its roots 1978 sound.
The soundtrack sounds pinched in the midrange and slightly rolled off in the highs. Dialog is
always clean and clear, but occasionally had a boxy colored character to it. The surrounds
are used sparingly, with only the occasional discrete voice, crowd noise, or effect thrown in.
Ambient cues from the music are also present in the surrounds, which gives the music a little
more air in the acoustical space. Bass is powerful, balanced and never bloated or obscuring
midrange or upper frequency detail. The lateral spread of the front stereo soundstage is
excellent, with imaging extending deep into the sound field. Since this is what 70's mixes
sound like, I would have to say this disc is about as audibly accurate you are going to hear
Grease sound like.
This disc is stuffed with extra's, some worth watching, others not. If you already own the
Rockin Rydell Edition on DVD, do not expect anything new on this disc. Commentary by Director Randal Kleiser and Choreographer Patricia Birch and
Introduction by Director Randal Kleiser does a credible job in filling out the 110 minutes with
production facts and details. Rydell Sing along Takes you directly to each of the 11 song numbers featured in
the film. Featurette The time, the place , the motion: Remembering Grease (22 minutes) 11 Deleted/extended/alternate scenes with director introduction. Grease on DVD launch party (15 minutes) features coverage of the 2002 launch
party. Grease memories from John & Olivia (3 minutes) spotlights interviews at the 2002
DVD launch party The moves behind the music (8 minutes) focuses on the choreography of the film.
Thunder Roadsters (5 minutes) highlights the cars used in the production John Travolta & Allan Carr – Grease day interview (2 minutes) is an interview done
at the film's premiere. Olivia Newton-John & Robert Stigwood – Grease day interview (2 minutes) was
also done at the film's premiere. Photo galleriesTheatrical trailer(HD)
Grease is a timeless staple of cinematic and musical history. Its music is ear catching,
foot stomping and much fun to listen to. It is also memorable, as it will have you humming
tunes from it for weeks after viewing. You care about the characters, and the pace of the
flick is strong and consistent. If you are a fan of Grease, I would suggest a strong
buy for the improved picture and sound quality over the DVD. If you are looking for a night
and day upgrade from the DVD, this may not be that kind of release. However the
improvement is enough to warrant a double dip if you are a real fan of this musical.
In an early alert to retailers, Paramount Home Entertainment revealed an impressive list of catalog titles they will be bringing to Blu-ray this May. As these are just retailer alerts, no technical specs or special features have been revealed for any of these titles, ...
