See No Evil, Hear No Evil
Image Entertainment
Cast: Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, Kevin Spacey, Joan Severance
Extras:
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It has been quite some time since Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor teamed up in a series of comedies at the peak of their careers, but nonetheless, I am always getting excited when I am able to catch one of those romps. One of the best movies the repeated collaboration of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor brought forth is without a doubt, the 1989 comedy "See No Evil, Hear No Evil," which is now available in high definition, courtesy of Image Entertainment.
Inspired and absolutely hilarious, the movie, directed by Arthur Hiller, is a physical comedy that takes the main premise â€" a deaf man and a blind man team up to solve a murder mystery despite the innate stigma that they can's see or hear each other, respectively. The story that evolves from the setting is incredibly intelligent and well thought-out, creating riotous scenes that border on the absurd, yet always feel natural as a result of Wilder's and Pryor's visceral and convincing performances. This film may be zany and maybe even offensive to some, but the bottom line is, that this is one of the best comedies, the duo has produced â€" and it is funny. Laugh out loud funny!
Image Home Entertainment is bringing us "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" in a 1080p high definition presentation on this Blu-Ray Disc. The transfer is clean and without notable problems, though there is a hint of grain evident almost throughout. Image detail is generally good, making for a good high definition presentation, though, clearly, this release is not in the same league as some of the current blockbuster releases in terms of its image definition. The limitations of the source materials and, perhaps, the age of the transfer give this release a solid, but unspectacular, look.
The movie is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio on the release, and features strong color reproduction and solid black levels that help giving the picture visual depth.
The movie is complemented by an uncompressed PCM audio track, which serves well to underscore the antics you see on the screen. Given the nature of the film, it is a good track with good fidelity and no distortion. The lack of split surrounds is hardly noticeable given the fact that the majority of the audio is front loaded dialogue anyway.
No extras have been included in the release, unfortunately, not even the movie's trailer.
To me it was exciting and refreshing to have this incredibly hilarious comedy accessible in high definition. Licensed from Sony Pictures, Image Home Entertainment's treatment of the film for high definition makes it every bit as enjoyable as I had hoped. Check it out. I mean, what could be funnier than a caper featuring a deaf guy who can't hear what the other man is saying, teaming up with a blind guy who can't see what the other man is doing?
