7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more sane than they once thought.
Starring: Callie Hernandez, Tate Ellington, James Jordan, Lew Temple, Emily MontagueHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
It seems that every few months there’s a new viral social media meme where some “expert” has done his or her “calculations” and has stated absolutely, positively, definitely that this time (whenever “this time” is defined as being) the End of the World is most certainly coming. It’s gotten so prevalent that when someone recently posted one of these memes on Facebook, I responded on their thread, “Already? I just finished unpacking from the last Apocalypse.” That perhaps politically and/or religiously incorrect joke aside, The Endless purports to flirt with another kind of “end of the world” scenario, a subset of eschatological musings that has its own flirtations with popular culture, namely a so-called “UFO cult” that has been awaiting an “ascension”. This particular plot element has a basis in real life, as those who remember reading about a cult bearing the name of a certain legendary (not necessarily in a good way) film may recall, but science fiction literature has been stuffed full of similar storylines for untold decades, with many of the stories hinging on the disconnect between the perhaps inherent unbelievability that some Mother Ship is waiting to transport the faithful and that very faith that believers need to sustain their reason for banding together and looking skyward so much. The Endless has a lot of interesting elements, including the dialectic between faith and skepticism, but what kind of ironically provides some of the most visceral impact in this feature is not the whole UFO aspect but instead the interrelationship between two brothers, Justin (Justin Benson) and Aaron Smith (Aaron Moorhead). The fact that Benson and Moorhead not only star (not to mention play characters with their given names), but also co-direct and co-produce, with Benson providing the screenplay and Moorhead providing the cinematography, may lead some to come to the hasty conclusion that The Endless is a “mere” vanity project. Now, there’s probably no arguing that certain aspects of this film fit pretty snugly into whatever “vanity project” means nowadays, but there’s a rather audaciously ambitious quality to The Endless that deserves attention, if not always (and forgive this truly religiously incorrect pun) rapture.
The Endless is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.38:1. Once again the IMDb comes up empty in the technical specs department, but your intrepid reviewer tracked down this interview with Benson and Moorhead where they discuss (mostly) using the Red Dragon for the shoot. I assume this was finished at a 2K DI, and the results are consistently interesting, if also variable (I assume intentionally so) in terms of color temperature, saturation, and even sharpness and detail levels. There's some really interesting grading going on that I think may subliminally hint at some subtext (I'm trying really hard not to give anything away), with colors drained and a kind of dreamlike quality to everything. But there are moments when the palette looks relatively natural and actually quite warm, with some appealing if kind of dusty tones. Detail levels tend to be quite good throughout the presentation, at least when some of the special effects (like the weird reflective refractions) or lighting conditions don't offer obstacles. I personally wouldn't have minded a bit more clearly defined contrast, especially in some of the dusty, sunlit outdoor scenes, where a kind of haze intrudes at times. Most refreshingly, I noticed no major issues with banding on this Well Go USA release.
The Endless isn't a "slam bang" science fiction offering from a sound design standpoint, and so audiophiles should set their expectation meters accordingly for the quite nicely done DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. A lot of the effects here are spooky if subtle, with sudden flurries of sonic energy surrounding things like mysterious flocks of birds or seemingly "unprovoked" gusts of winds through trees. There's a lot of dialogue in the film, but quite a bit of it takes place outside, and so there's pretty consistent placement of ambient environmental effects throughout the surround channels. Fidelity is fine throughout, and there are no issues with damage, distortion or dropouts.
- Michael Felker, The Editor (1080p; 2:58)
- Outtakes (1080p; 10:04)
- The Garage (1080p; 00:31)
- Goats (1080p; 1:19)
- Beer Guys (1080p; 00:47)
- Happiness (1080p; 1:43)
- The Walls It Constructs (1080p; 00:51)
- The Trailer (1080p; 00:47)
- Brotherly Walk (1080p; 00:54)
- Casting
- Smiling Dave (1080p; 2:59)
- Aaron (1080p; 1:32)
- Vinny's Story (1080p; 9:02)
- Breaking the News (1080p; 3:05)
- UFO Cult Comedy (1080p; 3:26)
The Endless has become something of a cult item itself since its release, and if nothing else it proves what two exuberant young filmmakers can do with a micro budget. Certain elements of the film, including some of the denizens of Camp Arcadia, may be a tad too precious for the film's own good, and I'm frankly not completely convinced the story's attempts at a kind of Boolean structure ever completely make sense and/or pay off, but there's an increasing sense of unease that builds throughout the film and the relationship between the brothers is nicely developed. Technical merits are strong, the supplementary package very enjoyable, and The Endless comes Recommended.
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1988
1957
Enemy From Space
1957
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1978
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1958
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1990
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2013