Stay Tuned Blu-ray Review
Score: 53
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Stay Tuned’s dated yet charming satire on electronic addiction is bolstered by Sony's proficient Blu-ray presentation, making it a recommended upgrade.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 60
Stay Tuned's Blu-ray presentation, shot on 35mm with Panavision cameras in anamorphic 2.35:1, is soft with drab colors and passable contrast, revealing some print wear and minor dirt specks. The 1080p resolution enhances textures slightly, but the transfer lacks the boldness of newer films.
Audio: 65
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track for 'Stay Tuned' delivers an impressive auditory experience with robust front side width, well-prioritized dialogue, and effective surround use, providing spatial awareness and notable bass response despite its stereo constraints.
Extra: 16
The Blu-ray for 'Stay Tuned' includes only a single extra: an upscaled, 6-minute making-of featurette offering plot insights, character exploration, and cast interviews, but lacks any additional slipcover, DVD, or digital copies.
Movie: 56
"Stay Tuned," directed by Peter Hyams, is a nostalgic satire on television addiction that balances humor and a timeless warning about screen time, with John Ritter's character navigating comedic perils within TV show parodies. Though some jokes now feel dated, the film's core themes remain engaging and relevant.
Video: 60
"Stay Tuned" is presented in 1080p resolution with a 2.35:1 anamorphic aspect ratio, transferred from its original 35mm film source using Panavision cameras. While the visual presentation does not exhibit the bold color and brightness of modern releases, it stands as a competent effort with a generally satisfactory palette. Roy's green Sonics cap, vivid blues, pink sweaters, and various shades within the Hellevision world are all reproduced with adequate vigor. However, the film occasionally suffers from softness and appears slightly flat. The colorful cartoon sequences showcase a commendably robust range of hues, and the noir-inspired detective segments benefit from a solid grayscale and healthy contrast.
Despite its shortcomings, the transfer maintains a respectable texture with light grain retained, contributing to a faithful representation of the original footage. The environmental textures, particularly in the old west segment, highlight detailed wood structures and dusty terrain, making it one of the more visually impressive parts of the film. Skin tones sometimes appear pasty, and black levels are somewhat light, but baseline definition consistently earns a passing grade. The encode quality is high, with challenging low-light scenes filled with smoke passing without noticeable artifacts. Instances of print wear, such as pops and speckles, are present but minimal, ensuring an overall pleasant viewing experience.
In summary, while "Stay Tuned" does not reach the high visual fidelity expected from top-tier Blu-ray transfers and occasionally exhibits a drab color scheme with passable contrast, it undoubtedly surpasses the previous Warner DVD release and offers an acceptable rendition of this classic film with its inherent textures and colorful segments decently captured.
Audio: 65
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on the Blu-ray release of "Stay Tuned" demonstrates an impressive performance, particularly given its two-channel constraints. Despite being a stereo track, it creates a notably broad front soundstage with excellent stereo separation, achieving a near-surround experience during high-energy sequences. Effects such as thunder claps, strong winds, and wrestling match crowds exhibit substantial spatial awareness, pushing the perceived boundaries of stereo sound. Moreover, the dialogue remains sharp and consistently centered, adding to the overall intelligibility and engagement of the audio experience.
Sony and Morgan Creek have replaced the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix found on the earlier Warner DVD with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track featuring matrixed surrounds, stemming from the film's original Dolby Stereo Spectral Recording. This decision retains the rich front-side width and prioritizes well-focused dialogue while skillfully utilizing surrounds to enhance immersion through ambient noises and background effects. Notably, bass response surpasses expectations for a track of this vintage, notably shining during sequences with intense music tracks, like those featuring Salt-N-Pepa. However, it is worth noting that this disc disappointingly lacks subtitles or closed captions, which could be a downside for some viewers.
Extras: 16
The Blu-ray extras of "Stay Tuned" are limited yet insightful, focusing primarily on one featurette. The primary supplemental material, "The Making of 'Stay Tuned'", is presented in 1080i upscaled from a 4:3 standard definition source, indicative of its 1990s electronic press kit origins. The six-minute featurette provides a comprehensive plot recap, character exploration, and an engaging look at the various fictional TV worlds depicted in the film. It includes interviews with the cast and crew, interspersed with clips from the movie, which enriches the viewer’s understanding of the film’s creation. Notably, the disc does not come with additional physical or digital supplements such as a slipcover, DVD, or digital copies.
Extras included in this disc:
- The Making of 'Stay Tuned': Plot recap, character exploration, and behind-the-scenes look at fictional TV worlds with cast and crew interviews.
Movie: 56
Director Peter Hyams' "Stay Tuned" is a unique blend of satire and cautionary tale that delves into the perils of television addiction. The film, though dated with its now-antiquated technology, remains relevant with its commentary on screen addiction. John Ritter stars as Roy Knable, a man addicted to television to the detriment of his family life. His wife Helen, played by Pam Dawber, finally reaches her limit and destroys his TV. Enter Mr. Spike (Jeffrey Jones), offering Roy a twisted deal: a new home entertainment system with 666 channels designed to entrap unwary viewers into a hellish TV world where their very survival is at stake. The film deftly combines humor and a hard lesson on mismanaged priorities, akin to "UHF" and "The Running Man", yet maintains its unique voice.
Roy and Helen find themselves navigating through a series of television worlds—each more deadly than the last—from noir detective shows to demented game shows. The parodies span multiple genres, including Westerns, cartoons by the legendary Chuck Jones, and spoofs of iconic shows like "Wayne's World". While some sequences are more engaging than others, the consistency in tone and narrative keeps the viewer invested. The core plot, however thin, anchors these adventures effectively, albeit with occasional missteps where the comedy falls flat. Despite its uneven humor, the cast's performances, especially John Ritter’s, bring an earnest charm to the otherwise dark premise.
The film's underlying message about television's grip on modern life resonates even today, making "Stay Tuned" a noteworthy viewing experience. Despite its technological datedness and occasional lackluster jokes, the movie navigates through an inventive array of settings while keeping a sharp focus on its primary theme: the consequences of unchecked screen addiction. This balance makes it a film worth revisiting for its unique take on a perennially relevant issue.
Total: 53
Stay Tuned is a charming yet comically dated exploration of electronic addiction, blending humor with a pertinent message about its effects on family dynamics. Originally made in 1992, the film revolves around a man's obsession with television. While the specific subject matter may seem outdated in today's context, where cell phones and digital devices dominate our lives, the underlying cautionary tale still resonates. The movie's distinctive entertainment value lies in its inventive pastiche of various television genres and popular shows from its era, creating a nostalgic trip for those who lived through the early '90s.
The Blu-ray release by Sony provides a proficient upgrade in both video and audio quality. The transfer retains the original film grain, which enhances the vintage feel while delivering a sharper and more vibrant image compared to previous formats. The sound mix is well-balanced, ensuring dialogue clarity against the backdrop of an energetic soundtrack filled with era-specific sound effects. Although supplemental features are minimal, the Blu-ray includes one notable extra that longtime fans will appreciate.
If Stay Tuned were remade today, there's no doubt it would center on cell phone addiction, not one man's television-watching habits. The film is comically dated today but its core remains fundamentally sound and approachable, a core that is essentially a comically bent warning about the dangers of electronic addiction to the individual and the family structure. The film has a lot of fun throwing its characters into familiar television places and scenarios, and in a world of remakes and re-imaginings, it's amazing that the concept hasn't been revisited with a more contemporary digital vessel in the middle of it all. Sony's pressed manufactured on-demand Blu-ray delivers proficient video and audio. One extra is included. Recommended.
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 70
It's a little dull, lacking the bold color intensity and brightness of newer films, but it delivers a solid, capable palette that reveals Roy's green Sonics ballcap, electric blues, a pink sweater, and...
Audio: 70
The former is often a little more impressive than the latter, but both find plenty of engaging aggression and a sense of spatial awareness, making the most of the constraints and occasionally managing...
Extras: 20
The Making of 'Stay Tuned' (1080i upscaled, 4x3, 6:11) offers a plot recap, a character exploration, and takes a look at some of the fictional TV worlds the characters visit....
Movie: 70
But Hyams keeps the film focused on the idea, not the technology, finely integrating the concept of mismanaged priorities, addiction, and humor in a film that can be boiled down to UHF meets The Running...
Total: 60
The film is comically dated today but its core remains fundamentally sound and approachable, a core that is essentially a comically bent warning about the dangers of electronic addiction to the individual...
Home Theater Forum review by Todd ErwinRead review here
Video: 70
It is not necessarily horrible, but is a bit soft at times, with drab colors and passable contrast....
Audio: 80
Bass response is also surprisingly good for a stereo track of this vintage, particularly during the Salt-N-Pepa music video sequence....
Extras: 20
The Making of “Stay Tuned (1080i; 6:11): A typical 1990s era EPK behind the scenes featurette, obviously upscaled to 1080i from a standard definition source....
Movie: 50
I missed the theatrical run, but did eventually rent it on VHS a few years later, and realized it was the latter, which was a shame as I had enjoyed many of director Peter Hyams’ films up to that point...
Total: 60
Stay Tuned is a movie that has not aged well, mostly because the technology around us has changed enormously, but also because the shows and movies it is spoofing were part of the culture at the time the...
Director: Peter Hyams
Actors: John Ritter, Pam Dawber, Jeffrey Jones
PlotRoy Knable, a couch potato obsessed with television, finds himself at odds with his wife Helen due to his excessive TV watching. One evening, after an argument, Roy encounters a mysterious salesman, Spike, who offers him an extraordinary satellite dish with a mammoth channel selection. Enticed by the offer, Roy sets it up, only for the couple to be suddenly sucked into the television set by a powerful force. They find themselves trapped inside a bizarre, alternate TV universe where they are forced to navigate through various twisted and dangerous parodies of TV shows and movies.
The couple must traverse through these perilous channels in an attempt to survive and return home. They encounter numerous perils that test their resilience and marriage. Spike, controlling this nefarious network from behind the scenes, continually throws them into progressively more hazardous scenarios. As Roy and Helen struggle to outwit Spike's diabolical game and find a way back to reality, they rediscover each other’s strengths and reconnect over their shared determination to escape the madness.
Writers: Tom S. Parker, Jim Jennewein, Richard Siegel
Release Date: 14 Aug 1992
Runtime: 88 min
Rating: PG
Country: United States
Language: English