Highball – MVD Marquee Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1997
Director: Noah Baumbach
Writers: Noah Baumbach, Carlos Jacott, Christopher Reed
Cast: Justine Bateman, Noah Baumbach, Peter Bogdanovich, Andrea Bowen, Dean Cameron , Rae Dawn Chong, Chris Eigeman, James P. Engel, Carlos Jacott, Annabella Sciorra, Ally Sheedy, Eric Stoltz

Release Date: June 7th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 79 Minutes 33 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $24.95

"Diane and Travis throw great parties. This year they are throwing three: a birthday bash for Felix; a Halloween masquerade; and a New Year's celebration. Whether it's the faulty pyrotechnics of a "recovering" magician... Travis' struggle to turn Diane's kitchen into a micro-brewery... the imagined death of Phillip's Ethiopian son... Fletcher's attempt to bed a celebrity or Diane's drunken attempt at seduction... something is always out of place and someone is definitely going to get hurt!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.75/5

Highball comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.4 GB

Feature: 21.7 GB

There is no information provided about this transfer’s source. That said, it appears that this transfer uses a dated source. Colors and image clarity fare well; black levels are best described as adequate, and though grain is present, it often looks heavy.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English. This is a dialog-driven film; don’t expect much when it comes to range-wise. That said, the dialog always comes through clearly. Included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles and removable Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer for Highball (2 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a feature-length documentary including interviews with producer Joel Kastelberg, co-writer and star Christopher Reed and stars Lauren Katz, John Leer, Rae Dawn Chong, Peter Bogdanovich, and Dean Cameron titled The Making of Highball (74 minutes 35 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include trailers for trailers for Mr. Jealousy, Digging to China, Dirty Laundry, and Last Time I Committed Suicide.

Summary:

Highball was written and directed by Noah Baumbach under two pseudonyms, one for his screenwriter credit and the other for his directing credit. Heightball was shot in six days and features some of the cast from Mr. Jealousy. Noah Baumbach, taken away before the film was completed, has since disowned Highball.

Having never seen Noah Baumbach before watching Highball, I had no idea what to expect. And though there are elements in Highball that are in line with his other films, it is hard to blame him for how Highball turned out, since he has distanced himself from the film.

Structurally, Highball’s narrative is essentially three lengthy party sequences: a birthday party, a Halloween party, and a New Year’s Eve party. Each of these sequences is confined to one location, an apartment that’s owned by a couple who play a significant role in the story at hand. That said, there’s not much to the narrative. It is essentially a series of nonsensical conversations, with an occasional poignant moment.

The most surprising aspect of Highball, and its greatest asset, is its superb cast of recognizable faces. Justine Bateman (Family Ties), Annabella Sciorra (The Addiction), Dean Cameron (Summer School), Eric Stoltz (Killing Zoe), Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show), Ally Sheedy (The Breakfast Club), and Rae Dawn Chong (Soul Man) appear as themselves.

No matter how you approach Highball, it is most definitely a film that is intended to make you laugh. There are several hilarious lines of dialog and a few humorous scenarios, like two party guests who wear the same lizard costume, and Peter Bogdanovich doing impressions of some of cinema’s most iconic actors. Ultimately, Highball is a flawed film that either draws you in or quickly tunes you out.

Highball gets a serviceable audio/video presentation, and this release comes with an insightful documentary that some may enjoy more than Highball.

Written by Michael Den Boer