The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
80
Studio and Year: Sony Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 100 Minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English/French/Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Thai Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Indonesian, Korean, Thai, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese
Starring: Ethan Embry, Lauren Ambrose, Charlie Korsmo, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, Jennifer Love Hewitt
Written & Directed by: Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elefont
Music by: David Kitay and Matthew Sweet
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: September 30, 2008
"The party starts now! "
Film Synopsis:
It's graduation day at Huntington Hills High-- a time for Pomp and Circumstance, tassels and mortarboards, and serious introspection about the future. But tonight, the seniors will leave all that behind for the things that really matter; romance, revenge and rock 'n' roll. Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green and Jennifer Love Hewitt star in one raucous comedy about the ultimate teen party, a once-in-a-lifetime alternate universe where class nerds become class studs, super-jocks are humiliated, and freshman crushes blossom into grown-up romance. From prom queen to bimbo, meathead to misfit, everyone will be there for a hormone-charged bash tapped for out-of-control fun.
My Take:
The mid to late nineties saw a large influx of teen movies emerge from Hollywood. Its interesting looking at these films now to see who from the crowd of relative unknowns has caught on and become successful. For some reason I had never seen Can't hardly wait and until I saw it announced on Blu-ray never heard of it. The first teen party type comedy that caught my eye was American Pie. Looking at this film I was reminded of that movie. On its own I thought this movie was fun and had a great cast of young actors who have achieved varying levels of success and some who haven't done much since. The story follows a group of graduating high school seniors, and specifically focuses on Amanda, Preston, Mike, Kenny (Special K), William, and Denise. There is a huge party taking place at Molly's (Girl whose party it is) house and pretty much everyone is going. Preston has been in love with Amanda since freshman year but she has been dating Mike since then. Mike is your typical Jock type who is long on mouth and short on brains. The day before the party he decided to break up with Amanda because he doesn't want any ties when he goes off to college. Preston and Denise are best friends and he confides in her regarding his feelings for Amanda and has shown her a love letter that he has written and re-written to Amanda but has never given to her. Denise is sarcastic, intelligent, condescending and not overly friendly which is why she doesn't have many friends. She reluctantly goes along with Preston to the party. William is an overachieving nerd who has devised a rather complex plot of revenge to get even with Mike for an embarrassing prank he pulled on him during graduation. Last but certainly not least is Kenny, who prefers to be called Special K. He is white on the outside, likes to think he is black on the inside and has come to the party with one thing in mind which is hookin' up with a babe for a night of pleasure.
There are other characters with smaller roles that definitely add to the overall enjoyment of the film. The writing has a nice fresh appeal that probably inspired several of the films like the one I mentioned earlier. Today this would have less impact based upon been here and done that within the genre. At the time of its release that certainly wouldn't have been the case and it has built a loyal following. I couldn't help but look at the cast while watching the movie and saying, I know him, I've seen her, because there were so many young actors who today have appeared or are appearing in numerous movies/TV shows etc. Jenna Elfman (sister of composer Danny Elfman) from Darma and Greg fame had an uncredited cameo as an exotic dancer and looked really good in her angel costume. The music soundtrack rocks and definitely represents some of the best music of the time period and before. Can't hardly wait is not the best teen party movie I have seen but it is fun, has a solid cast of talented young (at the time) up and coming actors, and features a great music soundtrack.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for teen drinking, sexuality and language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 78
Video: 82
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Can't hardly wait comes to Blu-ray disc from Sony featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 24 mbps and lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 channel audio that has an average bitrate of 1.5 mbps.
This catalog title release from Sony offered good overall audio/video performance. The video had a film like quality with visible grain and good high definition detail. Sharpness waned at times but on the whole produced resolute images. Colors were rendered cleanly with satisfying depth and natural tonality. Low light sequences had ample depth and good shadow detail which made them appear more dimensional. The soundtrack isn't such that it necessitates deep impact or wide dynamic range but should offer clear, concise audio reproduction, which it did. Dialogue is reproduced with crystal clarity and prominent tonal variation. Both ambient and discrete effects are mixed to both the front and rear channels to broaden the soundstage and help deliver off camera sounds that come from fixed points in the room. The music soundtrack sounds great and is responsible for the only real low frequency effects contained in the audio mix. I enjoyed the soundtrack and while it may not be the type that constantly drives the system and fills the room it was intelligently used to maximize the elements present in the recording.
Bonus Features:
Final Thoughts:
Can't hardly wait is an entertaining film that fans of the teen party genre should well remember. Its writing has a fresh feel that when combined with its good young cast and great music soundtrack makes for a fun movie. Sony has brought it to Blu-ray Disc featuring good quality audio/video and a great set of bonus supplements that fans are sure to appreciate.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS1x 1080p High Definition Front Projector
Carada Precision Brilliant White 96" Screen
Oppo 970HD universal disc DVD Player (480i HDMI)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Marantz DV7001 Universal Disc Player
Denon AVR 5308CI THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 seven Channel amplifier
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
80
Studio and Year: Sony Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 100 Minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English/French/Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Thai Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Indonesian, Korean, Thai, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese
Starring: Ethan Embry, Lauren Ambrose, Charlie Korsmo, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, Jennifer Love Hewitt
Written & Directed by: Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elefont
Music by: David Kitay and Matthew Sweet
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: September 30, 2008
"The party starts now! "
Film Synopsis:
It's graduation day at Huntington Hills High-- a time for Pomp and Circumstance, tassels and mortarboards, and serious introspection about the future. But tonight, the seniors will leave all that behind for the things that really matter; romance, revenge and rock 'n' roll. Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green and Jennifer Love Hewitt star in one raucous comedy about the ultimate teen party, a once-in-a-lifetime alternate universe where class nerds become class studs, super-jocks are humiliated, and freshman crushes blossom into grown-up romance. From prom queen to bimbo, meathead to misfit, everyone will be there for a hormone-charged bash tapped for out-of-control fun.
My Take:
The mid to late nineties saw a large influx of teen movies emerge from Hollywood. Its interesting looking at these films now to see who from the crowd of relative unknowns has caught on and become successful. For some reason I had never seen Can't hardly wait and until I saw it announced on Blu-ray never heard of it. The first teen party type comedy that caught my eye was American Pie. Looking at this film I was reminded of that movie. On its own I thought this movie was fun and had a great cast of young actors who have achieved varying levels of success and some who haven't done much since. The story follows a group of graduating high school seniors, and specifically focuses on Amanda, Preston, Mike, Kenny (Special K), William, and Denise. There is a huge party taking place at Molly's (Girl whose party it is) house and pretty much everyone is going. Preston has been in love with Amanda since freshman year but she has been dating Mike since then. Mike is your typical Jock type who is long on mouth and short on brains. The day before the party he decided to break up with Amanda because he doesn't want any ties when he goes off to college. Preston and Denise are best friends and he confides in her regarding his feelings for Amanda and has shown her a love letter that he has written and re-written to Amanda but has never given to her. Denise is sarcastic, intelligent, condescending and not overly friendly which is why she doesn't have many friends. She reluctantly goes along with Preston to the party. William is an overachieving nerd who has devised a rather complex plot of revenge to get even with Mike for an embarrassing prank he pulled on him during graduation. Last but certainly not least is Kenny, who prefers to be called Special K. He is white on the outside, likes to think he is black on the inside and has come to the party with one thing in mind which is hookin' up with a babe for a night of pleasure.
There are other characters with smaller roles that definitely add to the overall enjoyment of the film. The writing has a nice fresh appeal that probably inspired several of the films like the one I mentioned earlier. Today this would have less impact based upon been here and done that within the genre. At the time of its release that certainly wouldn't have been the case and it has built a loyal following. I couldn't help but look at the cast while watching the movie and saying, I know him, I've seen her, because there were so many young actors who today have appeared or are appearing in numerous movies/TV shows etc. Jenna Elfman (sister of composer Danny Elfman) from Darma and Greg fame had an uncredited cameo as an exotic dancer and looked really good in her angel costume. The music soundtrack rocks and definitely represents some of the best music of the time period and before. Can't hardly wait is not the best teen party movie I have seen but it is fun, has a solid cast of talented young (at the time) up and coming actors, and features a great music soundtrack.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for teen drinking, sexuality and language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 78
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
Video: 82
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Can't hardly wait comes to Blu-ray disc from Sony featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 24 mbps and lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 channel audio that has an average bitrate of 1.5 mbps.
This catalog title release from Sony offered good overall audio/video performance. The video had a film like quality with visible grain and good high definition detail. Sharpness waned at times but on the whole produced resolute images. Colors were rendered cleanly with satisfying depth and natural tonality. Low light sequences had ample depth and good shadow detail which made them appear more dimensional. The soundtrack isn't such that it necessitates deep impact or wide dynamic range but should offer clear, concise audio reproduction, which it did. Dialogue is reproduced with crystal clarity and prominent tonal variation. Both ambient and discrete effects are mixed to both the front and rear channels to broaden the soundstage and help deliver off camera sounds that come from fixed points in the room. The music soundtrack sounds great and is responsible for the only real low frequency effects contained in the audio mix. I enjoyed the soundtrack and while it may not be the type that constantly drives the system and fills the room it was intelligently used to maximize the elements present in the recording.
Bonus Features:
- Original Cast/Filmmaker commentary
- Cast/Filmmaker commentary - 10 years later
- (HD) Huntington Hills High: Class of '98 reunion
- (HD) Can't hardly wait: The making of a teen classic
- (HD) The life of the party
- 6 Deleted scenes
- Special K's 411 track yo'
- (HD) You know your 90's if: Trivia Game
- I can't get enough of you baby music video by Smash mouth
- (HD) 3 BD Previews - Men in black, Don't mess with the Zohan, and Married life
- BD-Live access - Spotlight Blu-ray discs and 9 downloaded BD trailers
Final Thoughts:
Can't hardly wait is an entertaining film that fans of the teen party genre should well remember. Its writing has a fresh feel that when combined with its good young cast and great music soundtrack makes for a fun movie. Sony has brought it to Blu-ray Disc featuring good quality audio/video and a great set of bonus supplements that fans are sure to appreciate.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS1x 1080p High Definition Front Projector
Carada Precision Brilliant White 96" Screen
Oppo 970HD universal disc DVD Player (480i HDMI)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Marantz DV7001 Universal Disc Player
Denon AVR 5308CI THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 seven Channel amplifier
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package