Distributor: Warner Brothers
Release Date: June 18, 2024
Region: Region A
Length: 01:56:41
Video:1080P (MPEG-4, AVC)
Main Audio:5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Alternate Audio:
5.1 French Dolby Digital Audio
5.1 Spanish Dolby Digital Audio
English Descriptive Audio
Subtitles:EnglishSDH, French, Spanish
Ratio: 2.39:1
Notes: This package includes a Digital Copy of the film.
The96th Academy Awards didn’t offer many nominees that I could completely embrace. There were a few impressive contenders from a filmmaking standpoint (Martin Scorsese’s The Killers of the Flower Moon and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer both immediately spring to mind), and Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers was an engaging character study that was thoroughly absorbing. However, only one other film offered a story that I found engaging enough to actually enjoy, and that film was Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction.
The story follows a frustrated novelist named Monk who is fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain. The result is an extremely amusing film that has a lot to say about some of the systemic attitudes that reduce people to outrageous stereotypes. The film is at its best when it allows the story and not the dialogue to make its points, but Jefferson doesn’t allow rhetoric to get in his way nearly as often as other recent films (Barbie would be one obvious example).
American Fiction grossed $23 million during its theatrical release on a budget of 10 million, and critics embraced it with open arms before it was graced with numerous prestigious accolades. Most notable perhaps were the five Academy Awards® nominations — including Best Picture, Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright), Best Supporting Actor (Sterling K. Brown), Best Score (Laura Karpman), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Cord Jefferson; based Percival Everett’s novel“Erasure”). In fact, Jefferson actually took home the statue for Best Adapted Screenplay. Those who haven’t seen it should check it out and decide if it deserves these honors.
The Presentation:
3.5 of 5 Stars
Warner Brothers protects the Blu-ray disc in a standard eco-case (so we are using the word “protects” rather loosely). The insert sleeve features artwork that is essentially an alteration of one of the primary one sheet designs. The image includes more space at the left, right, and top of the design, but the bottom has been significantly cropped here. There is also less textual information cluttering the image (less clutter isalwaysa good thing when it comes to home video artwork), and the title and cast credits now appear at the top of the image instead of the bottom. Frankly, this is an improvement over the theatrical one sheet.
One only wishes that eco-cases would be abandoned as they don’t offer as much protection. The artwork is too easily damaged, and the disc isn’t as secure in these cases either. There must be a way to create cases in a manner that protects the disc while remaining eco-friendly. Huge gaping holes in the packaging isn’t a solution that collectors are likely to embrace any time soon.
The first pressing includes a slip sleeve featuring the same artwork that features on the insert sleeve (but with the typical blue bar that indicates the formats included in the package). This adds some extra protection (which is welcome since the eco-case needs all the help that it can get).
The disc’s static menu features a horizontal rendering of the same concept seen on the cover. It is both attractive and easy to navigate.
Picture Quality:
5 of 5 Stars
The Blu-ray transfer is a solid representation of the original master that manages to offer an impressive level of fine detail. Blacks are deep without crushing, and colors are natural even as they lean to the cool side of the color spectrum. Depth and clarity also are as good one could possibly expect from the format. It is also an incredibly clean image without any bothersome digital anomalies. Fans will be pleased.
Sound Quality:
5 of 5 Stars
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is also excellent and works perfectly in support of the story (which centers mostly on a series of dialogue exchanges). Luckily, the dialogue is well prioritized, and the same can be said for all other elements within the mix. Music is well placed within the mix and has plenty of room to breathe. Surrounds help to give it life and also offers a bit of atmospheric effects, but this is a fairly subtle track.
Special Features:
0 of 5 Stars
This Blu-ray is strictly “bare bones.” They didn’t even bother to include a theatrical trailer.
Final Words:
American Fiction is an amusing film that is well worth checking out, and this Blu-ray edition is Highly Recommended.
Note:While we were provided with a screener for review purposes, this had no bearing on our review process. We do not feel under any obligation to hand out positive reviews.
