Varsity Blues (4K UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio:  Paramount                           
 Release Date: January 9, 2023
 Rating: R
 Film:  3/5
 
 Plot
 At first, backup quarterback Jonathan "Mox" Moxom (James Van Der Beek) is nowhere close to being a star athlete. Perfectly content to stay on the bench, he has no time for coach Kilmer’s (Jon Voight) win-at-all-cost strategies. But when the starting quarterback (Paul Walker) is injured, Mox is in the game and confronting the pressures and temptations of gridiron glory.  Soon everyone will realize there's not just a new star quarterback in town, there's a new kind of hero.

 My Thoughts
 I could have sworn I’d seen this movie at some point in the past, but as my wife and I sat down to watch it, nothing looked familiar. The film definitely caters to a younger audience with its sophomoric humor and frankly, fantasies of high school boys. For example, didn’t we all wish our hot sex-ed teacher moonlit from her government job as a stripper in a local bar? Then again, the lady who taught my sex-ed class wasn’t exactly a looker, so I’m not sure this fantasy would be mine, but I think you get the point.
 
Regardless, the first half of the film is somewhat rough as it settles into a narrative of standing up for what you believe in even if the costs are more than you can possibly bear. Thankfully, the second half of the film is much better than the first and we ended up enjoying it, despite its flaws. One of the things that kept us interested was the young cast, which would eventually move on to do bigger and better things such as Paul Walker (Fast and Furious franchise), Amy Smart, Scott Caan, Ali Larter (who looks great in a whip cream bikini—just say ‘in), and the lead, James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek).
 
The presentation in 4K is good, but I wouldn’t call it great. The opening sequence of the film looks a tad rough but improves once the opening credits disappear. My biggest complaint is the film grain is completely gone. This wasn’t shot digitally, but has a digital look and I think the post-processing of the picture takes away the finer details in clothing and skin textures. The Dolby TrueHD track is mostly front-loaded, but the football sequences do make good use of the surrounds.
 
 Video 8/10
 Audio 8/10 (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)
 
 
 Special Features:
 

• Commentary
• Football is a Way of Life: The Making of Varsity Blues
• Tow-A-Days: The Ellis Way
• QB Game Analysis
• Billy Bob with No Bacon
• Theatrical Trailer
• UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhkun7sUeeY&ab_channel=RottenTomatoesClassicTrailers

 Conclusion

As far as football films goes, I wouldn’t rank this as one of the best I’ve seen and probably its closest companions are Friday Night Lights, All the Right Moves, and Remember the Titans, with the middle of the three coming closer to being on equal footing while the book-ends being the cream of the crop. That being said, it isn’t a bad film and has some enjoyable moments (did I mention whipped cream?) and it was good way to spend a Saturday night.   
 
 
 Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
 (Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
 Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
 ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
 ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
 Kaleidescape Strato + Server
 Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
 System Controller: URC MX-990
 M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
 M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
 Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
 Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
 Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
 Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[bmoney]

Oh I forgot about this one. Thanks for the review