The Blue Lagoon (1980) (Blu-Ray & DVD Dual Format)   Starring: Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins, Leo McKern and William Daniels Distributor: Eureka Entertainment RRP: £14.99 (Blu-Ray & DVD Dual Format) EKA70237 5060000702378 Certificate: 15 Release Date: 10 April 2017

After a fire aboard their ship, the children Richard and Emmeline find themselves separated from their parents when they are lost with only Paddy, the ship's cook, to steer them to safety. After the cook dies, after a particularly drunken night, the two children find themselves alone on a beautiful pacific island…

The Blue Lagoon (1980. 1 hr, 44 min, 44 sec) is a romantic adventure film, directed by Randal Kleiser, based on a 1908 novel, written by Henry De Vere Stacpoole. Brooke Shields won the Golden Raspberry Award for worst actress.

The film stars Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins as the young couple who learn to survive only to discover menstruation, sex and childbirth. In truth, the film is really a fantasy of innocent love. The chances that two seven-year-old’s could have survived alone on an island are minimum, but the film supplies the couple with everything they could want, or need, to survive to an unrealistic level.

When the film was originally released much was made of the nudity, mostly because Shields was only fourteen at the time. Even though they used a body double the prurient reaction was mostly misplaced as the island provides an abundance of conveniently positioned foliage.

The Blu-ray does come with extras, including an isolated music and effects track, two separate audio commentary tracks, with director Randal Kleiser, Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins and writer Douglas Day Stewart. You also get An Adventure in Filmmaking – featurette on the film's production (9 min, 07 sec) and the Theatrical Trailer (2 min, 45 sec).

The disc is presented with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, with a 1080p encoded with MPEG-4 AVC Video. Audio is DTS-HD Master Audio English 3404 kbps 5.1.

Whatever can be said of the acting, and this would be mostly negative, one thing that cannot be faulted is the beautiful cinematography from Néstor Almendros. The Blu-ray is sumptuous to look at and reproduces the vibrant colours of the island.

Looking at the film now, there is a lot to like. While it has its faults, you're unlikely to be able to get hold of a better copy.

7

Charles Packer