The Boost Blu-ray (original) (raw)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | 1988 | 95 min | Rated R | Jun 18, 2024

| | | VideoCodec: MPEG-4 AVCResolution: 1080pAspect ratio: 1.85:1Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1 AudioEnglish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit) English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit) (less) Subtitles English SDH English SDH (less) DiscsBlu-ray DiscSingle disc (1 BD-25) Playback2K Blu-ray: Region A (B, C untested) | | PriceList price: $19.95 Not currently available,check back for updates PriceBuy on:We may earn a commission from purchases made using our links. Thanks for your support 17 ratings. **2%**popularity | | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

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The Boost

(1988)

The Boost Blu-ray offers solid video and superb audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release

Lenny is a real estate developer who moves to Los Angeles and has instant success selling tax shelters to the Beverly Hills elite. He embraces his new financial status and begins to live the high life until rumors of a government crackdown on tax shelters causes investors to back out of deals, and scares new investors away. Desperate and scared and deeply in debt, Lenny seeks to regain his edge by using cocaine, but finds only a downward spiral into drug addiction.

For more about The Boost and the The Boost Blu-ray release, see the The Boost Blu-ray Review published by Randy Miller III on September 4, 2024 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.5 out of 5.

Director: Harold Becker
Writers: Ben Stein

, Darryl Ponicsan
Starring: James Woods, Sean Young, John Kapelos, Steven Hill, John Rothman, Amanda Blake
Producers: Daniel H. Blatt, Mel Howard

» See full cast & crew

The Boost Blu-ray Review

High and low.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III, September 4, 2024

MGM recently reissued a few Blu-ray catalog titles formerly exclusive to the now-defunct boutique label Olive Films (Class, The Boost, and Betrayed, with presumably more on the way), offering a straight port of their existing 1080p transfers and lossless audio with a few minor tweaks, including the long-overdue addition of English subtitles if none were included the first time around. So while there's not much to see here, these quiet reissues at least give fans a chance to pick up largely identical Blu-ray copies much easier and without paying out-of-print prices.

For a synopsis and appreciation of The Boost, please see Svet Atanasov's review of Olive's 2016 Blu-ray. I'm largely in agreement and consider this a very well-made film bolstered by James Wood's terrific lead performance and great work by Sean Young (certainly best known for Blade Runner, but she was fresh off a role in Wall Street as Gordon Gekko's ex-wife, Kate), although I'm bound to limit my overall enthusiasm to a 4/5 rating. The Boost is still well worth watching and holds up well almost four decades after its theatrical release, and in some ways can still be considered a hidden gem despite the fact that it's received something of a second (third?) life on home video through the years.

The Boost Blu-ray, Video Quality

Like the other two films in MGM's recent mini-wave of catalog reissues, The Boost looks to have an identical 1080p transfer to the one found on Olive's 2016 Blu-ray. This one stands right in the middle with a passable but somewhat dated appearance that's slightly closer to video than film, which means that such shortcomings can only be alleviated by a fresh new master; based on its overall aesthetic, even a higher bit rate would not have yielded noticeably better results. While this transfer is in mostly very clean condition and at least has modest strengths, it's one where viewers will sadly have to keep their expectations in check rather than enjoy the film to its fullest visual potential.

The Boost Blu-ray, Audio Quality

Likewise, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix sounds identical to the one featured on Olive's 2016 Blu-ray, so again please see Svet's review for more details. Please also note that MGM's Blu-ray finally adds in optional English (SDH) subtitles for the main feature, which is certainly appreciated and basically a requirement in my book.

The Boost Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with similar yet totally different cover art from Olive's 2016 Blu-ray, one that hints at the turbulence of its central relationship while adding in some color. Sadly, even the minimal extras from that older disc -- in this case, the theatrical trailer -- have not been carried over here, which is a shame.

The Boost Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

The Boost is a visceral and often bleak drama about addiction with an outstanding lead performance by James Woods, and it still rings true almost four decades later for both its commitment to authenticity and timeless subject matter. As Svet Atanasov mentioned in his review of Olive's 2016 Blu-ray, this seems like a film primed for a 4K/Blu-ray boutique label release... but MGM has side-stepped instead, simply rebranding that old Blu-ray (which itself omitted a DVD-era commentary with Woods and director Harold Becker) and even dumping the theatrical trailer. The long-overdue addition of optional English subtitles is certainly nice, but this lazy release is for desperate newcomers only.

The Boost: Other Editions

Blu-ray1-disc

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The Boost Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Olive Films Announce March Titles

- January 5, 2016

Independent U.S. distributors Olive Films will add ten new titles to their Blu-ray catalog this March. Amongst them are Don Hulette's Breaker! Breaker!, John Dahl's Kll Me Again, David Gordon Green's Undertow, and Harold Becker's The Boost.

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