5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A local DJ plays a cursed record and unwittingly unleashes a coven of 300-year old witches who were secretly imprisoned and tortured during the Salem Witch Trials.
Starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, Dee Wallace, Ken Foree, Maria Conchita Alonso, Meg FosterHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 40% |
Supernatural | 23% |
Psychological thriller | 8% |
Surreal | 5% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Horror genre has deteriorated in recent years, moving far, far away from the truly great and disturbing pictures of the 1970s and early 1980s and morphing into something nearly unidentifiable since, embracing both ends of the extreme -- the excess gore for gore's sake of the Hostel and Saw films and the "play it safe" PG-13 and teenagers-in-peril pictures -- while largely ignoring the value of the true under-the-skin, creep-out, relentless Terror picture. Director Rob Zombie wants that to change. His House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects hearken back to a grittier time and place in genre history while his Halloween and Halloween II reshape a classic in his own darkened, disturbing image. His latest, The Lords of Salem, is closer in tone and style to Zombie's earlier pictures, and it's another winner. The bleak, dingy, gritty, grimy, and impressively crafted tale of old evil rediscovered in nondescript modern times may be his most fundamentally unsettling and structurally sound picture, a true throwback to the days of Horror as an unwelcoming and unnerving but undeniably alluring experience that foregoes the plotless gore and modern cliché and instead embraces what is oftentimes a creepy combination of sight and sound that will have audiences remembering what it really means to fall into a movie, experience the atmosphere, and feel the terror settle deeply inside.
What's behind door number five?
In a word: gorgeous. The Lords of Salem delivers a stunning, faithful high definition presentation. No, it's not glittery and vibrant, but a Blu-ray need not a plethora of colors and standout brilliance to dazzle. This is the peak of dark, moody, gritty visuals recreated on Blu-ray. The picture is heavy on grain, but it's balanced and consistent, accentuating every surface and detail and adding to the picture's grimy, scary façade. Details are naturally sharp underneath, even in the relative darkness. Everything from skin details and hair to clothes and the wallpapered hallways in the apartment building appear naturally textured and wonderfully defined. Colors are largely limited to low background light and bursts of neon, with a few scenes showing a more regal, diverse palette, albeit briefly. The colors look fantastic within Zombie's visual parameters and translate beautifully to Blu-ray. Black levels are excellent, though a couple of early shots appear a touch too bright. Flesh tones, too, are well balanced under the restricting lighting conditions. This is a splendid presentation that shows what Blu-ray can do for a dark movie.
The Lords of Salem's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack plays wonderfully, whether considering its tight atmosphere and music or the deliberately scratchy and industrial sounds from hell. Bass does overwhelm to start, playing so deeply that it rattles and vibrates rather than offer a more evenly potent rumble, resulting in something of a sensory overload sensation at reference level. It cleans up nicely thereafter, though, never playing quite so low and destructive again. Musical delivery elsewhere is great, whether tunes played at the radio station and Heidi's apartment or the demonic, horrid sounds of The Lords' record. Light ambience nicely defines a few environments, and some heavier, scarier themes and elements are reproduced with excellent power and stage presence in the more demanding scenes. Dialogue plays evenly and clearly from the center, rounding a high quality track into near-perfect form.
The Lords of Salem features only an audio commentary track with Writer/Producer/Director Rob Zombie. A DVD copy and a UV Digital Copy code are also included in the case.
The Lords of Salem is a moody and visually and aurally enticing picture. It may not build up the finest story, but what it lacks in cohesion it gains in atmosphere and throwback style to a time when Horror films were truly horrific, unnerving, unsettling, and artfully made. This is arguably Zombie's most fascinating film to date, if not his best. The Lords of Salem's Blu-ray release, courtesy of Anchor Bay, features superb video and audio. Supplements are limited to a high quality commentary track with Rob Zombie. Highly recommended to connoisseurs of classically styled Horror films.
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