WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

King Of The Hill
Genre:Drama

Reviewed In Issue 08 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Jeroen Krabbe, Lisa Eichhorn, Karen Allen, Spalding Gray, Elizabeth McGovern, Jesse Bradford.

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 5
Sound Rating: 5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
Internet Links

Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): MCA/Universal Home Video
(Catalog Number): 41753
(MPAA Rating): PG
(Retail Price): $34.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 103
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1993
(LD Release Date): 03/01/94
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Steven Soderbergh
(Screenplay/Written By): Steven Soderbergh
(Story): NA
(Music): Cliff Martinez
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Gary Frutkoff
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Steven Soderbergh
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): NA
(Co-Producers): NA
(Producers): Barbara Maltby, Albert Berger & Ron Yerxa

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
(Theatrical Sound): Dolby Stereo SR
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Incredibly accurate portrayal of the bleakness of the Depression highlights this film about a young boy, whose mother is sent off to a sanatorium and whose father is off looking for work, forced to fend for himself with just his wits and imagination in the doen-and-out sections of St.Louis. This laserdisc is one of the select few, made with an obvious passion for attaining the best work possible.

LaserDisc Picture:
The picture is perfectly framed on this transfer at 2.35:1 and treated with what appears to be an amber filter to give an Depression-era look to the story. It was made directly from the contact “interpositive” from the cut original camera negative which accounts for its pristine image quality. One of the outstanding scenes depicts several boys shooting marbles in the dirt. It is mesmerizing in its naturalness and flawless image detail. Blacks and shadow detail are exemplary as is the overall quality of the transfer, having no visible artifacts or video noise.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The soundtrack is superb and was made directly form the Dolby Stereo SR master with the full dynamic range unaltered. Dialogue is always intelligible and natural sounding. There is a subtle ambient envelopment in virtually every scene. Contained on Chapter 53 are the master audio alignment signals which are useful for calibrating the proper playback level on your home theatre system. The 1 kHz tone corresponds to the “0” dB reference level of the console at 82 dBC sound pressure level. The maximum level of sound on the disc is about 15 dB above the reference or 97 dB.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: