5.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A family takes delivery of a new TV set, unaware that it is the gateway by which killer zombies enter the world.
Starring: Rocky Duvall, Roxanna Augesen, Michael St. Michaels, Victoria Bastel, Sam David McClellandHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
NOTE: 'The Video Dead' is currently only available as part of a bundle from Shout! Factory.
It's what comes out of the TV that does the killing.
Maybe this will help create a more clear picture of what, exactly, The Video Dead has to offer. Imagine back in the 1980s or early 1990s,
before
DVD and Blu-ray and video on demand and all the other nifty newfangled ways of watching movies. Travel back down memory lane to that mom
and
pop video shop that certainly stocked the latest and greatest -- movies like The 'Burbs, Lethal Weapon 2, K-9, Tango & Cash, and When Harry Met Sally lined the front shelves and their posters
decorated windows and walls -- but also offered some forbidden video fruit in
the section dad or grandma warned about staying away from, that Horror movie shelf with creepy boxes from series like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, complete with honest-to-goodness
artwork, not just photoshopped floating heads, that really set a tone for the movie even before it was taken from the store. But buried a bit
deeper, even, than those "mainstream" Horror flicks was stuff like The Video Dead, completely off-limits, brain-rotting, flesh-eating stuff
that promised awful nightmares and scarring for life. Well, here it is decades later on Blu-ray, and about the only thing scary about The Video
Dead is the acting. It's a nifty Horror movie idea, but the execution usually leaves something wanting.
TV really rotted this guy's brain.
The Video Dead features a fairly strong high definition transfer. The image enjoys a grain overlay; it's a little spiky but consistent and not too terribly heavy. Fine details range from satisfying to excellent. Clothing and facial details are of good, filmic quality. The image is stable, sharp, crisp, and consistent. Surrounding textures are nice, too; a beat up old truck dashboard seen in one shot, old odds and ends around the house, the dusty and dented (and melted?) television set, and leaves and grasses and other vegetations seen in exterior shots all look quite good. Colors are balanced and satisfying, not at all brilliant but not really worn down, either. Blacks are fine and flesh tones never too rosy or, on the other end of the spectrum, ghastly. The print shows a little wear and tear, some minor pops and speckles and scratches but nothing too terribly detrimental to the experience. This is a pretty solid Blu-ray picture from start to finish.
The Video Dead arrives on Blu-ray with a flat and rather featureless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The primary culprit here is dialogue. Shallow, muddled, detached, quiet: name it, it probably applies. It's just strong and clear enough to get listeners through the movie, but clarity is certainly not this track's strong suit. Musical delivery is largely centered and lacking in range; neither general score nor Rock tunes find much stage presence beyond the center, and all music lacks verve. There is fair woodland ambience in chapter eight, noted primarily in quiet, dialogue-free moments, but the effect largely remains property of the front speakers. A few heavier sound effects -- a whirring blender, a spinning chainsaw -- sound rather mushy and indistinct. A dynamic track this is not, but it handles the basics just well enough to get listeners through the film, nothing more and nothing less. Note: 'The Video Dead' was originally released with a monaural soundtrack; the DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack will offer a presentation more faithful to the original.
The Video Dead's supplemental section is headlined by a pair of audio commentary tracks.
The Video Dead is a serviceable little Zombie flick. The premise is nothing more than a unique way to get the zombies into the world. That's fine; a little variety can do a lot of good. Unfortunately, the acting is pretty much atrocious and the script almost as bad. The zombies do look rather good, however, and blood and guts fans should enjoy this one well enough. It's not the pinnacle of the zombie film, but it's a fine little addition into the ever-expanding collection. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release of The Video Dead features solid video and mediocre audio. A nice supplemental section is included. Worth a purchase for Horror buffs.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1986
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