6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Horror | 100% |
Foreign | 35% |
Mystery | 4% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD, 1 CD)
DVD copy
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Paying tribute to the genre that’s inspired them the most, horror filmmakers have turned to the replication of their favorite giallo productions to help launch new work, with the German production “Masks” crafting a valentine to Dario Argento’s “Suspiria” as it generates its own sense of madness. More concerned with replication than stimulation, writer/director Andreas Marschall doesn’t have the budget or visual know-how to conjure righteous style and macabre events, but “Masks” has a plot that could definitely welcome something ghoulish, in need of a more seasoned moviemaker to bring it to life.
The AVC encoded image (2.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation probably reaches as far as it can go with the movie's mediocre HD cinematography, though whites are excessively bloomy at times, giving characters a distracting glow. Detail is acceptable but not remarkable, showing texture with extreme close-ups, which largely explore panicky reactions and gore zone visits. Colors are acceptable, making sense of the feature's exaggerated palette. Delineation struggles. Banding and posturization are found throughout, with varying intensity.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is at its best with scoring cues, which sound big and defined, elevating the feature with satisfying instrumentation, filling the listening event. Music retains power, nicely balanced with dialogue exchanges, which keep their intensity, despite recording limitations. Surrounds build atmosphere but offer limited definition.
There's nothing new to "Masks," though it certainly aspires to be an Argento-style romp. However, technical achievements are limited, with Marschall perhaps a bit too ambitious for his tiny budget. He doesn't completely whiff, as surreal parts of the movie should live up to fan standards. But as its own offering, "Masks" is missing polish and precision.
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