Plot: What’s it about?
The time for school books and classrooms has ended, as the days of summer have arrived, so the teens are ready to let loose and have some wild times. This is certainly the case with Stupsi (Chris Doerk) and her friends, who plan to trek to the Baltic Sea and soak in some rays, perhaps even pick up a few young gents as well. Of course, some guys have decided to go there also and led by Kai (Frank Schobel), the guys engage in some hijinks with the ladies. The race is on to the shores of the Baltic, but the fun is also in the journey and not just the destination, as all these fun loving hipsters soon discover. As the two groups close in on their summer paradise, they exchange pranks, tricks, and of course, some teen affections, but they don’t remain romantic for too long, as the guys always seem to pull out some kind of tomfoolery. Even when the teens reach the beach, the fun continues and kicks into high gear, but will this be a summer remembered because of all the fun and romance, or because of so many broken hearts?
The case calls Hot Summer “The East German Grease” and in the end, that isn’t too far from the truth, as strange as it sounds. This is a movie themed much like Grease, with a group of teenagers looking for love in the summer, as well as trying to have as much fun as possible. And of course, Hot Summer is a musical and perhaps due to this issue, it has become somewhat of a cult classic. I have to admit, I was skeptical about this one and was a little hesitant, but it was a cool movie and if nothing else, was something new, in many ways. I’ve seen a lot of foreign films, but I haven’t viewed much from East Germany and of course, Hot Summer has inspired me to seek out more cinema from that region & era. I suppose you could just watch it like you would the Frankie Avalon flicks, where the cornball kids fall in love, as this picture has a lot in common with those movies as well. It won’t tickle everyone’s fancy, but Hot Summer is a rather unique motion picture, especially when you think of where & how it was produced. If you’re a fan of camp musicals and want to broaden your horizons, Hot Summer is more than recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Hot Summer is presented in a 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. The image is soft and not too refined due to the lack of anamorphic enhancement, but this is a better looking treatment than expected. The print seems very clean, with minimal debris or grain present, which certainly helps keep the image on the good side, without a doubt. The colors look bright and solid, but not as rich as I had expected, though flesh tones seem natural throughout. The contrast is along the same lines, as it looks stable, but as sharp and defined as I would like. Even with these flaws however, I have to commend First Run Features for their work here, as Hot Summer looks a lot better than I had expected.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original German soundtrack is preserved here, which is of course, great news to kick off this section. The track seems to be a little dated, but no serious flaws surface, so I won’t complain too much. The music sounds a tad thin at times, but comes through as well as can be expected, given the age & nature of the materials. The vocals are on the mark both in songs & in normal dialogue, which is very important in a film like Hot Summer, of course. In the end, I have no real complaints to lodge and all things considered, this is a very solid audio presentation. This disc also includes English subtitles, in case you don’t speak German.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a text based introduction to Hot Summer & the stars within it, a music video with Chris Doerk, and a featurette of clips of other East German pictures.
