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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    The Holdovers

    Featured In Issue 271, January/February 2024

    Picture4.5
    Sound4
    WSR Score5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Universal Studios Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    191329241967
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    Language, some drug use and brief sexual material
    (Retail Price):
    $24.95
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    133
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A
    (Theatrical Year):
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    1/2/2024
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    (Director):
    Alexander Payne
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    DTS HD Lossless 3.0
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (Subtitles):

    "The Holdovers" follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forces to remain on campus during Christmas beak to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them –– a damaged, brainy troublemaker (Dominic Sessa) –– and with the school's head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). (Gary Reber)

    Special features include alternate ending: "Mary Continues On" (HD 02:25), five deleted scenes (HD 05:55), the featurettes "The Cast Of The Holdovers" (HD 10:41) and "Working With Alexander" (HD 08:36) and a Movies Anywhere digital code.

    The 1.66:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a VIZIO Quantum X P85QX-JI UHD/HDR display, was photographed digitally using Panavision cameras and sourced from a 2K Digital Intermediate. The picture exhibits a perfectly natural appearance while with superb realism. Color fidelity is excellent with rich and warm natural hues, Everything about the color is so natural. One can only imagine if this was mastered in 4K with a much wider color gamut. Contrast is well balanced, again with excellent realism. Blacks, shadow delineation and white levels are perfectly realistic, Resolution is superb with excellent sharpness and clarity. Lighting captures the feel of a snowy, cold winter environment. Facial features are nicely detailed as well as clothing fabrics and object textures. This is a wonderful picture that exhibits solid realism. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0-channel soundtrack delivers a left, center and right soundstage. Dialogue is the focus and the dialogue is wonderful though at times ADR produced and quite forward sounding. Otherwise the dialogue is nicely integrated spatially. Atmospherics sound realistic as well as sound effects, which are based in realism. Foley sound effects nicely enhance realism. The music is presented nicely across the soundstage and features some country/pop, choral and piano compositions at time enhanced with deep bass. Fidelity throughout is good. This is a fine soundtrack that delivers an emotional impact. (Gary Reber)

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