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Spinning Fame in my DVD player reminded me of why the mainstream success of the format is such a wonderful thing. It allows us to remember and revisit films that may not be true classics, but that are good movies, the kind usually relegated to basic cable or the cutout bins at Best Buy. Fame is a movie like that. Everyone knows its name, but few remember that it wasn't really a true blockbuster at the time. It's greatest success, ironically enough, would only come after it was transformed into a cheesy TV show, which then launched subsequent American Idol-like "The Kids from Fame" concert tours. How odd: a great movie who's name recognition grew only in direct to proportion to how tarnished its reputation became. I'm sure there is a lesson to be learned in there somewhere.

Brought to the screen by British- born filmmaker Alan Parker, perhaps the reason Fame is so perceptive and uniquely American is because it was directed by a foreigner. Centering on the hopes and dreams of eight talented students at New York's High School for the Performing Arts, for once a "slice of life" movie is just that and doesn't try to be anything more. Its structure is vaguely episodic ("The Auditions," "Freshman Year," etc.) and filled with interlocking stories. The technique is perfect technique: we are drawn into the lives of the characters in an intimate way, but are also allowed to watch from enough of a distance to discover the more universal truths at work. Fame was also one of the first of the neo-realist musicals to gain favor in the 80's (Flashdance, Footloose) where the musical numbers skirt the edges of credibility but could really happen. The narrative is not stopped dead for a song, and the musical numbers never interfere with the film's realistic milieu.

It is inevitable that some elements of Fame have dated. The clothes, the musical styles, the period detail, it is all very much of the late 70's, when the artificiality of the 80's was still but a threat. Yet, oddly, this also works in the film's favor. The cast is a perfect example. All of the eight leads are fine actors, singers and dancers, yet none have gone on to an insane level of superstardom; so even twenty years later, we feel like we are watching real teenagers in a real high school, that these kids could be anywhere in the world right now, still wanting the same things. It is either defiantly optimistic or a sad comment on our society that here we are, nearly 25 years later, and we all still want to live forever and for everyone to know our names. That's fame.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Fame has never looked particularly good in any of its previous home video incarnations. Although released as a sorta-good widescreen laserdisc a few years back, that transfer still failed to really impressed. This is certainly a difficult film stylistically, shot in a kind of neo-documentary style that never translates well to video. But now, finally, Warner seems to have invested some real time and energy into trying to make Fame light up the sky, and I would say that they have succeeded.

As any longtime Fame fan will notice right away, Warner has dug up a very nice print of the film, which looks considerably cleaned up. Gone is most of the grain, murkiness and haze that characterized past transfers. Colors are still muted (even drab by today's standards), but reproduction is very good, with rich, smooth hues and soft amber fleshtones. There is no noise or bleeding, and blacks are for the most part surprisingly solid. Contrast is also very good for a film of this type and vintage, and thankfully no artificial edge processing seems to have been applied to "sharpen it up." Best of all is the amount of detail. While I did notice a bit of waver in the print which results in some fuzziness, overall this presentation is very film-like and nicely textured. Even shadow delineation in the nighttime scenes is crisp. I've been a longtime fan of this film, and at last here is a transfer I can honestly say lived up to my expectations.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

Also a treat for fans is the new Dolby Digital 5.1 remix, although it is not as revelatory as the transfer. Befitting this type of film, the soundstage is primarily front-heavy with only the music benefiting from the increased presence of the rears. There are a few noticeable discrete effects in the outdoor New York scenes, but this is a primarily dialogue-driven movie and as such is subtle. I noticed some nice stereo separation, and frequency response is certainly a vast improvement over even the old crappy CDs. (Even a newly-remastered soundtrack has just been released, which also highlights the improved source materials.) Low end also really benefits from the dedicated .1 LFE channel, even if it is again only the music that soars. While this can't compete with a modern soundtrack recording, Fame has never sounded better.

Also included is a French 2.0 surround dub, plus English, French and Spanish subtitles and English Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

At long last getting the special edition treatment, Warner Home Video and New Wave Entertainment have put together an interesting collection of extras.

Let's start with the new screen-specific commentaries included. Unfortunately, as excited as I was to hear the new cast commentary, I was a little disappointed in the way it was presented. Although he originally recorded a track for the old laserdisc, director Alan Parker has sat down for a new one here. And that's not a problem, because it is a good one. However, four members of the cast - Lee Curreri, Laura Dean, Gene Anthony Ray and Maureen Teefy - have also recorded new separate commentaries, which are edited in as video segments and accessible via an enhanced branching version. This means that you cannot listen to them without activating this mode, and every time that "Fame" icon pops up on the screen, you have to click the remote. This wouldn't be so bad, except there is no audio- only option. Thus, their comments are very limited, which is disappointing as they are as interesting if not moreso than Parker's. Also rather odd is how the clips are integrated into his commentary - he supplies a full-length track, so after you watch the branching clip, it returns you to the exact same spot you left off. The whole entire video commentary then takes quite a bit longer to watch than the film's already-lengthy 133-minute runtime. Will I sound like a curmudgeon if I say I would have just rather had two audio commentaries, one with Parker and the other the cast edited together?

Next up are two featurettes. The 12-minute Vintage Featurette is highly entertaining, a well-produced full frame backstage pass that is dated but features welcome perspective from Parker and the main cast. The sights and the sounds are all authentic and fabulously of the late 70's, and given the absence of anything new on this DVD from the likes of Irene Cara, Paul McCrane or Barry Miller, even their meager presence here is appreciated. Next we have another 12-minute featurette, Fame Field Trip, which has been newly produced for this DVD. Here, we visit with the staff today at New York's High School for the Performing Arts, including teacher Jim Moody, who also appeared in the film. Structured in a similar manner but much shorter ("The Auditions," "The Students," etc.) it is kinda interesting, and it is also very reassuring to know that there is still a place for talented kids to go, even if most will probably never get to realize all of there dreams. Ah, fame.

Rounding out the extras is a few pages of Behind the Scenes production notes, the film's original theatrical trailer in very clean-looking anamorphic widescreen and 2.0 surround, plus basic cast and awards listings.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts