Wonderwall Blu-ray Review
Collector's Edition
Score: 62
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Wonderwall's Blu-ray breathes new life into an anachronistic but captivating film with excellent video, very good audio, and entertaining performances.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 65
The Blu-ray of 'Wonderwall,' featuring an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1, showcases vivid colors and excellent fine detail in most scenes despite occasional low contrast and sharpness inconsistencies. The Pinewood restoration's impressive remastering brings out facial expressiveness and vibrant hues, maintaining a dreamlike aesthetic.
Audio: 60
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix effectively highlights George Harrison's soundtrack, though it lacks an immersive cinematic atmosphere with dialogue and sound effects often feeling flat. Some midrange distortion and phased dialogue are noted, but overall clarity is maintained.
Extra: 61
The Blu-ray extras for 'Wonderwall' include the Theatrical and Director's cuts in 1080p, a robust Publicity Gallery with stills, poster scans, and texts. Key features like 'Reflections on Love' and 'The Remo Four Music Video' offer rich, nostalgic content. Insert booklet boasts insightful articles from Joe Massot and The Remo Four, adding fascinating historical context.
Movie: 61
"Wonderwall," a psychedelic relic of the late '60s with George Harrison's mystical soundtrack, epitomizes the era's cultural divide and drug-fueled surrealism through a voyeuristic professor's tale. Shout Factory's Blu-ray offers a fascinating time capsule, marred slightly by its disjointed narrative but enriched by extraordinary production design and historical insights.
Video: 65
The Blu-ray presentation of "Wonderwall" curated by Shout! Factory, Hollywood Classics, and Fabulous Films offers a visually engaging experience with its AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 1.67:1 aspect ratio. Pinewood Studios' restoration efforts shine through, delivering beautifully saturated colors and commendable fine detail, especially in midrange and close-up shots. The film's distinctive visual aesthetic is remarkably preserved, with vivid reds, yellows, and greens that enhance its slightly dreamlike quality without seeming unrealistic. However, there are notable inconsistencies in sharpness and color fidelity at various points, suggesting a mixed-source transfer. These deviations occasionally bring extra grain and reduced contrast to some segments, notably affecting dimly lit interior scenes.
The Blu-ray presentation excels in conveying the intricate details of the characters' expressions and textures, particularly highlighting the nuanced features of Jack MacGowran and Jane Birkin. The image remains sharp with crisp edges in most scenes, although some outdoor shots exhibit a slight dip in quality with faded detail and lower contrast. Despite these occasional fluctuations, the indoor scenes consistently maintain a bright, sharp image with full-bodied blacks and excellent shadow delineation, avoiding issues of crush. Overall, while minor imperfections traceable to the age and condition of the source material are present, the restoration largely delivers an impressive visual experience that enhances the film's thematic contrasts and surreal tone.
Audio: 60
The audio presentation on the Blu-ray of "Wonderwall" revolves primarily around a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that prioritizes George Harrison's iconic soundtrack above all else. As noted, the mix isn't overly immersive in a traditional sense, with limited surround activity outside of the music itself. The primary audio experience predominantly utilizes the front right and left speakers, occasionally channeling the soundtrack through the rear speakers. Dialogue, although sparse, is anchored in the center channel but can sound somewhat flat and phased. Despite these limitations, the dialogue remains clear and comprehensible.
The lack of a consistent natural cinematic atmosphere is offset by isolated but effective sound effects, like Collins drilling holes or breaking through the ceiling, which add a touch of immersive quality to an otherwise minimally active surround mix. However, moments of midrange distortion in the music and occasional phasing issues with the dialogue might be noticeable but are not overly distracting. Given that the principal narrative driver is Harrison's music, highlighting his compositions in those specific channels is a strategic decision that aligns well with the film’s artistic intent.
Extras: 61
The Blu-ray extras of "Wonderwall" are a comprehensive and captivating assortment of materials that satisfy nostalgia and curiosity about the film's production. Viewers are treated to HD stills and poster scans in the Publicity Gallery, along with text-based casting stories and press releases in Publicity Text. Additionally, there are informative biographies of cast members, Jack MacGowran's comedic outtakes, and Joe Massot's short, "Reflections on Love," which includes notable footage of The Beatles. Art by Marijke provides visual intrigue while Eric Clapton’s brief musical interlude enriches the auditory experience. Also included are a poem by John Lennon, a rare music video by The Remo Four, a theatrical trailer, and an outtake featuring an alternate opening theme by George Harrison. Notably, both the Theatrical Cut and Director’s Cut are presented in superb HD quality, supplemented by an insightful insert booklet with contributions from key figures.
Extras included in this disc:
- Publicity Gallery: HD stills and poster scans.
- Publicity Text: Casting stories and press releases.
- Biographies: Biographies of Jack MacGowran, Jane Birkin, and Iain Quarrier.
- The Comic Art of Jack MacGowran: Comedic outtakes.
- Reflections on Love: Early short film by Joe Massot.
- The Art of Marijke: Visual presentation of film's artwork.
- Eric Clapton - Skiing: Guitar interlude with film scenes.
- John Lennon Poem: Text of a poem by John Lennon.
- The Remo Four Music Video: Short music video featuring George Harrison’s song.
- Theatrical Trailer: Original trailer for the film.
- An Outtake: Alternate opening theme by George Harrison.
- Theatrical Cut: Full original film in HD.
- Director's Cut: Shortened version of the film in HD.
- Insert Booklet: Articles by Joe Massot and The Remo Four.
Movie: 61
"Wonderwall" is a fascinating exploration of late-60s psychedelic cinema, born out of an intriguing collaboration between director Joe Massot, screenwriter Gérard Brach, and Cuban novelist Guillermo Cabrera Infante. Centering on Professor Oscar Collins (Jack MacGowran), the film delves into themes of voyeurism and generational divides through the peculiar lens of Collins' obsession with his neighbor, Penny Lane (Jane Birkin). The narrative is sparse, relying instead on visual storytelling and the mesmerizing, sitar-heavy soundtrack by George Harrison, a product of his Eastern Mysticism phase. This score weaves through the film, creating a hallucinogenic spell that is both captivating and unnerving.
The production design, managed by the collective The Fool, transports viewers to vividly distinct apartments: Collins’ chaotic cluttered flat versus Lane’s mod space, embodying contrasting eras and lifestyles. The film’s technical prowess, however, shines through its use of abstract images and symbolic sequences rather than a traditional storyline. For all its visual splendor and immersive soundtrack, "Wonderwall" operates more as a cinematic curiosity—an eccentric time capsule from the 1960s that never fully commits to conventional narrative coherence.
Despite its lack of mainstream success upon release, the film attained cult status due to its association with The Beatles and Harrison’s landmark soundtrack. Massot's direction offers intricate daydream sequences that spiral Collins further into obsession, highlighting his life’s contrast with Lane’s perceived glamorous existence. The film culminates in a surreal blend of reality and illusion, challenging viewers to discern the professor's infatuation-induced fantasies from actual events. Though “Wonderwall” may not resonate universally due to its untraditional approach, it captures the essence of its era with a charm that will intrigue fans of psychedelic cinema and Beatles aficionados alike.
Total: 62
"Wonderwall" is a unique and eccentric cinematic experience, reminiscent of an LSD-infused fever dream. The story, while secondary to the film's captivating visuals and eclectic music, centers around bizarre happenings that may not appeal to everyone but is spellbinding for fans of George Harrison and Jane Birkin. The Blu-ray release has been meticulously remastered, offering an excellent video quality that accentuates the film's psychedelic essence. The audio, particularly in relation to the musical score, is also of high quality, enhancing the overall viewing experience.
The disc provides two cuts of the film, with the director's cut presenting a leaner version that eliminates some redundant sequences without compromising the narrative's integrity. Jack MacGowran's performance adds a layer of charm and humor, integral to the film's peculiar appeal. While the supplementary materials included are abundant, they may not be as comprehensive as one might hope. However, they do add value and context to this cultural artifact.
In conclusion, "Wonderwall" is a whimsical time capsule deserving of rediscovery by modern audiences. The Blu-ray edition offers a compelling visual and auditory presentation that does justice to this off-beat gem. Despite some minor shortcomings in the extras, it is an engaging and memorable experience, earning a solid recommendation.
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 80
There are also occasional issues with low contrast, making some of the dimly lit interior scenes in Oscar's crowded apartment hard to make out....
Audio: 70
As mentioned above in the main body of the review, the music is mixed oddly at times, fading in and fading out without much regard to the dramatic goings on....
Extras: 70
An Outtake (1080p; 2:41) offers the original Harrison opening theme for the film which was deleted from the Director's Cut....
Movie: 70
Scenarist Guillermo Cabrera Infante (adapting an original story by frequent Roman Polanski collaborator Gérard Brach) attempts to make some salient commentary about the generation gap and illusions about...
Total: 70
The story here is probably incidental to the visuals and music, both of which are anachronistic and odd, but also weirdly alluring....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
The film is obviously reliant on its visual aesthetic and imagery, and for the most part, the remastering process brings out a great deal of fine detail, amazingly bright colors, and a sharp image with...
Audio: 80
Dialogue is unsurprisingly reserved for the center channel, and it can sometimes come off feeling a little flat, as do the various sound effects placed in throughout the film....
Extras: 60
Press Release – A short text-based document that announces the completion of the film and briefly discusses the involvement of Jane Birkin....
Movie: 60
The only time the film ventures away from this set up is when Lane's boyfriend stops by to ask the professor for some ice, or when Collins' increasingly addled brain begins to fantasize about becoming...
Total: 60
There are two cuts of the film available on the disc, and the shorter director's cut makes it clear how easily some of the recurring scenarios could be excised without having a negative impact on the film....
Director: Joe Massot
Actors: Jack MacGowran, Jane Birkin, Irene Handl
PlotProfessor Oscar Collins, an eccentric and reclusive scientist, becomes infatuated with his beautiful neighbor, Penny Lane. Living alone in his chaotic apartment filled with odd gadgets, his mundane life takes a turn when he discovers a hole in the wall connecting to Penny’s apartment. Intrigued by her carefree lifestyle and vibrant circle of friends, he begins to spy on her through the hole, plunging into a series of whimsical and surreal fantasies.
As his obsession grows, Collins distances himself from the outside world, immersing deeper into the dreamlike hallucinations inspired by Penny's bohemian existence. His scientific experiments intermingle with his voyeuristic antics, causing a profound metamorphosis in his perception of reality. The narrative revolves around his internal transformation and escalating fixation, leaving viewers to question where imagination ends and reality begins.
Writers: Gérard Brach, Guillermo Cabrera Infante
Release Date: 12 Jan 1969
Runtime: 92 min
Rating: TV-MA
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English