Disc Details
Special Features:	Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only) Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen Commentary by the Hanson brothers The Hanson brothers classic scenes Puck talk with the Hansons Widescreen anamorphic format
Video Format:	Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) [SS-DL]
Languages:	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles:	English, Spanish.
Captions:	Yes
Casing:	1-Disc Keep Case

As the season progresses Reggie’s Chiefs become typical hockey street thugs, with the Hanson brothers leading a chorus of ultra-violent and often uncontrollably hilarious bouts on the ice. In one sequence, a Hanson brother stares down an opposing player during warm-up skating, and upon making his second loop around the rink, cold-cock uppercuts the poor unsuspecting player, rendering him unconscious. You will laugh, hysterically probably, and that’s when you begin to realize the subtle brilliance of George Roy Hill’s “Slap Shot.” It is a film whose intent is to ridicule the issue of violence in sports, by exposing the darkly humorous reality of wanton savagery in sports like hockey, football (“The Longest Yard” comes to mind), and boxing.

While the Hanson brothers (who in actuality were all real hockey players) and their brutal antics get the most credit for the success of “Slap Shot,” Paul Newman is the glue that keeps the film together. His half-sleazy, half-charismatic portrayal of Reggie is one of the most understated and effective roles of his storied career, and shows the dismal reality that many professional athletes are stuck in. For a film that debuted in 1977, “Slap Shot” is surprisingly vulgar in both language and violence, and features a heavy dose of slapstick humor and random goofiness. A must-see for both the casual sports fan and die-hard hockey fan alike.

*On a side note, Melinda Dillon (of A Christmas Story fame) has a memorable -- and very funny -- topless lesbian exposé scene that's worth watching.

Picture Quality: 8/10
Universal has done an incredible job cleaning up the video to this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The graininess has been significantly reduced (as much as a film restored from 1977 can be), and the image is nice and sharp. Wonderful work.

Sound Quality: 7/10
The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track won't knock your socks off, which is fully expected for an aged film. The track doesn't work a wide degree of frequencies at all, and what consitutes as ambient noise (crowd sounds, skates on the ice) all collide as one blob. Overall, a serviceable audio track.

Menu: 8/10
A nice, clean menu setup.

Extra Features: 7/10
The Hanson Brothers' audio commentary track is very amusing, and highlights a solid list of features for such an old release. "Puck Talk" is mediocre, and Universal has also included a nice Hanson Brothers' scene selection menu for fans wanting quick access to their favorite Hanson Brothers' scene. While it would have been nice to include an interview with Paul Newman on his impressions of the film, it's an overall solid package from Universal.

The Final Word:
Once again, I'm impressed by Universal's facelift update to their "Slap Shot" DVD. A nicely remastered video transfer along with some decent extras make this a nice addition to any sports fan's DVD Library!

Stephen Wong