Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

The Dark Side of the Moon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 5, 2019

Legend has it that if you put The Dark Side of the Moon in your Blu-ray player, press Play but keep the sound turned off, and then boot up a CD of the original soundtrack of The Wizard of Oz to start at exactly the same time, the two properties line up in incredible, almost magical, ways. That’s right, isn’t it? Of course, I joke, but The Dark Side of the Moon’s very title is obviously going to remind a lot of people of Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon, despite a complete lack of connection between the two other than their titles. The Dark Side of the Moon was evidently a straight to video release back in 1990, when the film's timeframe of 2022 probably seemed far enough way to feel "futuristic". 2022 is considerably closer now, making some of the film's plot points, like common space travel, seem a little, well, optimistic.

The Dark Side of the Moon details the travails of an intrepid group of explorers manning a so-called "refab" spaceship called Spacecore 1 which is tasked with refurbishing nuclear defense satellites orbiting the earth. The film kind of echoes Star Trek: The Motion Picture in at least one way by having the astronauts discover a long lost NASA artifact, but the film also reminded me of the recently reviewed The Chill Factor, in that an element of possession also works its way into the plot mechanics, with (as expected) various crew members succumbing (in more ways than one). Some science fiction fans may also have a bit of deja vu if they're fans of Event Horizon. Obviously shot on a miniscule budget, The Dark Side of the Moon actually offers an above average cast and a couple of reasonably spooky moments. The screenplay, by the Hayes Brothers (The Conjuring), probably tries to stuff a few too many sidebars into the proceedings, including everything from the Book of Revelation to the Bermuda Triangle.

The Dark Side of the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Dark Side of the Moon is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of MVD Visual and Unearthed Classics, an imprint of Unearthed Films, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. The back cover of the release touts a "newly restored 4K transfer" without providing any other technical specifications. This is often quite striking looking, with good detail levels in more brightly lit moments, and some really good fine detail levels in any number of extreme close-ups. The palette is nicely suffused, and some of the minimal effects, including lots of reptilian like eye inserts, can look rather creepy. There is a lot of very dimly lit material in this film, and detail levels understandably lessen in these moments. There are passing issues with crush in some of the darkest moments. Grain is in evidence throughout the presentation, but the encode seems to be somewhat variable, with occasionally slightly pixellated, even shiny, looking grain. Despite whatever "restoration" this underwent, eagle eyed videophiles will still spot occasional signs of age related wear and tear, though nothing that I personally would term major in any way. My score is 4.25.

The Dark Side of the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two LPCM 2.0 tracks available on this release, one listed as "vintage", which has noticeably more anemic amplitude as well as more evident signs of age related wear and tear. What I am assuming is the restored track is the disc's default, and provides a nicely energetic accounting of the film's soundtrack, which, like the entire production, was probably hobbled by less than fulsome funding. The synth laden score washes quite nicely through the soundstage, and dialogue and effects are delivered cleanly and clearly without any problems whatsoever.

The Dark Side of the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with Executive Producer Paul White and Stephen Biro can be accessed under the Setup Menu.


• Interview with Actor Alan Blumenfield (1080i; 39:43)


• Interview with Makeup Special Effects Artist. R. Christopher Biggs (1080i; 35:19)


• Interview with Stuntman Chuck Borden (1080i; 20:58)


• Budget Breakdown (1080p; 1:02) scrolls slowly (so have your Pause button on your remote handy if you want to peruse some line item). This is a rather fascinating little document for those who wonder about where the money goes.


• Stills Gallery (1080p; 1:36)


• Trailers includes The Dark Side of the Moon (1080p; 1:58), along with trailers for several other Unearthed Films releases.

Note: All of the interviews look like they've been culled from a webcast.

A nicely appointed insert booklet is also included.

The Dark Side of the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Dark Side of the Moon is kind of unashamedly lo-fi, but for fans of this kind of entertainment redolent of the VHS era, the film gets the job done and provides a couple of okay jolts along the way. Unearthed Classics has provided a release with generally strong technical merits and some enjoyable supplements, for those considering a purchase.