‘Summer School’ Blu-Ray Review – ‘80s Misfit Comedy Is One Of The Best Of Its Kind

School’s out, and Ocean Front High gym teacher Freddy Shoop (Mark Harmon) has big plans: summer in Hawai’i. But the school’s vice principal has plans for Freddy too: teaching remedial English. Aloha, paradise — hello, Summer School. Director Carl Reiner (The Jerk) delighted fans and critics alike with this warm, perceptive comedy about a laid-back teacher relegated to teaching a class of likeable misfits, including a slasher-flick addict (Dean Cameron), his wacky sidekick (Gary Riley), and a sexy female surfer (Courtney Thorne-Smith). Kirstie Alley is the no-nonsense history professor down the hall who’s keeping an eye on all the shenanigans — and on the handsome, irresistible Freddy. The road to academic success has never been bumpier, but to earn straight A’s in laughter … take Summer School.

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Video Quality

Summer School debuted on Blu-Ray in 2022 with a pretty solid digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer derived from an older master that holds up pretty well with only slight shortcomings. While we would have preferred a fresh scan, the transfer retains a decent amount of natural film grain with what appears to be a small amount of processing applied. Print damage is kept to a minimum for an overall clear viewing experience outside of a few specks here and there. This is not the most crisp image we have ever seen, but the fine detail has not been completely smoothed over either. As far as older masters are concerned, this is one of the better examples we have seen. 

Clarity and detail are in fine shape with some of the gory makeup from Chainsaw and Dave impressing in close-up shots. The interior of the classroom, the clothing choices, and the production design all render with the ideal amount of texture and definition. The screwball nature of the narrative keeps things light and vibrant, and this translates over to the aesthetic of the picture. Colors consistently saturate the frame with sumptuous hues bursting off the screen in the production design, lighting, and costumes. Black levels seldom come up short with crush and compression artifacts not overly visible in this presentation. Skin tones are consistent and natural across the ensemble. Shout! Studios has done a fine job with this one. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that brings this one to life in a standout manner. The soundtrack is a prominent feature, and it presents a rich and full experience for audiences. Every tune radiates out with a memorable fidelity. The quippy dialogue comes through crisp and clear in league with all competing sounds. The environmental effects such as the car engines and the waves of the ocean are delineated without turning into a sonic mess. This track does not strive to be your next demo experience, but it provides the necessary sonic weight while never showing any weakness. Shout! Studios has done nice work here. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Director Carl Reiner and actor Mark Harmon provide a lighthearted commentary track in which they discuss the details of this film, memories of the production, reflections on the ensemble, and more. 

• School’s In For Summer – An Interview with Actor Richard Steven Horvitz: A new 17-minute interview with the actor who plays Alan in which he discusses his background, landing his role, memories of his fellow cast members, the atmosphere on set, some of the deleted moments from the film, his struggles with typecasting, and more. 

• Inside The Teacher’s Lounge: A 14-minute archival piece from 2007 in which the cast and creative team reflect on the legacy of the film and the experiences of bringing it to life. Interview subjects include director Carl Reiner, writer Jeff Franklin, and actors Mark Harmon, Ken Olandt, Patrick Labyorteaux, Dean Cameron, Robin Thomas, and Kirstie Alley (through older archival footage). 

• Summer School Yearbook: An 11-minute archival featurette that takes a closer look at the cast members who bring these colorful characters to life. 

• Theatrical Trailer (2:18)

• Photo Gallery: A two-minute collection of production stills, promotional materials, and more. 

Final Thoughts

Summer School is a fun ‘80s misfit comedy that takes the time to build up characters you connect with which helps bring unexpected emotion to the journey. The movie is more importantly very funny, allowing nearly every cast member to have at least one moment to steal the spotlight. A few aspects have not aged as well, but you expect as much from a comedy of this era. There were a lot of these types of films during this time, but this is one of the more effective versions of it. Shout! Studios has provided a Blu-Ray featuring a solid A/V presentation and a decent selection of special features. Fans of ‘80s comedies will appreciate this long-awaited upgrade. Recommended

Summer School 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 set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.