6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Dare to unlock the deadly curse of Mary Shaw...From the writers and director of Saw comes a new thriller of relentless terror! Ever since Mary Shaw was hunted down and killed, the small town of Ravens Fair has been haunted by horrific deaths. When a local's wife is brutally murdered, he returns home to unravel the terrifying legend of Mary Shaw and the reason why when you see her, you should never, ever scream.
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Bob Gunton, Michael FairmanHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 33% |
Mystery | 14% |
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
French: DTS 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Filmmakers have been keen on exploiting the inherent creepiness so many see in dolls. In the 1980s and 1990s, the foul-mouthed slasher Chucky ravaged screens and the character has even made a resurgence in recent years. But the creepy killer doll genre has matured in the last decade or so with more atmospheric, more psychological rather than visceral, films like Annabelle (and its sequels) and The Boy (and its sequel). Dead Silence is another film within the ever-expanding sub-genre, this one focused on ventriloquism, a realm at least recently made famous by Comedian Jeff Dunham but here, courtesy of James Wan and Leigh Whannell, given a much more sinister and violent bend.
The picture is primarily defined by its colors, which are fairly to drastically muted, favoring a spectrum that heavily emphasizes blues and grays and blacks. Much of the movie appears dramatically desaturated for effect with only sporadic escapes from the cold, lifeless façade. Jamie's red sports car is severely oversaturated as seen in chapter six when he goes to visit his estranged father. Everything else in the scene borders on grayscale and the result is almost comic bookish. Red is used elsewhere for obvious aesthetic and thematic reinforcement, again in chapter seven as a red light blinks on and off through Jamie's motel room window, illuminating the doll and presented here to a more balanced and complimentary effect. Even as some of the most desaturated scenes likewise push extraordinarily bleak, flesh tones sometimes find at least a modest sense of saturation and vitality while still staying firmly within that essential tonal downturn. Black levels are vital and hold up excellently throughout. The image is reinforced by strong compression; there are no artifacts, even in the most challenging scenes, such as a densely foggy nighttime exterior in chapter seven. The picture's textural qualities are top-notch, too. Dead Silence was shot on film and grain is maintained evenly and complimentary for the duration. Skin textures are appropriately sharp and complex, ditto clothes and close-ups of the well-worn doll. Environments hold up well, which include Jamie's commonly appointed apartment seen at film's start, his father's palatial home, and a dirty and decrepit performance hall that plays a key role later in the film. Various outdoor environments are likewise finely detailed and well defined throughout. This is a very good looking Blu-ray. It's aesthetically its own creature and the Blu-ray delightfully delivers its precisely constructed elements.
Dead Silence shouts out a barrage of intense sonic content by way of a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The opening title music is just about perfect. It's dense, detailed through a range of various instruments and styles, widely spaced, and folds in strong low end extension and surround positioning. It's a perfect opening score for the movie's tone, and it gives way to a fairly large, deep, hollow sound transitioning into a scene depicting Jamie working on the kitchen sink. In the next scene, rainfall comes down hard and soaks the stage with full driving information through all of the speakers. These are trendsetters for a track that yields consistently loud and well detailed information for the duration, with piercing screams, dense city atmosphere, and some spooky one-off sound effects like a whistling tea kettle heard in chapter three, all to excellent spacial effect. The track folds in some excellent discrete effects, such as during a flashback to a ventriloquist stage performance in chapter 10. Chapter 12 presents some wonderful spacial effects, too, as Jamie makes his way through a broken down and deserted locale. Music remains aggressive throughout, too, and dialogue is perfectly centered, prioritized, and detailed. This is a wonderful track all around.
Dead Silence contains a handful of rather standard bonus features. No DVD or digital copies are included and this release does not appear to
ship with a slipcover. Do note that no "top menu" screen is included. All extras and language options, as well as chapter selections, can only be
accessed
during film playback via the remote's "pop-up menu" button.
Dead Silence shouts loudly amidst its atmosphere and spooky story elements, angling to make itself the perfect hybrid of cinema style and meaty terror. It does its thing commendably well, and even if it's not any kind of instant classic there's enough here to make genre fans well pleased with the results. Universal's Blu-ray is a solid performer, too, boasting excellent 1080p video, essentially reference 5.1 lossless audio, and a complimentary smattering of extra content. Recommended.
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