Diner [DVD] [1982]

Barry Levinson's directorial debut (and his first semi-autobiographical "Baltimore" film), Diner was a critically acclaimed minor hit when it was first released. This Warner DVD release of Diner has a crisp widescreen transfer and Digital Dolby 2.0 soundtrack that conforms with the original theatrical mono mix. There are a few nice extras, but it's the movie itself that makes this DVD worthwhile. The real meaningful bonus here is a new "making of" documentary that features interviews with Levinson and most of the movie's cast. It's zippy and entertaining, but doesn't quite offer the kind of insight that a good audio commentary would. The documentary reveals that nuance was so important to Levinson that he had the male cast members share a tiny trailer instead of a motel during the shoot. He hoped that the relationships established while hanging out would work their way into their scenes together. The documentary also allows the cast to correct Diner's only major flaw; Levinson has the music nut played by Daniel Stern win an argument that Johnny Mathis is a better singer than Frank Sinatra.