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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Holy Man
    Genre:Comedy

    Reviewed In Issue 33 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Eddie Murphy, Jeff Goldblum, Kelly Preston, Robert Loggia, Jon Cryer & Eric McCormack

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 3.5
    Sound Rating: 4
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals
    None

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Touchstone Home Video
    (Catalog Number): 13568 AS
    (MPAA Rating): PG
    (Retail Price): $39.99
    (Running Time In Minutes): 114
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1998
    (LD Release Date): 05/99
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): Stephen Herek
    (Screenplay/Written By): Tom Schulman
    (Story): NA
    (Music): Alan Silvestri
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Andrew McAlpine
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Trudy Ship
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): Jeffrey Chernov & Jonathan Glickman
    (Co-Producers): Ray Murphy & Rebekah Rudd
    (Producers): Roger Birnbaum & Stephen Herek

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Panavision
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.40:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Digital Surround
    (Theatrical Sound): DTS, SDDS & Dolby Digital
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital): No
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    An insensitive shop-at-home network exec, Ricky Hayman (Goldblum) gets redemption from plummeting sales when he meets a mysterious stranger in Holy Man. Eddie Murphy stars as “G,” an inspirational oddity who, after a fleeting moment in front of the camera, becomes a prime-time regular. As a pitchman, “G” turns purchasing junk into a religious experience and becomes the Good Buy shopping network’s savior. The infomercials feature celebrity cameos including Florence Henderson, Dan Marino, Betty White and Willard Scott.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    Framed at 2.35:1, the LaserDisc exhibits sharp and detailed images. Color fidelity is naturally rendered, with natural fleshtones, rich and warm colors and deep, solid blacks. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered, especially in exterior scenes, but some interiors are overly dark and wanting in more defined visual information. Minor artifacts are apparent, but there is no distracting noise. While the picture often is wanting in natural brightness, it is a generally pleasing presentation.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital soundtracks, when fully engaged, are nicely holosonic with aggressive split surround envelopment, but too often the sound is monaural directed or three channel stereo with virtually no surround presence. The matrix PCM soundtrack is more spatially engaging consistently with deeper bass response, even when .1 LFE is engaged. The music score is well recorded. The music is spread wide and deep with excellent imaging and aggressively engaging surround. While the soundtrack is credited as "5.1," split surround energy and .1 LFE enhancement are rare. Dialogue sounds generally natural and spatially integrated.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz): Yes
    (Aggressive System Surround): Yes
    (Intense 25Hz Bass): No
    (Deep Bass Challenging): No
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield): Yes
    (Aggressive Split Surround): No
    (Center Back Surround Imaging): No
    (Directionalized Dialogue): No
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    Superb Cinematography:
    Reference LaserDisc:
    		 No
    Collector Edition:
    		 No
    DVD To LaserDisc Comparison:
    The LaserDisc and non-anamorphic DVD, both framed at 2.35:1, exhibit similar quality, with the DVD being slightly sharper with finer detail. Color fidelity is naturally rendered, with natural fleshtones, rich and warm colors and deep, solid blacks. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered, especially in exterior scenes, but some interiors are overly dark and wanting in more defined visual information. Minor video artifacts are apparent, but neither version exhibits distracting noise. While the picture often is wanting in natural brightness, both versions are generally pleasing. The DVD and LaserDisc discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital soundtracks, when fully engaged, are nicely holosonic with aggressive split surround envelopment, but too often the sound is monaural directed or three channel stereo with virtually no surround presence. The LaserDisc matrix PCM soundtrack is more spatially engaging consistently with deeper bass response, even when .1 LFE is engaged. The music score is well recorded. The music is spread wide and deep with excellent imaging and aggressively engaging surround. While the soundtrack is credited as "5.1," split surround energy and .1 LFE enhancement are rare. Dialogue sounds generally natural and spatially integrated.