6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
Horror icon Tony Todd (Clive Barker's Candyman series) delivers his most powerful and evil performance as Shadow, an executed and resurrected serial killer who invades a women's prison in search of the girl known only as Solitaire (Carla Greene)! Solitaire senses her impending doom and prepares to single-handedly take on Shadow and his army of zombies in a supernatural martial arts showdown!
Starring: Tony Todd, Carla Greene, Nina Hodoruk, Michael Quinlan, Erin Brown (XI)Horror | 100% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Music: Dolby Digital 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Exploitation cinema encompasses such a wide genre that it almost feels lazy to classify a film in that manner. Popularized by the grind house theaters of the 60’s and 70’s, audiences were introduced to a more extreme form of filmmaking, unencumbered by the conservative limits of most Hollywood studios. Unfortunately, as the number of small, locally-owned theaters began to dwindle, exploitation filmmakers lost the ability to bring their cinematic creations to a marketable audience. In the present day, most film-goers lack the exposure to exploitation films of prior decades, but might unknowingly stumble onto the occasional modern day creation that fits the mold. Chances are you’ve seen an exploitation film courtesy of Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino, but true fans of the genre have to work a little harder to find fresh blood in the underappreciated genre. If you count yourself among the small segment of individuals that dig the extreme nature of these films, you’ve likely heard a thing or two about a recent entry titled Shadow: Dead Riot.
"Candyman...Candyman...Candyman"
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 18Mbps), Shadow: Dead Riot is a feast for the eyes (no pun intended) despite some occasional problems. Taking into account every aspect of the transfer, I'd say the greatest strength is the level of detail on display. We're never really sure what to expect from a low-budget productions, but the source material is far better than I expected. Individual strands of hair rarely exhibit a tendency to blend together, and most facial textures are far more revealing than some of the actresses would likely prefer. Unfortunately, the increased level of detail also has a downside, since the cheesy gore effects are even less realistic in 1080p. From a color standpoint, the film appears a bit washed out, with a suspected use of brightness boosting. It's not bad enough to detract from the viewing experience, but results in less than stellar contrast and black level depth (the screenshot of the two women by the bunk beds should serve as a good example). Those of you with an appreciation for the grainy quality of grind house cinema will appreciate the gritty cinematography of the "zombie uprising" portion of the film, but it also ushers in a noticeable dip in the quality of the presentation (which lasts through the final thirty minutes of the film).
In the end, the Blu-ray version of Shadow: Dead Riot offers a substantial upgrade over the DVD release, but won't come close to stacking up with a glossy Hollywood horror film.
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English audio track is fairly good despite the noticeably low-budget nature of the sound design. Matching the over-the-top elements of the actual film, the audio presentation is riddled with jump-inducing audio cues, generic heavy-metal musical numbers, and hilarious martial arts effects. To fully appreciate the audio on the film, you should already exhibit a gravitation toward cheesy horror effects (flesh ripping, bones breaking, etc) and kung-fu cinema. If you don't enjoy those elements, part of the nostalgic feel will be lost and you'll walk away feeling somewhat disappointed. Moving on to the actual proficiency of the track (no longer considering the questionable quality of the original sound design), I was relatively pleased with Tokyo Shock's effort in delivering a satisfactory audio experience. First and foremost, the level of clarity in the various elements that comprise the overall track is above average. I never detected any distortion or hiss throughout the length of the film, and the dialogue rarely appeared flat or muffled (despite the unimpressive delivery methods of the sub-par acting). The volume balance between the dialogue, music and effects demonstrated appropriate weight depending on the requirements of each scene, allowing you to kick back and soak up every blood-drenched minute, without worrying about missing aspects of the dialogue.
In summary, the audio experience is good for what it is, but you'll need to temper your expectations to match the film's low-budget roots.
Standing in the Shadow of "Shadow" (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 57:25 min): This surprisingly in-depth supplement contains interviews with the cast and crew, along with footage from the set. There are a wide range of topics addressed throughout the featurette (special effects, casting, stunts, sound, etc), but the primary focus centers on the themes at the core of the film. Considering the low-budget nature of the film itself, this extra is an impressive addition from Tokyo Shock.
Deleted Scenes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 7:44 min): Just in case you didn't see enough nudity in the film itself, this collection contains two extended shower sequences, along with several other extensions/deletions that don't really add to the film.
A Tale of Two Zombies (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 3:47 min): This brief segment contains interviews with two zombie actors that originally appeared in Zombie 2 and Night of the Living Dead (and naturally ended up with roles in this film). They both tell stories about their involvement in the iconic horror classics, and describe what it was like to work with Lucio Fulci and George Romero.
Audition Reel (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 8:04 min): As the title implies, this extra contains clips from the auditions with the female cast members (including several hilarious martial arts segments).
Rounding out the extras, we have a music video for "Style Wars" from Jean Grae (480p), a standard definition grindhouse trailer for Shadow: Dead Riot, and standard definition trailers for three other films (The Oracle, Flesheater: Revenge of the Living Dead, and Flesh for the Beast).
Sitting through Shadow: Dead Riot requires a specific taste that I apparently don't possess. I've always enjoyed the horror genre, and typically find enough positives in exploitation cinema to warrant a recommendation. However, everything in the film became far too ridiculous by the hour mark, and I eventually lost interest in the plight of the female characters. Blame the lack of focus, the ridiculous pacing changes, or the amateur production values, but I lacked the patience to maintain a positive assessment of the film. If you feel any shred of temptation to give this disc a spin, I'd recommend a rental prior to a purchase.
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