Flashdance - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Flashdance



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
As a rabid fan of 80s music and 80s film (80s horror being my weak spot), I still have to admit that I have a few guilty pleasures from the time period. Films like Dirty Dancing, Footloose, Staying Alive and Flashdance were all part of my formative years, and I still will lock the door, make sure no one’s around, then pop on one of those films and tap my toe to the music. They were so infectious, so fun, and so much silly fluff that you actually enjoyed them despite the stereotypical 80s cheese. Starting with 1977’s Saturday Night Fever, America had gone through a second phase of “musicals”. Before it was the classic Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire vaudeville style of musicals that permeated cinematic culture, but that has pretty much become dead by the end of the 60s. However, with John Travolta dancing his way to the top, we revived our love of musicals, but in a different way. Instead of stage play styled song and dance numbers, it was infused with pulsating lights, 80s guitar riffs, and a hefty dose of James Dean’s Rebel Without a Cause mentality to the stories.

Flashdance was one of the sillier, puffier bits, but it still was a huge part of 1980s culture and a fun watch if you go back and give it some love. The 4th of the “Paramount Presents” line, Flashdance is given a brand new 4K master, and the typical physical trappings of the Paramount Presents films (a foldover embossed slipcover, a clear Blu-ray case, and some nifty new artwork for the inside flap). Luckily for us the 4K master really pays off and even though Paramount (for some weird reason) has trimmed the extras down from the 2013 release, this package brings the visual goods and makes for a very solid upgrade.

I said Flashdance was pure puff pastry in the story line and I stick to that. My wife is a RAAAAAAAAABID fan of 80s pop culture films, and even this one makes it one of the lowest on her list of likes. I tend to give it a bit more love than she does, but I understand why. There isn’t as much depth and development as most cinemaphiles would have liked, instead relying on infusing the film with literally every popular early 80s song known to man (seriously, we have everyone from Joan Jett, Irene Cara, Donna Summer, to Kim Carnes), and even Paramount was a bit nervous about the film’s success. They went so far as to sell off 25% of the film’s rights shortly before it was released in order to hedge their financial bets, only to be bowled over when it became an overnight sensation. According to the 2007 interview with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Paramount actually accused him and the director of the film of fudging the numbers and making it seem like less of a sure hit, as the soundtrack became almost more of a hit than the film. Supposedly people watched the film when it was released, went across the street to buy the record (remember when you could do that? Buy an album in store?) and then go back across the street to watch the film a second time.

Flashdance is your typical 80s story of rags to riches. Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals) who moved from a little town in Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh in order to get somewhere in life. At heart she’s a self taught dancer from nowhere who wants to make it big, but has to pay the bills by being a welder at the local steel mill. When Nick Hurley (Michael Nouri), owner of the steel mill, sees Alex dancing on stage at the local bar he falls head over heels for her. At first Alex refuses his advances as dating the boss isn’t exactly a smart thing, but the two soon hit it off and begin their romance.

Their romance soon turns out to be a double edged sword. Nick is rich, charming, and actually a really good guy. He pushes Alex to really go for her dream of making it big at a local dance studio that is STUPIDLY exclusive, but his connections cause Alex some mental troubles. When it comes out that Nick has pulled a few strings to get her the audition, Alex wants to refuse and push him away, as she wanted to make it 100% on her own. However, she also realizes that he’s only gotten her the audition. The rest is truly up to her, and whether she likes it or not, giving up on your dreams is the death of your soul and she has been given an opportunity to really shine here.

Flashdance is pure silly fluff, but it’s toe tapping fluff. The story is paper thin, and the acting your typical 80s fare, but it’s just FUN at heart. It has all the things to tug at your heart with Alex trying to work her way to the top, and the typical romance and singing that makes these types of music so much fun. Flashdance is hindered more by it’s complete lack of depth than anything, but that lack of depth hasn’t kept it from becoming an 80s pop culture classic and that really comes from Jennifer Beals. She was a nobody at the time, and pretty much got shot to stardom overnight (if you didn’t notice, she’s actually the Sheriff in the new DC show Swamp Thing) and she’s so lovable and charming that it kind of glosses over the rest of the 80s cheese.




Rating:

Rated R by the MPAA




4K Video: Video:

By all apparent sources this 4K UHD 2160p encode is struck from the same 4K remaster as the 2020 Paramount Presents Blu-ray (that is actually included in the set as a combo pack instead of Paramount doing a 4K only release), and it looks AMAZING. The film has always been very heavily “1980’s grainy” and with some hazy dreamlike sequences, but the ugprades from the Blu-ray are palpable and noticeable to say the least. The grain is clean and natural looking, and the image just sparkles with the deeper black levels that HDR can provide. Gone is the crush in the shadows of the steel mill (that opening shot with her on the bike was crushed from the get go, so I doubt we’ll see that go away anytime soon), and the shadow details are superb. You can actually pick up hair follicles and strands on Alex in her welder’s outfit, and I noticed so much more textural background details this go around. Colors are that 1980s “gritty” look, but there are some noticeable scenes where the HDR really makes things pop, especially the bright red of her dance outfit with the TV, and splashes of green and blue outside in the “real world”. All in all, this is a great looking upgrade and definitely worth grabbing the set over if you’re a fan.








Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is identical to the Warner 2013 release (bitrates and file sizes are identical according to some other sources I was able to wheedle the info out of), and of course the Paramount Presents special edition from 2020 and that’s not a bad thing. The 5.1 mix is vibrant and full of life, filled with the copious 80s pop rock tunes filling the entire sound stage. The film can be a bit front heavy when the music isn’t engaged, but still had enough surround activity in the craziness of the bar scene. The LFE is tight and punchy, but rather mild compared to today’s mixes. The bass is clean and clear, accentuating the music without becoming a pulse pounder. It’s an all around good mix and I still have no problems with Paramount’s 5.1 track. Good sound, good experience.







Extras:

• Filmmaker Focus: Director Adrian Lyne on Flashdance
• The Look of Flashdance
• Releasing the Flashdance Phenomenon
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Score: ​

The 4K UHD edition of Flashdance is just about as much of an upgrade from the 2020 Paramount Presents edition, as that was from the 2013 single disc that we got a decade ago. The 4K transfer seems to be taken from the 4K master used for the 2020 edition, and looks amazing in 2160p. The extras are the same extras as found on the Paramount Presents disc a few years back (all extras are in fact ON that disc) and the same audio track is found on all 3 versions. That means that the video score will be the defining factor for whether and upgrade is in order or not, and I personally find the image to be more than worthwhile if you have the coin. And for once, Paramount has included the Paramount Presents Blu-ray in with the set to make it a full combo pack (thank you Paramount) so those of you who have only purchased the old 2013 disc, then this is your best opportunity to grab the best edition of both formats. Good set.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala, Sunny Johnson, Kyle T. Heffner, Lee Ving, Ron Karabatsos
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Written by: Thomas Hedley Jr., Joe Eszterhas
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 HEVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, French, German, Japanese DD 2.0, English DVS
Subtitles: English, English SDH, German, Spanish (Espana), Spanish (Latin America), French, Japanese
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R
Runtime: 95 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: April 11th, 2023

Recommendation: Good Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I remember seeing this back in 83. Will have to revisit this one.

 

[Asere]

I saw this many times on cable back in the good old days. I have the soundtrack on vinyl.

 

[NBPK402]

I will have to get this one!