The Girl Next Door (2004/Fox Blu-ray)

 

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

 

 

Over the last few years, I had hoped that that the underrated film How and why The Girl Next Door (2004, having nothing to do with the Playboy Magazine TV show) would be rediscovered.  This was my original coverage for the DVD version:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1554/Girl+Next+Door+(Uncut)

 

 

I had also hoped its starts would become big commercial successes.  Instead, filmmakers did not work enough with Elisha Cuthbert and Emile Hirsch was on his way to becoming the next big star when Speed Racer derailed his career.  Co-stars here, they are both good actors who the camera liked and it is not too late for either of them.  I hope the Blu-ray edition of this film gives people a chance to appreciate how good they really are.  Ironically, Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) has a career still on the rise and he more than holds his own in each scene.  See The Girl Next Door if you missed it, especially the uncut version offered again here.

 

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 AVC @ 32 MBPS digital High Definition image is from an older HD master and is only slightly better than the old DVD edition.  I had hoped for a better transfer and the film deserves one, but it still handles the blacks and whites better.  The good news is that the DTS-HD Master Audio (MA) lossless 5.1 mix is better than the old Dolby Digital 5.1 mix from the DVD that was underwhelming and never did sound good.   Though not a spectacular mix, the dialogue is well-recorded (despite being towards the screen) and Paul Haslinger’s original score (along with some hit records) gain the most from the upgrade.  The extras are the same as the DVD, but this time, you do not have to flip the disc to get to them as you did on the DVD.  That is more than enough to make the Blu-ray an improvement over the DVD.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo