Up the Creek Blu-ray Review

The video presentation of "Up the Creek" on Blu-ray, encoded with AVC and featuring a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, delivers a satisfying visual experience drawing from a recent scan. This 1080p transfer offers a pleasing level of detail and maintains a fine film grain that enriches its filmic quality. Facial features, group interactions, and scenic outdoor environments are rendered with reasonable clarity, though occasional softness appears to be more characteristic of the original film rather than the transfer process. Colors are robust, boasting healthy primary hues and well-defined artificial lighting, particularly noticeable in bar scenes. Importantly, delineation is crisp which enhances evening sequences, and overall, the source material is stable with only minor speckling and light judder present during the main titles.

Additionally, this Blu-ray transfer stands out with appreciable color vibrancy and black levels, resulting in a visually bright and engaging image. The transition to river scenes particularly shines, displaying impressive primary color saturation and enhanced scenery details. The film's 80s-era apparel is presented with clarity, contributing to the nostalgic appeal. While there are moments of softness in several scenes, they align with the original filming limitations rather than flaws in the transfer. This high-quality presentation ensures that viewers can enjoy "Up the Creek" with a fresh visual experience while retaining the charm of its low-budget origins.

The Audio presentation of the "Up the Creek" Blu-ray features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track that has garnered mixed reviews for its overall quality. While dialogue remains clear and easily intelligible, it suffers from a lack of fullness and exhibits a somewhat crisp and canned texture that betrays its post-production dubbing process. This hampers the dramatic impact of the film, especially during key dialogue exchanges. The pop and rock soundtrack selections of the era are delivered with adequate clarity but lack depth, presenting an opportunity for detailed listening without overshadowing the primary audio elements.

However, the sound effects and atmospheric details fall short of expectations. There are noticeable instances of thinness and muddiness in certain scenes, particularly during rafting sequences where the natural ambiance one would expect is missing. Although atmospherics such as bar crowd noises and water chases are acceptable, they don't convincingly immerse the viewer in the environment. Overall, while functional for a comedy from that era, the audio mix fails to impress, leaving something to be desired in terms of sonic richness and authenticity.

The Blu-ray extras for "Up the Creek" provide an engaging and insightful look into the film's production and cultural context. The standout feature, Without a Paddle, is an 11-minute HD making-of documentary that includes interviews with actors Stephen Furst and Sandy Helberg, and casting director Harriet Helberg. It covers the casting process, including the pursuit of Michael Keaton and Steve Guttenberg for the lead role, as well as location shooting and bonding experiences among the cast. The Music Video by Cheap Trick, running for approximately 4.5 minutes in SD, blends film clips with band antics, making for a nostalgic throwback. Additionally, the Theatrical Trailer, presented in HD, rounds out the bonus content by giving viewers a glimpse of how the film was marketed.

Extras included in this disc:

• Without a Paddle: A brief making-of featurette with cast interviews and behind-the-scenes insights.
• Music Video: A spirited Cheap Trick video featuring clips from the film.
• Theatrical Trailer: The original trailer presented in high definition.

1984's "Up the Creek" is an unabashed attempt to replicate the success of its predecessors like "Animal House" and "Porky's,” often borrowing their cast members for added familiarity. This comedy prominently features longstanding Lepetomane University seniors—Bob (Tim Matheson), Max (Dan Monahan), Gonzer (Stephen Furst), and Irwin (Sandy Helberg)—who partake in an intercollegiate rafting race to avoid expulsion and elevate their school's dismal reputation. While the plot hints at a kinetic aquatic adventure, the reality is an extended mishmash of pranks and sophomoric humor that rarely hits the comedic mark.

Despite the film's rafting-centric premise, "Up the Creek" spends its first 40 minutes introducing characters and injecting a sense of humor that tries, but mostly fails, to land. The film ultimately revolves around three main teams: Lepetomane, Ivy University, and the sabotaging Washington Military Institute. Sadly, director Robert Butler falls short of capitalizing on the water-induced frenzy one would expect. Instead of immersing audiences in a thrilling rafting race, he diverts attention to lackluster sabotage plans using darts and model airplanes. The film's comedic beats are largely predictable, leading a robust cast to deliver unmemorable performances, exemplified by Bob's overplayed charms and his romance with Heather (Jennifer Runyon).

Ultimately, "Up the Creek" feels more like a formulaic exercise in recounting tested jokes rather than innovating its own comedic path. With a script by Jim Kouf that struggles to elicit laughs, paired with Butler’s tepid direction, the film remains mired in mediocrity. The belated entrance into water-based antics doesn’t salvage this feature from its over-reliance on superficial gags and tired stereotypes. Despite moments hinting at potential, "Up the Creek" runs shallow as it endeavors to stay afloat in the crowded space of 1980s comedy fare.

"Up the Creek" is a nostalgic return to the rambunctious 80s comedy genre, featuring Tim Matheson in a quintessential role as Bob, who defies the establishment with his mischievous antics. Co-starring is Stephen Furst, who excels in his stereotypical "fat-guy" role, and it’s all directed by Robert Butler, who embraces the typical genre elements with nudity and crude humor. The film aims to depict a rowdy river race but instead devolves into a more mundane college rivalry narrative, sidetracked by inconsequential details and failing to deliver the high-energy escapades promised by its premise.

The Blu-ray release by Kino Lorber provides a commendable image transfer and a competent audio track, preserving the film's vibrant and zany moments for long-time fans. However, for those unfamiliar with "Up the Creek," the humor's dated and specific style may not resonate, suggesting it's more suitable as a rental rather than a blind purchase. The inclusion of bonus features does add value to this release, offering some additional entertainment for aficionados of the film.

Overall, while "Up the Creek" may not evolve into the uproarious misadventure it hints at, it remains a modestly entertaining offbeat comedy. Existing fans will appreciate the quality of this Blu-ray release, though newcomers may find it wiser to preview before committing.