6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The ghost of country singer Helvis visits his daughter in a vision and sends her on a journey to resurrect him.
Starring: Sherry Lynn GarrisDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Writer/director John Michael McCarthy has something in mind with “Damselvis, Daughter of Helvis,” but he’s not in the mood to share it with viewers. One can appreciate the faint plan to create a graphic novel-style viewing experience with this tale of a young woman and her mission to meet her undead parent, but the details of this universe are mostly muddled and incomplete. Instead of providing cinematic polish, McCarthy delivers a shot- on-video event, and while the production has room to do pretty much whatever it wants, the helmer remains fixated on generating a confusing offering of pursuit, religion, and surreal experiences, supplying a rock and roll slide into screen stasis one too many times.
The AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a look at the SOV production, with the viewing experience most definitely not about detail. Basic frame elements are understood, including exterior events and strange interiors. Colors are also unremarkable, finding some life with hair and costuming, along with more varied lighting sources. Some points of damage are found along the way.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA struggles with age and production limitations, occasionally losing the war with intelligibility. Event the subtitles struggle to figure out what the characters are saying from time to time. Guitar stings and scoring isn't crisply defined, but remains appreciable.
As with most SOV endeavors, "Damselvis" suffers from production limitations, with McCarthy trusting in the vibe of the effort to cover for some weird location choices (an obviously rotting gas station is sold as a working business) and amateur performances. Nothing really happens in the movie, which visits a pizzeria and a Memphis pyramid, but McCarthy suddenly gets itchy in the final five minutes of the film, arranging a fantastic meeting of monsters to provide some last-minute voltage. It's a welcome arrival of actual physical danger and genre intentions, giving Damselvis's journey a sufficiently bizarre destination. Why this kind of idea isn't utilized throughout the picture is baffling, but McCarthy is keeping his cards close to his chest with this one, and the viewing experience doesn't benefit from his secrecy.
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