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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    You’ve Got Mail
    Genre:Romantic Comedy

    Reviewed In Issue 33 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton, Dave Chappelle, Steve Zahn, Dabney Coleman & Greg Kinnear

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

    Supplementals
    None

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Warner Home Video
    (Catalog Number): 16954
    (MPAA Rating):
    (Retail Price): $29.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 120
    (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): Nora Ephron
    (Screenplay/Written By): Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron
    (Story): NA
    (Music): George Fenton
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Dan Davis
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Richard Marks
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): Delia Ephron, Julie Durk & G. Mac Brown
    (Co-Producers): NA
    (Producers): Lauren Shuler Donner & Nora Ephron

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.80:1

    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:
    Three little words—You’ve Got Mail—bring smiles to the faces of Joe and Kathleen (Hanks and Ryan). Their friendly affair conducted over modem lines has escalated to the point that they decide to meet. Trouble lurks ahead though, because, unbeknownst to either of them, they are bitter rivals in a David vs. Goliath bookstore war on the streets of New York’s Upper West Side. Based on Miklos Laszlo’s play “The Shop Around The Corner.”

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The picture is solid throughout, with sharp and detailed images and nicely rendered contrast and shadow delineation. Colors are accurately balanced with rich and warm hues and deep, pure blacks. Minor artifacts are apparent, but noise is sometimes distracting. The LaserDisc is matted at 1.80:1.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital soundtrack is a mediocre experience and is dominated with dialogue interaction and voice-overs during keyboard-hammering e-mail message sending. Surround envelopment is generally subtle throughout and pretty much limited to the music, but at times the original music score, which is nicely recorded, delivers a more aggressive surround presence. Low frequency .1 enhancement is subtle and attached to the music. As a dialogue picture, the sound works with generally natural-sounding dialogue and good spatial integration.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz): No
    (Aggressive System Surround): Yes
    (Intense 25Hz Bass): No
    (Deep Bass Challenging): No
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield): No
    (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 anamorphically enhanced, dual-layered DVD picture viewed in component video exhibits beautiful colors with naturally rendered fleshtones, rich and vibrant hues and deep, true blacks. Imagery is solid throughout, and is sharp and finely detailed in all aspects, with excellent vertical and horizontal resolution. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered, with excellent visual information in the darkest scenes, though a few scenes appear too contrasted. Minor video artifacts are apparent, but it is compression pixelization on the DVD that is sometimes distracting. The anamorphic and letterbox DVD measures 1.78:1, and the LaserDisc is matted at 1.80:1. The DVD and LaserDisc discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital soundtrack is a mediocre experience and is dominated with dialogue interaction and voice-overs during keyboard-hammering e-mail message sending. Surround envelopment is generally subtle throughout and pretty much limited to the music, but at times the original music score, which is nicely recorded, delivers a more aggressive surround presence. Low frequency .1 enhancement is subtle and attached to the music. As a dialogue picture, the sound works with generally natural-sounding dialogue and good spatial integration.