PIC of the Week – Groundhog Day 4K
Article series by Ray Schillaci
This week offers four Esther Williams’ titles from the Warner Archive Collection while Kino International premieres their blu of the beautifully shot and heavily esoteric, The Banishment, from Tarkovsky-influenced director Andrey Zvyagintsev, but it’s the humor and revamped 4K version of one of our all time favorites, Groundhog Day and the legendary Bill Murray that wins us over. SONY Pictures gives us another reason to consider upgrading the movies we hold near and dear. The 4K version of Groundhog Day demonstrates how 4K can breathe new life into an old film. My God, Groundhog Day is 25 years old!
For those living under a rock, the prolific funny man Harold Ramis, co-writer/director who gave us such beloved hits as Ghostbusters and Stripes crafts a Capra-esque story about a egotistical weatherman who hates the story he has been ordered to cover – the small town of Punxsutawney and Groundhog Day, only to suffer through the day innumerable times. Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, weatherman, an intolerable blow hard whose producer and cameraman cannot even stand him. Phil has no respect for anyone. But, his perspective slowly changes when he cannot escape reliving Groundhog Day over and over again.
Many will argue that this is Murray at his finest. It’s a good argument. He plays the condescending a-hole to perfection having us laugh through the film, and at the same time warms our heart as we see the change in him and how he effects so many others. The cast that Murray plays off of is just splendid with Andie MacDowell as his long-suffering producer and eventual love interest, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray and a very funny turn by many of the townspeople. Interesting note: Murray has had two gigantic hits with rodents, a gopher in Caddyshack and a groundhog in Groundhog Day.
The 4K picture quality is as film-like as a movie from the ‘90s could be. Very little grain is evident. Whatever grain there is works with the nostalgic quality of the movie. Interior scenes are not as impressive as the exterior scenes, but overall the presentation is a vast improvement over the 15th Anniversary Blu-ray which the 25th Anniversary Blu merely mimics. So, this is a warning to anyone thinking of cheaping out, and just getting the Blu if they already have the 15th version. Not sure why the laziness on SONY’s part. They went so far to make a great upgrade with the 4K, but merely add on the same Blu disc from ten years ago with a different anniversary.
Audio wise the Dolby ATMOS sound delivers wonderful subtle improvements. Mind you, this is not Die Hard or any other countless action fare that pumps up the volume. Groundhog Day’s audio really excels in its atmospherics with the sounds of winter and delivers a punch with the band, train sounds and anything else out of the ordinary.
SONY has also cheaped out on the extras, giving us the same exact extras from the 15th Anniversary edition which are:
¥ Harold Ramis commentary track
¥ A Different Day: An Interview with Harold Ramis – 9 minutes with behind the scenes anecdotes
¥ The Weight of Time – 25 minute documentary with cast, crew and outtakes
¥ The Study of Groundhogs – that’s right, 6 minute doc on groundhogs
¥ Six deleted scenes
Available at Walmart – $22.99
