7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Three aspiring filmmakers break into an abandoned psychiatric hospital where electric shock and lobotomies were formerly common practice. They discover they're not alone. This is the record of their experience.
Starring: Sean Stone, Alexander Wraith, Antonella Lentini, Oliver Stone, Monique van VoorenHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 34% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Greystone Park, which had the working title of SecretStone and was released in the U.K. as The Asylum Tapes, is the feature film debut of Sean Stone, son of director Oliver. The younger Stone has appeared in many of his father's films, playing Michael Douglas' son Rudy in the original Wall Street and Mallory's younger brother Kevin in Natural Born Killers, among other roles. Since Stone began his directing career making documentaries for video releases of his father's films, it's appropriate that his first feature should take the form of a "found footage" horror film, which borrows elements from the documentary form to tell a fictional story. But Greystone Park is only part fiction. As Sean Stone relates in the accompanying short documentary, and at greater length in the disc's commentary, much of what is depicted in the film, at least for the first half, really happened. He really was introduced to his co-writer, Alexander Wraith (and yes, that is his last name), by father Oliver at a dinner. Alex really does make a hobby of scaring himself silly by breaking into abandoned asylums at night, just to see what happens. (From the way the commentary participants describe it, the fear generated by the experience provides an adrenaline rush akin to skydiving or base-jumping, except that it lasts much longer.) And Alex really does have a Pied Piper ability to persuade others to join him, which is what Sean did shortly after they met. The experience supplies the film's plot, with Sean and Alex playing versions of themselves.
A "shadow" is peeking in at the window.
The video quality on ARC Entertainment's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray is largely dictated by the "found footage" format of Greystone Park's original photography. The film was shot handheld on hi-def video in low light conditions, with copious use of shadow and darkness to create both a sense of uncertainty and an indistinct realm where ghostly figures could be placed. (Some of these figures were added as effects in post-production, but most were added practically, in camera.) Abrupt cuts and pauses in recording are used for effect, and digital breakup signifies the presence of supernatural energy that interferes with the camera's functioning. All of these elements are faithfully represented in the Blu-ray image, which also presents vivid color in the rare scene that requires it (and I can't be any more specific). The various elements of the image were tweaked on a digital intermediate, from which the Blu-ray was presumably sourced; so while the disc may not provide classic demo material, it appears to be an accurate replication of the film's intended look. As usual, my video score has been chosen accordingly.
"Found footage" films typically don't have lively and active soundtracks, because the illusion has to be maintained that we're seeing and hearing what the participants recorded. Still, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track for Greystone Park has been mixed to incorporate numerous subtle sound cues that work at an almost subliminal level to suggest the participants' psychological deterioration, or, if you prefer, their absorption into the spirit world. This sometimes makes it difficult to know exactly what you're hearing, which I suspect is the intended effect. Voices often break up, crackle or drop out, in the same way that the video breaks up and distorts from external "interference". The soundtrack's cumulative effect is to convey the sense of being inside a pressure cooker, which was perhaps inspired by the sensation, described on the commentary, of breathing the thick air that is typically encountered inside these long-abandoned and unventilated structures.
The biggest weakness of Greystone Park isn't the ending (though that is a problem). It's the motivation driving the characters' behavior and pushing the story forward. I couldn't understand much of it while I was watching the film, and as a result the narrative quickly grew wearisome and dull. Whatever charm Alexander Wraith may have exerted on his friends in life is wholly missing from the character of "Alex" in the film, and their decision to accompany him to Greystone Park seems foolish at best. Only as I listened to the commentary did the story come into focus—which makes Greystone Park a classic case of a story that violates the command, "show don't tell". To make matters worse, the "telling" occurs in a commentary, which means the film isn't complete on its own. Beginning filmmakers are usually strongest on images and editing. It's character and narrative that elude them. Not recommended.
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