6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A parable of rebirth, in which a middle class couple are subjected to an horrific assault, and embark on a spree of random violence themselves in an attempt to allow themselves to recover by negating their own consciences.
Starring: Gillian Anderson, Danny Dyer, Adam Rayner, Ralph Brown (I), Gugu Mbatha-RawHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 97% |
Drama | 39% |
Psychological thriller | 33% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080/50i
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Dan Reed's "Straightheads" (2007) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Verve Pictures. The supplemental features on the disc include an audio commentary with director Dan Reed, Gillian Anderson and Danny Dyer; behind the scenes featurette; cast and crew interviews; deleted scenes; and original theatrical trailer. Not subtitled in English. Region-B "locked". Please be advised that the film contains disturbing footage that is not appropriate for minors!
I shall have some fun with you tonight
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i50 transfer, Dan Reed's Straightheads arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Verve Pictures.
Considering that Straightheads was shot in Super 16, I think that the transfer actually looks quite good. There are some contrast fluctuations, especially during the first half of the film, but I believe that they are inherited and not related to the manner in which the film was transferred to Blu-ray. Clarity is pleasing, but, again, there are certain limitations with the nighttime footage that are quite obvious. Some of the indoor scenes also look soft, especially where light is limited. The film's color-scheme is unproblematic - greens, blues, browns and grays look natural. Edge-enhancement is also not a serious issue of concern. Mild digital noise, however, is occasionally noticeable. Finally, I did not detect any heavy motion-judder while viewing the film. All in all, Straightheads is a low-budget film, and it clearly shows. However, there are no serious technical flaws with its Blu-ray treatment. (Note: This Blu-ray disc is encoded in 1080i50, a standard not supported by the overwhelming majority of Blu-ray players and TV sets in the U.S. Therefore, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting 1080i50 to 1080i60, or a native Region-B player and a TV set capable of displaying 1080i50 data, in order to access the disc's content in the U.S.)
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Verve Pictures have not provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
The English LPCM 2.0 track is decent. The dialog is clean, stable, and easy to follow. Some of the accents, however, are quite thick, so optional English subtitles should have been included. There are no serious issues with Ilan Eshkeri's modest score. Finally, I did not detect any pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review. (Note: The R1 SDVD release contains an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track, as well as optional English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean and Thai subtitles. While I am perfectly satisfied with the English LPCM 2.0 track found on this disc, I am not pleased to see yet another release by Verve Picture that lacks optional English subtitles for the main feature).
Interviews: Director Dan Reed addresses specific scenes from the film, the main characters, how the film came to exist, etc. Gillian Anderson talks about her character and the memorable party scene. Finally, Danny Dyer talks about the character he plays and working with Gillian Anderson. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).
Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for the film. (2 min).
Deleted scenes - a gallery of deleted scenes with optional commentary by cast and crew members. (30 min).
Behind the scenes - raw footage from the party (selected B-roll). (8 min).
Commentary - an audio commentary with director Dan Reed, Gillian Anderson and Danny Dyer. This is a rather casual commentary with some hilarious comments from Gillian Anderson. Interestingly enough, she kept her British accents after the film was done. Go figure.
Straightheads is a low-budget British thriller that truly is as brutal as advertised. Gillian Anderson and Danny Dyer are convincing in the film, but I doubt they would ever go back to shooting something even remotely similar to it. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Verve Pictures, looks and sounds good. It is, however, encoded in 1080i50 and Region-B "locked". RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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