Plot: What’s it about?
On the campus of an all black college, the students find themselves at odds with each other and themselves, right in the midst of all sorts of college fun. As Julian (Giancarlo Esposito) revels in the excesses of life as a brother in the Gamma Phi Gamma fraternity, he is contrasted by Dap (Laurence Fishburne), who believes college is a place to enforce your beliefs. So while he rambles on against groups like the Gammas, all sorts of students attempt to become the newest members, including Half-Pint (Spike Lee). Now Half-Pint is determined to join the Gamma ranks and in truth, he would do whatever that takes, even if it means potential consequences in the real world. Add in the beautiful Jane (Tisha Campbell), who leads the Gamma Rays and many others looking to find their place, and you have the basic idea of School Daze. While all these young people seek out romance, excitement, and a sense of self, will any of them actually find those elements?
This film has some fun moments, but in the end, it just never works that well and I feel it is one of Spike Lee’s weakest efforts. This should have been much better, as Lee was coming off the very good She’s Gotta Have It, but he lost that flow I guess, as School Daze is too broken up for its own good. You have a lot of characters and storylines, which means the director needs to keep them in check until the right time, but Lee is unable to do that and a result, the film sort of falls apart at times. But some good sequences do happen and at those times, it seems as if this could have been better, so we know the potential was present. I also like the acting in School Daze, although it seems too silly at times and that downplays the performers somewhat. I think Laurence Fishburne gives the top performance, but Giancarlo Esposito and Tisha Campbell are also good, as well as some others. This one is hard to recommend, but if you’re a fan of Spike Lee and need a rental choice, then School Daze would be a decent selection.
This material doesn’t allow the cast to really shine, but some solid turns still surface, which means some talented folks were involved. I’ve always loved the work of Giancarlo Esposito, so I wanted to take some space here and discuss his skills. Of course, his name is not a well known one, but I think he is terrific and brings a lot to each of his roles. As usual, Esposito has a supporting part in this film, but I think he works well within that realm, as he adds depth to this film, as well as the others he is in. I would love to see him in a lead role soon though, as I think he could carry a film without much trouble. Other films with Esposito include The Usual Suspects, Fresh, Nothing To Lose, Blue In The Face, and Do The Right Thing. The rest of the cast includes Tisha Campbell (House Party, Sprung), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, Fled), Kadeem Hardison (The Sixth Man, Vampire In Brooklyn), and Ossie Davis (The Stand, Get On The Bus). This film was directed by Spike Lee, who also helmed such pictures as Clockers, Do The Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Summer of Sam, Malcolm X, She’s Gotta Have It, Get On The Bus, Crooklyn, and Girl 6.
Video: How does it look?
School Daze is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame version included on the disc’s flip side. This image looks a little dated at times, but this is still a solid looking picture in the end. The colors can be bright or more reserved when needed, while flesh tones come off as natural and no signs of bleeds are evident. No problems with contrast either, which isn’t too impressive, but still handles the basic needs and that is enough. I saw no real compression errors either, this is above average overall visual presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround track is good, but the musical portions scream for a full 5.1 remix, as this track is too limited at times. The music sounds decent, but not as rich and full as it should be, which lowers how effective those sequences are. The sound effects and dialogue are very good here though, as vocals are crisp and clean, with no traces of harshness or volume problems. This mix was a bit of a let down, but in the end, it covers the basics and ends up around average level. This disc also contains 2.0 surround tracks in Spanish and French, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Spike Lee contributes a decent commentary track, in which he seems relaxed and open about the film, so the track is a fluid, informative one. It was interesting to hear Lee’s comments, since this was one of his less popular efforts, so fans won’t want to miss this one. This disc also includes some talent files, if you like to read more about the stars.
