The Show Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Show Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 15, 2022

To many, Alan Moore is a legend in the comic book business. He’s been the driving force behind such famous works as “Watchmen,” “Batman: The Killing Joke,” and “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.” His contributions to the art form and his deconstruction of the superhero experience has inspired generations of artists, but he’s been very outspoken about the movies adapted from his own material. Critical of “Watchmen” and “V for Vendetta,” Moore is more than happy to share his opinion about way the film industry treats his material, but “The Show” provides a rare opportunity to watch him manufacture an original tale for the big screen. Moore isn’t straying far from what he knows about corrupt and troubled human beings, but he also doesn’t have the budget to do much of anything with “The Show,” which is basically a T.V. pilot for an English version of “Twin Peaks,” dealing with eccentrics, lunatics, and the puzzling ways of dreamscapes. Moore is no David Lynch, leaving the picture quite an endurance test for those who don’t worship the comics industry deity.

Arriving in the small town of Northampton, Fletcher (Tom Burke) is on the hunt for a man named James Mitchum (Darrell D’Silva), who’s in possession of a gold cross the mystery man has been contracted to collect. Fletcher soon learns that Mitchum is dead and the cross is missing, forcing him to take up residence with landlord Becky (Ellie Bamber) and research what happened to his target. Interviewing the locals, Fletcher finds his way to a nearby hospital, where journalist Faith (Siobhan Hewlett) is being treated. She was around when Mitchum disappeared, and she has her own questions about the situation, haunted by vivid dreams that resemble portals to the real evil of Northampton. As Fletcher gathers clues, he gets closer to the community’s bizarre ways, navigating mental illness and magic while a heroic figure known as the Flash Avenger tracks his moves, keeping an eye on the deceptive stranger.

Director Mitch Jenkins doesn’t have it easy with “The Show.” The helmer shares “A Film By” credit with Moore (a rare occurrence for a screenwriter), and he’s asked to generate multiple worlds of consciousness for the production without a significant budget. He does have the benefit of Fletcher’s enigmatic ways, which launch the feature with a decent mystery, watching the odd man use multiple identities to gain the trust of others, initially searching for Mitchum, who’s disappeared with something valuable around his neck. Irritable gangster Bleaker (Christopher Fairbank) wants it returned, trusting his hired gun to follow through on his mission. Of course, things don’t come easily for Fletcher, who figures time in Northampton is the best way to reach the location of his target. Perhaps there’s an autobiographical twist to “The Show,” as Northampton is the Moore’s hometown, but contact with reality is soon severed in the picture as Fletcher explores the neighborhood.

“The Show” becomes a series of tension-free conversations with residents and interested parties, watching Fletcher try to talk his way in and out of situations. There’s a touch of cheekiness with a pair of pre-teen detectives with a hard-boiled presence (the scene is shot in black and white), and slight bits of comedy are squeezed through a stern endeavor. Fletcher finds time to interrogate Monica (Antonia Campbell-Hughes), who tried to keep Mitchum off her while armed with a pineapple. There’s Herbert Sherbert (Eric Lampaert), a singer who wears a Hitler mustache. And there’s Faith, who’s the most valuable lead Fletcher has, but she’s working with her own scrambled brain, losing her grasp on reality as dreamscapes come to dominate her life. It takes a while for “The Show” to take shape (and perhaps it never does), heading in many directions, including a hunt for mad magicians Matchbright (Robert Goodman) and Metterton (Moore, in heavy makeup), who hold the key to dream logic.

The Show Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Show" secures crisp detail throughout the viewing experience. Facial surfaces are especially sharp, easily identifying age and extreme makeup coverage. Northampton locations are dimensional. Colors are pronounced, surveying building signage and interior decoration, with bright primaries a common sight. The unreality of the feature is also accurate, exploring deep silver and gold. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory, losing some information with black costuming. Mild banding is briefly detected.

The Show Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix delivers crisp dialogue exchange, detailing accents and attitudes well. Scoring cues are sharp, with clear instrumentation, and musical numbers are equally defined, offering deep vocals from Alan Moore. Surrounds offer a more circular sense of music presentations, and atmospherics are appreciable. Low-end isn't intense, but percussive beats and violence adds some mild weight.

The Show Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Welcome to 'The Show'" (19:22, HD) is a making-of featuring interviews with director Mitch Jenkins and screenwriter/actor Alan Moore. The picture began life as a magazine article, with Jenkins contributing photographs that would eventually be developed into a series of short films to help flesh out Moore's universe. Screenwriting proved to be no challenge for Moore, who found the process easy, and casting is detailed, with actors from the shorts making the leap to the feature. Northampton locations are recalled, and music is analyzed, with Moore becoming a songwriter for the movie.

• Short Films (HD) include "Act of Faith" (19:26), "Upon Reflection" (7:51), "Jimmy's End" (33:44), "A Professional Relationship" (10:03), and "His Heavy Heart" (30:25).

• And a Trailer (2:01, HD) is included.

The Show Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Show" doesn't come alive during its nearly two hour run time, saving a bit of gunplay for the grand finale. The rest is nothing but bricks of dialogue that offer little cleverness, keeping the material better suited for a theatrical presentation, keeping pressure off Jenkins to make something stylish and mysterious when he clearly doesn't have a budget. Those who adore Moore might get something out of "The Show," which deals with comic book plotting and strange personalities. Everyone else is treated to a stagnant stab at sleepy time noir that's difficult to sit through, as Moore doesn't even try to meet the demands of cinema, comfortable creating conversations between dull characters.