Hoo-ah! It’s been a long time since I saw Scent of a Woman but never forgot the hoo-ah. Shout! Studio’s new 4K is a great opportunity to revisit the hoo-ah and the film itself.
I was younger than Chris O’Donnell’s character in 1992. As an adult now I can better appreciate having to take a holiday job to make ends meet, and having a boss like Frank (Al Pacino). The bookending issue of refusing to tattle (on people who would not hesitate to throw you under the bus) hits harder in 2025. The wealthy will dangle all sorts of temptation and if you give in once it will never stop.
In 4K the campus is so clear you could be taking an orientation tour. Then they get to New York, bustling by day and glowing at night. It’s not a big sound movie so I didn’t notice any major sound effects.
There are two new bonus features. Martin Brest is a big get, though he seems to have gone public again to look back on his work. He gives them 51 minutes!
Editor Michael Tronick also gives a solid 20-minute interview about the nuances of shot selection and pleasing Brest.