6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Follow the man behind the magic as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigori Rasputin.
Starring: Adrien Brody, Kristen Connolly, Evan Jones, Tim Pigott-Smith, Tom Benedict KnightBiography | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo verified
English, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Nicholas Meyer famously “introduced” Sherlock Holmes to Sigmund Freud in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, putting a post-modern analytical spin on Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic (and substance abusing) detective hero. Now Meyer does much the same head shrinking routine with another late 19th — early 20th century icon, Erich Weiss, better known under his stage name of Houdini. In this case the Freudian approach is a family affair of sorts, for Houdini’s teleplay is based upon a book entitled Houdini: A Mind in Chains: A Psychoanalytic Portrait by Meyer’s own father, Dr. Bernard C. Meyer. The result is an interesting if not very insightful peek at a figure who looms large in the public consciousness, though often as more of a symbol or unapproachable object of devotion rather than a living, breathing human being. Ironically, it’s the external elements in Houdini—recreations of magic tricks and other spectacles—that work quite well in this History miniseries, while attempts to delve into Houdini’s recondite psychology largely fall flat. Perhaps ironically, Arthur Conan Doyle "himself" (portrayed by David Calder) shows up here as well, as part of Houdini's well publicized tirades against spiritualists and mediums, whom the escape artist felt were defrauding the public with claims of access to the great beyond.
Houdini is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Despite the regular use of some fairly soft looking (and at times unconvincing) CGI, Houdini generally looks beautifully sharp and well defined on Blu-ray. Director Uli Edel favors close-ups (and extreme close-ups, as shown in screenshot 1) a lot of the time, and those exhibit excellent fine detail. Colors are very accurate looking and are also very nicely saturated. The production design here has moments of nice opulence, including some well done costumes which pop very well. Contrast is generally very strong and consistent, though seems intentionally boosted in some scenes, including some of the CGI elements.
Houdini's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 has some nice if inconsistent immersion courtesy of sequences that utilize gobsmacked crowds oohing and aahing over Houdini's exploits. There's some good attention to detail in terms of various ambient sounds, including nice effects like a "point of hearing" perspective on what things sounded like to Houdini while he was dangling upside down in his Chinese water torture device. Dialogue is very cleanly presented and there are no problems of any kind to report on this track.
There is so much fascinating material just waiting to be exploited in Houdini's life that it's something of a shame that this miniseries takes a decidedly questionable tack by trying to apply Freudian analysis to the man's admitted eccentricities and tics. But even in purely "factual" information (despite the warning at the head of the piece that it's both fact and fiction) Houdini hedges its bets, by simply alluding to events without ever really trying to delve very deeply into them. A completely pat (and fake feeling) melodrama involving the Houdinis' marriage doesn't help matters, and despite Adrien Brody's athleticism and innate appeal, this is one trick that never quite makes it to "prestige" levels. The production is quite handsome, however, and while disappointingly generic and rote, Houdini is decently entertaining, especially for those who wonder how the master magician managed to pull of some off some of his stunts.
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