Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Mirror Mirror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 16, 2020

Marina Sargenti's "Mirror Mirror" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Dark Force Entertainment. The only bonus feature on the disc is a video program with producers Jimmy Lifton and Virginia Perfili. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The new student

The similarities are definitely there, but I am not at all convinced that Marina Sargenti conceived her film while intentionally borrowing from Carrie and Heathers. Why? Because the relationship that is at the heart of its story wasn’t introduced by these two films either. You can trace it all the way back to Faust, and you better believe that before it someone had told another story a lot like it. Do you remember that very, very, very old book that tells one such popular story about a man that succumbs to evil? Sergenti’s film is about an innocent girl that has the same transformational experience, only she is from the present and looks like the jaded vocalist of a failed goth rock band.

The fun begins shortly after Megan (Rainbow Harvest) and her mother Susan (Karen Black) relocate to their new home, which is an old suburban house with a murky history. In her room, Megan discovers a vintage mirror from the previous owners which helps her get what she desires, from fending off casual and not so casual attacks at school to securing new friends. But as she learns how to better take advantage of the mirror’s powers, her wishes become riskier and then flat-out dangerous.

Sergenti made her directorial debut with Mirror Mirror in 1990 and judging by its production values it was probably a project that had good funding. Indeed, despite a few rough spots the bulk of the material looks wonderful and the film as a whole is very nicely edited. Had its producers spent a bunch of money to put together a nice soundtrack with cool rock tunes -- either goth, punk or glam rock tunes would been fine -- it likely would have earned quite a reputation.

Much like in Carrie the buildup to the fun is a bit slow, emphasizing relationships that could have been either more serious or more exotic. For example, the dinner where the mother tries to be nice to her awkward male guest while Megan sabotages it is just filler material that looks out of sync with the rest of the film. Yes, it highlights the huge void that exists between Megan and her mother, but it also makes them look like old enemies that would not have tolerated each other long enough to move into a new home. After their family fell apart, one of them, or both, would have self-destructed. The material that works and looks attractive -- and by this I mean that it looks right for the type of genre film that Sergenti intended Mirror Mirror to be -- involves Megan’s classmates, and fortunately there is plenty of it. After Megan becomes comfortable with her newly founded powers, the film becomes even darker but also funnier in a way that it needs to be in order to be effective. This should have been the formula for it: more teenage mayhem and less adult situations with serious dramatic overtones.

The younger actors are likeable, but their performances are not exactly memorable. The script frequently places them in situations where their authentic energy and enthusiasm are actually far more important than the lines they utter. Exactly the opposite is true with the older actors, as more often than not their energy and emotions appear somewhat mismanaged.

Ultimately, Mirror Mirror has enough decent thrills to make it appear legit before the genre connoisseurs that it was meant for. It could have been better, but as a first effort it certainly looks good, at times even surprisingly well-polished.

*Dark Force Entertainment’s Blu-ray release of Mirror Mirror is sourced from an exclusive restored master that was struck from the uncut 35mm camera negative, which was also extensively color corrected to match the original theatrical appearance of the film.

Mirror Mirror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Mirror Mirror arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Dark Force Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an exclusive restored master, which I like a lot. In fact, aside from perhaps a few minor encoding optimizations that could have been introduced to make some of the darker footage appear even stronger, I think that the entire film looks wonderful in high-definition. Clarity and depth are particularly pleasing. A few minor density fluctuations can be spotted, but overall the visuals are as good as I expected them to be. I like the color grading as well. The primaries look very healthy and stable, while the supporting nuances are nicely balanced. There are no stability issues. Finally, I did not see any large debris, cuts, damage marks, or other similar age-related imperfections to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Mirror Mirror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is excellent. On my system depth, clarity, and dynamic balance were all very solid, and I never felt that there might have been some inconsistencies that a better mix would resolve. I liked what I heard a lot.

Mirror Mirror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Reflections on Mirror Mirror - in this video program, producers Jimmy Lifton and Virginia Perfili recall how Mirror Mirror was conceived and discus its production history and reception. In English, not subtitled. (26 min, 480/60i).

Mirror Mirror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I did not have any particular expectations for Mirror Mirror, so I approached it with an open mind and ended up enjoying it a lot. It does have a few rough spots, and primarily because the older actors frequently mismanage their energy and emotions, but for a directorial debut it is a pretty darn good film. Dark Force Entertainment's release is sourced from a very solid restored master, which makes the film look almost brand new. A very nice release, indeed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.