Coda Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Coda Blu-ray Movie Review

Coda is an entertaining horror-thriller. Executive produced by Tom Broadbridge (The Resurrected, Out of the Body), the Australian Ozploitation rarity is well worth seeking out. Produced by Terry Jennings (Return to Jupiter, Fever), Coda is a compelling genre outing.

One of the most popular and beloved music students at the university is murdered.  The unexpected murder sends a shockwave of fear and paranoia throughout the entire school. Student Katie Martin (Penny Cook) is tossed into the nightmare herself as she begins to help search for the masked killer.

Determined to help stop the killer, Katie works overtime on the case. The killer is on the loose and others around the university are now dying. Can the maniac be stopped before the body count continues to get even higher? As the suspects list continues to grow, the chase continues on.

The performances are reasonably good. The cast has fun with their roles. The ensemble does well with the genre roots of the production.

The score composed by Frank Strangio (Dead End Drive-In, The Dreaming) is well done. The music is one of the highlights of the feature-film. The score adds ambiance and eeriness to the genre style horror filmmaking.

The cinematography by David Foreman (Sample People, Sebastian and the Sparrow) is a successful and essential element of the production. Foreman did a solid job with the cinematography. The style is certainly within the right element for the genre filmmaking. A compelling aesthetic for the film.

Edited by Catherine Murphy (On Guard, Point of Departure), Coda is a well paced horror film. The film flows well and has a good sense of storytelling. The editing is on point and does a good job at highlighting the genre elements alongside the storytelling.

Featuring production designs by Anni Browning (Sebastian and the Sparrow), the production itself is well mounted. There is plenty to appreciate about the style of the horror filmmaking. The sets and design elements are effective for the film. There are also notable costumes by Helen Evans (Sunday Too Far Away, Skippy).

Written by Craig Lahiff (Swerve, Ebbtide) and Terry Jennings (Call Me Mr. Brown, The Dreaming), Coda is a decent script. It isn’t perfect and the story could be a bit better overall. Yet the dialogue is well done and the core ideas are effectively realized with the screenplay. A solid script and one that works well. Genre fans will appreciate it.

Directed by Craig Lahiff (Fever, Ebbtide), Coda is worth discovering. Fans of classic Australian genre film and exploitation cinema will find something to appreciate. As another rare cult film in the Ozploitation genre itself, Coda is certainly a compelling film and something audiences will be intrigued by. The film explores dark terrain and does so in an entertaining way. Fans of the horror genre will enjoy it.

Coda Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Umbrella Entertainment, Coda is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The presentation is sourced from the 16mm camera negative. The naturally filmic presentation retains film grain and looks nice overall. Fans of old-school cinema will appreciate the aesthetic of the visuals. The look achieved by the scan is one that audiences can enjoy for its low-fi charms.

Coda Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Coda is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. The sound stage is somewhat limited sounding and not as robust or crisp as a perfect lossless audio mix. The soundstage seems a bit less crisp and robust as a result. The sound design is a bit tiny sounding and it isn't as detailed as the best soundstages. Even so, a listenable audio presentation. It isn't as home-run and is a bit disappointing but it is still listenable.

Coda Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary With Production Designer Anni Browning, 1^st Ad Gus Howard and Actress Liddy Clark

Interview With Cinematographer David Foreman (HD, 29:28)

Interview with Actress Liddy Clark (HD, 12:00)

Coda – The VHS Experience (SD, 1:39:35)

The Labyrinth Short Film (SD, 18:40)

The Jogger Short Film (SD, 9:45)

Craig Lahiff Trailer Reel (HD, 11:19)

Original Trailer (HD, 2:09)

Coda Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Coda is an entertaining genre film. Fans of Australian horror and exploitation cinema will enjoy it. The filmmaking is compelling and creative.

The Blu-ray release provides an excellent transfer of the film. Umbrella Entertainment has also provided an extensive supplemental package for fans to enjoy. Recommended.