Stomp The Yard (Blu-ray + DVD-Video)

 

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

 

 

There has been a cycle of Urban Dance films that are not necessarily Musicals, yet not soundtrack-driven non-Musicals.  Forerunning and defying the trend was Spike Lee’s 1988 film School Daze, set at a black college, but except for its novelty hit Da Butt, was an actual Hollywood Musical with Pop/Soul/Showtune songs that had nothing to do with Hip Hop or Rap.  Columbia made the Lee film and nearly 20 years later, find themselves with a larger hit with Sylvain White’s Stomp The Yard (2006) which is basically a watered down version of the same film with no Musical aspirations, political point or memorability.

 

As a result, it was a hit and a surprise one since Sony was smart enough to release it off season.  It also has mostly a Hip Hop score that would not have existed the same way in 1988.  And to think School Daze is far from Lee’s best film.  The film is about DJ (Columbus Short) finding himself unexpectedly at a black college and goes from the perils of the streets to ego trips, peer pressure and frontin’ of a new environment.  Fortunately, he does not conform, but the highly problematic screenplay (Robert Adetuyi revising Gregory Anderson’s script) eventually calls for a disturbingly false and phony conformity that is rather insulting.  The turn in the story that highlights this even happens out of nowhere too.

 

However, some of the performances keep the film afloat, including the always likable Meagan Good as the love interest of DJ and his rival Grant (Darrin Henson), but it is the lamest of all the subplots.  In some ways, the ultimate film about the Black College Experience has not been made yet, but there are few so far and maybe we’ll see that someday.

 

The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image is one of the highlights and reasons this film was a hit in the first place, with interesting lighting and shot choices by Scott Kevan.  Even the anamorphically enhanced DVD-Video shows how good the choices can be, but it is no match for the Blu-ray.  The same applies to the sound, which those who saw it in better theaters know has a music-based, bass rich 5.1 mix.  The DVD-Video has this in standard Dolby Digital that is not bad, but instead of just the PCM 5.1 mixes Sony has been including in all their previous Blu-ray releases, they have included no less than a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track that is slightly better than the 16/48 PCM, but also shows limits in the mix.  Extras are the same on both discs, including a Battles. Rivals. Brothers. featurette, deleted scene - The Clean Up, extended scenes, audio commentary and gag reel.

 

For fans, the discs deliver and for HD fans who like Urban fare, they will want the Blu-ray.  Otherwise, even if you don’t like the film, it is good & interesting demo material and still one of the few Blu-ray discs to sport Dolby TrueHD.  Since Sony owns Lee’s film, I am surprised it is not hitting Blu-ray at the same time.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo