Life Stinks appears in both an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though the image occasionally looked fine, it suffered from too many problems to ever rise above the level of mediocrity.
At times, the picture looked rather soft. The focus didn’t seem terribly off, but it could appear oddly ill defined. Sharpness was acceptable through most of the film, but it lacked much consistency.
Jagged edges and moiré effects created no concerns, and edge haloes remained absent. As for print flaws, I saw occasional examples of small specks and marks. The defects didn’t seem heavy, but they created a few distractions.
Despite the natural palette featured in the film, the colors of Life Stinks generally looked fairly drab. They came across as moderately accurate but they lacked life or presence. The hues mostly seemed a bit flat and dull.
Black levels looked decent but were somewhat inky at times, and shadow detail tended to be a bit thick. Ultimately, the movie didn’t ever look terrible, but it seemed decidedly lackluster across the board.
The DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtrack of Life Stinks also appeared ordinary. I noticed decent stereo imaging for the score, and effects spread modestly to the sides.
I noticed some light environmental audio and a little panning, but not much occurred. Thunderstorms became the most active element, as this remained a chatty film without much sonic impact.
Audio quality seemed adequate. Speech felt acceptably natural, with only a little edginess. The lines usually came across with pretty good clarity.
Music sounded fairly full, while effects came across as reasonably accurate and distinct. As noted, they lacked much to do, but they felt appropriate. This was a competent rendering of a lackluster mix for a movie from 1991.
How did the Blu-ray compare to the DVD version? Audio showed stronger reproduction, but the soundscape remained limited given the film’s vintage.
As for the visuals, they seemed better defined and livelier. That said, improvements related more to the blah nature of the DVD than to real strengths here. While the Blu-ray unquestionably looked better than the DVD, it still felt pretty mediocre.
The Blu-ray repeats the DVD’s extras, and we start with an audio commentary from writer/director/actor Mel Brooks and writers Rudy De Luca and Steve Haberman. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific track.
Despite the noted comic talents of Brooks, this commentary seems frightfully dull. None of the men speak much, and the vast majority of the movie passes without any statements.
When they do chat, they mostly just praise the flick or tell us who died since 1991. Almost no real data about Life Stinks emerges.
Brooks perks up when he talks about the dance sequence, and we also learn a little about the rat scene and a couple of other segments. However, the bad greatly outweighs the good in this dull and uninformative track. Even fans of the flick likely will find this one to waste their time, as this is one of the worst commentaries I’ve ever heard.
In addition to the film’s trailer, we get Does Life Really Stink?, a 14-minute, 14-second featurette. It brings back Brooks, De Luca and Haberman.
Each taped separately, they discuss some different elements of the production from writing the script to filming the slap fight to the movie’s general theme. The program doesn’t provide a lot of information, but after that dreadful commentary, it seems moderately useful.
Possibly the worst film ever directed by Mel Brooks, Life Stinks falls totally flat. It seems tremendously dull and unfunny with no substance to it. The movie seeks to enlighten but just bores. The Blu-ray provides mediocre picture and audio with lackluster bonus materials. Even major Mel Brooks fans should avoid this terrible movie.
To rate this film, visit the original review of LIFE STINKS
