6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
At a high school in small-town Ohio, a few students, including an introverted photographer and a charismatic drug dealer, begin to suspect their teachers are under the control of mind-controlling alien parasites. Outnumbered and endangered, they must fight to save their school, their town, and the world.
Starring: Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn HatosyHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 28% |
Teen | 17% |
Mystery | 9% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Aliens are taking over our school.
Everyone's just a little weird in high school. Some more than others -- depending upon one's definition of "weird," of course -- but high
school
just seems like a breeding ground for all kinds, including but not limited to the "sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies,
dickheads," and even a few "righteous dudes." Why not add in "aliens" to that mix? No, that's not including Trekkies, illegal immigrants,
Astronomy Club members, and that group
that comes dressed as Stromtroopers every Halloween. How about real aliens, the kind with tentacles and a queen leader, the sort that
disguise in human form and prey on all sorts of high school weirdoes regardless of gender, race, age, religion, sexual preference, grades, popularity,
or
any other criteria. No wonder they don't fit in! Director Robert Rodriguez's (Desperado) The Faculty takes a brooding but amusing look
into
one high school's bout with an alien takeover. Things look grim, but can the shy new girl, the super-smart dope dealer, the nerdy photographer, the
closed-off lesbian, the jock who's tired of being the jock, and the prom queen newspaper editor band together, sort out the truth, weed the E.T.'s
from the school, and get things back to the status quo that nobody really likes but that at least doesn't implant alien parasites into the cranium?
Get some.
The Faculty has been absorbed onto Blu-ray with a proficient, but not exactly eye-popping, 1080p Blu-ray transfer framed at 1.85:1. Largely, the image retains a bit of grain, though there are some scenes that look a bit pasty and smoothed out. The norm, however, finds solid details all over the frame, whether facial nuances, clothing textures, or all sorts of worn-down elements around the school building interiors, including chipped paint around door frames, graffiti on bathroom walls, and the well-used wear-and-tear look of a school in an early state of disrepair. Brighter scenes reveal good, balanced colors as seen on natural greenery, clothing, and interior school paint. On the flip side, darker scenes appear murky and devoid of precision shadow detail. However, skin tones do remain largely neutral. The image suffers from little-to-no banding and blocking. A few light and sporadic pops are the only signs of print wear. This isn't a splendid, perfect transfer by any means, but fans should enjoy this rather good-looking release from Echo Bridge.
The Faculty gathers three soundtracks for its Blu-ray debut, chief amongst them an active, loud, and energized DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless affair. Music blares from the speakers, enjoying an evident potency but not at the expense of clarity. The track isn't the most finely-tuned in existence, but Rock notes blaze from the fronts and, to a lesser extent, the supporting rears with the sort of definition listeners expect of a quality lossless offering. The track makes excellent use of the surrounds in creating the school atmosphere, too. Busy hallways with chatty students, ringing bells, and intercom announcements transport listeners to the locale. Ambient thunder rumbles and rolls on a few occasions, and football crashes and pyrotechnics explode into the listening area near the end. Dialogue is steady and accurate, never struggling to overcome overly loud and aggressive supporting elements. This is a fun, full, animated sonic affair that's a fine match for the movie's combination dark and playful tone.
Oddly (even for an Echo Bridge title; this is one of their biggest Miramax acquisitions) and regrettably, this Blu-ray release of The Faculty contains no extra content. The menu screen features that awful Echo Bridge vomit-tinted overlay.
The Faculty might very well have been a far lesser picture considering all the cliché, a lack of dramatic twists, and a fairly typical finale, but consider a strong group of well-writen core characters, quality acting from a diverse and well-known cast, and Director Robert Rodriguez's uncanny ability to craft a movie of more verve and rhythm than the garden-variety filmmaker, and suddenly The Faculty ascends from passable time-killer sort of fare to a defining movie in its sub-genre. It won't go down as classic Science Fiction or Horror, but it's amongst the best of its kind of its era and a consistently entertaining little venture that stands up to multiple viewings and the test of time. Unfortunately, Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release lacks bonus features, but it does offer solid video and audio. Considering the relatively low asking price, the Blu-ray technical quality, and the strength of the picture, this one comes with a firm recommendation to buy.
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