Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.0

The Lazarus Effect Blu-ray Movie Review

DOA.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 17, 2015

Someone wasn’t paying attention to what happened after the good Doctor Frankenstein screamed, “It’s aliiiiive!” on that stormy night in the castle oh, so long ago. Needless to say, Frankenstein’s reanimated monster didn’t exactly go gentle into that good night, or in fact into that good day, for that matter, instead wreaking havoc (unintentionally, it must be added) and causing a general panic in the pitchfork and torches equipped populace. Men playing God, and specifically attempting to bring folks back from the dead, has been a long running trope in all sorts of media, and film is certainly no exception. While films like Frankenstein may revolve around a “monster,” other, more contemporary, fare like Flatliners have tended to exploit both a more putatively scientific as well as (subtextually at least) religious aspect in exploring this provocative concept. Alas, The Lazarus Effect is largely content to whip up scattered scares with hoary clichés like booming low frequency bombasts erupting on the soundtrack unexpectedly at any given moment. Otherwise, this largely forgettable feature is in fact dead on arrival.

If you’re old enough to recognize the name Barney Clark, you may understand some of the “medical” relevance of The Lazarus Effect’s early setup. Clark was the first “successful” human recipient of a Jarvik 7 artificial heart (at my alma mater, the University of Utah, I’d like to point out), a mechanical device that was implanted into his chest to allow doctors time to supposedly find a human heart as a replacement. That same idea —extending life long enough to find a cure for whatever is ailing an individual—is the motivating factor behind a team of scientists developing a serum which can in fact “reanimate” the dead, at least temporarily, giving doctors a little time to develop alternative therapies.

The surname of Mary Shelley’s immortal (sorry) doctor is perhaps winkingly alluded to in the first name of one of two scientists researching a serum code named Lazarus, a gooey white substance which has the ability to revive the recently deceased. That scientist is named Frank (Mark Duplass), a patently geeky guy who’s over the moon with all the technology at his disposal. Somewhat more philosophical about it all is Frank’s partner (professional and personal) Zoe (Olivia Wilde), a woman who tends to want to examine the moral underpinnings of “waking” those previously ensconced in supposed eternal sleep.

A rather long plot arc revolves around this pair, along with a small gaggle of acolytes, using the Lazarus serum to revive a dead dog. The dog does in fact jump back to life, but there’s something not quite right about the canine upon its return, with the beast showing increased aggression to the point that Clay (Evan Peters), one of the assistants helping with the project, actually outright references Cujo. Before that little snarling problem can be solved effectively, the scientists are informed their project is being shut down (by a nefarious pharmaceutical company, not that there’s any other kind in horror movies like this one). That leads them to try one more round of reanimation in secret, which is when all hell breaks loose when Zoe is accidentally electrocuted (in what might be another ironic reference to Frankenstein, with a lightning jolt killing rather than animating this time around).

It probably goes without saying that Frank decides to use the Lazarus serum on Zoe, and it’s also probably no big surprise that Zoe does in fact come back from the dead—or wherever she was “visiting” (cue overweening LFE and scary music). In fact it’s already been detailed that Zoe suffers from a recurring nightmare, something evidently tied to a tragedy in her childhood, a patently silly plot point that assumes some rather surprising (if ultimately needless) significance as the film unspools.

Much like the previously cute doggie, Zoe isn’t quite the same as she used to be upon her “reawakening,” and soon enough she’s evidencing signs of telepathy and even telekinesis. Oh, and just for good measure her eyes go completely black, because—well, just because. The last act of The Lazarus Effect goes Grand Guignol without apology, with Zoe marauding her way through the rest of the scientists for no good reason other than that horror films need a body count.

The Lazarus Effect is resolutely predictable (down to and including its final “sting”), but there are some scattered shocks and scares to be had. Unfortunately almost all of them are the result of tried and true tactics like jump cuts with attendant booming LFE. That’s one effect that will seemingly never die.

The Lazarus Effect Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Lazarus Effect is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. According to the IMDb, The Lazarus Effect was shot digitally with a Sony CineAlta F65, with a 4K source format (downscaled to a 2K DI), and the results are very nice looking, especially considering the fact that this was a rather low budget affair and one bathed in a lot of shadows quite a bit of the time (perhaps to help mask that miniscule budget). The image is typically sharp and clear, and close-ups offer some excellent fine detail. There are a number of "found footage" type moments that are supposedly culled from video feeds and the like (see screenshots 3, 6, 10 and 15) and those offer intentionally tweaked imagery that at times does not match the clarity of the bulk of this presentation. Other sequences, including a trip to "hell" for one character, have been graded rather aggressively, with some highlights clipped and slight blooming in evidence (see screenshot 4). Shadow detail is actually quite commendable for the most part, but occasionally shows signs of slight murk (see screenshot 17). There are no issues with image instability and no compression problems.

The Lazarus Effect Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While filled to the brim with hoary LFE, The Lazarus Effect's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is undeniably effective, often provoking startle responses when little actual on screen visual information is frightening at all. Sound effects are well placed throughout the surround channels, despite the somewhat claustrophobic confines of the laboratory where almost the entire film takes place. Dialogue is similarly well rendered and is also well prioritized even in some effects heavy sequences. Fidelity is top notch and dynamic range quite wide on this problem free track.

The Lazarus Effect Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p; 4:25)


• Creating Fear: The Making of The Lazarus Effect (1080p; 14:27) is the requisite EPK, albeit with some okay interviews.


• Playing God: The Moral Dilemma (1080p; 7:46) isn't exactly a scholarly debate but simply more EPK fare with interviews.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:15)

The Lazarus Effect Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A game cast and appealing (if derivative) premise can't overcome a too predictable screenplay and a production which trades on booming sound effects for actual earned scares. Stick to Boris Karloff if you want to see some beast stumbling around after having been raised from the dead. Technical merits are first rate for those considering a purchase.