The lease on the Snowy Peaks Lodge, a popular ski resort, is up for renewal and its owner Pops (Ray Walston, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) has no worries about signing a new lease. Despite his Ski Patrol, an out-of-control group of skiers led by Jerry (Roger Rose, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives) and Iceman (T.K. Carter, John Carpenter’s The Thing), the resort has an impeccable safety record. However, a devious land developer (Martin Mull, Clue) has other plans in mind for the resort and hires the talents of a young blonde named Lance (Corby Timbrook, The Glass Shield) to undermine the Ski Patrol’s efforts to keep the slopes safe.
Featuring an all-star supporting cast including Leslie Jordan (“Will & Grace”), Paul Feig (Bridesmaids), Stephen Hytner (“Seinfeld”) and comedian George Lopez (“George Lopez”) combined with extraordinary aerial stunts, impressive snowboarding with an incredible downhill showdown, all add to the excitement as the Ski Patrol does their best to save Pop’s Mountain.
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Video Quality
Ski Patrol makes its Blu-Ray debut via the MVD Rewind Collection with a 1080p transfer courtesy of MGM that looks really nice. This setting of the film largely takes place during the bright daytime with certain colors that radiate off of the screen. The palette is nicely suffused as it captures the bright colors of the outfits against the stark white snow. The white levels are pretty stable with no digital noise occupying any of the swaths of white expanse. The black levels in the shadows are pretty strong with a fair amount of depth and only the odd moment of banding.
The transfer maintains a consistency throughout its presentation with only the rare instance of fluctuations in density. The transfer does reveal some surprising detail in the production design inside the lodge and within the texture of clothing. This transfer retains a pleasing amount of organic film grain that does not appear to have been digitally tweaked or robbed of its texture. The core source is in fine shape with no instances of any significant damage to sour the experience, although there is the expected amount of minute nicks and scratches present. This is a strong presentation for the film even without the mention of a new scan.
Audio Quality
MVD Entertainment brings us this new Blu-Ray with an LPCM 2.0 track that perfectly approximates the ambition of this soundscape. You can always count on these types of films having a lively soundtrack, and this is no exception. From beginning to end, the music never lacks in power or fidelity as it emanates from the speakers. The pithy dialogue holds up favorably, coming though crisp and clear without being stepped on by the tunes or sound effects. Environmental effects are precisely delineated including snowmobiles and various crashes. Thankfully there is not much in the way of notable age related wear and tear. MVD Entertainment has done a great job here. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Trailers: This disc provides the Theatrical Trailer (1:58) and the VHS Trailer (1:35) for Ski Patrol. The disc also features trailers for other MVD releases including Men At Work, Canadian Bacon, Vampire’s Kiss and Dirty Laundry.
- Poster: A fold-out poster of the cover art is included in the case.
Final Thoughts
Ski Patrol was never a classic even when it was first released into this world, but it has a familiar setup that it executed with some amount of care in a way that pays off. There are a few names sprinkled throughout that modern audiences will appreciate, such as a young Paul Feig occupying the more nebbish role on this side of the camera. A true standout, though, is the late Leslie Jordan who makes the most of his limited screen time while fully committing to the bit. There are elements that miss the mark, but by and large this delivers some solid laughs if you want a tale of lovable goofballs. MVD Entertainment has offered up a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. If you want a harmless comedy coasting on the memory of the ‘80s, you can do much worse Recommended
Ski Patrol will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on November 22, 2022.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: MVD Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.