Swingers (1996/Lionsgate Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: C     Extras: B     Film: B

 

 

For better or worse, Swingers is the film that will be remembered for launching the acting careers of Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau as well as the directing career of Dough Liman.  Swingers and its’ 2001 sister indie film Made represent the best of Vaughn and Favreau’s natural onscreen talent before Vaughn was turned into a characterture of himself by Hollywood for most of the 2000’s and Favreau evolved into a hit-or-miss (thus far) filmmaker.

 

Doug Liman “supposedly” directs the film from a script by Jon Favreau, I say supposedly because there have been many accounts that Favreau himself was the onset director.  Those accounts suggest Doug Liman was merely a wealthy contact of Vaughn and Favreau who put up the money for the film in exchange for receiving the title and fanfare of director.  I can’t vouch for the validity of that claim but it does make watching Liman’s later films more interesting seeing how he may have fallen into a directing career thanks to Jon Favreau’s script for Swingers.

 

Swingers is an effortlessly hilarious film.  While so many contemporary comedies like Bridesmaids and Hangover Part II feel forced, Swingers feels like we are following a group of 20 something’s as they attempt to become adults.  Although this movie is titled Swingers in reference to type of dancing, the heart of this film is kin to American Graffiti, a coming of age story where we follow a group of youngsters around on their adventures through their town.  

 

Although the 1080p AVC encoded transfer is definitely a visual improvement over the previous Miramax DVD release, I fear that most people will expect more.  This film was shot on a low budget with low light and it doesn’t have the polish of films shot in the late 2000s.  The film is decently sharp and appears to be free of offensive digital picture enhancing filters.  Those looking for a natural filmic presentation of a ‘90s indie film will be pleased but those expecting to be blown away will not.  Swingers' lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track doesn't necessarily impress but it is also a slight improvement over the Miramax DVD.

 

All of the extras from the Miramax’s two-disc DVD have been ported to the new Blu-ray in standard definition.  Although not listed on the packaging there is a second Audio Commentary with Director Doug Liman and Editor Stephen Mirrione.

 

Fans of Swingers looking for a natural filmic presentation of a ‘90s low budget indie film will be pleased. With a low list price, it is hard to not recommend this upgrade from the DVD despite a lack of new features and marginal video and audio improvement.

 

 

-   Jimm Needle – jimmneedle.com