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Category | Music | Theatrical Trailer(s) | None |
Rating | Other Trailer(s) | None | |
Year Released | 1988 | Commentary Tracks | None |
Running Time |
(not 80:00 minutes as per packaging) |
Other Extras | None |
RSDL/Flipper | No/No |
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Start Up | Menu | ||
Region | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | Director | |
Distributor |
Warner Vision |
Starring | The Mamas & The Papas |
RPI | $39.95 | Music | The Mamas & The Papas |
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Pan & Scan/Full Frame | Full Frame | MPEG | None |
Widescreen Aspect Ratio | None | Dolby Digital | 5.1 |
16x9 Enhancement | No | Soundtrack Languages | English (Dolby Digital 2.0, 192Kb/s) |
Theatrical Aspect Ratio | 1.33:1 |
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Macrovision | ?? | Smoking | Yes |
Subtitles | None | Annoying Product Placement | No |
Action In or After Credits | Yes |
The documentary presented was produced in 1988, and features interviews with the remaining band members in the normal, standard way. Cass Elliot, famous amongst other reasons for choking to death on a ham sandwich, is naturally absent from the interviews. If you are a fan of this band, the information contained in this documentary will certainly entertain you, however the presentation will undoubtedly leave you cold. I will not be watching it a second time.
Oh boy, where do I start. A good place might be with the packaging, which boldly claims "superb digital picture and sound quality." Let me argue that the packaging is in error, and that the transfer presented here is without doubt in the same league as the very poorest the format has been unfortunately host to. The packaging also has a copyright declaration for the year 2000, and makes no mention of the fact that the actual content is a very amateurish 1988 production. Thirdly, I was quite surprised (pleasantly, I might add) to find the running time a full 23 minutes less than the 80 minutes stated. The most striking aspect of this transfer is the total lack of definition, and the massive amount of edge enhancement employed, along with heavy-handed noise reduction. Quite clearly, this is a master prepared for VHS, and prepared a while ago - something clearly betrayed by the familiar horizontal lines running down the opening rating notice. There is absolutely no detail in the image, whether the source is old, or new(ish) interview footage. Even squinting didn't help.
Roughly half of the documentary is black and white, and that which is in colour is barely so, and has nothing to applaud it.
There were no significant MPEG artefacts, which is
surprising. Film artefacts were rife from start to finish, though this
is to be expected given the nature of the archival footage. Film-to-video
artefacts consisted of the previously mentioned edge-enhancement, along
with a strange effect akin to watching the transfer through a semi-transparent
vertically striped sheet. This was mostly present on the new(ish) interview
footage and was quite noticeable on my display.
Sharpness | |
Shadow Detail | |
Colour | |
Grain | |
Film-to-Video Artefacts | |
Film Artefacts | |
Overall |
Dialogue was always very clear and easy to understand. There were no lip sync problems.
The audio can best be described as functional, with
limited quality given the nature of the source.
Dialogue | |
Audio Sync | |
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts | |
Surround Channel Use | N/A |
Subwoofer | |
Overall |
The video is rotten, and absolutely does not deserve to be pressed onto DVD.
The audio is functional.
There are nil extras.
Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
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DVD | Panasonic A360 (S-Video output) |
Display | Pioneer SD-T43W1 125cm Rear-Projection Widescreen (16x9) |
Amplification | Sony STRDB-930 (Optically connected) |
Speakers | Centre: Sony SS-CN35 100-watt, Main & Surrounds: Pioneer CS-R390-K 150-watt floorstanders, Subwoofer: Optimus 100-watt passive |