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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Diner (1982)

Diner (1982)

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Released 19-Dec-2003

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Drama Featurette-Introduction
Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Diner: On The Flipside
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 1982
Running Time 105:23
RSDL / Flipper RSDL (73:57) Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 2,4 Directed By Barry Levinson
Studio
Distributor

Warner Home Video
Starring Steve Guttenberg
Daniel Stern
Mickey Rourke
Kevin Bacon
Timothy Daly
Ellen Barkin
Case Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI $14.95 Music Bruce Brody
Ivan Kral


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English Dolby Digital 1.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English
English for the Hearing Impaired
Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits Yes, voiceover of the boys arguing about evolution

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    What if I told you there was a film starring Steve Guttenberg (Police Academy), Daniel Stern (City Slickers), Mickey Rourke (Nine 1/2 Weeks), Kevin Bacon (Hollow Man), Timothy Daly (The Fugitive), Ellen Barkin (Switch), and Paul Reiser (Mad About You)?

    You wouldn't mind watching it?

    Well, thankfully there is such a film - Diner - made when all these people were unknowns at the start of their careers.

    Set in Baltimore in 1959, Diner is a meandering film about five young men, all good friends with each other, their lives and how they are coping with their transition into manhood. In many ways it is a "rite of passage" film - there is no overall storyline but there are many small stories and anecdotes. I imagine many people will identify with one or more of the characters or know someone "just like" one of them.

    This is director Barry Levinson's first film, and it was made with a low budget. At first, the studio was reluctant to release it, fearing that it would not be a commercial success, but it was met with both critical and public acclaim and even today many people remember it fondly. Barry of course would go on and direct films such as Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man, and Disclosure.

    Eddie (Steve Guttenberg) is about to marry his fiancée Elyse (whom you never get to actually see in the film) but is having second thoughts. His "solution" is to force Elyse to sit a test about football, a test that even his buddies acknowledge they would have difficulty passing.

    Shrevie (Daniel Stern), on the other hand, is already married to Beth (Ellen Barkin) but is having difficulty adjusting to married life - he still prefers to hang out with his friends and finds it difficult to strike up a conversation with his young pretty wife.

    Boogie (Mickey Rourke) is the womaniser of the bunch. He works as a hairdresser during the day, studies law at night, and takes every opportunity to "sow his wild oats." He is also heavily in debt from his gambling habits, and will soon be in serious trouble if if doesn't find some money to pay off the debt. His "solution" is make additional bets with his friends and acquaintances in the hope that he will win big on one of them.

    Fenwick (Kevin Bacon) comes from a rich family, and doesn't really want to grow up. He is perpetually drunk, will do anything for a "smile" and doesn't know what to do with his life.

    Billy (Timothy Daly) has recently returned from New York City where he is studying for his masters. Is it just for a visit, or does he have a specific purpose?

    Finally, Modell (Paul Reiser) is the wisecrack, but deep inside he is rather insecure about himself.

    The good friends hang out at the local "Diner" - a steel and vinyl joint on the unfashionable side of town.

    The plot is not important in this film - the scenes and the relationships between the characters are. By the end of the film, we feel we are part of the gang, and we almost wish the film wouldn't end and we will have an opportunity to meet them next week at the Diner.

    This film has spawned many copycats, notably St. Elmo's Fire and even The Big Chill to a certain extent. Barry Levinson's film Tin Men can almost be regarded as a sequel of sorts - it is also set in Baltimore, but four years later in 1963. In Diner, one of the characters eventually decide to become a tin man, and Michael Tucker stars as the same character (Bagel) in both films.

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Transfer Quality

Video

    The transfer is in widescreen 1.78:1 and is 16x9 enhanced. The intended aspect ratio is 1.85:1, based on a 35mm film source.

    Given the age of the film, the film source appears to be in reasonable condition, with only minor marks here and there.

    Low level grain is pervasive throughout, but not to the point of annoyance.

    Detail levels are okay, and shadow levels are acceptable, although I would have liked a little bit more contrast and darker black levels.

    Colour saturation is also acceptable, and I did not see significant signs of yellowing or brownish tones. The subtle detail and shades of the figurines outside the church were probably the highlight of the transfer - these came across really well.

    There are two subtitle tracks: English, and English for the Hearing Impaired. Both are identical apart from the inclusion of dialogue attribution on the latter. The accuracy is acceptable, with only minor mistakes here and there.

    This is a single sided dual layered disc (RSDL). The layer change occurs in Chapter 27 at 73:57 during a natural pause in between scenes so should not be noticeable.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    There is only one audio track on the disc: English Dolby Digital 1.0 (192Kb/s).

    The quality of the audio track is acceptable. As you would expect, this is a very dialogue focused film and the dynamic range as well as frequency spread of the soundtrack is not that wide. Needless to say, there is no surround activity.

    I found it difficult to follow some of the dialogue, as some of the actors have a habit of swallowing their lines, particularly in the scenes in the diner where some of the lines were improvised. Turning on the subtitle tracks helped. Fortunately, there were no issues with audio synchronization.

    The original music score is by Bruce Brody and Ivan Kral and is fairly forgettable. However, the soundtrack also features various songs popular in the late 1950s by Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Chuck Berry, etc.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    The main extra is a retrospective documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew. An audio commentary track and/or deleted scenes would have been even nicer.

Menu

    The menus are 16x9 enhanced but static.

Featurette - Introduction (1:15)

    This is a very quick introduction to the film by Barry Levinson, Timothy Daly, Kevin Bacon, Paul Reiser, Daniel Stern, Michael Tucker, Ellen Barkin and Steve Guttenberg. It is presented in 1.78:1 (16x9 Enhanced) and Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s). Watch this before watching the film!

Featurette - Behind The Scenes Documentary - Diner: On The Flipside (30:35)

    This is an extended retrospective documentary, presented in full frame and Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s). It features cast and crew interviews, together with excerpts from the film.

    Interviews include:

    The only significant actor not represented is Mickey Rourke (Boogie).

    This is a fun documentary. Topics covered include anecdotes about the making of the film, Barry's directorial style, the improvisation experience, the casting process, the bonding between the actors. The various interviewees even discuss which character in the story is based on Barry.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    The Region 4 version of this disc misses out on:

    The Region 1 version of this disc misses out on:

    Region 1 wins slightly due to some additional extras, but they are not significant.

Summary

    Diner is a film about five young men who are good friends in Baltimore, their relationships with each other and their transition into adulthood.

    The video transfer quality is acceptable.

    The audio transfer quality is acceptable.

    Extras include a restropective documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Christine Tham (read my biography)
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Review Equipment
DVDCustom HTPC (Asus A7N266-VM, Athlon XP 2400+, 512MB, LiteOn LTD-165S, WinXP, WinDVD5 Platinum), using RGB output
DisplaySony VPL-VW11HT LCD Projector, ScreenTechnics 16x9 matte white screen (254cm). Calibrated with Video Essentials/Ultimate DVD Platinum/AVIA. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials.
AmplificationDenon AVC-A1SE (upgraded)
SpeakersFront and surrounds: B&W CDM7NT, front centre: B&W CDMCNT, surround backs: B&W DM601S2, subwoofer: B&W ASW2500

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