6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A young girl is subjected to a reign of terror so that her soul can be transferred to the body of an old crone.
Starring: Joanne Samuel, John Bluthal, Vincent Ball, Julie Wilson, Lou Brown (I)Horror | 100% |
Supernatural | 7% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as a part of All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror.
All the Haunts Be Ours advertises itself as "the most comprehensive collection of its kind", which may initially beg the question as to "kind of
what?". But the release also comes with a front cover sobriquet
proclaiming it "a compendium of folk horror", which may then beg the next obvious question as to what exactly "folk horror" is. In that
regard, this set
begins with a fascinating and diverse documentary which has its own subtitle referencing folk horror, Woodlands Dark and Days
Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror, which provides a veritable glut of clips from international films which director (and this entire set's guiding
light) Kier-La Janisse has assembled to help define the genre, but perhaps the best answer is to simply echo a certain Supreme Court Justice named
Potter Stewart who was trying to decide a case involving supposed pornography, and who famously opined, "I shall not today attempt further to define
the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description, and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I
know it when I see it. . ."
Alison's Birthday is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Severin's insert booklet states this was "restored in 2K from 16mm CRI". Considering the CRI source element, a source which can often lead to some strangely skewed palettes in final versions, the palette here looks reasonably robust if admittedly a bit wan and slightly yellowish at times. Detail levels are kind of middling, perking up in close-ups or when lighting is bright. Grain is understandably gritty and thick, but also tends to add to the yellowish appearance with a somewhat chunky jaundiced look. There is minor but noticeable age related wear and tear.
Alison's Birthday features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track that offers secure support for an effective soundtrack that really doesn't have much complexity in terms of design. Some of the sound effects, like the goofy deep male voice emanating from Alison's friend in the first scene, or the gust of wind and shattering windows that then occur, are reasonably full bodied and reverberant. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
Part of the underlying horror of tales like Alison's Birthday or indeed Rosemary's Baby is the thought of helpless and probably naive women being subjected to a plot that they're completely unaware is being hatched, with them in the central role. Alison's Birthday is probably inarguably a bit more pat than the classic Levin tale, but it has some very effectively spooky moments nonetheless. Technical merits are decent, considering the source, and the supplements very enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.
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