6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A millionaire who has recently lost his wife starts believing that he is being haunted by her spirit.
Starring: Cliff Robertson, Jean Simmons, Jenny Agutter, Simon Ward, Ron MoodyHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 1% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (96kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
After achieving some level of box office popularity with his work on 1976’s “Logan’s Run,” director Michael Anderson quickly moved on the next big thing, hoping to sustain career momentum. That feature was 1977’s “Orca,” a “Jaws” clone that tried and failed to cash-in on moviegoer hunger for deadly aquatic creatures. Such a fumble inspired Anderson to retreat, commencing work on 1979’s “Dominique,” which is as far from the future and the ocean as possible, offering a horror tale set inside a single English estate. Reducing pressure to perform at blockbuster levels, Anderson takes his sweet time with the material (an adaptation of a short story by Harold Lawlor), but he manages to find his groove here, keeping actors grounded and frights enigmatic to best preserve the eerie mood of a possible haunting.
While sharing a simple tale of a rural haunting, "Dominique" offers a sophisticated visual experience. "Newly scanned & restored in 2K from its 35mm negative," the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation handles the eerie look of the feature with care. It's an intensely dark picture at times, often sleuthing in the shadows, and while blacks are heavy they're not impenetrable, keeping delineation accessible. Dreamy colors remain intact, with softer reds and greens to set the supernatural mood. Costuming carries direct primaries, along with estate greenery and interior decoration. Skintones are natural. Detail carries as far as the original cinematography permits, providing texture on clothing, which keeps formalwear crisp and sleeping outfits delicate. Facial surfaces are expressive, showcasing age and stages of death for the titular character. Grain is heavy but stays filmic. Source encounters some mild speckling and scratches, and reel changes are spotted.
The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix reveals the age of source materials, with a heavier, slightly muddier listening event. Dialogue exchanges aren't troublesome, but crispness is lacking, delivering a basic understanding of exposition and confrontations. Scoring is equally dulled, weakening instrumentation, but mysterious moods are established. Sound effects are basic, never remarkable. Mild hiss is detected throughout.
While the run time (95 minutes) feels twice as long, "Dominique" does hit several highlights along the way, with one extended sequence featuring David and Tony working to dig up the dead woman, hoping she's still resting peacefully in her coffin. Robertson is strong focal point for the production, projecting nuanced responses of fear and confusion, matching Anderson's pacing as David's anxiety escalates into gun-toting panic. "Dominique" isn't for those with limited patience, but there are a few chills worth savoring, and the story does manage to find its way to a satisfying conclusion, which is a something of a miracle when the introduction promises a spiritual quagmire that seems impossible to escape from. Anderson keeps the picture modest but effective, arranging an unusual ghost story with enough Hitchcockian turns to hold attention.
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1977
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