5.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Sophie's 18th birthday becomes a bloodbath when monsters descend upon her house, devouring the guests and killing anyone who tries to leave. To survive the night, Sophie must face her destiny: monsters are real and she's the only one who can stop them.
Starring: Lyndsey Craine, Michaela Longden, Lizzie Aaryn-Stanton, Nicholas Vince, Daniel ThraceHorror | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.00:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Director Stewart Sparke and writer Paul Butler love horror movies from the 1980s. Such fandom inspires every frame of “Book of Monsters,” which plays like a blend of John Carpenter and “Evil Dead,” with the production attempting to whip up a genre mess that’s wet with blood, littered with demons, and propelled by act of self-defense. Sparke doesn’t have much money to realize his vision, so he keeps things scrappy, endeavoring to pay tribute to the helming gods and define his own sense of anarchy, which gets the picture on its feet, but doesn’t take it far enough.
The AVC encoded image (2.00:1 aspect ratio) presentation retains its HD-shot look, with the viewing experience showcasing cinematography that blends softer focus with sharper detail, delivering textured close-ups and fibrous costumes. Monster particulars are also engaging, highlighting technical design and violent appetites, keeping gore open for inspection. Colors are satisfactory, emphasizing bloody reds and party primaries. Costuming is distinct, and skintones are natural. Delineation is comfortable, never solidifying. Banding is periodically detected.
The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound mix tries to remain active to support the visuals. Surrounds are engaged, capturing party bustle and the circular reach of the monster uprising, and a few directional effects are noted. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, showcasing the range of reaction to demon issues. Scoring is crisp, offering a synth edge to boost suspense, and EDM offerings for celebratory purposes are fuller. Low-end isn't a major player on the track, but some thump is acquired for music cuts. Sound effects are mostly identified to play up genre hellraising, but a few key sounds are weirdly buried, skipping their intended impact.
"Book of Monsters" has moments of B-movie craziness, but there's not a sustained sense of chaos, with the effort noticeably slowing down once it has to deal with exposition, which is a bit of a buzzkill. The production wants a tighter sense of purpose, but the feature does better with an open range display of creature terrors and adolescent empowerment, generating a genre snowball effect. It's not flashy or well-funded, but "Book of Monsters" has the right idea for its first hour, delivering its valentines with palpable enthusiasm.
2019
2019
2015
Limited Edition
1982
4K Restoration
1987
2013
The Gates of Hell Part II - Dead Awakening / Slipcover in Original Pressing
1988
2019
2015
2015
1986
1988
2013
2012
1986
1986
4K Restoration
1981
1986
2011
1981