Quadrophenia DVD Review
Writer R5
Region: One
Genre: Drama
Stars: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Ray Winstone, Sting, Toyah Willcox, and
Michael Elphick
Writers: Dave Humphries, Martin Stellman, and Franc Roddam
Executive Producers And Music Directors: The Who
Director: Franc Roddam
Feature length: 114 minutes
Extras: Theatrical Trailer, Interview With Sting, Audio Commentary With
Director Frank Roddam, Trivia Track, Vespa Mini-Documentary, Rhino’s Film
Restoration, London To Brighton: Go For A Drive, Quiz: Are You A Mod Or A
Rocker, Photo Gallery, Cast and Filmmaker Information, The Who – Discography,
British Mod Film Compendium
Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Stereo
Subtitles: N/A
Packaging: Amaray Keep Case
Chapter Stops: 28
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Sound
Year of Theatrical Release: 1979/DVD Release: 2001
Home Video Distributor: Rhino Home Video
MPAA Rating: R
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
Among one of my favorite Rock bands when I was a boy was “The Who.” Of
course by the time I had got into them the band was releasing their last album
and it was more because of my older brother having their records and renting
“The Who’s Tommy” on VHS that made me aware of them, but I have always
felt that their music struck a cord with the angst one faces growing up and
films like “Tommy” and the more grittier “Quadrophenia” tapped into a
universal feeling of overcoming one’s sense of distance, of not fitting in,
and of finding one’s way. The funny thing I found about watching Rhino’s
recent DVD-Video release of “Quadrophenia” was that I still identified with
the lead character Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels), who in 1964 England follows his
fellow Mod scooter bike riding friends into the seaside clashes between the
motorcycle riding Rockers and undergoes a great inner and outer journey of
discovery.
The funny thing about this film is how the dynamics of teenage gangs has not
changed aside perhaps from growing worse I think. Even while attending a
private high school there were still groups of Rockers into heavy metal music
that were nicknamed “Metal Heads” and then you had the Italian kids who had
older brothers and sisters who raised them on films like “Saturday Night
Fever” and were heavily into disco music that ultimately they were referred
to as “Guidos” or “Cousines” (spelling?), because of the gold chains
and push back haircuts, etc. Then as the mid 80s hit with “Miami Vice” on
television and the ashes of “New Wave” growing into “Alternative Music”
you had students wearing pastel colors and there were students who were sort of
the forerunners to the “Goths” who were hip to bands like “The Cure”
and there were also “Preppies” and whatnot. So most of the time there was
silent tolerance and resentment and sometimes particularly between the “Metal
Heads” and “Cousines” there would be fights, but nothing as dramatic as
in “Quadrophenia.” It is just the whole peer pressure that still exists
today that tells young and old people alike to conform and belong to a group or
ideology combined with teenage sex and drug experimentation that I think makes
“Quadrophenia” as relevant today as it was in 1979. Another funny thing to
note is to see how some of the Mod and Rocker fashions have been recycled over
the years into popular commercial clothing stores like “The Gap.”
Rhino Home Video took the 23 year old 35mm dupe negative, which was cleaned and
transferred to Digital Betacam on a Rank 442 Turbo with a DaVinci Color
Corrector to produce the widescreen (1.85:1) transfer on the DVD that still has
flecks and scratches, but never the less presents “Quadrophenia” in all of
it’s gritty glory to DVD. The audio was restored from a 35mm positive low
contrast Dolby “A” optical print, transferred into Protools where it was
remastered for Dolby 5.1 Surround. The new 5.1 soundtrack is a tremendous
improvement over the Dolby Stereo, which is also provided on the DVD along with
video and audio demonstrations of the restoration that really shows the work
that went into restoring the film, which had a limited theatrical run in select
cities before the DVD release.
There is also a screen specific feature length audio commentary by Director
Franc Roddam that is extremely insightful. There are also a number of extra
features included on the DVD that include a new videotaped interview with
“Sting” and a full framed theatrical trailer coupled with a Trivia Track, a
Vespa Mini-Scooter Documentary, an animated map feature entitled “London To
Brighton: Go For A Drive”, a quiz that asks “Are You A Mod Or A Rocker?”,
Cast and Filmmaker Information, a Discography of The Who, a British Mod Film
Compendium, and photo galleries that can be viewed individually or collectively
of Publicity Photos, Franc Roddam’s Continuity Polaroids, and Memorabilia.
The menus feature full motion scene selections and animated transitions and are
easy to navigate. The trivia subtitles also add a lot to the viewing experience
of the film on DVD.
“Quadrophenia” is available on DVD-Video now from Rhino Home Video.
© Copyright 2001 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved
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BILLSCHWENKE
A definite BUY title!!
>Subject: Quadrophenia DVD Review
>From: writ...@aol.comnospam (Writer R5)
>Date: 10/17/2001 8:34 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: <20011017213415...@mb-mr.aol.com>
>Title: Quadrophenia
>
>Region: One
>
>Genre: Drama
>
>Stars: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Ray Winstone, Sting, Toyah Willcox, and
>Michael Elphick
The restoration is noteworthy...congrats to Rhino! And the features are hardly
'skimpy'!!
Bill
Chris Oxford
just 4:3 letterbox?
Thanks,
Chris
"Writer R5" <writ...@aol.comnospam> wrote in message
news:20011017213415...@mb-mr.aol.com...
> Title: Quadrophenia
>
> Region: One
>
> Genre: Drama
>
> Stars: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Ray Winstone, Sting, Toyah Willcox, and
> Michael Elphick
>
> Writers: Dave Humphries, Martin Stellman, and Franc Roddam
>
> Executive Producers And Music Directors: The Who
>
> Director: Franc Roddam
>
> Feature length: 114 minutes
>
> Extras: Theatrical Trailer, Interview With Sting, Audio Commentary With
> Director Frank Roddam, Trivia Track, Vespa Mini-Documentary, Rhino's Film
> Restoration, London To Brighton: Go For A Drive, Quiz: Are You A Mod Or A
> Rocker, Photo Gallery, Cast and Filmmaker Information, The Who -
Tom
Tom
"BILLSCHWENKE" <billsc...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20011018092045...@mb-bd.aol.com...
scott.campbell
"Tom" <tann...@rice.edu> wrote in message news:9qmrrn$spp$1...@joe.rice.edu...
PSalinger
To echo Rhino's hype about this films restoration is a joke. The transfer is
overly dark and there is no excuse for the "flecks and scratches" that this
reviewer excuses as "gritty glory".
Come on! Quit accepting crap!
Also, shouldn't this writer know that the phrase is "struck a chord" and not
"struck a cord"??
Especially when discussing The Who!!!
Writer R5
I respect your point of view, but I am not a fan boy nor was my review a fan
boy review. The demonstration included on the DVD shows the restoration, which
is an improvement. I never said the picture was reference quality. So if you
disagree with my review that is fine, but there is no reason to refer to me as
a "fan boy." Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mark