Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		2.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.0

Catacombs Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 29, 2017

Buried deep within an ancient monetary is a deadly secret. Many centuries after an unspeakable evil last killed, a young teacher, Elizabeth (Laura Schaefer), visits hoping to take some pictures and learn a few things to share with her eager class back home. Unfortunately, that unspeakable evil lurks and, after centuries in dormancy, is ready to once again shed human blood.

Catacombs is a fairly dull film, slow to build, slower to crescendo, and failing to offer any substantial characterization or location drama or intrigue. The film's payoff isn't much, and it's certainly not worth what becomes a laborious wait. The film is certainly the beneficiary of solid enough performances all around, but it never finds a sense of individuality or character, much the opposite of a movie like Cellar Dweller. Even as the film efforts to build mood and atmosphere over opting for a typical Slasher formula where a character is randomly killed every 15 minutes, the film's inability to gain traction and failure to create an interesting atmosphere or villain leave it struggling to keep up with even more modest genre features.

Catacombs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Catacombs was shot on film, but the results are rather bland. The image is quite flat, well detailed in places but it cannot find any organic, effortless complexity for the duration. It's a battle of a bland canvas with a mushy grain structure against rather healthy skin textures in select close-ups, but even the finer points around the old monastery cannot produce many rich, tactile textures. Colors lack significant punch; natural greens, yellow paint, or brown robes are all rather dull and, to use that word again, flat. Black levels and skin tones aren't perfect, but rather serviceable. Print wear is commonplace, fairly heavy and rarely relenting for any significant stretches of time.

Catacombs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Catacombs features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The presentation fails to excite, even as a few elements extend beyond a center-imaged position. Ambient effects, such as chirping birds around the abbey, present with adequate width. Dialogue reverberation around the catacombs is surprisingly rich and well spaced along the front. General effects often struggle to hold clear and firm; crunchiness and a general sense of jerky, scratchy elements are not uncommon. Basic dialogue stays fairly close to the center. Clarity and prioritization are adequate.

Catacombs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Catacombs contains one supplement, and audio commentary track with Director David Schmoeller.

Catacombs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Catacombs is a disappointing and derivative movie that, despite solid performances, fails to find an identity, build or maintain legitimate intrigue, and maintain an agreeable pacing. Shout Factory's Blu-ray, which includes an audio commentary track with the film's director, features bland video and audio. Skip this one, which is currently only available as part of a double feature with Cellar Dweller or in the Empire Pictures Collection.