Bandslam
(2009/Summit Entertainment DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: D
No doubt
that Todd Graff is a fine character actor, but his career as a director is
another matter. His second film is Bandslam, a remarkably unfunny,
unrealistic and not very musically adept comedy about a young man (Gaelan
Connell) whose mother (Lisa Kudrow once again paying Lisa Kudrow) who might get
a chance to take his love of music and find a place for it with new
friends. He even writes David Bowie via
e-mail to tell him about his life and love of music.
Too bad
that love odes not equate into talent.
In real life, if Bowie
would ever respond to them or what they create here, we would have to assume
identity theft has taken place or he was paid off. This is a really poor film. The new music is very weak and covers of
classics do not work. Even High School Musical franchise star
Vanessa Hudgens, a co-star here, tires to sing the David Gates & Bread
classic Everything I Own and hiccups
her voice as a form of phrasing throughout and that was supposed to be one of
the few serious moments. Anyone who
calls this a “classic” cannot be serious, unless it was for a Razzie.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is much softer than a new production
should be. Add the color limits and
motion blur and you can imagine why this was not yet a Blu-ray despite being
shot in 35mm. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix
is also problematic, especially for a story about music, if you can call it
that. Dialogue is too much in the center
channel and the whole mix sounds like it was not conceived properly for
multi-channel sound.
Extras
include a Music Video, Hudgens performance, Deleted Scenes with Graff’s
introduction and feature length audio commentary track with Graff and the cast.
- Nicholas Sheffo
