6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
According to an ancient Chinese myth on the full moon of the seventh lunar month the gates of hell open and the dead are freed to roam among the living. While honeymooning in China, a young couple takes part in a sacred event that honors these spirits. As night falls, their tour guide abandons them in a desolate field. Now what they thought was a joke is becoming far too real as they fight to survive the night of the Seventh Moon.
Starring: Tim Chiou, Amy Smart, Dennis ChanHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 1.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Ghost House Underground is a production company established by Sam Raimi (director of Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell, The Spiderman Trilogy and many more) and Rob Tapert (producing partner on most Sam Raimi films) to help promote independent horror films from up-and-coming directors in the genre. Established in 2007, the label has released a total of eight films up through September of 2009, averaging four horror releases per year. For 2009, the prolific filmmaking duo hand-selected four new entries that mark the production company’s initial foray into the Blu-ray format. Not that I’m going in any specific order, but the third film I’ve chosen from the series is an intense edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that proves style over substance can be a winning formula. Seventh Moon may not be a glossy production, but if The Blair Witch Project taught us anything, it’s that we no longer need a high body count and gore to generate a terrifying experience.
Not a good time to get your car stuck in the mud.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 18Mbps) Seventh Moon has a dismal visual presentation, but it's difficult to differentiate between deficiencies in the source material and the transfer itself. Shot using hand-held video cameras, the gritty style of the cinematography is almost neasea-inducing, as the camerawork constantly sways and bobs all over the place. Add in a heavy dose of film grain, a propensity for ill-defined facial close-ups, and a lack of focus when the undead creatures appear, and this is obviously not a film that was ever meant to look pretty. As if that weren't bad enough, black levels appear weak during a large portion of the runtime, and contrast struggles to differentiate between various shades in the picture. Naturally, this lead to a loss of shadow detail, making it difficult to tell if there's something lurking in the background. Despite my overall disappointment in the picture quality of this release, this is most likely an accurate representation of the source material, which only demonstrates fleeting moments of high-definition clarity. I've certainly seen worse on Blu-ray, but Seventh Moon just earned a spot near the bottom.
Now this is what a horror film should sound like. Presented in DTS HD-MA 5.1, Seventh Moon has a subtle audio track that relies heavily on things that go bump in the night. Whether it's the snap of a twig or the sound of approaching footsteps, the audio presentation does an excellent job of separating each minor element to draw the viewer into the young couple's plight. You'll feel as if you're running side by side with Melissa and Yul, or sitting in the car as the undead monsters rain their fists down around you. Equally impressive is the incorporation of music, which remains light and airy aside from several punctuated moments when the action really picks up. In the same vein, I enjoyed the musical numbers immensely, since they really add to the sense of dread that permeates the film. The dialogue on the audio track is also decent, demonstrating a nice balance with the rest of the elements in the mix (though there are still several moments when it seems a little less pronounced or flat). Those random moments could be a result of microphone placement during the recording of the dialogue, so I'm not entirely sure this is a deficiency in the audio replication on the disc.
To summarize, I was pleasantly surprised with the strengths in the audio experience, which surpass the expectations I'd typically have for a low-budget film with a documentary style.
Ghosts of Hong Kong: The Making of Seventh Moon (1080i, PCM 2.0, 11:45 min): Lacking narration, this supplement contains clips of the crew working on costumes, sets, fight choreography, and various other aspects of the production.
The Pale Figures (1080i, PCM 2.0, 5:20 min): Narrated by Ed Sanchez, this extra focuses on the creation of the ghostly figures, and the make-up/costume work required in generating the spooky monsters.
Mysteries of the Seventh Lunar Month (1080i, PCM 2.0, 7:38 min): This brief retro film looks and sounds like something you'd see in your high school biology class. It details the mythology behind the "hungry ghosts" depicted in the film.
Rounding out the extras, there's a standard definition trailer for Seventh Moon, a video collection promoting the Ghost House film series (standard definition), theatrical trailers for other Lionsgate releases, and an audio commentary with Ed Sanchez (writer/director) and Amy Smart (actress playing Melissa). The commentary track focuses heavily on their experiences during the film shoot and the various tricks Sanchez used to create the effects he was going for.
Despite my enjoyment of the film, I'm having a rough time deciding whether it's a worthy recommendation on the Blu-ray format. On the one hand, you have a suspenseful film that's easy to recommend for a single viewing. But on the other hand, the sketchy visual presentation and several glaring plot holes will definitely become more noticeable on multiple viewings. As such, I'd give this an easy recommendation as a rental, but suggest you hold off on a purchase until the price is right.
2018
2018
곤지암
2018
1990
1948
Restored Edition
1981
2016
2001
Clive Barker's Book of Blood
2009
2006
Uncut and Uncensored
2009
2013
2015
2005
Slipcover in Original Pressing
2002
2012
2010
2013
2006
2012