I Am Lisa Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

I Am Lisa Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 27, 2021

They say not to judge a book by its cover and that really applies to movies, too. Take I Am Lisa, Director Patrick Rea's (The Witching) film about a young lady who turns into a werewolf and exacts bloody revenge on those who have wronged her. Frankly, the cover art screams "cheap," something made on a shoestring and probably without much, if any, intrinsic value or redeeming qualities or any reason to watch beyond a macabre fascination with all things "bad moviemaking." But here's a small budget independent film that's a fair bit better than its exterior would suggest. Make no mistake that the film lacks polish, that its budget constraints leave some elements wanting, and that its script and technical merits are not quite so refined as they might have been with more time or talent working on them, but the film absolutely punches above its weight, delivering a simple and familiar yet surprisingly capable revenge story that should please audiences with modest expectations for it and delight those who might have summarily dismissed it before giving it a spin.

Lisa (Kristen Vaganos) is a bright young lady who has recently earned her Masters in Archival and Records Management. She loves the written word but whatever future she might have planned with her degree is put on hold when she inherits her late grandmother's used bookstore. She's an avid reader and well versed in the classics but her life view isn't open to much supernatural suggestion. All of that is about to change when she's bullied by a trio of ne'er-do-wells, led by local drug dealer Jessica (Carmen Anello), a young woman whose dislike for Lisa may be the result of unrequited sexual desires. When Jessica steals a valuable book and makes unwanted advances at Lisa, Lisa seeks help from the local authorities. It turns out the local law is a family affair. Sheriff Deb Huckins (Manon Halliburton) is not only mother to her own deputy, Nick (Chris Bylsma), but also to Jessica. Needless to say, Lisa's complaints fall on deaf ears. But Mother can't have accusations hanging over her family. With Deb's blessing, Nick, Jessica, and Jessica's friends beat and torture Lisa and leave her for dead in the woods. Lisa, barely alive, is bitten by a wolf and rescued near death by a kindly bookstore patron named Mary (Cinnamon Schultz) who nurses Lisa back to health. Lisa quickly discovers that the bite has infused her with supernatural powers, transforming her into a werewolf, and is now armed with the violent tools and bloodlust she needs to exact revenge on those who all but took her life.

I Am Lisa takes no liberties to alter or refine its essential genre beats which amount to a classic revenge film, here with a supernatural twist. The picture follows a simple outline in building a somewhat timid character -- she's a book nerd, she wears glasses, she is not particularly fond of confrontation -- and crafting the stereotypical, spitting image of the classic heroine who will find her true capabilities in the aftermath of a brutal attack and through the "gift" of newfound powers. But even as the film constructs with familiar building blocks it manages to overcome its two chief obstacles -- that lack of dramatic creativity and the lack of a budget better suited to this kind of film -- to build a picture that is in no way robust, or even all that memorable, but at least a film that is very watchable and even, at its essence, agreeable. The visual effects satisfy, many of them practical, and many of them effective even in simplicity. Whether werewolf eyes, elongated nails, or spilled blood from gory wounds, the film manages to stretch its budget with impressive length and durability to get the most from its essential content.

Much of the film's success traces back to its performances. These are certainly not award worthy outings -- there's not a strong enough script or a strong enough collection of talent to elevate the material too far above its weight class -- but the collected talent stretches the material for all it's worth and does a fine job of building the essentials while injecting some necessary personalization, life, and detail into parts that are otherwise built on rote scriptwriting traits. There's a certain amount of zeal-meets-grounded work here, with the cast devouring the essential narrative beats -- both the collected villains on whom the tables are turned and for Lisa whose metamorphosis doesn't see her change at the fundamental level but certainly gain more confidence to do what she must -- while finding ways to flourish the underbelly, too, to explore the characters with just a little more depth than the material allows. None are fully flesh-and-blood but it's quite impressive to find a movie of this "grade" play at a passably enjoyable level, overcoming basic challenges that many of this kind find insurmountable, which is always reflected in the finished product. I Am Lisa is no legend in the making, but it would be a film for aspiring filmmakers working on a small budget to study and admire for its tenacity to play better than it has any right to be.

I Am Lisa Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 1080p picture quality is stable if not often in a state of mild to modest distress. The picture, as a general rule, is adequality sharp and well capable of conveying essential fine detail. The video-based material was clearly shot on somewhat lower end cameras and lenses which is reflected in the finished product. It can't match an A-grade digital Hollywood production for clarity and stability but fans coming into the film knowing its limitations should find core detail more or less agreeable. Much the same can be said of the color palette. There's nothing here that really stands apart but colorful book covers in the shop, some blood, and other examples of more prominent color engagement generally suit the material well enough. Black levels can be challenging, appearing a bit soupy and murky in places but low light and nighttime scenes are not much the worse for wear. The issues come in the shape of macroblocking and banding. Look at backgrounds in a bar around the eight-minute mark. Banding is in evidence in an admittedly challenging movie theater interior scene moments later. These issues persist (look at 38:17) throughout the film but these noted instances are amongst the worst offenders. Most times even as the issues are present they are not fully distracting from the shot, scene, or sequence.

I Am Lisa Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 track is presented in a lossless DTS-HD MA configuration but it's clearly lacking tight fidelity and perfect detail. Music can sound a little harsh and crunchy but spacing is effective. There is evident disbalance to much of the track. Background hisses and hums rise and fall in the same shot as one character speaks, and then another. Some of the action is tepid, less than forceful and far less than lifelike in definition. Core dialogue is clear and center positioned. No great shakes here but the track is capable of conveying the basics with sufficient clarity, though greatly lacking in finesse and falling well short of perfection.

I Am Lisa Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of I Am Lisa includes a commentary track, a deleted scene, and a documentary exploring the film's visual effects. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Producer Eric Winkler, Director Patrick Rea, and Actress Kristen Vaganos deliver a breezy, fun track that flows well and covers both anecdotal details as well as some meatier insight into the filmmaking process.
• Deleted Scene (1080p, 0:43): Lisa and Sam talk up Vincent Price while being watched from afar.
• You're So Cool Lisa: The FX of I Am Lisa (1080p, 49:02): A comprehensive exploration of the special effects created for the film, broken down by character. Bookends explore production basics and quality of life on the set.
• Trailer (1080p, 1:37).

I Am Lisa Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I Am Lisa tells a familiar story on a low budget without much creative muscle behind it. But the film defies the odds and manages to make a fairly good -- in no way great -- little Indie that strives to be its best in every scene. It can't overcome the odds, but it does regularly defy them, thanks to some quality acting, good visuals, and a steady hand behind the camera. This doesn't rewrite the rule book or make any top-ten list (other than, quite possibly, a top ten for best independent Horror films of the year) but genre fans are going to enjoy this well rounded bit of entertainment. Mill Creek's Bu-ray struggles with its video and audio presentations though both are passably fine. A few extras are included. Well worth a look for low budget Horror fans.