Boiler Room [Blu-ray]

Most might say this wasn't much of a story but I liked it. I'm sure this kind of operation goes under the radar all the time.
watch it and be aware.

Alliance blu-rays are a funny lot. You'll see them. Titles you may like going for the right price. You wonder if you should buy 'em. Through licensing deals here in Canada, they are able to release many titles that have yet to see an official studio blu-ray release. For instance, Boiler Room. Originally from New Line Cinema. Unfortunately for all the availability and attractive price they offer, there can be a significant downside. With budget price comes budget disc. There's generally no menus. Typically no extras, no subtitles. The real issue however is the incorrect labeling. Read around. Aspect ratios that differ from what was listed or intended by the filmmakers. Special features said to be on the disc but nowhere's to be found and in one rare instance getting a director's cut of a movie without even being told so. Worse is you're not even guaranteed decent HD picture and sound which seems to be the point of buying bluray. If you're a purist or just appreciate a proper feature presentation these are elements you should be aware of before making any prospective Alliance disc purchase.

All that said, their treatment of Boiler Room is half decent. I don't think in any incarnation will Boiler Room ever be reference material. It didn't have the budget and with it's dreary manipulated color palette, it's not one of those snap, crackle and pop type of films. Taken from the original 1.85:1 to the more home theater friendly 1.78:1, the picture is clean but lacks fine detail seen in better HD transfers. Meanwhile for a movie that is firmly dialogue driven, Alliance delivers a 5.1 DTS HD MA track that does all it can in making the many conversations clear and keeping the background noise firmly in the background. Of course, expect little in the way of a workout for your rear speakers or subwoofer.

If you're a fan of Boiler Room, consider this a worthy upgrade from the standard definition DVD, especially given it's ridiculously low price in Canada. Alliance and it's bag of collective problems withstanding.

What Wall Street did for the '80s, Boiler Room did for the 90's. With its wonderful cast and side plots, Boiler Room showed the shady world of the flourishing chop shops during the 90's boom. The father/son relationship Seth has is heart-wrenching as is the Abby's home situation. Many lessons are to be learned through this film. For one, regardless of how shady a company is, there do exist some people in these firms who either don't know what is going on or who really have no other choice. Secondly, stop worrying about trying to impress others (even family) it just may get you into trouble.