Altered Innocence Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Altered Innocence Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 20, 2023

With “Altered Innocence: Vol. 2,” the label once again aims to find a fresh audience for a collection of short films with LGBTQ+ themes and atmosphere, also dealing with endeavors exploring the growing pains of adolescence and the curious ways of mystery. These are 11 offerings that vary in tone and creative approach, and a few of them dip into more surreal, sexualized territory, also reflecting on the filmmaking experience. “Altered Innocence: Vol. 2” hopes to share underappreciated or forgotten shorts from a wide variety of moviemaking voices from around the globe. Some of these selections aim for laughs or tears, while a few gradually expose the horrors of life, but they all offer a distinct creative fingerprint, delivering cinematic stories from burgeoning talent.

Shorts

“Young Diego” (7:19, Spanish 2.0 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Osama Chami and Enrique Gimeno. A young man waits anxiously in a café, preparing to have an experience with a strange man.

“Yandere” (21:37, French 5.1 DTS-HD MA) Directed by William Laboury. Maiko (Ayumi Roux) is a miniature hologram girlfriend who loses her patience when Tommy, her human, decides to abandon her for a real woman.

“Amphi” (31:15, Danish 2.0 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Mathias Broe. A filmmaker looks to create the movie he’s always wanted to see, interviewing three people about their gender fluidity.

“The Demons of Dorothy” (29:06, French 5.1 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Alexis Langlois. Dorothy, a young filmmaker, tries to shape her vision of the perfect glittercore movie, entering a nightmare realm while fighting to maintain her artistic integrity.

“Trade Center” (8:35, English 2.0 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Adam Baran. A group of men discuss their experiences while on “sex tour” adventures around the World Trade Center in the 1970s and ‘80s.

“Chaperone” (16:11, English 5.1 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Sam Max. The Client (Russell Khan) is looking for an experience, hiring The Chaperone (Zachary Quinto) to drive him to a remote house and deliver emotional and physical support.

“Awakening” (40:30, Danish 2.0 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Christian Toldrup. A young man plays a game of romance with a girl, only to grow attracted to her father, figuring out ways to meet in private with the man.

“A Wild Patience Has Taken Me Here” (26:18, Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Erica Sarmet. An older lesbian reflects on her formative years while meeting up with a group of younger women who enjoy a different level of freedom.

“Shower Boys” (9:42, Swedish 5.1 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Christian Zetterberg. Two kids enjoy an afternoon together experimenting with their feelings.

“Dustin” (20:08, French 5.1 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Naila Guiguet. Explores an evening with drama, drinking, and drugs while two transgender women navigate a night on the town.

“Kiem Holijanda” (14:29, Dutch 5.1 DTS-HD MA) Directed by Sarah Veltmeyer. Two siblings deal with their feelings on the eve of their separation.

Altered Innocence Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image presentation contains multiple sources and aspect ratios. Quality remains consistent throughout the shorts, delivering a good sense of detail with skin particulars and clothing choices. Makeup on the few of the shorts is also decently textured. Colors are alert, perhaps most volatile on "The Demons of Dorothy," which is also struggles slightly with banding. Various production achievements are open for exploration. Delineation is satisfactory. Sources are in good condition.

Altered Innocence Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

"Vol. 2" contains different sound mixes for the shorts, exploring a small number of languages. No issues with dialogue exchanges are present, finding voices crisp throughout. Scoring cues are equally sharp, while soundtrack selections and electropop offerings deliver a heavier, louder presence with some low-end thump. Atmospherics are also appreciable when encountered.

Altered Innocence Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this release.

Altered Innocence Vol. 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Altered Innocence: Vol. 2" provides another film festival experience on Blu-ray, this time focusing on strange visions and more intimate fears. As with the last collection, not everything scores, with "Kiem Holijanda" arguably the least interesting addition to the line-up, but various directorial visions and themes emerge with a sense of style and exploration, presenting viewers with a journey of artistic expression as it winds around weirdness and anxiousness.