Punchline (1988)

[Akijama]

Coming in April

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0917P53S2...es-tv&sr=1-419

[Password_is_Mattress]

Interesting. Looks like Mill Creek put this out, but it wasn't a great release. I guess I would rather pay Sony's relatively high price for a quality release than pay a low price for a shoddy one. Although I would prefer Sony price their releases like Paramount and Warner!

[danny24]

I never got around to getting the Mill Creek release so maybe I'll snag this.

[meremortal]

Hanks is naturally a funny guy and is still hilarious when he wants to be, like in SNL appearances over the last several years. Been wanting to see this one.

[disco1979]

I love this film. Hanks is excellent in it. He gave two stellar performances in 1988 with Big and this film.

[drush9999]

Good news I skipped the Mill Creek due to the quality

[rdodolak]

MOD release w/ all-new 2K remaster:

[disco1979]

Did anyone ever purchase the Sony disc?

[Dailyan]

I received the Sony MOD today. I took a quick look and it's definitely a newer-ish master compared to Mill Creek. I say "newer-ish" because it looks to be one of Sony's more modern-ish IP masters done in the late 00s-early 2010s (ex: "Birdy", "Devil in a Blue Dress", "A Soldier's Story", and "Someone to Watch Over Me").

[Acer2010]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

MOD release w/ all-new 2K remaster:

If you don't mind my asking, how do you know it's sourced from a 2K remaster?

[Acer2010]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

I received the Sony MOD today. I took a quick look and it's definitely a newer-ish master compared to Mill Creek. I say "newer-ish" because it looks to be one of Sony's more modern-ish IP masters done in the late 00s-early 2010s (ex: "Birdy", "Devil in a Blue Dress", "A Soldier's Story", and "Someone to Watch Over Me").

Where did you get the screenshots?

[whiteberry]

Originally Posted by Acer2010

If you don't mind my asking, how do you know it's sourced from a 2K remaster?

https://www.moviezyng.com/punchline-...s/043396574731

Special Features: All-New 2K Remaster

[McCrutchy]

BDInfo scan:

There are no menus or extras, just a SPHE logo and copyright screens. English subtitles are SDH. All subtitling is in white font.

                                                                                                                Total   Video                                             
Title                                                           Codec   Length  Movie Size      Disc Size       Bitrate Bitrate Main Audio Track                          Secondary Audio Track
-----                                                           ------  ------- --------------  --------------  ------- ------- ------------------                        ---------------------
00001.MPLS                                                      AVC     2:02:48 35,408,185,344  35,490,847,329  38.44   34.30   DTS-HD Master 2.0 2114Kbps (48kHz/24-bit)

DISC INFO:

Disc Title:     PUNCHLINE
Disc Label:     PUNCHLINE
Disc Size:      35,490,847,329 bytes
Protection:     AACS
BDInfo:         0.7.5.6

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name:                   00001.MPLS
Length:                 2:02:48.235 (h:m:s.ms)
Size:                   35,408,185,344 bytes
Total Bitrate:          38.44 Mbps

VIDEO:

Codec                   Bitrate             Description     
-----                   -------             -----------     
MPEG-4 AVC Video        34302 kbps          1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1

AUDIO:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
DTS-HD Master Audio             English         2114 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz /  2114 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz /  1509 kbps / 24-bit)

SUBTITLES:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
Presentation Graphics           English         41.103 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           French          38.231 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Spanish         31.740 kbps                     

FILES:

Name            Time In         Length          Size            Total Bitrate   
----            -------         ------          ----            -------------   
00003.M2TS      0:00:00.000     2:02:36.098     35,401,396,224  38,500          
00004.M2TS      2:02:36.098     0:00:12.137     6,789,120       4,475           

CHAPTERS:

Number          Time In         Length          Avg Video Rate  Max 1-Sec Rate  Max 1-Sec Time  Max 5-Sec Rate  Max 5-Sec Time  Max 10Sec Rate  Max 10Sec Time  Avg Frame Size  Max Frame Size  Max Frame Time  
------          -------         ------          --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  
1               0:00:00.000     0:10:01.100     34,815 kbps     46,205 kbps     00:04:39.821    37,558 kbps     00:05:04.971    36,275 kbps     00:05:00.049    181,497 bytes   743,562 bytes   00:07:36.873    
2               0:10:01.100     0:09:59.432     35,004 kbps     44,942 kbps     00:15:31.180    36,999 kbps     00:15:27.176    36,038 kbps     00:12:07.184    182,494 bytes   767,633 bytes   00:14:36.417    
3               0:20:00.532     0:10:00.558     35,013 kbps     48,143 kbps     00:25:42.165    37,620 kbps     00:25:38.078    36,032 kbps     00:25:51.466    182,544 bytes   779,992 bytes   00:29:20.717    
4               0:30:01.090     0:10:01.392     35,009 kbps     46,269 kbps     00:32:15.224    36,996 kbps     00:33:15.451    36,383 kbps     00:32:06.341    182,518 bytes   776,305 bytes   00:32:16.184    
5               0:40:02.483     0:10:00.975     35,016 kbps     47,273 kbps     00:45:27.599    37,325 kbps     00:40:22.253    36,287 kbps     00:40:17.248    182,555 bytes   746,452 bytes   00:43:07.209    
6               0:50:03.458     0:10:00.433     34,999 kbps     46,959 kbps     00:54:27.305    37,912 kbps     00:54:52.789    36,140 kbps     00:56:42.690    182,470 bytes   794,128 bytes   00:53:42.886    
7               1:00:03.891     0:09:57.930     35,002 kbps     44,579 kbps     01:05:23.336    36,991 kbps     01:04:07.969    36,174 kbps     01:05:10.698    182,485 bytes   767,462 bytes   01:04:12.890    
8               1:10:01.822     0:10:03.978     35,023 kbps     47,421 kbps     01:16:18.949    37,385 kbps     01:10:55.334    36,280 kbps     01:10:22.593    182,596 bytes   759,118 bytes   01:11:28.325    
9               1:20:05.801     0:10:00.099     35,000 kbps     44,330 kbps     01:28:03.152    37,308 kbps     01:27:35.291    36,032 kbps     01:29:31.157    182,475 bytes   715,370 bytes   01:27:40.255    
10              1:30:05.900     0:11:14.590     35,013 kbps     46,258 kbps     01:39:06.607    37,632 kbps     01:31:22.268    36,159 kbps     01:31:17.263    182,543 bytes   815,922 bytes   01:35:24.301    
11              1:41:20.491     0:08:46.567     35,006 kbps     47,063 kbps     01:44:46.863    37,713 kbps     01:42:10.916    36,231 kbps     01:42:05.786    182,505 bytes   772,277 bytes   01:49:15.423    
12              1:50:07.058     0:09:26.232     35,004 kbps     47,324 kbps     01:58:00.490    37,386 kbps     01:53:32.263    36,070 kbps     01:51:39.901    182,495 bytes   795,061 bytes   01:58:21.427    
13              1:59:33.291     0:03:14.944     8,896 kbps      38,960 kbps     01:59:33.499    22,060 kbps     01:59:33.291    14,684 kbps     01:59:33.291    46,398 bytes    606,207 bytes   01:59:34.208    

STREAM DIAGNOSTICS:

File            PID             Type            Codec           Language                Seconds                 Bitrate                 Bytes           Packets         
----            ---             ----            -----           --------                --------------          --------------          -------------   -----           
00003.M2TS      4113 (0x1011)   0x1B            AVC                                     7356.015                34,352                  31,586,402,609  171,768,047     
00003.M2TS      4352 (0x1100)   0x86            DTS-HD MA       eng (English)           7356.015                2,118                   1,947,512,328   11,777,716      
00003.M2TS      4608 (0x1200)   0x90            PGS             eng (English)           7356.015                41                      37,857,060      217,971         
00003.M2TS      4609 (0x1201)   0x90            PGS             fra (French)            7356.015                38                      35,212,041      203,141         
00003.M2TS      4610 (0x1202)   0x90            PGS             spa (Spanish)           7356.015                32                      29,233,037      168,909         
00004.M2TS      4113 (0x1011)   0x1B            AVC                                     12.054                  4,253                   6,407,935       34,933

[McCrutchy]

I watched this tonight and found it interesting, but ultimately unsuccessful. Hanks and Field are both committed (Field was also a producer on the film) and give solid performances, but where the film failed for me is that it didn't explain why any of the characters chose stand up, with the possible exception of Hanks' character Steven, who is shown to be something of a natural talent. Of course, Field's character Lilah also has talent, but I wanted to know why she went into stand-up at all in her situation, when there are many avenues to successful comedy and making people laugh, like writing comedy, for example, which would seem to be much more suitable for a busy housewife and mother. I also thought Field lacked chemistry with John Goodman, playing her husband, John and that his character seemed to veer wildly between 50/60s "nuclear family" father and a more progressive 80s dad. Sometimes I felt like John was on the verge of physically assaulting Lilah and other times he seemed to be as kind and supportive as possible.

And the biggest issue with the film is that it really is not very funny at all, which is totally bizarre considering how much stand up comedy is on display, including from such notables as Damon Wayans and the ever-recognizable Taylor Negron. Hanks and Field also get plenty of time on the mic as well, but while both are charming and Hanks is as effortlessly amusing as always, very little of their material is laugh out loud funny, even though I read that Hanks got a lot of practice in at comedy clubs and also had help from professional comedians to write his material. Much of the stand up is also quite tame, even for the 80s. The only time I laughed out loud was when her young daughter tried to help Lilah by telling a "grown up" joke at their dinner party:

[Show spoiler]"What did one c*cksucker say to another?", which caused the adults to choke on their food in shock.

. I also thought that

[Show spoiler]Hanks was unnerving and almost creepy when Steven was trying to go for a romantic relationship with Lilah and essentially move in on her husband and family. The sense of desperation from Steven was really palpable and I was almost thinking that he was going to be some sort of psychopath. I know this sounds difficult to believe, but the movie devotes a lot of time to this subplot and while it's tough to claim that Hanks has ever been unlikable in a film, this is definitely one role where he comes close to being unlikable. Field's character Lilah is pretty unlikable, too and her decision to leave stand up (and presumably recommit to being a full-time housewife and mother) after over two hours of watching her struggle to achieve her dream was disappointing

. Anyway, the film is worth watching at least to get a sense of what it must be like to work as a stand up comedian, but it's classed as a comedy-drama and the main emphasis is really on the drama.

Sony's remastered Blu-ray is another very good presentation and is surprisingly on a BD-50 with a very high video bitrate. A healthy grain field is present and there are really no imperfections, though I did notice a rather faint vertical gray line on the right hand side during a dark shot late in the film. The DTS-HD MA 2.0 track renders the dialogue and music well, with good stereo separation.

[Acer2010]

Originally Posted by whiteberry

https://www.moviezyng.com/punchline-...s/043396574731

How do you know that Sony is telling the truth about PUNCHLINE being sourced from a 2K master?

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by Acer2010

How do you know that Sony is telling the truth about PUNCHLINE being sourced from a 2K master?

Ok, what makes you think they're lying about it coming from an all new 2K remaster?

[Acer2010]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Ok, what makes you think they're lying about it coming from an all new 2K remaster?

Well, I'm just hoping that it's not a case of false advertising, or a possible mistake.