Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Maze 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

It's no mystery that this 3D release is excellent.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 24, 2018

Here is a treasure trove of an article, written by Ted Okuda, concerning The Maze, packed with far more knowledge of the film than this reviewer possesses. It's a great jumping-in point to the film (and its 3D presentation) or a fantastic post-watch exploration that brings the entirety of the movie-watching experience together (and it would have made for a perfect centerpiece inclusion in a hypothetical Blu-ray DigiBook release of the film). Broadly, the film is based on a book by a Swiss chemist-turned-author by the name of Maurice Sandoz, but more interesting is that none other than Salvador Dali illustrated it. The film adaptation is directed by William Cameron Menzies (the original Invaders from Mars) who creates a slow-burn buildup to a surprisingly revelatory conclusion that's off the beaten path to be sure but, hey, it was the 1950s. It's a fun film that plays much better in its native 3D, losing in translation to 2D many of the the critical dimensional details that help construct a gripping, wonderfully choking, and fully absorbing atmosphere of place and mystery.

Uncovering the mysteries of the maze (and the castle nearby).

Edith (Katherine Emery) and her niece Kitty (Veronica Hurst) are attending an engagement party on the French Riviera. Kitty is engaged to be married to Gerald (Richard Carlson) with whom Kitty is head over heels in love and who, despite calling him out on his glibness, Edith accepts as the man who has won her niece’s heart. But Gerald is quickly whisked away to old Craven Castle when he receives word that his uncle, the castle’s primary occupant, has died. Time passes and Kitty has yet to hear word from her fiancé. Eventually, weeks later, Edith receives a letter in which Gerlad calls off the engagement. Kitty, heartbroken but trusting Gerald that there must be a good reason for his extended absence and break of the engagement, travels to the castle with Edith where they find him, but rapidly aged with a radical change in attitude, becoming more like his late uncle, as Edith quickly notes. Kitty and Edith are provided accommodations and are instructed to leave the next morning. But that night Kitty takes it upon herself to venture forth deeper into the castle where she finds a cobwebbed staircase and bats, atop of which she discovers a small window looking out onto the castle’s hedge brush maze, in which she sees someone wandering about. The following morning, she cannot help but find herself drawn to the maze, curious at first but quickly taking note of strange clues that, despite her better judgment, Gerald’s insistence she leave, and Edith’s shocking witness to something terrible beyond words, compel Kitty to remain and solve the mystery of the maze.

A “Keep Out” sign guards the entrance to the maze. It’s a low-tech security device but more ominous and foreboding wording than would be “do not enter.” Whereas the latter might warn against simple trespassing, the former promises something more sinister…or strange. The Maze doesn’t take long to set its plot in motion, of a man whisked away from his bride-to-be to tend to matters he cannot fully explain, and then it’s revealed he’s aged and undergone a change in demeanor that cannot be explained, either...not rationally, anyway. And as the great Sherlock Holmes said, “when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” But this improbable? The Maze doesn’t take an easy way out. Its final reveal is one part silly, two parts absurd, and many more parts eerily intriguing and thought-provoking. It can be metaphorically laced if one wishes, or it can be a goofy end to an otherwise solid Chiller.

The film is wonderfully atmospheric as it allots the vast majority of its runtime to environmental suspense, slowly unraveling the central mystery as small clues beget a larger trail which eventually leads Kitty and Edith into the maze in search of they know not what, but more than likely something very horrible. The movie works best as a nail-biting suspense Thriller, favoring slow-burn character maneuverings and cold, frightening details rather than direct scares. It’s very effective, more so in 3D. More on the 3D quality below, but broadly the format allows for a much greater appreciation of the film’s key environments -- the castle and the maze -- not only in terms of essential scope but in how they dramatically figure into the movie, how they not only play host to the movie’s ebbs and flows but in how they compliment and impact the story and hide the slowly revealing secret that lurks within.

The Maze 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: the 2D image was reviewed on an LG OLED65C7P while the 3D content was reviewed on a Sony XBR65Z9D.

Kino's Blu-ray release of The Maze features both 2D and 3D presentations. The project was graciously funded in part by the Martin Scorsese-founded nonprofit Film Foundation (Margaret Bodde, Executive Director). The left and right 35mm film elements were provided by Laura Thornburg and Andrea Kalas at the Paramount Archives, which were turned over to PRO-TEK where the 4K scan was conducted. First, a review of the 2D-only presentation. The image is almost uniformly excellent. Thad Komorowski performed the clean-up and the resultant presentation, while imperfect against larger-budget restorations, yields a very agreeable image with minimally invasive wear-and-tear remnants. Very light wobble accompanies the opening titles, and a few inherently softer focus shots and subjects are seen throughout the film, but any issues with the presentation are minor in the larger picture, particularly considering the challenges (budgetary included) inherent to the process. Generally, the image is very pleasing to, oftentimes, exemplary. Light grain retention is visible and complimentary. Textural qualities may not be a match for contemporary blockbusters but there's an agreeable firmness and complexity to essential qualities like faces and clothes while castle interior accents such as ornate bedposts and wooden furniture, textured walls, and of course the exterior grounds and particularly the maze's hedges all benefit from a sturdy, often robust level of core textural delights. Grayscale is firm and accurate, with blacks generally deep and boasting exquisite shadow detail.

The 3D restoration was performed by the 3-D Film Archive and is, as expected, the absolute highlight on the disc (though the commentary track is a joy, too). The film opens with a "wow" moment right off the bat, as the camera slowly pushes towards that door with the aforementioned "Keep Out" sign on it. The door slowly opens to reveal the beginning yards of the maze, which stretches back very far into the screen's depth, eerily inviting the audience to enter and discover what lies beyond. It's an effective scene both narratively and technically alike. The title card that pushes outward seconds later isn't as impressive in its outward push as the maze is with its inward push, but the pairing of extended credits and deep hedges makes for a strong overall shot, anyway. Shapely depth and character and object separation are highlights at the party early in the film, with a few fun screen-extending moments as a dancing girl, flung about by two men, is pushed outwards as if on a swing a couple of times, and her arms extend out of the screen as she completes the routine. Likewise, at an outdoor swimming pool in the next sequence, there's a very agreeable, tangible sense of depth, as a few character congregate towards the camera while others lounge about, poolside, far back into the screen's depths.

General depth is certainly a strong point. As with all of the wonderful releases from 3-D Film Archive, it would be easy, and fun, to simply point out every great example, but time and space constraints prohibit that much detail. Suffice it to say basic depth is wonderful and firm throughout, with excellent separation and distinction in the spaces between the camera and everything in its frame. That said, there are some nice little touches that are worth pointing out beyond the general depth excellence. Sometimes, it's the small things in these 3D presentations that make the biggest impact. Take a scene around the 12-minute mark in which Edith and Kitty are holding a newspaper, angled slightly towards the audience. The sensation that it's stretched out before them and, albeit modestly, extending from the screen is obvious. A vase of flowers offers a little more opportunity to explore the nook and cranny spaces between objects, while an open door behind the characters, whatever is in it barely visible as they stand in front of it, still offering an added layer of extension back into the screen into the parts which the audience can see. The scene doesn't look like much in 2D, but it really comes alive in 3D, which is certainly the case with the entire film.

A few more interesting examples of note. When Kitty and Edith arrive at the castle on a foggy night at the 18-minute mark, three on-screen characters are slightly offset, and that additional spacing -- they're not bunched up but rather spread out a little, in what is essentially a staggered line -- offers an enhanced sense of spatial awareness as the viewer appears to be looking over the shoulders of both Edith and the butler, depending on however Menzies is framing the shots (clearly with a keen eye for 3D composition, here and throughout the film, for that matter). The castle's dining room feels appreciably large at the 22-minute mark. In 2D the scene is virtually inconsequential from a visual perspective. In 3D, the viewer enjoys a significant sense of place and space. A protruding tree immediately after the film's seconds-long intermission, noted in the commentary track as earning a big audience reaction, is indeed a fabulous example of 3D extension, as branches seem to push right out of the screen and into the theater. And, of course, the film's climax returns to the maze seen at film's open, with additional moments of startlingly good depth to enjoy and a solid pop-out moment when the secret is revealed. There were absolutely no crosstalk effects visible on the review Z9D panel. The 3D image is firmly detailed and the grayscale is beautiful, both appearing just as good as, if not even a little better than, the 2D image. This is another must-own, home run 3D presentation from 3-D Film Archive and easily ranks amongst the very best the studio has released.

The Maze 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Maze features "restored three-channel stereophonic sound by Eckhard Büttner." The DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 lossless soundtrack delivers a quality listen. Fine front stage coverage and effortless width yield open-space ambience and musical richness at the engagement party while splashes in a pool may be heard off to the left side around the 9-minute mark. Additionally, various small details around the castle help build atmosphere, while some more intensive screams and (spoiler-free) climactic sound effects are pleasantly robust and well defined. Musical fidelity impresses under the constraints of age and engineering, and dialogue is presented without technical issue from a firm center positioning.

The Maze 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Maze contains a high quality commentary track, an actress interview, and a trailer.

• Audio Commentary: Tom Weaver, Bob Furmanek, Dr. Robert J. Kiss, and David Schecter share a wonderful track in which they discuss both the film and the 1950s 3D era. The track begins with Weaver covering the real history behind the castle that inspired the story and the film, differences between the novel and the film, the film's technical construction, reviews and commentaries, and more. Schecter makes his entrance more than 30 minutes into the film to cover score. Weaver re-enters to further deconstruct the film, including censorship, minutes later. Bob Furmanek joins Weaver after the film's intermission, beginning with a discussion of the film's typical-of-its-time intermission but atypical accompanying score. He also covers the 3D restoration process in detail. Kiss enters a little over an hour into the film for a brief discussion of the film's theatrical release and television presentation. Weaver closes out the track in the film's final minutes. A must-listen.
• Interview with Star Veronica Hurst (1080p, 6:08): Hurst discusses her casting and the filmmakers' want to place an English actress in the film, her relationship with the cast and Richard Carlson in particular, working with Director William Cameron Menzies, life on the set, acting in a 3D production, the Maze set piece, and publicity work.
• Original 3-D Trailer (1080p, 2:14).

The Maze 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's easy to dismiss The Maze's finale as silly, and out of context it certainly is. It's a movie that, considering its endgame, requires a gradual appreciation as the viewer comes to terms with what, exactly, it means, more in a metaphorical sense rather than a literal one. It speaks to an interesting point that should be relevant still today about perception and reality, identity, and truth. Literally, it's laugh-out-loud absurd. Metaphorically, it's much more challenging. Whether it works in the movie's immediate context is up for debate, but there's no mistaking the the film is otherwise an exceptionally well crafted moody and mysterious experience that's made all the better by its 3D presentation, which on this Blu-ray is the beneficiary of a startlingly intense and highly enjoyable 3D restoration by Greg Kintz, Bob Furmanek, and everyone at the 3-D Film Archive. Also boasting quality sound and a couple of excellent extras including a must-listen commentary, this release of course comes very highly recommended and is an early contender for a spot on the year-end top-10 list.