{"id":30335,"date":"2024-12-15T03:21:45","date_gmt":"2024-12-15T11:21:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=30335"},"modified":"2024-12-15T03:21:45","modified_gmt":"2024-12-15T11:21:45","slug":"blasts-from-the-past-4k-ultra-hd-review-demolition-man-1993","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=30335","title":{"rendered":"Blasts from the Past! 4K Ultra HD Review: DEMOLITION MAN (1993)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This \u201cLimited Edition\u201d 4K Ultra HD release from Arrow Video is available for purchase on December 17th.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sylvester Stallone was one of Hollywood\u2019s biggest stars in the 1980s, but by the end of the decade, the action films he was most associated with were no longer the box office juggernauts they had been. After starring in two comedies that underperformed at the box office. To be fair, 1991\u2019s Oscar<\/em> was actually very funny, but audiences at the time didn\u2019t respond to it. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot<\/em> the following year was<\/em> a terrible disaster, putting the performer\u2019s career in jeopardy. But Stallone recovered the following year with unexpectedly entertaining efforts. Cliffhanger<\/em> was a summer smash that added a new wrinkle or two to the action hero persona, and November saw the release of Demolition Man<\/em>, which was even more unique.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set in 1996, crime and riots have left Los Angeles in shambles. When quick-witted but vicious criminal Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) claims to have taken hostages in an abandoned building, gun-toting LAPD Sergeant John \u201cDemolition Man\u201d Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) goes in like a one-man wrecking crew to save them. While there aren\u2019t any captives, the enormous structure does end up exploding, and both men are cryogenically frozen for their violent acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Demolition Man<\/em> was initially released at theaters, critical reaction was mixed and the action genre did truly begin to fade in the following years.This satirical effort did decent business, but has developed a big cult following, with many now noting how prescient it was (particularly after the last few years). Arrow Video is now releasing an excellent \u201cLimited Edition\u201d 4K Ultra HD edition with a noticeably improved picture (a separate Blu-ray edition is also available).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Phoenix awakens in 2032 in San Angeles, an amalgamation of San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, now under the rule of Dr. Raymond Cocteau (Nigel Hawthorne). It\u2019s a spotless utopia with no crime, making it all the easier for Phoenix to go on a rampage. Officers like Lena Huxley (Sandra Bullock) and Alfredo Garcia (Benjamin Bratt) have no idea how to handle the situation, and so Spartan is reawakened to assist them in taking care of the problem. But it seems the city isn\u2019t without its own hidden problems, as an underground resistance led by Edgar Friendly (Denis Leary) tries to fight for the people\u2019s civil rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The action in this movie is dazzling and includes an elaborate fight scene that ends with an entire building being blown up. And that\u2019s just in the opening ten minutes. Stallone and Snipes play well off each other, and do battle in several creative ways in unique environments. It\u2019s also remarkably fun to see the two fight in the cryogenic lab during the climax, with one of them meeting his end in a unique and spectacular manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, in all honesty, the highlight of the film is its unique sense of humor. As mentioned, the two leads are having a great time bouncing verbal jabs at each other. But there is also a great deal of satire in the picture, poking fun at a future consumerist utopia. The best is mention of a \u201cfranchise war\u201d that has left Taco Bell as the only restaurant chain still in existence. Just about everyone from the macho stars, to repressive aspects of this world, are playfully teased. There are amusing charges for swearing, and some of the futuristic story elements actually feel not far off from the present day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Co-star Bullock also makes a great impression in one of her earliest roles as a cop fascinated by the machismo of the 1980s and 90s. The movie pokes fun at movies of the era, and the actress also does a hilarious job of trying to deliver insults, yet messing up an important word or two as she does so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The disc contains 4K restorations of two versions of the movie scanned from the original camera negative. So, what\u2019s the difference between the cuts? Well, it seems that the Taco Bell joke was licensed for North American audiences, but that wasn\u2019t the case in some international territories like the UK. Instead, the alternate cut substitutes Pizza Hut in its place. The graphics are slightly different and some ADR has been used to change pieces of dialogue. Both versions can now be viewed on the release. It\u2019s interesting to see the difference, although the Taco Bell punchline is far funnier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 4K image quality is also wonderful. There is a modest amount of natural film grain here and there in a handful of shots, but the overall appearance is outstanding. Early on, the confrontation in the abandoned, crumbling building looks incredibly detailed. And later, the futuristic environments are equally impressive. The film features shattering glass, explosions, fisticuffs, shootings, and car chases, and it all looks crisper than ever on this release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Extras on the disc are well worth your time too. There is a decent archival commentary from an earlier release with director Marco Brambilla and producer Joel Silver, but the two new tracks are far more revealing. One features film critic Mike White going over the history of the production, reading excerpts from interviews about the onset struggles and differences during the production. It\u2019s fascinating to hear and White provides plenty of helpful insight into the movie and the era in which it was made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other new track features director Marco Brambilla and screenwriter Daniel Waters (who wrote Heathers, Batman Returns<\/em> and Hudson Hawk<\/em>). This is a phenomenal commentary, with the two much more comfortable and honest talking about the picture now. They do confirm a few things that White reports on his track, but add all kinds of personal detail to the experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Waters talks about being hired to give the script a significant rewrite two weeks before shooting and working to change the film from a straight, serious action picture to a more humorous satire once the characters wake up in the future. He says that as a result of his change in tone, one of the original screenwriters wouldn\u2019t speak to him for years afterward. Waters talks about some of his favorite moments in the film, describing lines that he wrote and others that were improvised on the spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brambilla mentions being a first-time director on the picture, having previously helmed TV commercials. He mentions working for and trying to get around the somewhat difficult Joel Silver. The filmmaker notes how proud he is of the fact that, with the exception of three computer generated shots and a handful of optical shots, a lot of the picture, including the razing of the building, was done practically. He talks about doing his best to make sure everything was shot in an original way, sometimes going to remarkable lengths to deliver something visually unique. The way bits and pieces of a car chase was captured are particularly revelatory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The director notes that most modern films use pre-visualization departments to plan elaborate scenes. He notes that while he sees their importance, it has become an issue now. Brambilla observes that most franchises use the same team and as a result most action scenes are devised, cut and edited together in the same way, making them less thrilling in the process. Brambilla talks about trying to shoot all the fights differently, occasionally improvising to keep things fresh and that modern titles often suffer due to pre-vis techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The filmmaker also talks about working with the cast, going into detail on how Snipes\u2019 improvisations confused co-star Hawthorne. He says that Stallone was initially concerned about the script\u2019s humor (likely due to his comedic flops shortly before). But, after seeing the dailies with Brambilla, the star was good-natured, always agreeable to playing up the gags, even when they were occasionally emasculating. Brambilla and Waters also remember what a great time Snipes had on-set and with the final product. They also mention how thrilled Bullock was just to be in this picture (she came off so well in this role that it got her cast in Speed<\/em>). Apparently, she stepped into the part after shooting began when it was determined that Stallone and original co-star Lori Petty lacked onscreen chemistry. There are even more details from the speakers that are fascinating to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The only thing the two are displeased about is that a few extremists have taken their picture as a sort of criticism of liberalism, which they both state was never the point of the film (at least, not after the rewrite was completed and they began shooting). They make a point of noting some elements in the feature that contradict that idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the great commentary, there\u2019s a good visual essay that notes all the references and some of the correct predictions the film made about the future. There is also an informative interview with the production designer, who talks about creating the vibrant sets. The discussion with the stunt coordinator goes over some of the impressive choreography and action set pieces, and the interview with a make-up effects artist gives some details about a few striking moments in the feature. Additionally, there is a talk with the body effects set coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A theatrical trailer and image gallery is also present on the disc. And a 60-page booklet is also included, containing more essays on the movie and its various thematic elements.Not all action movies of the 1980s and 90s hold up exceptionally well, but Demolition Man<\/em> is still a solid picture. The action is dynamically rendered, but it\u2019s the humor that really sets it apart, giving the events a uniqueness and allowing the characters to stand out. This disc boasts a vastly superior picture to previous editions and includes some incredible bonuses that will really help you understand what was occurring behind the scenes. Any fan of this era in cinema should certainly pick this release up. \n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This \u201cLimited Edition\u201d 4K Ultra HD release from Arrow Video is available for purchase on December 17th. Sylvester Stallone was one of Hollywood\u2019s biggest stars in the 1980s, but by the end of the decade, the action films he was most associated with were no longer the box office juggernauts they had been. After starring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":30341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[127,300,697,1836,2554,4660,5153,5673,5674,5675,5676,5713,8018,8024,13181,14838,17608,17621,17693,17772,17776,19478,24108],"class_list":["post-30335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvdblu-ray-reviews","tag-127","tag-4k-ultra-hd","tag-action","tag-arrow-video","tag-benjamin-bratt","tag-comedy","tag-daniel-waters","tag-demolition-man","tag-demolition-man-4k-ultra-hd","tag-demolition-man-4k-ultra-hd-review","tag-demolition-man-review","tag-denis-leary","tag-future","tag-futuristic","tag-marco-brambilla","tag-nigel-hawthrone","tag-san-angeles","tag-sandra-bullock","tag-satire","tag-sci-fi","tag-science-fiction-2","tag-sylvester-stallone","tag-wesley-snipes"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30335\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}