“The Hunt for Red October” is a superb thriller because it never forgets that a personal game being played by one man may have large-scale ramifications.
Video:
While shown in most theatres with a 2.35:1 frame printed on 35mm film, the DVD version of "The Hunt for Red October" looks as if the visual elements were taken from a 70mm print because of a 2.20:1 widescreen frame. Paramount´s second go with "Red October" includes an anamorphic treatment of the video. Generally, the image looks pretty good, but there are plenty of scratches, nicks, hairs, dust, and other debris on the print itself that makes this a less-than-perfect transfer. I´m glad that the video doesn´t have any problems with reds (the most problematic of colors for video exhibitions, especially given the NTSC encoding process). Underwater sequences also don´t look so muddy any more (the VHS Pan&Scan version of "Red October" is atrocious). However, the gunk on the print itself should´ve been removed before Paramount made this new DVD.
Audio:
Made (in 1990) before the introduction of Dolby Digital to movie theatres, "The Hunt for Red October" probably had a six-track audio mix created for 70mm prints. The Dolby Digital 5.1 English on the Special Collector´s Edition DVD was probably taken from the 70mm six-track mix, and it holds up well compared to the soundtracks of recent action extravaganzas. Deep bass emanates from the subwoofer when appropriate, and the mix does a great job of using every speaker to flood the room with the rousing music score. However, directionality effects are mostly limited to the front channels, so you won´t get the fun of twisting and turning in your chair looking for sound effects being scattered throughout your home theatre. (For that you´d have to watch the "Das Boot" SuperBit DVD.)
There is a DD 2.0 surround French track, and Paramount also included a DTS 5.1 English track to make the disc an enticing upgrade for technophiles who already have the previous "Red October" DVD release.
English and Spanish subtitles as well as English closed captions support the audio.
Extras:
If you´ve seen "Red October" a number of times already, you can opt to experience the film listening to an audio commentary provided by director John McTiernan. McTiernan is one of Hollywood´s top action directors, and he brings a taut sensibility to a movie that is more of a drama than a war flick. Technical-minded viewers will enjoy the director´s discussion of filmmaking techniques, and fans of "Red October" can enjoy his anecdotes about on-the-set difficulties and triumphs. However, I was disappointed that McTiernan doesn´t really talk about the politics that inform the narrative.
The DVD also offers viewers "Beneath the Surface", a making-of featurette that has new interviews with key filmmakers. I was surprised that both Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin appear in "Beneath the Surface" because Connery isn´t known to do much publicity for home video releases and because Baldwin walked away from the role of Jack Ryan amidst a storm of bad publicity, ill tempers, and foul will. At any rate, the interviewees mention some of events that lead up to the making of the movie, but again, no one really analyzes the final product compared to the grand scheme of things.
Finally, you can watch the film´s theatrical trailer.
--Miscellaneous--
A glossy insert provides chapter listings.
Film Value:
While the second DVD version of "The Hunt for Red October" doesn´t deserve to be billed as a member of Paramount´s "Special Collector´s Edition" line, it is still an improvement over its predecessor. For starters, anamorphic enhancement has added lines of resolution to the video transfer that make the film a more enjoyable visual experience on a TV screen compared to previous VHS, LD, and DVD versions. The DTS 5.1 track is a nice addition, as are the director´s audio commentary and a retrospective making-of featurette. "The Hunt for Red October" is one of my two favorite submarine flicks (the other being "Das Boot"), and I´m grateful that there is finally a DVD version of it worth owning.
While shown in most theatres with a 2.35:1 frame printed on 35mm film, the DVD version of "The Hunt for Red October" looks as if the visual elements were taken from a 70mm print because of a 2.20:1 widescreen frame. Paramount´s second go with "Red October" includes an anamorphic treatment of the video. Generally, the image looks pretty good, but there are plenty of scratches, nicks, hairs, dust, and other debris on the print itself that makes this a less-than-perfect transfer. I´m glad that the video doesn´t have any problems with reds (the most problematic of colors for video exhibitions, especially given the NTSC encoding process). Underwater sequences also don´t look so muddy any more (the VHS Pan&Scan version of "Red October" is atrocious). However, the gunk on the print itself should´ve been removed before Paramount made this new DVD.
Audio:
Made (in 1990) before the introduction of Dolby Digital to movie theatres, "The Hunt for Red October" probably had a six-track audio mix created for 70mm prints. The Dolby Digital 5.1 English on the Special Collector´s Edition DVD was probably taken from the 70mm six-track mix, and it holds up well compared to the soundtracks of recent action extravaganzas. Deep bass emanates from the subwoofer when appropriate, and the mix does a great job of using every speaker to flood the room with the rousing music score. However, directionality effects are mostly limited to the front channels, so you won´t get the fun of twisting and turning in your chair looking for sound effects being scattered throughout your home theatre. (For that you´d have to watch the "Das Boot" SuperBit DVD.)
There is a DD 2.0 surround French track, and Paramount also included a DTS 5.1 English track to make the disc an enticing upgrade for technophiles who already have the previous "Red October" DVD release.
English and Spanish subtitles as well as English closed captions support the audio.
Extras:
If you´ve seen "Red October" a number of times already, you can opt to experience the film listening to an audio commentary provided by director John McTiernan. McTiernan is one of Hollywood´s top action directors, and he brings a taut sensibility to a movie that is more of a drama than a war flick. Technical-minded viewers will enjoy the director´s discussion of filmmaking techniques, and fans of "Red October" can enjoy his anecdotes about on-the-set difficulties and triumphs. However, I was disappointed that McTiernan doesn´t really talk about the politics that inform the narrative.
The DVD also offers viewers "Beneath the Surface", a making-of featurette that has new interviews with key filmmakers. I was surprised that both Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin appear in "Beneath the Surface" because Connery isn´t known to do much publicity for home video releases and because Baldwin walked away from the role of Jack Ryan amidst a storm of bad publicity, ill tempers, and foul will. At any rate, the interviewees mention some of events that lead up to the making of the movie, but again, no one really analyzes the final product compared to the grand scheme of things.
Finally, you can watch the film´s theatrical trailer.
--Miscellaneous--
A glossy insert provides chapter listings.
Film Value:
While the second DVD version of "The Hunt for Red October" doesn´t deserve to be billed as a member of Paramount´s "Special Collector´s Edition" line, it is still an improvement over its predecessor. For starters, anamorphic enhancement has added lines of resolution to the video transfer that make the film a more enjoyable visual experience on a TV screen compared to previous VHS, LD, and DVD versions. The DTS 5.1 track is a nice addition, as are the director´s audio commentary and a retrospective making-of featurette. "The Hunt for Red October" is one of my two favorite submarine flicks (the other being "Das Boot"), and I´m grateful that there is finally a DVD version of it worth owning.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]10831[/release]