The Blu-ray Disc
Animal House is presented in 1080p high definition with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. This transfer is a bit of a mixed bag, with obviously improved image clarity and sharpness but also a not insignificant amount of intrusive noise reduction. Fine detail isn’t as apparent in facial features as it should be and the image mostly lacks a film-like layer of grain. This lends to a very clean look, and it hasn’t been overused to the point of waxy, artificial surfaces, but it’s hardly ideal. Fortunately, damage isn’t much of a concern and colors seem stable and accurately represented. Solid, if imperfect.
Audio is presented in a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track that effectively separates music and dialogue, while adding in a modest amount of ambient noise, particularly in scenes with large groups. Elmer Bernstein’s score is peppy and clear, and dialogue is always easy to understand.
Special Features
Animal House is a film that Universal has milked for a number of special editions, but not that many extras were ever created for it. We get the carryover here, with a behind-the-scenes documentary featuring retrospective interviews with much of the cast and the crew. Less enjoyable is a piece that posits the film is actually a documentary and interviews some of the cast members in character to see where they’re at now. The disc also includes a mini-version of SceneIt, with video trivia questions about the film.
There are also a couple of picture-in-picture options — interviews are presented within the context of certain scenes and music information pops up for the songs used.
The Bottom Line
Without any new extras and only a so-so transfer, this isn’t must-upgrade material, but it’s enough of a bump to please the Delta-loving nostalgic in you.
Article comments