Sunshine Superman Blu-ray Review

Magnolia Home Entertainment's 1080p AVC-encoded Blu-ray of "Sunshine Superman" delivers an impressively colorful and detailed video presentation, masterfully balancing the digital and archival footage. The contemporary portions shot on Red cameras exhibit sharpness and clarity, bringing out the vivid landscapes of Yosemite and Norwegian fjords in staggering detail. Digital colorists have done a commendable job blending these with Carl Boenish's original 16mm footage, scanned from the negative to deliver remarkable detail for such an aged source, despite the inherited limitations of vintage TV broadcasts.

Maintaining an average bitrate of 19.99 Mbps, the transfer adjusts dynamically, ensuring BASE jump sequences retain high quality without introducing artifacts. Black levels are deep and inky, and colors remain bold and realistic throughout, enhancing both modern re-enactments and historical footage. While older interviews have a weathered look, expected from vintage sources, the overall harmonized visual textures provide mostly seamless transitions in aspect ratios between the widescreen 1.85:1 format and the 1.33:1 of the archival broadcasts. Despite some inconsistencies inherent to the sources, the video quality remains commendably high.

The audio presentation of "Sunshine Superman" on Blu-ray is delivered in a lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix that predominantly aligns with the documentary standard of front-oriented sound. Dialogue, whether from contemporary interviews or archival footage, is presented with exceptional clarity and intelligibility. Contemporary interviews have noticeably more depth compared to historical clips, as expected, though both remain articulate and easy to follow.

The soundtrack incorporates an impressive selection of music that aptly reflects the era of Carl Boenish’s adventures. Iconic tracks from bands such as The Hollies, The Byrds, The Kinks, and America are prominently featured, providing an immersive, period-specific auditory experience. Wagner's orchestral pieces serve as a spiritual counterpoint, enhancing the emotional depth of the documentary. Norwegian composer John Erik Kaada contributes incidental scoring that complements the narrative.

While the primary sound elements are front-oriented, there are some rear speaker activations, largely attributable to the documentary's well-chosen musical selections. Sound effects are natural and restrained, avoiding any unnecessary embellishment that could detract from the viewing experience. Overall, for a documentary, this audio presentation is quite commendable, with the music serving as a distinctive highlight.

The Blu-ray of "Sunshine Superman" offers a compelling set of extras that vastly enhance the viewing experience and broaden the understanding of both the film and Carl Boenish’s life. "Flying Dreams: The Making of 'Sunshine Superman'" provides insightful interviews with director Marah Strauch, shedding light on her visual strategies and background behind the film. The short film-poems "Masters of the Sky" and "Sky Dive!" by Carl Boenish are captivating visual montages featuring exhilarating sky diving sequences, each with distinct editorial styles and musical accompaniments. Additional trailers for related films from Magnolia Home Entertainment and promotional content for Chideo web service and AXS TV are also included, though the BD-Live feature remains inactive at this time.

Extras included in this disc:

• Flying Dreams: The Making of 'Sunshine Superman': Director Marah Strauch and team discuss Boenish's life and the documentary's creation.
• Masters of the Sky: A cinematic montage of acrobatics set to a lively score.
• Sky Dive!: A more elegant, less frenetic sky diving film-poem.
• Theatrical Trailer: The official trailer for the film.
• Also from Magnolia Home Entertainment: Additional trailers and promotional content.

"Sunshine Superman" is a captivating documentary that exquisitely captures the life and exuberance of Carl Boenish, the creative mind behind the extreme sport known as BASE jumping. Born from Carl's dissatisfaction with routine skydiving, BASE jumping — depicted vividly in the film — entails leaping from fixed objects such as buildings, antennas, spans, and earth formations. Directed by Marah Strauch, the documentary ingeniously weaves together extensive archival footage from Boenish's own collection, contemporary interviews, and historical re-enactments to provide an intricate view of his relentless pursuit of adrenaline and the profound impact he had on extreme sports.

Boenish’s journey, marked by a formidable determination partly inspired by an early battle with polio, begins in California where he transitioned from an electrical engineer to a skydiver and filmmaker. His significant contributions to aerial cinematography in Hollywood, particularly noted with films like "The Gypsy Moths," further underscore his multifaceted talents. The documentary meticulously chronicles pivotal moments such as Boenish’s experimental jumps from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park and his historic, albeit fateful, record-setting leap from Norway's Troll Wall for an ABC TV special. Notably, it touches on the magnetic charisma and unyielding confidence that made Boenish both a beloved figure and a Pied Piper for thrill-seekers.

Integral to this narrative is the poignant relationship between Carl and his wife Jean. The film portrays their dynamic partnership through joint adventures and shared triumphs, emphasizing Jean’s contrasting yet complementary nature to Carl’s frenetic energy. Strauch's extensive coverage of Boenish's daring ventures, subsequent legal ramifications from BASE jumping's growing popularity, and the ultimate tragedy of his untimely death creates a compelling and thought-provoking homage. By presenting Carl Boenish as not merely a risk-taker but as a visionary obsessed with pushing boundaries, "Sunshine Superman" encapsulates both the relentless pursuit of passion and the inevitable peril that accompanies it.

"Sunshine Superman" is an exhilarating and inspiring documentary that provides an intimate look into the life of Carl Boenish, a pioneer in the extreme sport of BASE jumping. The film brilliantly captures Boenish's relentless spirit and the audacity with which he pursued his passion for freefall. Through enthralling aerial footage and compelling interviews with friends and family, the documentary paints a vivid portrait of a man driven by a unique vision and a boundless zest for life. The Blu-ray release offers exceptional video and audio quality, ensuring that viewers can fully appreciate the breathtaking visuals and the spirited storytelling.

Technically, the Blu-ray presentation excels, bringing out the crispness and vibrancy of Boenish's footage. The aerial shots, pivotal to understanding Boenish's perspective, are presented in stunning clarity, enabling viewers to experience the thrill of his jumps. The audio track supports the visual experience superbly, capturing the roar of wind and silence of freefall with impressive detail. The inclusion of extras adds significant value, providing deeper insights into Boenish's life and the production of the documentary.

Even with a full-length documentary biography, Carl Boenish remains an elusive character, but the strength of "Sunshine Superman" is how vividly it presents the man, both as his friends and family recall him and in his own words as his life of adventure unfolded. Boenish's compulsive filming didn't just record the exhilaration of freefall; it also captured the restless spirit that drove him to keep testing limits, no matter the risk. Boenish saw the world from a unique perspective, and if "Sunshine Superman" cannot explain him (I doubt anyone could), it conveys the restless desire that powered him at top speed through his forty-three years. You may end up shaking your head in disbelief over Boenish's crazy quest, as is certainly the case with several of the film's interviewees, but he's not someone you're likely to forget. Recommended.