Bringing Out the Dead
OVERALL:
ASPECT RATIO(S)
16x9 Widescreen (2.35:1)
FEATURES
STUDIO
RECOMMENDATION
- Cast & Crew Interviews
- 2 Theatrical Trailers
Paramount
Buy it!
GRADING SCALE
Film 
Features 
Audio
Video
Nicolas Cage hasn't been in a good movie in quite a long time. Ever since his Oscar win way back in 1995, he has since jumped on the action hero bandwagon. Some good (CON AIR, THE ROCK), some bad (SNAKE EYES, 8MM). He's back on the acting track in BRINGING OUT THE DEAD, Martin Scorsese's latest masterpiece.
Based on a novel by Joe Connelly, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD reflects the life of a paramedic named Frank Pierce (Cage), who used to think he could save anyone's life. But in the past year, he's been on a bad streak. His patients seem to be dying on him now and the ones that have passed won't forgive him.
Features
This movie begs for an audio commentary, but of course there isn't one. This is a Paramount disc, what do you expect? They do include more than their standard disc gets. 2 theatrical trailers along with interviews with the cast and crew. These last about 11 minutes and they provide some detail on the picture, but not near as much as a commentary would have. And though the interviews include bits from the film, it's still better than the usual fluff-stuff we get from other featurettes.
Audio
The dialogue-heavy film doesn't need strong sound. There's only an occasional use of surrounds and the bass pretty much has the day off. But you can easily hear every word and that's the main thing. For a film like this, you want better video anyways. Scorsese is a master at visuals and seeing them in anamorphic is a real treat.
Video
One thing Paramount is good at is transfers. This anamorphic transfer is flawless. Even with almost all of the film taking place at night, the color and look still hold strong. No dust or pixels are found on this print. Red, which is used often in this film, is bright and vibrant. Paramount is as consistent as anyone when it comes to transfers.
Overall
This was overlooked by almost everyone when it was released way back in October. Now, you have a chance to see one of the best films of 1999. A great transfer highlights this standard release. Highly recommended.