Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		2.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Salem Witch Trials Blu-ray Movie Review

A lumbering miniseries makes for a subpar Blu-ray release.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 5, 2010

How did this happen here?

History is wrought with misguided beliefs, oddball curiosities, and downright shameful episodes. Or so they appear in 2010. That's not to lend credence to something like the Salem Witch Trials, but history is best understood when looked at from two angles, namely how the events were viewed when they occurred and how they would be interpreted -- or even allowed to happen -- in contemporary society. Episodes like the Salem Witch Trials make people today roll their eyes, laugh out loud, and wonder how people could have been so ignorant, misguided, and confused. Conversely, those people from the 1691 Puritan colony would no doubt gaze upon the current state of the world and roll their eyes, laugh out loud, and wonder how people could be so ignorant, misguided, and confused. History then was, now is, and in the future will be seen through the lens of a set of beliefs and a knowledge base that's reflective of the times; The Salem Witch Trials, a 2003 made-for-TV miniseries, strives to take viewers back in time for a look at one of the more confused and curiously fascinating happenings in American history and attempts to frame it squarely within the realm of the ideas and belief structures that shaped the event and allowed it to play out with the now-infamous deadly results.

World of Witchcraft.

Winter 1691. The Puritans have settled into the new colonies in the Americas, and their stout religious beliefs demand that sins be cleansed through public humiliation. Salem, already fearful of Indian attacks, begins to slowly unravel when a barn burns, the blaze suspected to have been started either by Indians or witches. Puritan mother Ann Putnam (Kirstie Alley, Look Who's Talking) has just given birth to her third stillborn child, and when she fails to find answers within the Puritan church, she turns to a local outcast and suspected witch, Bridgette Bishop (Shannon Lawson), for help. Meanwhile, the Putnam family is torn apart when Ann's husband Thomas (Jay O. Sanders) disapproves of his brother's marriage to a girl from the rival Porter family, adding to the tense atmosphere already hovering over the town. Around the same time, a group of young girls sees what they interpret to be demonic signs in their eggs; they suddenly behave as if they've been possessed by the devil and begin accusing local women of witchcraft. Their claims are taken seriously, with local reverend Samuel Parris (Henry Czerny) leading the charge against the accused, trying and hanging anyone and everyone that refuses to admit their supposed guilt.

As far as cut-rate miniseries go, The Salem Witch Trials falls somewhere in the bottom half of the pack. It's certainly nowhere near as good as it needs to be and it falters several times in its telling of what is an important story in the annals of American history; the picture never really finds its stride and often plays as either excessively goofy or terribly tedious in most every scene. Still, it gets a few things right, proves interesting enough through several stretches, and does a fair job of capturing the hysteria of the period. Like many other miniseries, though, The Salem Witch Trials takes a big idea, fills it with plenty of pseudo cinematic importance, and falls flat with its subpar direction and gross miscasting that emphasizes washed-up names like Kirstie Alley (who sticks out like a sore thumb in all of her scenes) and Rebecca De Mornay not for the good of the movie but for the sake of the advertising executives who need something with which to sell the film to the general public. The performances are consistently lifeless or overplayed (and several characters look far too much alike, sometimes making it difficult to keep the story straight), many coming off as downright goofy, but then again, these were downright goofy times.

Unfortunately, The Salem Witch Trials more often than not manages to play as unintentionally funny, even in many of those scenes that should be more gripping, frightening, and intense. The story often has a jumbled feel to it, and while the basics of the plot are readily apparent, the poor acting, characters that physically resemble one another, and lackluster direction all confuse and drag the movie down several notches. Indeed, Joseph Sargent's direction is workmanlike at best; he does little more than proficiently point and shoot while managing to maintain acceptable framing, with only a few shots feeling out-of-place, cramped, or otherwise poorly captured. The main problem, however, is that The Salem Witch Trials is just boring. There's little flow or energy to this three-hour marathon movie, and while the idea is ripe for a good film, this one, unfortunately, is not it. It's still worlds better than some of the other "big name actors in wannabe big miniseries" like 10.5 Apocalypse or Supernova; different styles and genres to be sure, but there's a similarity across the board in these types of films -- shoddy production values, dinosaurs cast in lead roles, and big ideas given low-rent films -- that make a comparison relevant. The Salem Witch Trials fares a bit better than some, but it's still one of those poorly-conceived and terribly-executed pictures that's better as a sleep aid than honest entertainment or, in this case, something of any historical or educational value.

Salem Witch Trials Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Viewers will judge this 1080i, 1.78:1-framed Blu-ray transfer of The Salem Witch Trials guilty of inconsistency. While it's never in the same league as more polished and refined visual treats from major studios and films with bigger budgets, it still squeezes out some nice-looking imagery, particularly during brighter daylight scenes where detail can appear fairly strong on wooden edifices, tree trunks, and grasses, but detail flounders in any scene that's less-than-vibrant. Coloring, too, proves far better in brighter scenes; hazy courtroom segments or darkened nighttime shots appear rather dull and feature muted colors. The transfer also suffers from heavy blooming, moderate banding, and some contrast fluctuations. Many shots appear unnaturally soft, though they admittedly exist amongst many sharper and more pleasant images. Blacks and flesh tones are fairly reproduced, and the transfer exhibits only minimal noise. This is a passable effort; viewers won't be taking this disc off the shelf to wow friends or indulge in some sweet eye candy, but it's a decent enough transfer for a budget-minded release.

Salem Witch Trials Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Salem Witch Trials arrives on Blu-ray with a PCM 2.0 soundtrack that's bland but capable on a very base level. Dialogue is sometimes uneven -- particularly during a few scenes early in the film -- spreading out too far off to the ends of the soundstage when the words should be focused up the middle rather than unnaturally echoing through the side speakers. Otherwise, dialogue is suitably clear with no other problematic annoyances. Additionally, various sound effects lack much authority; trotting horses and rolling carriages offer little more than a cursory thumping and rattling, the track never going above and beyond to deliver anything more than a basic sound that corresponds to the effect one would expect to hear accompanying a particular visual. Of course, there are no surround elements with the 2.0 mix, leaving atmospheric support to the front half of the soundstage where it's of limited effectiveness. This track certainly won't impress even the most forgiving of listeners, but it's good enough for both the movie and the disc's bargain pricing structure.

Salem Witch Trials Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplements are included.

Salem Witch Trials Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A wannabe big miniseries that's only another example of shoddy filmmaking and poor casting, The Salem Witch Trials is a lumbering spectacle of middling miniseries moviemaking and never really manages to do much more than bore the viewer. It does a decent job of capturing the hysteria of the trials and serves as a fair documentation of how excess paranoia and the lack of a more structured judicial system can be a harm to society, but the miserable casting, dull pacing, and lifeless direction only serve to obscure whatever positives exist. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of The Salem Witch Trials is proficient enough for a bargain-basement release. Featuring a serviceable technical presentation but no extras, the relatively cheap price will set the buyer back about the same amount as would a bottle of sleep aid pills, and there's absolutely no risk of dependence with The Salem Witch Trials.