The Film
Grease, Rent, and even Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark can all bow down and thank Hair for basically giving birth to the rock musical.
Today, Hair is still regarded as one of the greatest musicals of all time. However, Hair as a film doesn't hold up quite as well. Although some of Hair's themes may still ring true, the film just never achieved Grease-style status. Maybe that's because by the time Hair actually became a movie, the hippies had traded in bellbottoms for hot pants, and it sort of fizzled at the box office.
It's the story of Oklahoma native Claude (John Savage), who heads to New York for a big-city adventure before he goes into the army. There, he meets a band of hippies, headed up by George Berger (Treat Williams). Claude gets high, goes skinny-dipping, gets arrested, and even falls in love (with Beverly D'Angelo). It sounds like a nice sendoff, but it's actually a trippy, life-changing experience.
The Picture
Hair starts out like a punch in the face, with a horribly gritty, downright grimy image. Thankfully, the film cleans up pretty quickly, but not too much. Hair is an old movie, and we're guessing MGM did minimal cleanup on this 1.85:1 transfer. The biggest offense are the flecks throughout the film. It's not a great release, but it does offer some decent black levels and colors amongst the cast and musical numbers.
The Sound
Let the sunshine in, or at least the DTS-HD Master Audio. Hair is a very front-heavy track. You may catch a whiff of ambient sounds in the surrounds, but those are mainly used for music. That's really the entire movie, though -- at least the part that you care about. The surrounds are used for backup vocals and instruments, giving Hair a fuller sound. Like the image, this audio track seems dated. A little remastering could have made the overall movie a more immersive experience.
The Extras
Love it or hate it, Hair is iconic. That's one of the many reasons that this section is such a massive disappointment. MGM opted to just include the film's theatrical trailer. There's nothing about the film's impact on society, the musical, or the difference between the two.
Final Thoughts
Hair may be a little dated, but it's an iconic movie. It's an absolute shame that MGM couldn't have done more for this release. Both the audio and the video could have been better, but the extras are the real crime here. Unless you are holding out for an extended anniversary version (if it didn't happen at 30, don't hold your breath), this Blu-ray offers just enough of an upgrade to make it a worthy purchase.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
