A Legacy Of Whining [Blu-Ray]

Director: Ross Munro

Cast: Ross Munro, Robert David Duncan

Release Date: September 20, 2018

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 6/10
Disc Rating: 6/10

Synopsis:

The ghosts of both past and present collide as two former high school friends reunite after thirty years for one comically disastrous evening that proves the past ain’t what it’s cracked up to be…

‘A Legacy of Whining’ tells the story of two best friends from high school who lost touch shortly after and finally reunite thirty years later for a random night of mishaps and odd misadventures. But as these two friends inseparable in their teens try to find the best way to spend their night together after so many years, they quickly begin to discover that the past can be misleading and they don’t have nearly as much in common as they believed, if anything at all. While one seems intent to remain glued to his fondly remembered memories of the past, the other is determined to live his life to its fullest and embrace his various desires. It’s definitely going to be one awkward night to say the least.

Written and directed by Ross Munro (Brewster McGee) who also stars as one of the two leads alongside Robert David Duncan, Munro does a great job guiding along this indie comedy and getting the most from the limited budget ‘A Legacy Of Whining’ clearly had to work with, always managing to keep things looking far more professional and realistic than you’d expect from an indie movie such as this. It may never get extravagant and the sets are quite limited, although it manages to never really give off that impression within the moment, always capturing the best shots and some well utilized transitions that help it along. The story and pacing of the interactions do occasionally feel restrained and even while the film is humorous in its own right and definitely capable of eliciting a few laughs throughout; some of the comedic aspects just fall flat. Yet curiously enough many of the over the top and unfunny tidbits seem intentional and whether or not they truly were, they still fit perfectly with the eccentric and childlike behavior and demeanor the character usually delivering most of those antidotes exudes. Yet the film does have its share of issues too and some moments can be almost cringe worthy in their excessive silliness. It also often feels restricted in its pattern and path (likely due to the limitations the filmmakers faced) but always shows plenty of heart and does a commendable job of managing to achieve an impressive amount with what it had available; coming together into a curious, oddball of a buddy comedy flick quite unlike the typical formulaic movies that often accompany the genre and one fans of indie films in general might want to consider checking out whenever convenient.

Overall, ‘A Legacy of Whining’ is an offbeat and occasionally funny indie buddy comedy that manages to exude subtle humor through the uncomfortable and often ridiculous contradictions these two drastically different individuals find themselves discovering about each other throughout the night. It’s definitely not a film that will be for everyone and its calm pace and oddball tone will surely deter many who prefer more popular mainstream films, yet fans of indie cinema that haven’t had a chance to check this one out may want to consider doing so as they are far more likely to appreciate just how much the film was able to accomplish within the confines of its budget and subsequent scope. Fans of ‘A Legacy Of Whining’ that are considering a purchase of the Blu-ray release should be fairly pleased overall as long as you don’t make the mistake of expecting a studio film release; be sure to see the technical specification coverage of the review below for details on the disc’s video and audio presentations, as well as included bonus content.

VIDEO:

The Blu-ray release of ‘A Legacy of Whining’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation utilizing a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. It’s worth noting that the video presentation oddly enough features an MPEG encoded high definition video presentation as opposed to the more common AVC format or even the previously popular VC-1 format. Yet even so this MPEG video presentation (and of a low budget indie flick at that) delivers quite capably and provides a relatively sharp, clean and detailed presentation from start to finish with no notable faults or issues to be found throughout, holding up admirably even during the darkly lit sequences. Overall, this is a pretty solid high definition video presentation complimented by a more than adequate bitrate that even while featuring an MPEG encoded presentation which some may not prefer still holds its own quite competently throughout and shouldn’t disappoint.

AUDIO:

The Blu-ray release features a soundtrack that reads on the Blu-ray player and my receiver as a 448 kbps 5.1 channel Dolby Digital soundtrack, although the presentation is in reality only in stereo (and in all fairness the rear cover of the Blu-ray does note Stereo sound so this isn’t a huge surprise), with sound and dialogue only coming out of the front left and right channels and the other three speakers remaining silent, so don’t be surprised or concerned when you see it reading five channels yet only delivering sound from two. The good news is that as a stereo soundtrack this one is quite decent and offers a clean, sharp and balanced audio presentation throughout that always keeps the dialogue clear and audible without conflicting with or detracting from any other audio elements that might be occurring simultaneously. Overall, this is a more than capable stereo soundtrack that may not be overly aggressive like most big budget flicks many folks are accustomed to, but certainly manages to deliver in every way necessary without suffering from any real issues along the way.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Blu-ray release of ‘A Legacy of Whining’ includes a couple noteworthy extras that fans of the film should appreciate. Included on the release is ‘Behind the Whining: The Making of A Legacy Of Whining’ Documentary (running approximately 25 minutes in length) which takes an in-depth look at bringing the indie film to life and features behind the scenes footage and interviews/comments with the cast and crew, plus more. Also included is the ‘”Young, British and Snotty” Music Video by The Snotty Punks’ (running approximately 5 minutes) and the ‘Trailer’ for the film (approximately 2 minutes).

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Film Rating: 6/10
Disc Rating: 6/10

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Ross Munro’s ‘A Legacy Of Whining’ is Now Available to Own on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital from Indie Rights

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You can purchase your copy of ‘A Legacy of Whining’ by clicking on the Amazon Cart Icon immediately below!