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The sound is in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Naturally, a comedy isn’t exactly a special effects-fest, but the dialogue is clear throughout.
There are only a few extras, but they’re all in HD:
- Hectic Danger Days: The Making of Alpha Papa (34:25): An engaging ‘making of’ featuring chat from director Declan Lowney, producer Kevin Loader, writers Neil and Rob Gibbons, plus Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham, Steve Coogan and all the key cast members.
They talk about bringing the character back in a low-key way with Mid-Morning Matters before eventually going on to do the film, at which point it’s amusing when Lowney mentions how long the film has been listed on IMDB as being ‘in developement’.
There’s also plenty of on-set filming, all leading up to the premiere at Leicester Square.
- Deleted Scenes (27:03): There are 21 deleted scenes here. These include an alternative opening scene, and while I prefer the one we got in the film itself, I would include “Alan arrives at party” at the radio station, and possibly the alternate ending.
As for the others, there’s a few extended scenes in there, too, but besides that I think a lot of them work better as extras than included in the main feature.
- Bloopers (4:30): Gaffes aplenty.
- Audio description: Describes the film from start to finish. A lot of TV shows have this also, these days.
- Audio commentary: featuring Steve Coogan with Neil & Rob Gibbons.
The menu is an odd affair that’s trying to be too clever. Each option takes you to a different menu, which makes the player pause while it loads that screen up. Want to go back a step? Yes, it pauses again while it loads up the first menu. This is all set against a subtly-animated Alan in his studio.
There are subtitles in English, but when it comes to the chaptering, I feel one should come every five minutes on average. Studiocanal, like many other distributors, go for a low 12 however long the film. I would like them to increase this number.
Once again, Studiocanal put trailers and adverts before the main menu. These should go in the extras section. This disc has 3 trailers for other films, including one which came out ages ago! What are they? Not saying. Gah, I hate this practice! We are not in the age of rental video.
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa is out now on Blu-ray, DVD and Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray.
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa – Theatrical Trailer
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FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS |
10 10 7 4 |
| OVERALL | 8 |
Cert: 
Running time: 90 minutes
Cat.no: OPTBD2512
Year: 2013
Released: December 2nd 2013
Chapters: 12
Picture: 1080p High Definition
Sound: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Red Epic)
Disc Format: BD50
Director: Declan Lowney
Producers: Kevin Loader and Henry Normal
Screenplay: Peter Baynham, Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons and Armando Iannucci
Cast:
Alan Partridge: Steve Coogan
Pat Farrell: Colm Meaney
Firearms Officer: Sean Pertwee
Police Officer: Anna Maxwell Martin
Angela: Monica Dolan
Police Officer: Darren Boyd
Lynn Benfield: Felicity Montagu
Michael: Simon Greenall
Jason Tresswell: Nigel Lindsay
Dave Clifton: Phil Cornwell
Simon: Tim Key
Police Officer: Jaspal Badwell
Don: Simon Delaney
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.