The Allnighter isn’t exactly a quintessential movie from the 1980s, probably not even second tier either, and while it’s pretty safe but it’s light-hearted entertainment.
The Allnighter
(1987)
Genre(s): Comedy, Romance
Kino Lorber | PG13 – 95 min. – $29.95 | February 23, 2021
Date Published: 02/09/2021 | Author: The Movieman
|
|
|||||||||||
Kino Lorber provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3/5 |
|
Plot Synopsis: Molly (SUSANNA HOFFS) is a fun-loving coed whose frustration at having spent four years at a California surf-side college without a significant romance is matched only by her determination to do something about it. Aiding Molly in her last-ditch search for “Mr. Right” is a pair of roomies, Val (DEEDEE PFEIFFER) and Gina (JOAN CUSACK), who decides to gear up for the hottest party of the year and experience the most memorable evening of all time. Quick Hit Review: The Allnighter is a romance-comedy from 1987 that has flown under the radar, although in fairness, probably for a good reason. While I didn’t mind it that much, in fact I actually liked Susanna Hoffs (known for The Bangles) in the lead role, and sure it was a vanity project since this was co-written and directed by her mother, Tamar Simon Hoffs (and not all that good in both categories), the film is just plainly fun, safe for the most part as it’s no Porky’s or Animal House. In addition, the film does feature some comically bad acting (Val’s Wall Street douche of a fiancée comes to mind). I had a good time with this acknowledging the bad elements and understanding the poor reviews this has garnered over the years, however if you’re looking for a 90-minute time-waster I’d say The Allnighter is worth a shot. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2¾/5 |
|
Audio Commentaries:
The first track, recorded for some previous release, has the mother-daughter duo recollect their time working on the film together and giving some tid-bits about the actors and locals. Meanwhile, the second track takes a more academic look on the history behind the project, structure of the plot, discussing the characters, etc. Odd a film like this would get such an in-depth conversation. Music Video (4:38) for “No T.V. No Phone” by Price-Sulton Theatrical Trailer (1:07) |
VIDEO – 4½/5 |
| Probably no surprise, but it is doubtful The Allnighter received any sort of restoration and frankly for one this isn’t a movie worth spending a whole lot extra and second, the 1080p high-definition transfer looks quite good anyway. Detail is well defined especially on the close-up shots with a slight loss for anything in the background, and colors are vivid and bright showing off the lovely mid-80s motif. There were a couple minor specs but otherwise it looks like a clean transfer. |
AUDIO – 4¼/5 |
| The disc comes with an efficient DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo track. Dialogue comes across with fine clarity and the cheesy 1980s era music gives some modest depth. I didn’t discern any obvious popping, hissing or other aural flaws. |
OVERALL – 3/5 |
|
The Allnighter isn’t exactly a quintessential movie from the 1980s, probably not even second tier either, and while it’s pretty safe, outside of a few creepy parts knowing with a mother directing her daughter, but it’s light-hearted entertainment with some amusing moments and I actually thought Susanna Hoffs wasn’t at all bad in the lead. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.