| Reviews & Columns |
|
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
 DVD Talk Forum |
|
|
| Resources |
|
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
|
Columns
  
 
|
|
|
Date With An Angel
Starz / Anchor Bay // PG // May 21, 2002
List Price: $14.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
I have to say that I don't expect a great deal of ambition from low-budget 80's movies about angels who fall into swimming pools, but this film didn't even meet that lowered level. "Date With An Angel" stars Michael E. Knight as Jim Sanders, a young aspiring (and quite bland) businessman who is about to get married to Patty Winston (Phoebe Cates).
The night after Jim's friends throw a party for him, he wakes up to find that an angel (stunning French actress Emmanuelle Beart of "Mission: Impossible") has fallen into his swimming pool and has hurt her wing. Of course, after realizing that he's not on something, Jim takes care of the angel. Predictable comedic complications - including his future wife thinking that he's cheating - occur.
"Date With An Angel" is guilty of several things, but most simply, it's guilty of being awfully bland. The film runs 105 very long minutes on maybe a half hour's worth of material. When the angel and Jim aren't falling for one another, Jim's friends are presenting him with dull ways to make money off of the new visitor.
The performances are fairly poor throughout. It doesn't help that Beart's angel isn't even allowed to speak - all she does for the majority of the movie is make strange sounds. I can't say for sure, but I would think she'd have picked up a little English along the way. Knight is dull and has little in the way of timing and Cates is stuck with a very shrill character and a very unflattering haircut. "Date With An Angel" should probably stay in its current status - a mostly forgotten 80's fluff piece that offers very few laughs.
The DVD
VIDEO: Anchor Bay presents "Date With An Angel" in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. As for the condition of the film - quite frankly, it needs a date with restoration. If I didn't know this was a 1987 film, I'd have guessed it was released about ten years prior to that. Sharpness and detail are mediocre to poor throughout the movie, as while some sequences appear fairly crisp, others can look downright hazy.
Other flaws appeared throughout the picture - the softness wasn't the only concern. Print flaws were visible on many occasions, including specks, some minor marks and even a small scratch or two. Grain was seen non-stop throughout the film, ranging from only a mild amount to instances where it was heavier and more bothersome. Last, but not least, some minor pixelation and edge enhancement were also visible.
SOUND: "Date With An Angel" is presented in Dolby 2.0. A low-budget audio production to be sure, there's nothing noteworthy about the film's sound. The very 80's score and dialogue were really the only two elements present, but both had a slightly muffled, rough quality. The audio didn't sound as aged as the image quality looked, but it was somewhat problematic, as well.
MENUS: Bare basics - no animation.
EXTRAS: Trailer.
Final Thoughts: This film would so be on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" is that show was still on the air. While not the worst film I've ever had the displeasure to view, "Date With An Angel" is still bland and boring. Anchor Bay has provided a low-priced DVD offering with rather poor video and average audio quality. Not recommended.
I have to say that I don't expect a great deal of ambition from low-budget 80's movies about angels who fall into swimming pools, but this film didn't even meet that lowered level. "Date With An Angel" stars Michael E. Knight as Jim Sanders, a young aspiring (and quite bland) businessman who is about to get married to Patty Winston (Phoebe Cates).
The night after Jim's friends throw a party for him, he wakes up to find that an angel (stunning French actress Emmanuelle Beart of "Mission: Impossible") has fallen into his swimming pool and has hurt her wing. Of course, after realizing that he's not on something, Jim takes care of the angel. Predictable comedic complications - including his future wife thinking that he's cheating - occur.
"Date With An Angel" is guilty of several things, but most simply, it's guilty of being awfully bland. The film runs 105 very long minutes on maybe a half hour's worth of material. When the angel and Jim aren't falling for one another, Jim's friends are presenting him with dull ways to make money off of the new visitor.
The performances are fairly poor throughout. It doesn't help that Beart's angel isn't even allowed to speak - all she does for the majority of the movie is make strange sounds. I can't say for sure, but I would think she'd have picked up a little English along the way. Knight is dull and has little in the way of timing and Cates is stuck with a very shrill character and a very unflattering haircut. "Date With An Angel" should probably stay in its current status - a mostly forgotten 80's fluff piece that offers very few laughs.
The DVD
VIDEO: Anchor Bay presents "Date With An Angel" in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. As for the condition of the film - quite frankly, it needs a date with restoration. If I didn't know this was a 1987 film, I'd have guessed it was released about ten years prior to that. Sharpness and detail are mediocre to poor throughout the movie, as while some sequences appear fairly crisp, others can look downright hazy.
Other flaws appeared throughout the picture - the softness wasn't the only concern. Print flaws were visible on many occasions, including specks, some minor marks and even a small scratch or two. Grain was seen non-stop throughout the film, ranging from only a mild amount to instances where it was heavier and more bothersome. Last, but not least, some minor pixelation and edge enhancement were also visible.
SOUND: "Date With An Angel" is presented in Dolby 2.0. A low-budget audio production to be sure, there's nothing noteworthy about the film's sound. The very 80's score and dialogue were really the only two elements present, but both had a slightly muffled, rough quality. The audio didn't sound as aged as the image quality looked, but it was somewhat problematic, as well.
MENUS: Bare basics - no animation.
EXTRAS: Trailer.
Final Thoughts: This film would so be on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" is that show was still on the air. While not the worst film I've ever had the displeasure to view, "Date With An Angel" is still bland and boring. Anchor Bay has provided a low-priced DVD offering with rather poor video and average audio quality. Not recommended.
|
| Popular Reviews |
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
|
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices 
| |||||||