8 Mile is a great film. There, I said it. I enjoyed it greatly and more and more I am appreciating Marshall Mathers (aka Eminem, aka Slim Shady) for his ability to entertain.
Video :
Curtis Hanson and his team of filmmakers worked hard to bring the slums of Detroit to the big screen and their efforts are successful. This is one of those films where the surrounding world becomes an intricate part in the film. Somehow, I just don´t believe this film would have been even half as effective if B Rabbit and gang were rapping in the suburbs of Beverly Hills. Hanson resorted to bluish camera lense filters to give the film a grungier and darker look. As you watch 8 Mile, it is a safe thing to assume you will not find one location that is a place you would consider visiting. The parts of Detroit used in this film are that ugly and menacing. Still, Hanson has found a way to make something this damn nasty looking to become a beautifully shot film.
Universal offers up a gorgeous 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer of 8 Mile. The picture quality is absolutely stunning on DVD. Though slightly off-hue because of the filters used, 8 Mile shows great color saturation and there is absolutely no chroma noise. Black levels and shadow delineation are important for this film and they are perfect. Definition is outstanding as well. The picture seems to jump from the screen and has a very lifelike feel to it. Edge enhancement halos are nowhere to be found and the pristine source materials used result in a picture that is free of defects such as scratches and dirt. There is some film grain, but it is minimal and just adds to the overall aura of Detroit. A 1.33:1 widescreen version of the film is also available, but not reviewed here.
Audio :
8 Mile offers up both a DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Additional tracks include a Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround mix and French and Spanish mixes. One would expect that 8 Mile would be highly laden with booming rap tracks and musical sequences. This is not the case. Aside from a quick opening sequence, the film will show off nearly two-thirds of its running time before heavy bass laden rap tracks can be found. There are a few musical numbers here and there, but you have to nearly wait for the final rap-battle before the music is jumpin. Still, the soundtracks are both excellent. The .1 LFE channel is very heavy when it is used. One particular scene finds Eminem getting his arse kicked by the competing Free World posse, and the black SUV in the background is throwing out enough bass to really challenge your subwoofer. Dialog is very clear and you can hear the swear words and clever verses of Mathers nicely. Rear surrounds are used effectively, and stereo imaging is top-notch. Environmental effects (passing cars, police sirens and cuss words) are present throughout the entire film. Even Eminem´s sung parody of "Sweet Home Alabama" sounds good!
Extras :
My biggest disappointment came with the value added content of 8 Mile. Eminem is known for throwing in free DVDs or CDs with his musical releases and I wholly expected 8 Mile to be chocked full of bonus materials. It isn´t completely absent of the fun stuff, but it is very disappointing. There isn´t even a commentary of Slim Shady to satisfy his fans. The only true notable supplement is a near half-hour featurette on some rap battles that were filmed for the final picture and were to be included in a silent montage, but never did make the final cut. This feature, All-New Uncensored Eminem Rap Battles was filmed as a contest to entertain the extras. 4 out of 120 extras battled it out for a chance to share the stage with Marshall Mathers. This feature is as much a documentary as it is a collection of rap battles. It is highly entertaining and well worth a viewing or two. Aside from this nice bit is the Never-Before-Seen Uncensored "Superman" Music Video. Oddly, the imagery is not censored and for the most part, the song is fine, but it has a few censored verses in the song and is not the same as the album track. Odd! A ten-minute bit of promotional fluff is included as Eminem´s Personal Insight into the Making of the Film and Universal´s now-common The Music of 8 Mile feature is also present. In all honesty, I was greatly disappointed by the supplements and really wanted to hear an Eminem commentary, but I did enjoy the documentary on the production time rap battles among the extras. They could have at least put the video for "Lose Yourself" on the damn disc!
Summary :
8 Mile is a great film. There, I said it. I enjoyed it greatly and more and more I am appreciating Marshall Mathers (aka Eminem, aka Slim Shady) for his ability to entertain. He may be tattooed, controversial and downright vulgar. BUT, he is a talented entertainer. 8 Mile shows his abilities to act and considering his background and apparent influence on the production, his ability to make a film. He certainly didn´t do it alone and Curtis Hanson deserves most of the credit, but it is clear that this was a collaboration between the two men. I´m not sure what Eminem will conquer next, but it is clear that he has put his footprint on Hollywood and I have a feeling it will not be the only one he makes. The DVD is a stunning looking and sounding disc that sadly lacks the expected supplements. It does contain much, but Mathers is known for treating his fans well and I´m sure this DVD disappoints much more than myself in that regard. Oh well, maybe a snazzy special edition is in the works from Universal in the future.
Curtis Hanson and his team of filmmakers worked hard to bring the slums of Detroit to the big screen and their efforts are successful. This is one of those films where the surrounding world becomes an intricate part in the film. Somehow, I just don´t believe this film would have been even half as effective if B Rabbit and gang were rapping in the suburbs of Beverly Hills. Hanson resorted to bluish camera lense filters to give the film a grungier and darker look. As you watch 8 Mile, it is a safe thing to assume you will not find one location that is a place you would consider visiting. The parts of Detroit used in this film are that ugly and menacing. Still, Hanson has found a way to make something this damn nasty looking to become a beautifully shot film.
Universal offers up a gorgeous 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer of 8 Mile. The picture quality is absolutely stunning on DVD. Though slightly off-hue because of the filters used, 8 Mile shows great color saturation and there is absolutely no chroma noise. Black levels and shadow delineation are important for this film and they are perfect. Definition is outstanding as well. The picture seems to jump from the screen and has a very lifelike feel to it. Edge enhancement halos are nowhere to be found and the pristine source materials used result in a picture that is free of defects such as scratches and dirt. There is some film grain, but it is minimal and just adds to the overall aura of Detroit. A 1.33:1 widescreen version of the film is also available, but not reviewed here.
Audio :
8 Mile offers up both a DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Additional tracks include a Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround mix and French and Spanish mixes. One would expect that 8 Mile would be highly laden with booming rap tracks and musical sequences. This is not the case. Aside from a quick opening sequence, the film will show off nearly two-thirds of its running time before heavy bass laden rap tracks can be found. There are a few musical numbers here and there, but you have to nearly wait for the final rap-battle before the music is jumpin. Still, the soundtracks are both excellent. The .1 LFE channel is very heavy when it is used. One particular scene finds Eminem getting his arse kicked by the competing Free World posse, and the black SUV in the background is throwing out enough bass to really challenge your subwoofer. Dialog is very clear and you can hear the swear words and clever verses of Mathers nicely. Rear surrounds are used effectively, and stereo imaging is top-notch. Environmental effects (passing cars, police sirens and cuss words) are present throughout the entire film. Even Eminem´s sung parody of "Sweet Home Alabama" sounds good!
Extras :
My biggest disappointment came with the value added content of 8 Mile. Eminem is known for throwing in free DVDs or CDs with his musical releases and I wholly expected 8 Mile to be chocked full of bonus materials. It isn´t completely absent of the fun stuff, but it is very disappointing. There isn´t even a commentary of Slim Shady to satisfy his fans. The only true notable supplement is a near half-hour featurette on some rap battles that were filmed for the final picture and were to be included in a silent montage, but never did make the final cut. This feature, All-New Uncensored Eminem Rap Battles was filmed as a contest to entertain the extras. 4 out of 120 extras battled it out for a chance to share the stage with Marshall Mathers. This feature is as much a documentary as it is a collection of rap battles. It is highly entertaining and well worth a viewing or two. Aside from this nice bit is the Never-Before-Seen Uncensored "Superman" Music Video. Oddly, the imagery is not censored and for the most part, the song is fine, but it has a few censored verses in the song and is not the same as the album track. Odd! A ten-minute bit of promotional fluff is included as Eminem´s Personal Insight into the Making of the Film and Universal´s now-common The Music of 8 Mile feature is also present. In all honesty, I was greatly disappointed by the supplements and really wanted to hear an Eminem commentary, but I did enjoy the documentary on the production time rap battles among the extras. They could have at least put the video for "Lose Yourself" on the damn disc!
Summary :
8 Mile is a great film. There, I said it. I enjoyed it greatly and more and more I am appreciating Marshall Mathers (aka Eminem, aka Slim Shady) for his ability to entertain. He may be tattooed, controversial and downright vulgar. BUT, he is a talented entertainer. 8 Mile shows his abilities to act and considering his background and apparent influence on the production, his ability to make a film. He certainly didn´t do it alone and Curtis Hanson deserves most of the credit, but it is clear that this was a collaboration between the two men. I´m not sure what Eminem will conquer next, but it is clear that he has put his footprint on Hollywood and I have a feeling it will not be the only one he makes. The DVD is a stunning looking and sounding disc that sadly lacks the expected supplements. It does contain much, but Mathers is known for treating his fans well and I´m sure this DVD disappoints much more than myself in that regard. Oh well, maybe a snazzy special edition is in the works from Universal in the future.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]10796[/release]