A Few Words About A few words about...™ Summer Lovers -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris · Aug 14, 2015

Just think about it.

You're in your early 20s, vacationing on the Greek island of Santorini with your significant other, and end up sharing far more with a lovely French archaeologist.

Filled with gorgeous locations, and beautiful naked young people -- this may not have been what Frankie and Annette had in mind.

With three beautiful people in the leads, Daryl Hannah, Peter Gallagher, and Valerie Quennessen, the film became quite the date movie in the summer of '82, when we were all, well...

younger.

Mr. Gallagher is now 59 and Ms Hannah, 54. Ms Quennessen, who had a wonderful look, unfortunately died in a automobile accident in 1989. She was only 31.

Summer Lovers has a storyline, although once viewers get involved, they may not care. Think The Blue Lagoon, but with more worldly characters, and just enough older to almost head toward soft core.

As a Blu-ray, the film looks great. MGM has done a nice job on this one. Colors are gorgeous, black and whites work beautifully, and grain appears normal.

If you're in the mood for gorgeous, mindless fun, Summer Lovers is your Hitler.

Image - 4.5

Audio - 5

4k Up-rez - 4.5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Recommended

RAH

Hollywoodaholic · Aug 14, 2015

Don't forget a tasty Bail Poledouris soundtrack with Tina Turner, Elton John, Depeche Mode, etc.

But of course that's not the draw. I was in the Greek Isles on vacation in my 20's. Unfortunately, my experience couldn't match Peter Gallagher's here. Still, the other scenery was/is always stunning, as well.

Will Krupp · Aug 14, 2015

Robert Harris said:
If you're in the mood for gorgeous, mindless fun, Summer Lovers is your Hitler.

Sir, I think I've just fallen irrevocably in love with you.

John Stockton · Aug 15, 2015

Thanks so much for your recommendation. I love this film, but still cannot figure out, with all the beautiful scenery, why Randal Kleiser did not shoot both this and the Blue Lagoon in Scope 2.35

Worth · Aug 15, 2015

John Stockton said:
Thanks so much for your recommendation. I love this film, but still cannot figure out, with all the beautiful scenery, why Randal Kleiser did not shoot both this and the Blue Lagoon in Scope 2.35

What makes a rectangle superior to a slightly squarer rectangle?

Kyrsten Brad · Aug 15, 2015

Robert Harris said:
Just think about it.

You're in your early 20s, vacationing on the Greek island of Santorini with your significant other, and end up sharing far more with a lovely French archaeologist.

Filled with gorgeous locations, and beautiful naked young people -- this may not have been what Frankie and Annette had in mind.

With three beautiful people in the leads, Daryl Hannah, Peter Gallagher, and Valerie Quennessen, the film became quite the date movie in the summer of '82, when we were all, well...

younger.

Mr. Gallagher is now 59 and Ms Hannah, 54. Ms Quennessen, who had a wonderful look, unfortunately died in a automobile accident in 1989. She was only 31.

Summer Lovers has a storyline, although once viewers get involved, they may not care. Think The Blue Lagoon, but with more worldly characters, and just enough older to almost head toward soft core.

As a Blu-ray, the film looks great. MGM has done a nice job on this one. Colors are gorgeous, black and whites work beautifully, and grain appears normal.

Robert, as usual you pretty much nailed it. Other than I was just into my 20s (USMC Days) when this film came out and I missed its theatrical run (too busy with ET and Star Trek II, The Wrath Of Khan, I caught it on cable). Course when I saw it, I had this great urge to visit Santorini.

gruagach · Aug 15, 2015

I was travelling through Greece when they were filming it. The part in the beginning, where all the ships were soundng their horns was in Brindisi, Italy. I was there when it happened, waiting for the ferry to Corfu. Through Greece in hostels (when were weren't sleeping on the beach) there were notices asking for people to be extras. I was always a day late or a day early. Though a helicopter flew along our beach in Santorini filming. Now that I have the bluray, I'm going to slow it down and see if I see myself and an Aussie chica (we were clothed).

Tom Logan · Aug 15, 2015

In the extras (I think it's called "Auditions"), you can see both Patrick Swayze and Hart Bochner (douchey coke guy in Die Hard) auditioning for Gallegher's part.

Poolside auditions, with lotsa footage of a speedoed Swayze "acting."

John Stockton · Aug 15, 2015

What makes a rectangle superior to a slightly squarer rectangle?

If that is your way of thinking then why even have different AR to begin with. All the movies should have just stuck with the old 1.37 ratio.

Its common knowledge films are shot in the wider ratio to show more of the atmosphere and add to the Scope of the film. Of course not all films benefit from wide-screen photography. But with films like the Blue Lagoon and Summer Lovers which feature a lot of exotic locales, Scope certainly enhances the film greatly.

Raul Marquez · Aug 15, 2015

Great Blu-ray!

The only weird thing I'm noticing is that on the display of my Yamaha Aventage RX-A2040 (feeding from an Oppo 103 player) it keeps switching back and forth from DTS HD-Master Audio to Dolby Pro-Logic. This is the only time I've noticed this on any Blu-ray.

I have no idea why this is.

Raul

Worth · Aug 16, 2015

John Stockton said:
If that is your way of thinking then why even have different AR to begin with. All the movies should have just stuck with the old 1.37 ratio.

Its common knowledge films are shot in the wider ratio to show more of the atmosphere and add to the Scope of the film. Of course not all films benefit from wide-screen photography. But with films like the Blue Lagoon and Summer Lovers which feature a lot of exotic locales, Scope certainly enhances the film greatly.

In the early years of 'scope, I'd agree that widescreen films were composed differently than flat productions, but I don't think that's been true for decades. For example, compare the way Scorsese and Spielberg compose shots in their 'scope and flat films and you won't see much of a difference. The extra width of 'scope isn't being used - you're just getting tighter vertical framing on the 'scope productions.

It also used to be that the 'scope image was larger in almost all cinemas, but that too hasn't been the case for some time. The vast majority of multiplexes built in the last 10-20 years have constant width screens, so 'scope films occupy less screen real estate.

At any rate, it makes no difference to me - I don't see anything that makes one aspect ratio superior to any other, so it wouldn't bother me if they decided to go back to Academy ratio. At this point, I think it would make sense to just standardize everything at 1.78, but I'm sure many would consider that heresy.

schan1269 · Aug 16, 2015

Raul Marquez said:
Great Blu-ray!

The only weird thing I'm noticing is that on the display of my Yamaha Aventage RX-A2040 (feeding from an Oppo 103 player) it keeps switching back and forth from DTS HD-Master Audio to Dolby Pro-Logic. This is the only time I've noticed this on any Blu-ray.

I have no idea why this is.

Raul

I haven't, umm, popped the disc in yet...

If you can provide a time frame...I'll try, to at least, watch a bit of the same time frame today.

My GF leaves for Spain(for 2 years) on Friday. Psycho Beach Party just shipped. We plan on those two Thursday night...

john a hunter · Aug 16, 2015

Worth said:
At this point, I think it would make sense to just standardize everything at 1.78, but I'm sure many would consider that heresy.

Indeed.

John Stockton · Aug 16, 2015

In the early years of 'scope, I'd agree that widescreen films were composed differently than flat productions, but I don't think that's been true for decades. For example, compare the way Scorsese and Spielberg compose shots in their 'scope and flat films and you won't see much of a difference. The extra width of 'scope isn't being used - you're just getting tighter vertical framing on the 'scope productions.

It also used to be that the 'scope image was larger in almost all cinemas, but that too hasn't been the case for some time. The vast majority of multiplexes built in the last 10-20 years have constant width screens, so 'scope films occupy less screen real estate.

At any rate, it makes no difference to me - I don't see anything that makes one aspect ratio superior to any other, so it wouldn't bother me if they decided to go back to Academy ratio. At this point, I think it would make sense to just standardize everything at 1.78, but I'm sure many would consider that heresy.

I have always been against the new theatres that have constant width size and always will be. 2.35 films should always be projected larger in size than 1.85 films, not smaller. Which is why my home theatre which I plan to have will have Constant Image Height, the way a real theatre should be.

Its not that one AR is superior to the other, its what works better for a particular film. Many films like Kramer VS Kramer or Diner should be filmed 1.85 because using a wider ratio does not really add anything to the story, while others like Star Wars or Diamonds Are Forever benefit greatly by the wider ratio.

So in no way do I wish them to standardize everything at 1.78, since that will take away a precious tool from those filmmakers who do use the Width of the film to convey their story.

A great example is Tarantino whom I salute and respect, for not only shooting the Hateful Eight in 65 MM in today's DIGITAL AGE, but also employing the Anamorphic lens for the ULTRA WIDE 2.76 ratio.

Thomas T · Aug 17, 2015

John Stockton said:
but still cannot figure out, with all the beautiful scenery, why Randal Kleiser did not shoot both this and the Blue Lagoon in Scope 2.35

Despite the exotic locales, both Blue Lagoon and Summer Lovers are smaller intimate character pieces, not travelogues. Lagoon is essentially a 2 character piece and Lovers is a 3 character piece. The intimacy would simply be lost in a "scope" like transfer. To my eyes, the Greece of Summer Lovers looks just gorgeous in a 1.85 aspect ratio. It wouldn't look any more attractive in 2.35.

John Stockton · Aug 17, 2015

Thomas T said:
Despite the exotic locales, both Blue Lagoon and Summer Lovers are smaller intimate character pieces, not travelogues. Lagoon is essentially a 2 character piece and Lovers is a 3 character piece. The intimacy would simply be lost in a "scope" like transfer. To my eyes, the Greece of Summer Lovers looks just gorgeous in a 1.85 aspect ratio. It wouldn't look any more attractive in 2.35.

That is a respectable opinion and you are entitled to it, Although I do disagree.

Jon Hertzberg · Aug 17, 2015

Good interview with Kleiser in Filmmaker, on the occasion of the Twilight Time release.

Hollywoodaholic · Aug 17, 2015

Jon Hertzberg said:
Good interview with Kleiser in Filmmaker, on the occasion of the Twilight Time release.

Thanks for posting that, pretty interesting. I love that Dennis Quaid's first wife wouldn't let him do the role (can you blame her?). They were divorced a year later, anyway.

Tony Bensley · Aug 17, 2015

Hollywoodaholic said:
Thanks for posting that, pretty interesting. I love that Dennis Quaid's first wife wouldn't let him do the role (can you blame her?). They were divorced a year later, anyway.

As an interesting contrast, Peter Gallagher married Paula Harwood about a year after SUMMER LOVERS and are still together 32 years later!

CHEERS!

Rob Willey · Aug 17, 2015

I missed this in its original theatrical release, but saw it on cable shortly thereafter and it became a favorite. This TT release is the first time I've seen it in its OAR of 1.85:1 rather than pan-and-scan 1.33:1. It is good to finally see the whole movie after 33 years - more gorgeous Greek scenery to view!

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