DVD Reviews

I think I'm going to have to change ISP's.  I'm feeling as though my connection rate is far too slow as it takes forever to connect the digital bits, and dvdfile, and trying to download the latest release of IE4.....FORGET IT, or is because I use a PC instead of a mac.  I mean Sandra Bullock used a mac in "The Net" and she had a connection rate that was faster than a T1 line.  Maybe it's only in the movies where the World Wide Wait ...doesn't.

Sandra Bullock a computer hacker?? Who'd ever thought....Well she's no ordinary hacker, she lives alone, works from her home, has no friends....oh sorry, my mistake....
So good 'ol bus girl plays Angela the best "debugger" in the business.   She's sent a disk that'll allow her to hack into a newly developed highly praised system called "The Gatekeeper".  As a result of obtaining this disk, she's chased across the world, has her identity changed and stolen, and falls in Love (well it is a Hollywood movie after all).  While the film is nothing short of predictable it's still a bit of fun thanks to the engaging performances from Ms Bullock and the dry humoured Dennis Miller who plays her ex-boyfriend/shrink. 

So How Does This Transfer Hold Up?

Overall, this is not the quality of DVD one expects from Columbia.  While it is a generally good transfer, it lacks the lushness and detail of their other DVDs.  The best way to describe this is that the image seems too heavy in its level of black.  This tends to make the image look flat, with a lot less depth and clarity.  Still, it's presented anamorphically and on occasions shows those Columbian traits, and flesh tones are generally accurate throughout.

The soundtrack presented in full Dolby Digital 5.1 is not the best of the bunch, but is always clear with dialogue and has occasional aggression in the discrete surrounds.  For me I found the music a bit of a letdown as it seems to focused on the front sound stage and was quite narrow.  I certainly didn't find it a drag to listen to but after hearing some of the demo quality soundtracks from the likes of First Knight and Frighteners, you tend to become rather fussy :-)

As with all the Columbia DVDs released in Australia to date, this one is without a lot of features.  From the menus you can select from the 24 chapters, select from the audio tracks, being English DD5.1 and 2 channel or French DD5.1 and 2 channel.  Subtitles present are in English, French and Dutch. 
Something on the latest batch of Columbia DVDs that has changed on the main menu is the trailer or rather it's name.  it is now appropriately called "DVD Trailer".  The one problem with this trailer is that the only way to stop it is to STOP it, none of the remote functions (other the reverse and FF) will work.  Too bad if you want to return to the main menu, you either have to FF to the end or STOP and PLAY.

Unless you are a big fan of Bus Girl, or are addicted to DVD and MUST own every DVD in existence ( I know some of you are :-) then you'd be better off spending the $34.95 on something else.  It's worth renting, but I'm afraid that's about it.

Review Equipment: TV: Mitsubishi DIVA 68cm TV 16:9 switchable(with a screw driver), DVD: Samsung DVD905, Receiver: Marantz SR870, Speakers: Front - B&W 602's, Rears - Jamo, Subby - M&K V125 (grumble- growl-BOOM). Cinema Chairs (Gilberton Recliners....okay so there not REALLY cinema chairs but they're very comfy..)

- Reveiwed 14th sept 1998