HOME   News   Reviews   Adv Search   Features   My DVD   About   Apps   Stats     Search:
  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 1.85:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital Mono
  • French: Dolby Digital Mono
  • Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
  • German: Dolby Digital Mono
  • Italian: Dolby Digital Mono
  Subtitles
    English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Hebrew, Czech, Greek, Polish, Hungarian, Dutch, Arabic, Portuguese, Turkish, Icelandic, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hindi
  Extras
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Cast/crew biographies

The China Syndrome

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 118 mins . PG . PAL

  Feature
Contract

I procrastinated for a long time about watching this thriller. A housemate of mine, whom I hold in regard when it comes to taste in movies, had warned me that it was slow and a little dull. Now that I've watched it, I understand where he's coming from, but I also had the advantage that I watched solo, whereas he was with a group, and this is not a party film, in my opinion.

The other point that bothered me about the disc before I settled down before my home theatre was the cover. To me it appeared as if Columbia were trying to fool the public into believing that this 1979 film came out last year - the design is more David Fincher than Don Siegel. Once I put my fears aside, though, I found the disc surprisingly gripping.

The story concerns a television reporter (Jane Fonda) consigned to human interest stories by her station management, but who yearns to cover hard news. Michael Douglas is the independent cameraman who accompanies her to film a puff piece about the Southern California nuclear powerstation, when she unexpectedly gets her wish. As they are being led through the plant, they witness (and secretly film) a near-catastrophe occur in the control room.

The tension escalates from here as the power company covers up, the television executives refuse to run the film, and the shift supervisor (Jack Lemmon) discovers that the accident he only narrowly avoided may be a precursor to a full nuclear meltdown. As the power company moves to open a second station, Lemmon makes contact with Fonda and attempts to get the truth to the public.

  Video
Contract

This is another of Columbia's anamorphic presentations, and congratulations must be given to them for continually enhancing their discs in this way. The disc is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen ratio which has accurate colour for the era (I profess I prefer the look of 70s filmstock to that of modern films, which often look like TV commercials or ads for Jar Jar Binks dolls). It's also remarkably free of film artifacts and I only noticed one minor case of digital artifacting as Fonda prepares to shoot a take outside the plant for the first time.

On the downside, the disc wasn't as sharp as I was expecting, having just watched the Ghostbusters CE the night before. However, I attribute this to the source print rather than the transfer, which seems up to Columbia's high standards. Don't get me wrong - you won't confuse the quality of the video with A Bug's Life or The Matrix, but that's hardly the fault of the telecine operator!

  Audio
Contract

All I generally expect from an old mono film is to be able to clearly hear dialogue, to not be distracted by hiss or hum, and to listen at reference levels without having my eardrums destroyed by shrill soundtracks, and fortunately, that's what happened here. The soundtrack is as you'd expect from a well-budgeted film from the 70s, and while it's never called upon to impress, it never distracts from the story either.

There is one difference which sets this soundtrack apart from most films though, and it lends a documentary-style authenticity: apart from the song under the opening titles, there is no music in the film whatsoever!

  Extras
Contract

Unless you count 'widescreen' as an extra, you won't be dancing a merry jig about this disc. Filmographies. Trailer. I wish the major studios would realise that the more extras they put on a disc, the more likely a minor (rather than devoted) fan of the film is to buy it.

  Overall  
Contract

As I said earlier, I enjoyed this movie quite a lot. It shows its age in the pacing, but it still has the ability to suck you in if you give it the opportunity. The Three Mile Island disaster occured 12 days after the film was released, which certainly demonstrates its relevance, then and now.


  • LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=160
  • Send to a friend.

    Cast your vote here: You must enable cookies to vote.
  •   
      And I quote...
    ""
    - Paul Dossett
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Rom:
          Pioneer 103(s)
    • MPEG Card:
          RealMagic Hollywood Plus
    • TV:
          Mitsubishi Diva 33
    • Amplifier:
          Yamaha DSP-A1
    • Speakers:
          Richter Excalibur
    • Centre Speaker:
          Richter Unicorn
    • Surrounds:
          Richter Hydras
    • Audio Cables:
          Monster RCA
    • Video Cables:
          Monster s-video
      Recent Reviews:
    by Paul Dossett

    Vampyros Lesbos
    "As sexy as washing your hands, but longer."

    The Chronicles of Riddick - Dark Fury
    "Like.. a bridge. Over troubled waters."

    Pitch Black: SE
    "Pitch Black: Consolidated Edition"

    Bad Taste: Special Edition
    "The bastards have landed!"

    House of Sand and Fog
    "If tragedy was pudding, you wouldn't be able to get off the couch."

      Related Links
      None listed

     

    Search for Title/Actor/Director:
    Google Web dvd.net.au
       Copyright © DVDnet. All rights reserved. Site Design by RED 5   
    rss