5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
An ancient genie is released from a lamp when thieves ransack an old woman's house. They are killed and the lamp is moved to a museum to be studied. The curator's daughter is soon possessed by the genie and invites her friends to spend the night at the museum, along with some uninvited guests. The genie kills them off in an attempt to fulfill her ultimate wish.
Starring: Deborah Winters, James Huston, Andra St. Ivanyi, Scott Bankston (I), Red MitchellHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 8% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps)
BDInfo verified. 2nd track is the hidden "lossy" track.
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
1986’s “The Lamp” was slightly reworked for American audiences, turned into 1987’s “The Outing,” a more generic title for an endeavor that’s loaded with interesting oddity. Vinegar Syndrome restores the original film for this Blu-ray release (“The Outing” was previously issued by Shout Factory in 2015, with Jeffrey Kauffman covering the release), presenting fans with a chance to see the feature as it was intended, exploring the wrath of a malevolent jinn trapped in a lamp, waiting for his chance to strike as teenagers spend the night inside a museum of natural science. There’s a lot to process with the picture, which follows multiple characters with different motivations, and there’s a magical element to the endeavor, with a wish- granting genie transformed into a diabolical, supernatural presence. Director Tom Daley and screenwriter Warren Chaney don’t push too hard on the senses with the effort, sticking to slasher cinema formula as they invest ways to eliminate characters and cause on-screen mayhem. And they do a fine job of it, working with the weirdness of the material to deliver some decent grotesqueries and amusing personalities, keeping the production on the move.
Vinegar Syndrome provides a note about the release of "The Lamp," which uses an interpositive for the AVC encoded (1.85:1 aspect ratio), as the original negative couldn't be found. Short scene extensions were discovered during this hunt and have been placed back into the feature, creating brief "motion jump." While noticeable, it's not distracting, and allows Vinegar Syndrome to provide the "most complete version ever released," which should make fans of the film very happy. Softness is present during the viewing experience, but it's not oppressive, as detail emerges with skin surfaces and dimensional museum tours. The metallic and bejeweled appearance of the lamp remains textured, along with creature creations. Colors are compelling, with red rubies and period hues for teen fashion. Greenery is exact, and interior decoration provides appreciable primaries, along with dramatic lighting choices, including the greenish appearance of the jinn. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory, with a few overly dark moments. Grain is heavy and film-like. Source is in good condition, with some mild speckling and scratches.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix struggles some in the first reel, with volume levels fluctuating during the opening act. The track settles down as the film unfolds, offering secure dialogue exchanges and defined acts of panic as horror elements come into play. Scoring cues are supportive, with adequate instrumentation. Sound effects are more pronounced, surveying violent acts of jinn-based fury, including elements of fire and wind. Mild hiss is present.
"The Lamp" isn't sharply constructed, but it's relatively well-acted for this type of endeavor (Winters is wonderfully committed to her part, managing lovesickness with educator fury), and the kills are interesting, eventually working with museum artifacts to increase the strangeness of the jinn's powers. There's not much effort put into the writing to challenge slasher predictability, but the setting and the enemy are compellingly oddball, helping "The Lamp" to stay memorable while the producers try to remain with genre trends.
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