5.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 1.0 | |
Overall | 1.0 |
When miner Charley 'Boomer' Baxter sets off a series of massive mining detonations in West Virginia, a gigantic earthquake is soon rocking the North Atlantic, exposing a deep seismic fault that runs the length of the North American continent. Joining forces with government seismology expert Dr Amy Lane, Boomer must now race against time to stop the chasm that is threatening to tear America - and the entire world - in half.
Starring: Brittany Murphy, Eriq La Salle, Bruce Davison, Miranda Schwein, Jessica StrattonAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 34% |
Adventure | 29% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 0.5 | |
Video | 1.5 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 1.0 |
The megafault is now an extinction event.
"SyFy presents:" two words that strike fear into the hearts of both the more demanding and the
most timid of moviegoers, promising nothing short of an awful -- or looked at from another
perspective, an awfully fun -- movie-watching experience. Indeed, for those viewers that can
weather the storm and make it through the deluge of "bad" at every turn, "SyFy presents" can
engender a sense of great joy and anticipation at what's about to unfold, those viewers that revel
in bottom-feeding rubbish waiting with baited breath in hopes that this one will top them all as the
worst of the worst. While it's almost impossible to quantify SyFy movies at an absolute level,
there's
no doubt that any list worth its weight in cheese would have to place 2009's Megafault
among
the elite of made-for-television garbage. Sure, it's got all the usual bases covered -- a recycled and
dumbed-down plot, terrible special effects, bad acting, miserable pacing, and lazy direction -- but
it's in the intangibles, those things that take a movie like this from bad to worse to comically
absurd, where Megafault stands above the crowd. Terrible science, incredibly lazy editing,
mind-numbingly obvious continuity errors, atrocious dialogue, and even makeup that looks like it
was applied in the dark with a paint roller all sink Megafault deep into the annals of bad
moviemaking as one of
the prime examples of SyFy blunders gone terribly wrong, even by that channel's already low
standards.
Don't look at me, this isn't my (mega)fault!
Megafault stumbles onto Blu-ray with a transfer that's almost as disastrous as this Disaster movie itself. Though this is Echo Bridge's first Blu-ray release since the end of 2008, it's the same old story with the studio churning out transfers that barely pass as high definition. Megafault is positively riddled with edge enhancement. Thick halos surround objects throughout the movie, outlining faces (see screenshot above) and even making a rope that Dr. Lane uses to descend into a crater appear as if it's glowing (see screenshot 10). The print is also covered in random splotches and scratches, while colors appear dim and washed out. Some shots appear blurry and chunky, and faces reveal absolutely no texturing at all. Brittany Murphy's face looks like a dark tan smudge with no definition, though part of the problem seems to stem from the awful makeup job. Other details are equally flat and lifeless. To make matters worse, there are a few jagged edges and a strange ghosting effect in a couple of shots, along with blocking and aliasing, mostly found alongside the picture' shoddy special effects work. There are really no redeeming qualities with this one; Megafault should look far better than this, even if it is a budget made-for-television title.
Almost as poor is Megafault's Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack; no lossless or uncompressed soundtracks are included. This track lacks in raw volume even at reference levels; it's puny and undefined, though several more aggressive elements -- explosions, for instance -- pack at least a passable wallop. However, there's a distinct absence of clarity here and anywhere else in the track. Ambience is lacking and unconvincing; audience applause as heard in a scene in chapter two is best described as "puny," sounding more like two or three individuals halfheartedly clapping rather than the roomful of people seen in the movie. Additionally, sound strangely and suddenly reduces in volume and suddenly comes back up at least once in the movie, as if it's trying not to drop completely out. Fortunately, dialogue reproduction is mostly steady and discernible. For an "Action movie," Megafault's Blu-ray soundtrack barely registers on the Richter Scale.
Megafault contains no special features, though there is a "top menu," which is unusual for an Echo Bridge title.
Usually when the end credits roll, they begin with listing the name of the Director, maybe the cast, or on television, the Executive Producer. Not so in Megafault. For some reason, the first credit lists...Scott Meehan, the production's legal counsel? One can only wonder what in the world was going on behind-the-scenes to necessitate that. Who knows, who cares. Megafault stinks, but it's actually much funnier than most Comedies, making it well worth a watch for the sheer hilarity of the whole thing. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray is barely better than the movie. No extras, an awful 1080p transfer, and a measly Dolby Digital 2.0 track are all this one has to offer. Nevertheless, Megafault comes recommended if only to revel in the sheer absurdity of every aspect of the production.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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