BLU-RAY REVIEW

Licorice Pizza

Featured In Issue 261, May/June 2022

Picture4
Sound4.5
WSR Score4
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
10000809909
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
Language, sexual material, and some drug use
(Retail Price):
$34.98
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
(Running Time In Minutes):
133
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
5/17/2022
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
(Director):
Paul Thomas Anderson
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(Subtitles):

"Licorice Pizza" is a story of Alana Kane (Alana Haim) and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) growing up, running around and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley (California) in 1973. (Gary Reber)

Special features include camera tests (HD 04:14), The Handman scene (HD 02:19), Fat Bernie' commercial (HD 0:58)l, a behind-the-scenes featurette (HD 10:37) and a Movies Anywhere digital code.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed on Kodak Vision3 film stock in anamorphic Panavision® using the Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 camera system and sourced from a 2K master Digital Intermediate format. The picture is a bit off from a natural appearance. Color fidelity is off with a unnaturallness that apperas to be a stylization. At times the imagery appears natural but overall color fidelity is inconsistent. Flesh tones appear orangish much of the time, or natural depending on the lighting. Contrast is generally good with decent black levels but darker shadows often lack clarity. White levels are generally effectively illuminated. Resolution iis excellent with fine details exhibited throughout including facial features, clothing and object texture. This is an uneven picture with at times a home video feel. Still, the story is engaging and the imagery nicely supportive of the unusual storyline, (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1-channel soundtrack is dialogue focused with a mix bag of music reflective of the 1970s, The music is spread wide across the soundstage with extension to envelop the surround field. There are lots of atmospherics which effectively enhance the sense of realism of the imagery. Sound effects also are effective. In one scene, which involves a truck, the sound is totally convincing. Dialogue is well integrated spatially. This is a creative soundtrack that really nails realism. (Gary Reber)