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THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT
As far as action flicks go, THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT really kicks. This great looking and sounding DVD is a must have for action fans. |
This DVD review 
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DVD
reviews are Copyright © 1997 THE CINEMA LASER and may not be copied
or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. |
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Every
film requires a certain suspension of disbelief, but THE LONG KISS
GOODNIGHT ($20) requires one to take their disbelief, lock it in a
box and bury it in a hole six feet deep. Of course, this isn’t necessarily
a bad thing where action movies are concerned. I’ll be the first
to admit that the story is completely preposterous. I’ll also admit
that I absolutely love this crazed action flick. Geena Davis stars as
a small town teacher who has been suffering from amnesia for the past
eight years. Samuel L. Jackson is the low rent private detective who finds
the only clues to the teacher’s true identity. After a freak automobile
accident, the teacher’s memory slowly starts to return. Armed with
a couple of clues, Davis and Jackson hit the road in search of the teacher’s
former life. 
Unfortunately, that life comes hunting for them with a vengeance. Davis’
character becomes the target of killers, and she quickly discovers that
she was once a government assassin. As I said, the story is utterly preposterous,
but director Renny Harlin packs one amazing action sequence on top of
another, never allowing the viewer to breath, let alone think. THE
LONG KISS GOODNIGHT is a showcase for rock em’ sock em’
action, death defying stunt work and outstanding special effects. Let
your mind go blank, and you will be carried away by THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT.
In addition to Davis and Jackson the cast includes Patrick Malahide, Craig
Bierko, Brian Cox, David Morse, Tom Amandes and Yvonne Zima.
New
Line Home Video offers THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT in both Letterboxed
and full frame versions on opposite sides of this DVD. Since the theatrical
prints for THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT were in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio,
the Letterboxed version is preferable. The full frame version adds a lot
of information to the top and bottom of the frame, while keeping the same
width as the Letterboxed version, so it appears THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT
was produced in the Super-35 format. The full frame version does look
quite good, with excellent detail and color. There were a couple of instances
where the full frame version appeared to have more film grain, but only
because there was more on screen image. Digital artifacts were slightly
noticeable on the full frame version, again for the same reason. The Letterboxed
transfer restores most of the theatrical framing with only minor instances
where the extreme edges of the image appear compromised. The Letterboxed
transfer holds the viewer’s eye better than the full frame version,
since only the essentials are on the screen, without the dead areas of
the full frame version. The Letterboxed transfer is highly detailed and
the colors are fresh and well saturated. Even the darkest sequences looked
great, thanks to the Super-35 format. Digital artifacts were never really
noticeable on the Letterboxed version. 
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack really rocks on this DVD. The track has
a lot of punch and makes good use of the discrete channels for directional
effects. The explosive climax to the film also gives your subwoofer a
workout. Other soundtrack options include a matrixed Dolby Surround soundtrack,
as well as a French language track. Subtitles are available in English,
French and Spanish. The interactive menu features cast and crew biographies/filmographies
as well as a theatrical trailer.
