The movie critique portion of this review was written by my colleague Ishmael Hurst.
If you’ve never heard of The Freshman, as yours truly before acquiring a copy for this review, you might mistake a basic account of the film for an AI-program composed madlib. Released in 1990, it stars a young Matthew Broderick alongside an aging Marlon Brando and a bizarrely chill komodo dragon in a wacky odd-couple comedy. Also, Marlon Brando is playing a send-up of his own Don Corleone, and he’s actually hilarious. If I don’t have your attention yet, start from the top and try again.
The Freshman follows Clark Kellogg (Broderick), an exceptionally average film student, as he flees his Vermont home and indifferent stepfather to pursue his education at NYU. Within minutes of arriving at Grand Central Terminal, he’s taken in by a fast-talking Italian-American shyster (Bruno Kirby) who kindly gives him a ride before unkindly stealing all his luggage. After he is berated by his instructor for lacking the appropriate course material (books written by the instructor himself), Clark spots the thief and chases him down only to learn that his goods are long gone. By way of apology, the thief suggests a job opportunity that leads him to the darkened, empty restaurant where the Don tends to business. Here, with a familiar jowly, drowsy affectation, slicked hair, heavy brow and black suits, Brando is one Carmine Sabatini, who is explained as “the inspiration” for the capital “G” Godfather. Yes, The Godfather exists in the film’s world, and Brando’s self-resemblance is an on-going source of wonder for his new employee. Before he realizes he’s in over his head, young Kellogg (“Like the cereal,” Sabatini wisely notes) is hired to transport a very exotic, very illegal giant lizard from one shady criminal to another. That’s when things really begin to slip out of control.
Contrary to his more renowned comedic roles, Broderick’s performance is one of intentional restraint; Clark spends most of his time either blank or bewildered. The character remains helplessly confounded by his ongoing, constantly complicating predicament. Much of the film’s absurd humor is in how he repeatedly questions, protests, then ultimately shrugs and goes along with whatever weirdness comes his way. Brando, for his part, portrays Sabatini with a blend of weariness, warmth and well-masked cunning. He shows an immediate fondness and vulnerability toward Clark, who soon comes to equate the grizzled gangster with a paternal figure.
Writer Andrew Bergman (Blazing Saddles, The In-Laws) brings his comedic signature of good-natured insanity in spades. A komodo dragon serpentines through a public pool as small children scream. Brando-as-Godfather glides beautifully across an ice rink. Bert Parks, whose voice you know whether or not you know his name, sings a version of “There She is, Miss America” about the aforementioned lizard for the entertainment of a fabulously wealthy secret society. These moments and more contribute to a very well-considered cult classic (the movie flopped disastrously upon release). If you’re a Brando fan, a 90s nostalgist or a herpetology nerd, The Freshman has much to offer. If not, watch it anyway so you can see Marlon Brando try to walk a komodo on a leash.
Video Quality
The Freshman gets an upgrade to Blu-Ray courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment, but deeming it an upgrade feels somewhat generous. The transfer is sourced from an older master provided by Columbia Pictures that shows off moments of natural film grain underneath a large assortment of digital issues. The biggest issue with this disc is not the occasional speck of damage to the print, but rather the ugly compression artifacts and macroblocking that plague most of the film. The presentation has moments where scenes stabilize a bit more, but these moments do not stick around long. The colors are muted with not much stability in saturation. Skin tones look fairly natural, but the black levels are inundated with crush. Mill Creek Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray disc that might technically be a step up from DVD, but it is one of the poorer efforts I have seen in some time.
Audio Quality
This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that offers a much more pleasing presentation than the video portion of the disc. The film is not an audio heavy-hitter, but early moments of gunshots pack a nice punch in the mix. The dialogue holds up well, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely when it comes to showcasing the ambience of the urban setting. The track mostly avoids instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. This is a track that represents the film quite capably. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
There are no special features included on this disc. The only notable aspect of this release is the “VHS-Style” slipcover that ships with the packaging sporting some superior cover art.
Final Thoughts
The Freshman is a movie that feels somewhat like a fever dream, but it is very real and a lot of fun. Marlon Brando seems to be having a blast playing up arguably his most famous role, and Broderick shows off his natural talent for playing the perfect straight man. Mill Creek Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray with a good audio presentation but very poor video presentation. This may be the best that fans of the film ever get, but Mill Creek should really get a better handle on how they handle encoding and compression in the future. The Freshman is a true cult classic that is just waiting to induct more members.
The Freshman 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: Mill Creek 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.
