5.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A family's life forever changes when they move into a new home with an ancient secret! Not long after Regina begins living in her family's remote country estate, she learns that theres something horribly disturbing about the old place. Even as her parents dismiss her concerns, strange things begin to happen whenever the lights go out. Soon Regina realizes that a series of escalating supernatural events will unleash the full evil that resides in their house!
Starring: Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen, Giancarlo Giannini, Fele MartínezHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 45% |
Supernatural | 26% |
Mystery | 17% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The saga of Bob and Harvey Weinstein is one filled with ugliness, with the pair employing strong-arm tactics to help dominate the film industry. For a while in the 1990s and the early 2000s, it worked, with the siblings managing to build their company, Miramax, into a major player during awards season and on weekly box office charts. Part of this corporate approach involved the acquisition and alteration of genre pictures, with Bob’s Dimension Films notorious for re-editing features, reducing length and occasionally softening violence, allowing the company to sell PG-13 experiences to young audiences. 2002’s “Darkness” is one of many efforts subjected to the Weinstein treatment, with the Spanish production shelved for two years, eventually handed a quickie Christmas release in a version roughly 15 minutes shorter than its original cut. At the time, “Darkness” was awful, finding director Jaume Balaguero’s trendy visuals and inability to summon suspense making for a hard sit. Now his initial version is available (including this Blu-ray release), and the offering is…slightly less awful. That’s not to suggest the Weinsteins were correct in cutting down Balaguero’s endeavor, but the material and execution are deeply flawed, generating a tedious ghost story.
"Darkness" was originally issued on Blu-ray in 2012, and returns to disc via Shout Factory, who provides an AVC encoded image (2.40:1 aspect ratio) presentation. A fresh scan hasn't been completed for "Darkness," leaving fans with an average viewing experience. Age is present, but colors are decent, doing well with defined primaries used to cut through the moodiness of the endeavor. Frame elements such as colored pencils and fashion choices are distinct, and atmospheric lighting is appreciable, including cool blues for aquatic action. Skin tones are natural. Detail is on the softer side, offering a mild sense of skin particulars and costuming. Household interiors are also acceptable, examining age and decay. Exteriors retain basic depth. Blacks are difficult here, with cinematography reliant on shadowy events, finding such intensity turning into solidification at times. Compression largely holds together. Source is in good condition.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix delivers a clear understanding of dialogue exchanges, which navigate some hushed encounters and heavier accents. Scoring supports with sharp instrumentation and dramatic emphasis, with musical moods pushing into the surrounds on occasion. Atmospherics do well, creating a circular presence for weather events and ghostly happenings. Some panning effects are appreciable. Low-end isn't challenged, but some violent activity carries weight.
"Darkness" is a drag, but the original cut is more complete with its ideas, going deeper into character, with lengthier assessments of motivations. Balaguero ultimately doesn't have much use for people, reducing the finale to a blur of occult events and supporting characters. He's also not strong with casting, as most of the actors assembled here are out of their range, making for awkward emoting and poor accent work. "Darkness" goes for a spooky conclusion, which is welcome, but the journey there is loaded with derivative and uninspired filmmaking, and the central tale of horror is badly bungled in both cuts of the feature.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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