Disney's Dead Poets Society [DVD] [1989]

DEAD POETS SOCIETY [1989 / 2015] [Blu-ray] Oh Captain, My Captain! He Was Their Inspiration! He Made Their Lives Extraordinary!1997 Academy Award® winner Robin Williams for Best Supporting Actor delivers one of the most memorable performances in ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY’ and now digitally restored and presented for the first time ever in breath-taking Blu-ray High Definition.For generations, Welton Academy student’s class of 1959 have been groomed to live their stuffy lives of conformity and tradition and until a new professor John Keating [Robin Williams] inspires them to think for themselves, live life to the fullest and “Carp Diem.” This unconventional approach awakens the spirits of the students, but draws the wrath of a disapproving faculty when an unexpected tragedy strikes the school. With unforgettable characters and beautiful cinematography, ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY’ will captivate and inspire you time and time again.FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1990 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Original Screenplay for Tom Schulman. Nominated: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Robin Williams. Nominated: Best Director for Peter Weir. Nominated: Best Picture for Producers Paul Junger Witt, Steven Haft and Tony Thomas. 1989 British Academy Film Awards: Win: Best Film. Win: Best Original Film Score for Maurice Jarre. Nominated: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Robin Williams. Nominated: Best Achievement in Direction for Peter Weir. Nominated: Best Editing for William Anderson. Nominated: Nominated: Best Original Screenplay for Tom Schulman. César Awards [France]: Win: Best Foreign Film. David di Donatello Awards [Italy]: Win: Best Foreign Film. Golden Globe® Awards: Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in a Drama for Robin Williams. Nominated: Best Director in a Motion Picture for Peter Weir. Nominated: Best Motion Picture in a Drama. Nominated: Best Screenplay in a Motion Picture for Tom Schulman. Writers Guild of America: Nominated: Best Original Screenplay for Tom Schulman. The script was written by Tom Schulman, based on his experiences at the Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, particularly with his inspirational teacher Samuel Pickering. A scene in the original script showing John Keating dying in a hospital was removed by film director Peter Weir, giving Todd Anderson's gesture of standing on his desk the meaning of standing for one's belief. Filming took place at St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware, and at locations in New Castle, Delaware and in and nearby Wilmington, Delaware.Cast: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Gale Hansen, Norman Lloyd, Kurtwood Smith, Dylan Kussman, James Waterston, Allelon Ruggiero, Leon Pownall, Alexandra Powers, Kevin Cooney, Welker White, Debra Mooney, George Martin, Newton Gilchrist, Joel Fogel (uncredited), Barry Godin (uncredited), Kate Kearney-Patch (uncredited), Jamie Kennedy (uncredited), Nancy Kirk (uncredited) and James R. Stoddard (uncredited)Director: Peter WeirProducers: Duncan Henderson, Paul Junger Witt, Steven Haft and Tony ThomasScreenplay: Tom SchulmanComposer: Maurice JarreCinematography: John Seale A.C.S.Video Resolution: 1080p [Metrocolor]Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo and French: 5.0 Dolby DigitalSubtitles: English SDH and FrenchRunning Time: 129 minutesRegion: All RegionsNumber of discs: 1Studio: Touchstone PicturesAndrew’s Blu-ray Review: For those of a certain generation, the mere mention of Dead Poets Society might bring comments such as, "O Captain, my captain," "Carpe diem" or "so good, I bawled my eyes out." It's a story that follows a small group of boys in a New England preparatory school in the 1950s. Most are in their last year and are on a path they have not chosen for themselves. With the New Year, a new teacher arrives, Mr. John Keating [Robin Williams], who encourages the boys to think differently and to "seize the day." Each boy interprets the sentiment in their own way and is forever changed.Watching this 1989 Best Picture nominee, it's a look back in time at a cast of young actors in their first big film, who are now much more familiar. Among them are Ethan Hawke [‘Daybreakers,’ ‘Before the Devil Knows You're Dead’ and ‘Training Day’]. Josh Charles [‘S.W.A.T.’ and Will Gardner in the CBS TV series ‘The Good Wife’] and Robert Sean Leonard [Dr. James Wilson on Fox's ‘House M.D.’]. Of course there's also Robin Williams, who was nominated for another Best Actor Oscar.Even though the film as marketed as a Robin Williams film, it's really about all the boys. This is a story about them, not their teacher. In watching the bonus feature, "Dead Poets Society: A Look Back," each of the boys helped shape the film by giving their feedback as to how they, as a boy, would respond to the situations in the scene. Director Peter Weir listened to them and by taking their suggestions; the film has an honest and vulnerable tone.So inspired are the students to “seize the day,” that they reformed “The Dead Poets Society,” an ultra-private group dating back to Keating days as a student. Together, while exploring their love for poetry, the young men form a strong bond. Neil Perry [Robert Sean Leonard] has a passion for acting despite his controlling father’s [Kurtwood Smith] demand that he go to medical school; Todd Anderson [Ethan Hawke] has big shoes to fill, as his brother was a star pupil at the school; Rich boy Charlie Dalton [Gale Hansen] seems to feel strangled by the school system, and just wants to escape; Knox Overstreet [Josh Charles] has fallen hard for a public high school student named Chris [Alexandra Powers], much to the displeasure of her macho boyfriend, Chet [Colin Irving].Director Peter Weir [‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ and ‘The Truman Show’] helped Robin Williams deliver one of the best performances of his career. While Robin Williams does jump on desks and the like, his performance is brought down several notches from something like ‘Good Morning, Vietnam.’ Robin Williams’s performance won him a Golden Globe® Awards and deservedly so. It should be noted that the young actors performances are top notch and totally believable.The acting in the film is absolutely superb, especially considering that for most of the young actors, this was their first big gig. Robin Williams steals the show, however, as the eccentric Mr. Keating, a man so passionate about teaching that he'd do just about anything to get his point across, including having the students read lines of poetry while kicking soccer balls, and relating Shakespeare to Brando. This of course means that despite the serious tone of the film, we still get to see a little bit of the madcap Williams during the height of his comedic career, and what good is a dash of humour if it doesn't help us cope with the more depressing events in the story.Tom Schulman's heartfelt script takes the main character's relationships with Keating above and beyond the usual student-teacher connection. For many, Mr. Keating functions as a secondary father figure to the boys, both intelligent and strong, but without the more overbearing qualities, while still playing the role of the friend. And in the end, this is what makes the film so unique. It's a real shame that our current education system habitually looks down upon teachers such as these, pegging them as scapegoats to a much bigger problem, when all they're really trying to do is broaden the minds of their students. ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY’ is a great example of this, but not one that should be taken too seriously over time.Blu-ray Video Quality – With this 2015 Touchstone Pictures of a 1989 release, ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY’ looks totally vibrant and clear and filmic term on this UK release Blu-ray disc. Exterior scenes and shots of the school, as well as the surrounding town and countryside, are nice and colourful and especially vibrant. Twilight images reflected off the pond and fall trees next to green pastures are totally delightful. The interior shots of the school feature a more controlled colour scheme, which gives the film its period and nostalgic feel just right. Skin tones are warm, and very natural. Black levels are crisp, though when you see a shadow there is nothing really hiding in it. Film grain fans of this film will rejoice, as this presentation looks very once again is a very filmic presentation and there doesn't appear to be any noise reduction or edge enhancement. Lastly, the Blu-ray's source material is in very good shape and I didn’t see any dirt or damage. While there is much to be admired, there is some occasional softness, especially during the opening title sequence, although that is quite common for many films with optically created titles. Also, the overall feel of the film is slightly flat looking, but again, this was quite common for 1980s film stock and beyond the daytime exteriors, never displays vast amounts of texture or fine detail.Blu-ray Audio Quality – With this 2015 Touchstone Pictures they have brought you a very pleasing 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround soundtrack, as it was originally mixed for stereo only, and feel free to choose the stereo mix to compare the audio presentation, especially with the surround soundtrack expanded use of surrounds for things like musical score and the occasional sound effect. Since this is soundtrack of the 1989 era, ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY’ has a number of strengths, like the crystal clear dialogue, the nice dynamic range for the musical score and period songs used. A decent amount of stereo panning in the front sound speaker, which is not explosive, still holds up nicely, with especially supporting a low and mid-range music, vocal tones, and sound effects.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:Special Feature: Dead Poets: A Look Back [2006] [480i] [1.33:1] [26:55] This is mostly a collection of interviews talking and praising the wonderful director Peter Weir and how he works with the actors, but sadly there is no sign of Robin Williams and his comments on working on the film ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY.’ But what we do get is some nice contributions from people like Melora Walters [Gloria]; Ethan Hawke [Todd Anderson]; Norman Lloyd [Mr. Nolan]; Robert Sean Leonard [Neil Perry]; Kurtwood Smith [Mr. Perry]; Dylan Kussman [Richard Cameron] and Allelon Ruggiero [Steven Meeks].Special Feature: Raw Takes [1989] [480i] [1.33:1] [7:56] With this special feature we get the following unedited take that was shot as part of a sequence deleted from the final finished film, which was to be intercut with Neil’s suicide after the performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream;” where Mr. Keating [Robin Williams] visits the boys cave and then leads them to a frozen waterfall in the woods. The final shot illustrates Peter Weir’s use of music during shooting to motivate the actors. After viewing the deleted film sequences, you can understand why Peter Weir decided those particular scenes were not appropriate to be included into the final finished film.Special Feature: Master of Sound: Alan Splet [1989] [480i] [1.33:1] [11:00] A very nice tribute to the film's supervising sound editor Alan Splet. With this special tribute bonus feature, here with director Peter Weir, who first came into contact with his on his film ‘Mosquito Coast’ and David Lynch also speaks about his experiences with the brilliant sound designer/editor Alan Splet, especially how knowledgably he was with classical music and was also a very accomplished classical musician and you get to see why they both respected Alan Splet 100%, as he was a totally dedicated professional sound designer, as he would only record natural organic outside sounds, instead of generating the sounds with electronic equipment. David Lynch also praises Alan Splet and says he was a joy to work with and also the best experience he had ever had with Alan Splet.Special Feature: KODAK Cinematography Master Class [1993] [480i] [15:00] This KODAK Cinematography Master Class Series is of Australian John Seale A.C.S., and this follows him in the construction and lighting technique of “Creative Camera Techniques” similar to one of the dormitory bedroom sets in the ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY’ film to illustrate how specific choices are made to create different lighting atmospheres. What is also fascinating is how cinematographer John Seale prepared the scenes in the dormitory bedroom of Todd Anderson and Neil Perry. There are lots of technical words and concepts, but overall, anyone with any interest in film will find it immensely enjoyable and eye-opening look into how to light a film set. Narrated by Gabrielle Adkins. This was all shot in the studios of the Australian Film Television & Radio School. This program was sponsored by The KODAK World Wide Student Program.Theatrical Trailer [1989] [480i] [1.33:1] [2:45] This is the original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY.’ What a shame they could not get hold of trailer with the 1.85:1 aspect ratio.Audio Commentary: Commentary with Director Peter Weir, Cinematographer John Seale, and Academy Award-Winning Writer Thomas Schulman: This is the same audio commentary that as was featured on the inferior 2006 DVD release, where director Peter Weir, screenwriter Tom Schulman, and cinematographer John Seale A.S.C. is quiet laid-back, but occasionally dry, and packed with great insights and anecdotes. Director Peter Weir starts by saying he is fascinated by certain locations and buildings and would wonder how they would be in a film he directed. But when Peter Weir visited the St. Andrew's School in Middletown in Delaware, where he filmed ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY’ film and the different rooms he visited really stimulated him, so when you see at the start of the film, with the banners being displayed by the students and the candles being carried, Peter Weir thought it was a brilliant way to start the film. Screenwriter Tom Schulman talks about his early days in school and where tradition was drilled into him as a young person and really hated all the restriction he had to endure and was forced on him. Director Peter Weir also hated hi days in school and he got a lot of the same punishment you see in the film and the most detested thing he hated was having Latin forced down his throat and could not wait to leave school, but of course with his punishment he endured, he wanted this reflected in the film. Screenwriter Tom Schulman says that they decided not to present evil teachers versus good students, instead they wanted to show most teachers are just trying to do their best with their teaching methods, especially in the tradition of teaching in the film and throughout the ages. When Peter Weir was again at school he fell in love with poems, but when a particular poem he loved and was read out in the class by the teacher and where the teacher condemned the poem for bad structure, Peter Weir from that point hated poems and vowed not to read anymore poems, but with the film he directed, Peter started again to get interested and stimulated in poems. Screenwriter Tom Schulman tells us about his early days in school and where he used to sneak out at night and did rebel things like visiting bars that were forbidden and that is why he wanted scenes in the film where the students would rebel. When peter Weir was 12 years of age in Australia, all they had for entertainment is a big radiogram and was obsessed with listening to radio programmes, especially like plays because of the sound effects, but the most popular radio programme was the BBC “The Goon Show,” and the best place to listen was right under the radiogram where the Long Playing Records would be stored, as it was a great sound box, as it gave great sound effects, and that is why Peter Weir loves good audio sound in the films soundtrack. When you get to the point in the film where the boys in the snow after hearing the news about Neil’s suicide, they originally did that scene in a bathroom, but Peter Weir felt it didn’t work, so with a small film crew decided to do that scene again in the snow, they made sure there was no footprints in the snow with certain shots, but of course when they did different shots, they had to move 10 feet forward, but of course when Ethan Hawke’s ran off into the distance to the lake, they didn’t mind seeing the footprints. I would say hearing every time Peter Weir talks he is one of the most fascinating director filmmakers to spend time with as he just oozes with so much knowledge and is so passionate, and he never comes off as stuffy or self-adoring. Although containing some large gaps, each of the collaborators relays both technical and anecdotal information about the production; and from a completely unique perspective. But what I would say is the whenever John Seale A.S.C. the cinematographer speaks, John talks in such technical terms and thoughts on how he shot each scene, and tended to go over my head and did not interest me one bit and it was not the best commentary on this disc, but as to the audio commentary from Peter Weir and Tom Schulman was totally fascinating and the part in the audio commentary that was totally fascinating and easily kept my interest for the whole of the 129 minutes duration and is a totally brilliant track for those who are ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY’ film fans, like me and top marks for them to include this on the 2015 remastered Blu-ray disc.Finally, ‘DEAD POETS SOCIETY’ is a very well made film with a cast of young up-and-coming stars. It looks back, with nostalgia and honesty combined, on a simple time where individualism wasn't expected of these bright young men. Robin Williams is less of a main character than I remembered, but this is one of his best and most memorable performances. As a Blu-ray, it's definitely a step up in terms of video quality over the inferior DVD, with many vibrant shots of the school and surrounding countryside. Fans who love this film, like I do, should be very happy with this 2015 remastered Blu-ray disc, as it boast the aforementioned image quality and retains the special features from the previous inferior DVD release. For newcomers, this isn't a demo disc by any means, but there are lots to appreciate in terms of performances, filmmaking, themes and especially seeing the genius of Robin Williams, who can do no wrong in my eyes. We should all be so lucky as to have someone that inspires us at a young age but the one of the next best things it is a film that does so. The film can be enjoyed by any generation as it deals with universal themes and will continue to inspire the young and old for many years to come. But one important thing I must mention and that is at the end of the film when the students stand on the desk to respect John Keating [Robin Williams] being sacked, I think this is the most powerful dramatic part in the film and if you don’t have a tear in your eyes in watching this scene, then you have no soul and there is no justice in appreciating this really brilliant powerful fantastic Peter Weir film. Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom

I saw this film when it first came out and always remembered it being a good film. Over the years I forgot the details of the story but always remembered it as a film worth seeing. I recently watched it for a second time and was given a certain reminder as to why it’s a film worth seeing. The film explores questions about how we raise our kids. What is the purpose of education? How much freedom should pupils be allowed? Is there a threshold for discipline? The answers are not given, but left for us to ponder. We all have our own perspectives on what life is and how we should prepare the young for what is to come. Nobody will watch this film and be unaffected.It’s hard to say what it is that makes it such a good film but most people focus on Robin William’s performance as the main contributor. I have to disagree. There are many aspects of this film that make it worth seeing and all play their part just enough and without blatancy. If any performance had to be singled out for praise I would put Robert Sean Leonard’s portrayal of Neil at the front. Neil is clearly the focus for the audience and the one boy in the class who is affected most by their new teacher. He carries the viewer through the film and becomes the reason for its climax. I suppose Williams was the only known actor in the movie at time of its release and so his performance is highlighted. But I’d say his character was only a focal point for the boys in the school, not for the viewer. We’ve all been to school, so it is the pupils in the film that we relate most to.

Thank God, that there are some people on the planet that understood this film for its purpose, to show the intimate and spiritual side of life that is so sadly lacking in the modern world. Poetry has a substance to it that can either flatten you out or lift you up. The great thing is that there are many different styles of poetry to cater for all kinds of tastes.In this film Prof. Keating derives his teaching talents through many different Poets and enables his students to grasp that which is normally reserved for the "Romantics", those people who seem to exist in a different world to ours.But the film shows that anyone can pick up a compendium of Poetry and discover a new world, one where there's hope and one where another man's vision can inspire and give one a sense of direction.The many characters in the film mirror those in adult life and the decisions we will all have to make at some point, more often than not against the will of those closest to us. What I love about this film is that there is no censorship of the extremely delicate nature of suicide and the reasons behind making such a decision. It doesn't elaborate or sensationalise the act, but brings it into our world with a tangible essence that for me, showed just how vulnerable and easily breakable we all are in this seemingly cosy and secure existence.The film also remains a testament to the art of teaching, the pros and cons of going beyond that which all teachers aspire to, bringing young men to adulthood through wisdom and knowledge. Its a hard compromise, juggling your desire to further a boys education through the normal avenues of schooling and giving them the range of choices they will encounter, but arming them with the tools to make the right choice. In this, the film shows that there are dangers involved with unconventional teaching within an established curriculum and in particular, learning about the high moralistic values that Poetry can convey on a naive and innocent mind.Of course, Dead Poets Society is only one example, though extreme, of the possible ramifications in the nature of a singular English teacher in a respectable college in America, but it brings the wonderful colour of Poetry to our screens and delivers a message that there are other things we should discover in ourselves that are waiting to be exposed through journeys of exploration through the written word.