6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
With the impending Y2K apocalypse fast approaching, Abbie is faced with the ultimate challenge - the unbeatable level 256 on Pac-Man - and he can't get off the couch until he conquers it. A survival story set in a living room.
Starring: Joshua Burge, David DastmalchianDark humor | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (A, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray courtesy of Powerhouse Films' Relaxer Limited Edition release, which also includes writer and director Joel Potrykus' earlier feature Buzzard on a bonus Blu-ray disc.
Those who have had a bit of "home alone time" lately (ahem) and may have explored various nooks and crannies of the world wide web may have
gone down various rabbit holes on well trafficked internet sites like YouTube, finding all sorts of arcana in the process. Some lucky pioneers may
therefore have stumbled across this hilarious video from the so-called “Onion News Network” detailing the (then) new arrival of a game supposedly called
World of World of Warcraft, where players could play a player playing the game (just watch the video if it isn’t clear). The haplessness of
some
of the people ostensibly profiled in this short but funny piece might make them perfect characters to insert into either of the films by Joel Potrykus
which Powerhouse Films has assembled in this Limited Edition release. If the gaming aspect of the Onion News parody might make the connection
to
Relaxer most secure, the same kind of “loser slacker” character at the center of that film is also part and parcel of Potrykus’ earlier
Buzzard, also included in this release. Both films can be generally discomfiting, simply because the characters are so maladjusted,
but
each film also offers black humor in droves, and so may appeal to those who actually do peek out of their (parents’?) basements long
enough to take a withering glance at the “real” world on occasion.
Relaxer is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Powerhouse Films' Anti-Worlds imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Shot with Arri Alexas (according to the IMDb) and presumably finished at a 2K DI, Relaxer , kind of like Abbie himself, can't quite escape the confines of a drab and dreary apartment, and as such there are several sequences in the film that suffer from a fair amount of murk, where detail levels can ebb and fine detail in particular can be variable. In brighter lighting situations, and in some close-ups, things perk up considerably in terms of detail, but the palette here is often pretty neutral looking. I noticed no compression anomalies.
Relaxer features an LPCM 2.0 track that supports the films pretty basic sound design perfectly well. The entire film plays out in Abbie's apartment, and a lot of the film simply deals with Abbie attempting to play the game while planted firmly on his couch, and so the soundtrack is not especially exciting in and of itself. Dialogue and occasional effects are rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
- The Ludivico Treatment (1990) (HD; 1:39)
- The Ludivico Testament (1998) (HD; 4:09)
- Coyote (2010) (HD; 24:10)
- Heavier Than Air Flying Machines: Follicle Gang (Green) (2011) (HD; 2:05)
- Test Market 447b (2019) (HD; 1:46)
Relaxer is a completely peculiar film, and Potrykus and Burge obviously have a collaborationist spirit that is often quite unique and interesting. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplementary package very well done, for those who are considering a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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