7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.3 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
A young cowboy is seduced by a new girl in town only to find out he has been kissed by a vampire. Slowly turning into a creature of the night, he is persuaded to join up with the girl and a roaming band of ghouls. But when his own father and sister become targets in the vampires' endless search for 'food,' he is forced to choose between loyalty to the vampires, or loyalty his own family.
Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright (I), Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenette GoldsteinHorror | 100% |
Western | 5% |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
In case you’re reading this review because you stumbled onto the Blu-ray cover of Near Dark and assumed the film is a spin-off of Twilight, I’m afraid I have bad news. If you’re still with me at this point, I’ll assume you’re either a long-time fan of Near Dark, or at least willing to accept the idea that vampire mythology was interesting far before the emergence of pasty-skinned high schoolers with highlights in their hair.
Some of you may recognize Adrian Pasdar for his role in the television series "Heroes".
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 19Mbps), Near Dark isn't exactly the revelatory experience I was hoping for on Blu-ray. I'm confident the majority of the issues with the transfer are directly related to deficiencies in the source material, but that still doesn't rectify the situation. The primary weakness on display is a general lack of clarity in most scenes, obscuring the finest details (such as facial textures or the fabric of clothing). I'd assume this is a direct result of overaggressive DNR in the engineering of the transfer, but there's still a thick layer of grain from time to time, making it difficult to pin 100% of clarity issues on the transfer. The second issue that wreaks havoc on the image quality, is a combination of shoddy black level depth during nighttime sequences and contrast that struggles to differentiate between various dark shades in low-light scenes. The contrast issue seemed to improve during the second half of the film, but you still have to endure some awful scenes earlier on in the runtime. Switching gears a little, long-time fans of the film will be extremely happy with the combination of vibrant coloring and excellent definition during daytime sequences. They might be rare, but they truly breathe life into a transfer that remains otherwise lifeless (no pun intended).
This Blu-ray version certainly surpasses the quality of the prior special edition DVD release, but any viewers hoping for a dramatic upgrade are setting their expectations too high.
The audio presentation won't blow your socks off, but considering the age of the production and the budgetary constraints the crew was working within, the lossless audio mix sounds reasonably proficient. I can't say I'm extremely familiar with the musical group Tangerine Dream, but their music was an excellent choice for a film of this nature. The synth-infused musical score creates a surreal mood that's light and airy, disarming viewers with undertones of innocence that make violent scenes feel increasingly horrific. It's rare for the music to define a film, so the fact that I can't imagine Near Dark without Tangerine Dream's score is a testament to their accomplishment as musicians. The sound engineers in charge of the effects and environmental sounds did an equally commendable job on this mid-80's production, creating several rousing action sequences that ooze tension. For example, listen to the dynamic surround use during the bar massacre or the western style last-stand in the desert motel. Bullets zing across the sound field, shattered glass originates in a dominant speaker before diffusing out to the remaining surrounds, and there are even two sequences that make use of your subwoofer with a booming LFE channel. Unfortunately, the roses and sunshine end in the transition to a discussion of the dialogue. I noticed several scenes where the dialogue volume drops below ideal levels, making it extremely difficult to decipher the conversation between characters. A perfect example occurs in the opening minute of the film, when Caleb pulls up to a bar for a verbal altercation with his friend. It's not bad enough to alter the entertainment value of the film, but does reveal a chip in the armor of the lossless audio track.
Living in Darkness (480p, Linear PCM 2.0, 47:17 min): This lengthy supplement contains recent interviews with director Kathryn Bigelow, the film's producers and crew, as well as most of the major cast members. Beginning with the writing of the screenplay and the financing of the film, we're taken on a complete walk-through from the beginning of production through a discussion of the film's modern-day cult status. If you love Near Dark, this is not to be missed.
Deleted Scene with Director's Commentary (480p, Linear PCM2.0, 1:18 min): I'm surprised this scene was removed from the film, since it provides an interesting vampire viewpoint on nighttime vision (shot in black and white, the scene uses infrared technology to make the night look like day).
Rounding out the extras, we have two standard definition theatrical trailers for Near Dark (with 2-channel lossless audio).
In the case of most cult classics, the level of popularity achieved is based on a film's ability to differentiate itself from the norm. In that regard, Near Dark delivers in spades. Combining horror, action, romance, and cowboys -- the film offers an intriguing mixture of elements that on the surface seem to be a recipe for disaster, but in the capable hands of Kathryn Bigelow became a cohesive whole. If you've never seen the film, there's no better time to get your hands on a copy, though you should temper your expectations when considering the technical merits of this high-definition release.
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