6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Focuses on a mysterious massacre that occurs in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) one rainy day. Twenty armed soldiers at a guard post have been mysteriously killed. One is left alive, but unconscious. The Defense Ministry dispatches an investigation team. Sergeant Major Noh Seong-gyu is given 24 hours to find the body of Yu Jeong-woo, who was in command of the guard post.
Starring: Chun Ho-jin, Cho Jin-woong, Park Won-sang, Kyu-Hwan ChoiForeign | 100% |
Horror | 65% |
Thriller | 14% |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1
Korean: Dolby Digital 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A deadly virus turns a small border post upside down in South Korean helmer Su-chang
Kong’s “The Guard Post” (2008). An abundance of graphic imagery and red paint will surely
entice horror-junkies, but the picture has much more to offer. Distributed by UK-based
Showbox Media.
Somewhere on the South Korean-North Korean border. A military unit is dispatched to check
on a small border facility where something terrible has happened – someone has massacred
its staff. When the unit arrives the first thing they see is Corporal Kang (Young-hoon Lee),
naked and covered with blood, holding an axe. A medic in a severe shock is also discovered
but he is unable to speak immediately.
Sergeant Noh (Ho-jin Jeon), the unit’s commander, has only a few hours to solve the
mystery. He must report back to his superiors at 6.00 AM on the following day and explain
exactly what caused the killings at the border post. Things get real messy when the newly-
arrived soldiers are infected with a deadly virus.
Infected
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a
1080p transfer The Guard Post arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors
Showbox.
This is the second release I've seen from Showbox-Cineasia now, the first one being the
Thai martial arts film Chocolate, and, once again, I like the video treatment quite a
bit. The film is very dark and by all means extremely graphic. There is plenty of gore here
and the camera certainly does not shy away from showing as much of it as possible.
Strangely enough, lighting is minimal. A lot of the action taking place inside the military
facility for example is veiled in darkness, and it takes awhile to get used to it. This being
said, however, clarity and contrast are, in my opinion, of very good quality. Once my eyes
got used to the specific look the makers of The Guard Post opted for, it was much
easier to follow the story. Furthermore, edge-enhancement and macroblocking were not an
issue of concern either. The color-scheme is also pleasing – the blacks are deep and lush,
and the blues, in a number of different varieties, convincing. Finally, I noticed a few tiny
specks here and there but they were not something that detracted from my viewing
experience. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc which you will be able to play on
your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 and Korean Dolby Digital 2.0. Well, first of all I am a bit surprised that the The Post Guard has not received a DTS-HD MA track, I am unsure why there isn't one here. This being said, the Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 track is actually quite good – there is plenty of action in the rear channels (especially during the shooting scenes inside the military facility) and the dialog is exceptionally clear. The bass is also potent and I can only imagine how well The Post Guard would have sounded with a DTS-HD MA mix. As it is, I am simply missing that high-quality resonance HD audio mixes deliver. For the record, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or dropouts. I also wish to note that the English subtitles are fixed, meaning that you won't be able to turn them off with your remote control.
On this Blu-ray disc you will find a story board, a trailer gallery, and three featurettes (all in standard-PAL): The Briefing Room, The Barracks, and Guard Post - Head Office. The majority of the content here addresses the production values of the project as well as the manner in which everything was put together. I'd recommend taking a look at Guard Post-Head Office.
I wasn't sure what to expect from Su-chang Kong's The Guard Post. Prior to receiving this disc, I did a little bit of research to find out exactly what I would be seeing and, suffice to say, the overwhelming amount of the comments I read about the film were very misleading. This is not a straightforward "zombie picture" at all, it is a film about morality and fear told in a rather colorful fashion (red being the key color).
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