Jerri Blank (Amy Sedaris, Theater Camp, The Mandalorian) is a 47-year-old ex-con who returns to her childhood home after spending 32 years working the streets and in prison. Upon her arrival, she discovers her father is in a self-induced coma. Hoping to wake him, Jerri decides to turn her life around by picking it up exactly where she left off — as a high school freshman. But for a former boozer, user, and loser, hanging with the ‘in’ crowd is going to be harder than turning tricks!

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Video Quality

Strangers with Candy debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Shout! Studios with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that brings a vibrant new life to this oddball feature. The new release is sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm Interpositive that holds up impeccably. Skin tones are natural, and the intended color palette is rendered with the utmost precision. The locales, production design, and unique outfits faithfully saturate the screen. Black levels hold up favorably with some nice depth to the image. The release is natural, consistent, and detailed in all aspects due to the retention of the natural film grain. There is no unnecessary digital smoothing of discrete facets. The film unveils subtle characteristics in the background that you otherwise may have missed. There is texture on display that would not have been possible in standard definition. There is no major damage to be found with this master. Shout! Studios has done excellent work here.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a perfectly executed DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that handles this material without any shortcomings. The occasionally shocking dialogue is the main focus of this track, and every line comes through clearly without being overshadowed by parallel elements. The enjoyable soundtrack emerges with fine fidelity. The surround channels provide some environmental details that help the world feel more authentic. All of the sounds in the mix seem deliberately placed so that nothing ever feels askew. The subwoofer is primarily used for some fleeting instances of extra texture. Overall, this is an impressive track that does everything it needs to do well. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Actors Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, and Paul Dinello provide an amusing archival commentary track in which they discuss the production of the film, moments that did not make the final cut, the shooting locations, memories of the performers, and much more that is worth a listen.

“Atomic Car” Music Video: A nearly four-minute music video is provided in upscaled standard definition.

Deleted Scenes: There is a 20-minute collection of unused footage provided that yields some funny moments.

DVD Promo (0:50)

Trailer (2:23)

Final Thoughts

Strangers with Candy has the unenviable task of propping up the legacy of the hilarious cult favorite TV series that preceded it while trying to be broad enough to bring in first-time viewers to the property. This results in quite a bit of recycled material from the show that makes the feature feel like an extended episode, but the material is so strong that it still makes you laugh quite a bit. Certain aspects, like notable cameos, make this feel like more of an event, but this largely maintains the identity of the show fans know and love. It is not the pinnacle of the series, but it is quite a bit of fun. Shout! Studios has released a new Blu-Ray that sports a strong A/V presentation and a nice array of new and legacy supplemental features. If you have been clamoring for this one in HD, you will be rewarded for your patience. Recommended

Strangers with Candy is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shout! Studios 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.