Dirty Dancing is a cheesy but incredibly fun flick propelled on the charm and all around charisma of its two leads, Patrick Swayze (RIP) and Jennifer Grey, as well as a fantastic 1980s soundtrack that still holds up today.
Dirty Dancing
— 30th Anniversary Edition —
(1987)
Genre(s): Drama, Romance, Music
Lionsgate | PG13 – 101 min. – $14.99 | February 7, 2017
Date Published: 02/15/2017 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 4.0/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Baby (JENNIFER GREY) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she’s disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny (PATRICK SWAYZE), enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby’s father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she’s determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer. Quick Hit Review: Cheesy to nth degree, Dirty Dancing still holds up quite well both for two charm-filled performances by Swayze and Grey as well as some catching 1980s-era music which I absolutely love (the key to a successful soundtrack if the songs stand on their own, which in this case it does). Not sure if this is my go-to romance-drama or anything but all things considered it’s a well done flick. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.0/5 |
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This latest release, this time for the 30th anniversary, comes with a slip cover. From what I can tell, all of the features from previous releases have been ported over with a few new features. Also inside is a DVD Copy and redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Audio Commentaries:
Happy Birthday, Dirty Dancing (29:19; HD) finds various people both involved with the movie as well as various other productions (like Broadway and the new TV movie like Debra Messing) discuss the film. Also has archive interviews with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey as well as audition footage. Patrick Swayze: In His Own Words (12:52; HD) is an old interview with the late actor. Eleanor Bergstein: Thoughts on a Lifetime of Dirty Dancing (6:40; HD) is a new interview with the writer/co-producer. Patrick Swayze Uncut (13:34; HD) is an interview conducted in 2006 with the actor and includes never-before-seen excerpts talking about the film, his career and his life. Featurettes:
Music Videos:
Cast & Crew Interviews:
Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes:
Screen Tests & Outtakes:
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VIDEO – 4.0/5 |
| I can’t be positive, but it’s highly doubtful this is a new transfer so on that front, the technical aspects, both video and audio, are a bit on the disappointing side. First, the picture quality, presented here in 1080p high-definition, isn’t half bad with some okay detail and colors appear to be fairly bright throughout. |
AUDIO – 3.5/5 |
| Although the disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, it’s not very dynamic all things considered. The music pumped through each channel sounds decent enough and dialogue levels were relatively crisp and clean. That said, it’s not a very robust track and it doesn’t fully utilize each of the 7 channels. |
OVERALL – 3.75/5 |
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Overall, Dirty Dancing is a cheesy but incredibly fun flick propelled on the charm and all around charisma of its two leads, Patrick Swayze (RIP) and Jennifer Grey, as well as a fantastic 1980s soundtrack that still holds up today. This latest re-release on Blu-ray offers fine audio/video transfers and an okay selection of bonus material though whether it’s worth an upgrade, I’m not so sure. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.