6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
Emily Crane is fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, and takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. One day her attention is drawn to a noisy argument being conducted largely in German in a neighbouring house, the more so since one of those involved is her main senator prosecutor. Starting to look into things, she gradually enlists the help of FBI officer Cochran who was initially detailed to check her out...
Starring: Kelly McGillis, Jeff Daniels, Mandy Patinkin, Jessica Tandy, James RebhornPeriod | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.67:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Before her career came to an inexplicable stop in the 1990s, actress Kelly McGillis had an interesting run. With “Top Gun” and “Witness,” McGillis achieved tremendous box office awareness, and with “The Accused,” critical raves followed. A few duds were encountered, including “Made in Heaven” and “Winter People,” and there was 1988’s “The House on Carroll Street,” which offered McGillis a more action-oriented role in a throwback thriller. While a bit out of her league in the picture, the star manages the tepid twists and turns of the screenplay with some degree of grace, dutifully working through director Peter Yates’s modest design for thrills and chills. “The House on Carroll Street” wasn’t a hit back in the day (stiff competition included Richard Pryor’s “Moving” and 11th week of “Good Morning, Vietnam”), and it’s not especially interesting, but it remains a curiosity, reminding viewers of a time when Hollywood was investing in the Kelly McGillis brand name, trying to transform a character actress into a leading lady.
The AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation isn't a particularly robust viewing experience, but original cinematographic intentions are largely respected. It's a softer picture at times, going for mood, but detail remains, helping to identify period details and decoration, finding interiors open for study, while facial particulars are preserved. Fabrics also display some degree of texture. Colors hold up well, with a clean survey of primaries, with the most potent pushing through costuming and greenery. Skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable, never solidifying when challenged by low-lit adventures. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is in encouraging shape, without any significant damage.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix takes some initial volume boosting to achieve a comfortable level of engagement, registering a tad too quiet at first. Once levels are set, dramatics come through with purpose, finding dialogue exchanges satisfactory, isolating whispered threats and bolder moments of public panic. Scoring is secure, offering instrumentation and support without overwhelming the track. Atmospherics aren't particularly pronounced, but they maintain position, exploring outdoor interactions and crowd bustle, displaying a little extra oomph during the train station climax. No pronounced hiss was detected.
"The House on Carroll Street" certainly has the ambition to achieve a more spectacular sense of tension. The production is terribly motivated to wind up the picture, and the ingredients are there, following Emily as she spies dastardly deeds, evades assassination attempts, and even encounters a bomb threat. And yet, the feature retains a steady heart rate, rarely working up a sweat. Yates doesn't hustle, electing to treat "The House on Carroll Street" as a product of its era, dialing down intensity to respect PG-rated thriller traditions. It feels like a missed opportunity.
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