After seeing the excellent Brendan Fraser in his standout perfromance for THE WHALE, it is hard to wonder why he was for so long, away from our screens. In truth, he has been there but in minor and smaller roles. Some suggested the reason for his limited screen presence was that it was due in part to a horrific series of accidents, suffered on the set of his actions films and the horrors of his sexual harrasment by Phil Beck. I would guess that both played a part and either way, it was a significant loss for cinema. Fraser ability to tune in to the humanity of any role given, was and is second to none. He is a natural talent, which is often deflected by his physical presence. After his turns in GODS AND MONSTERS and THE QUIET AMERICAN it would seem naive to suggest anything other than he was robbed of a career.His third film, for me charted the rapid rise. Giving him a role worthy of his talents (alongside a fair few others.)

In SCHOOL TIES, Fraser is David, a scholarship granted, football player who gets to go to an exclusive prep school. He is working-class but a star athlete. He is also Jewish and in 1950s America, villefied like few else. His friends and their circles are all White, Anglo Saxan, Christians. The girl he looks at and wins the attention of is Sally Wheeler (Amy Locane), who is the girl of Charlie Dillon (Matt Damon). But the ties of his newfound friendships are broken when a student reveals David is Jewish. This is the catalyst for horrible actions and a moral reaction that dampens the righteous image of the school and its class of people. Among thems, the highest flyers and most obvious choices for Harvard, Yale, Princeton and all the Ivy, that a league of WASPs could not live without.

So first, thsi is a worldwide first on Blu-ray! Thats the statement and its right. Second, you all seem to be eager for this film and I can see why. Having been sidelined due to DEAD POETS SOCIETY (and likely also the reason for its funding according to Jim Hemphill very good commentary), SCHOOL TIES is a more pertinent imagining of the issues at play then and now in America. Jewishness is seen often as a monsterous thing by ill informed bigots. Jews,sadly are easy targets and if you are not Jewish, it is hard to understand how isolated you can be. SCHOOL TIES gets this and, thanks to a very good 1080p HD (kind of) transfer, you can to. Though, I feel it could look better, esp in 4K, it looks pretty good for a 35mm transfer. The additional extras are some ok talking head interviews from the past. Which offer little information and a exceptional commentary that makes up for the lacking parts elsewhere. Jim Hemphill reflects on every concievable point of interest. The Damon / Affleck pieces for film geeks, the histroy of anti Jewish feeling from the private school and WASP communities, the concepts of ‘ringers’, school hazing and a sense of 50s hegemony in Christian worship. The real joy of the commentary is that it is so comprehensive but yet easy to listen to….

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray
• NEW Audio commentary by filmmaker / film historian Jim Hemphill
• Interview with actor Matt Damon (1992)
• Interview with actor Brendan Fraser (1992)
• Interview with producer Sherry Lansing (1992)
• Interview with actor Chris O’Donnell (1992)
• Interview with director Robert Mandel (1992)
• Theatrical Trailer
• Original Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
• Audio English DTS-HD 5.1 Surround + LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English subtitles
• Limited Edition slipcase on the first 1500 copies with unique artwork