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Porky's (Blu-ray)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Arrow Films Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (5th June 2014). |
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The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** Long before American Pie and Superbad came the original and best sex comedy. A firm favourite of teen movie fans, Porky’s introduced audiences to Kim Cattrall (Police Academy, Big Trouble in Little China) and made an absolute killing at the box-office. It’s 1954 and the sex-obsessed boys of Angel Beach High School are looking to get laid. Porky’s is their destination, local nightclub and whorehouse. Only its redneck owner has other plans, as does his sheriff brother. Will Meat, Mickey, Tommy and the other guys in the gang get their own back? And will the barely-endowed Pee Wee finally lose his virginity? Having established his credentials as one of Canada’s top horror filmmakers with the likes of Black Christmas and Dead of Night, Bob Clark took an unexpected turn into the world of the teenage sex comedy and inadvertently made the most successful Canadian motion picture of all time, an honour it still holds today.
Video
Independent British distributor Arrow Films have released Porky's onto Blu-ray in the United Kingdom using the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer is 1080p and uses an AVC MPEG-4 encode. The transfer was conducted by Twentieth Century Fox, and is easily the best I have ever seen the movie look, even if it is a little rough around the edges. Overall, the transfer is a little soft, though this is likely due to the nature of the film stock that was used more than anything. Contrast levels are good, with blacks generally strong, though shadow details can struggle to get through on occasion (such as in the darker scenes in the moat around the bar). Some of the lighter colours in the film's palette pop, especially the neon lights outside of Porky's bar, and the reds and blues of the school's physical education uniform. Background details aren't great, but they are capable, and it has to be said that some of the facial close-ups are immaculate. The opening scene does showcase a few nicks of damage, but after that, it's a surprisingly clean print with no major causes for concern. The heavy grain structure is natural and even in darkened scenes, the transfer never delves to the depths of being noisy. Make no bones about it, this transfer still has room for improvement, but this is a welcome step-up from previous DVD releases, and fans of the film will certainly be content. The disc is region B encoded, and the feature runs 98:26.
Audio
Arrow have provided a single audio track for this release; an uncompressed English LPCM 1.0 Mono track. The track is adequate, but can lack the depth required at times. The track is quite a simple one, with a basic score, and uncomplicated sound effects - this is very much a dialogue driven film for the genre. All dialogue is clear throughout and there are no signs of any damage to the track. I didn't notice any background hiss, and it was was free from scratches and drop outs. A 5.1 upmix probably wouldn't have added much, and the original mono track we have does the film justice, even if it is a little on the uneventful side. Optional subtitles have been included in English.
Extras
The extras start off with a solo audio commentary by writer and director Bob Clark. This is an interesting track in which Clark discusses various aspects of the production. Not only is he quite open about the financiers pulling out at one point, and how the studio was not keen on the film at all, but he also discusses anything that comes to mind, from the casting choices, to the 1950s sets and locations. There are a few dead spots, but thankfully they don't last too long. Next up, we have "Porky’s Through the Peephole" (15:11), in which writer and director Bob Clark looks back at his box-office sensation. Unfortunately, there is some ground retreaded here from the commentary, but still plenty of information about the movie to digest. It's good to know that a lot of the scenes in the movie are based on events that has happened in Clark's life, and it's also refreshing to hear a writer/director say the script is mediocre, but the cast is great. "Skin Classic!" is an extra in which Mr. Skin celebrates Porky’s and the heyday of the 80s teen sex comedy, running 13:11. For those who are on the internet for the first time, Mr Skin is a website which finds all the nude scenes in films, so you don't have to find them yourself. Here, Mr Skin talks about the shower scene in depth, and even shows us that his actual business card has part of the Porky's artwork on it. He goes on to discuss teen movies and the sex comedy boom of 1980-1985. A much better extra than it has any right to be! The last of the on-disc extras is a "Porky’s" Trailer Reel (Porky's, Porky's 2, and Porky's Revenge). Also included is a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jim Rugg, and a booklet featuring new writing on the film by Paul Corupe, creator of the Canuxploitation website, and a previously unpublished interview with director Bob Clark conducted by Calum Waddell, illustrated with archive stills.
Overall
Another strong release from Arrow. Hopefully more of Bob Clark's films will get the Arrow treatment in the future, especially Black Christmas, and Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things.
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