6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A cop transfers a wounded man to a small hospital, where it won't take long for violence to erupt. The few doctors and patients there find themselves surrounded by a group of hooded men and threatened by a strange creature growing in the hospital.
Starring: Aaron Poole, Kathleen Munroe, Daniel Fathers, Kenneth Welsh, Ellen WongHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 18% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Astron-6 has delighted a certain slice of the general demographic with their comedic send ups of horror films, goofy outings that include Father's Day and Manborg , as well as their at least somewhat less gonzo take on gialli, The Editor, a film which, despite its surface (kind of ridiculous) seriousness, was full of winking subtext for those wise enough to see it. Two of Astron-6’s members, Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski, have now joined to create what is inarguably a comedy free horror opus, the alternately impressive and frankly kind of confusing The Void. As is documented by a huge “thank you” list in the closing credits as well as a making of supplement included on this new Blu-ray release, The Void was crowdfunded, produced on a relatively paltry budget and then being greeted with at least some critical praise in its initial festival screenings. The Void both exploits and defies genre conventions, positing a group of people stranded at a barely functioning rural hospital where all hell breaks loose in what might be described as a Lovecraftian approach. The film has some undeniably impressive special effects work, much of it practical, but the third act especially tips over into such surreality that it may leave some wondering what exactly is transpiring both within and outside of the hospital.
The Void is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Screen Media Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Technical data on this shoot is pretty scarce online, though the film's closing credits mention Canon, and there's some tangential online data mentioning cinematographer Samy Inayeh and some of Canon's digital cameras. One way or the other, this has both the benefits and busts of a lot of contemporary digitally shot films. As can clearly be seen in many (maybe even most) of the screenshots accompanying this review, the film has either been graded or in some cases lit in a variety of hues, including a kind of sickly yellow in the early going and, later, both blues and reds, all of which, when combined with some omnipresent darkness, tend to tamp down detail and especially fine detail levels. When not aggressively graded, and especially when close-ups are employed, detail and fine detail levels perk up noticeably (see screenshot 2). The film commendably lets the audience actually see the creatures at several key moments, and while some of these are (again) quite dark, detail levels are actually rather impressive, at least in passing. Despite the omnipresent gloominess, there are commendably no major compression issues on display, and image instability is similarly not a problem.
The Void features both a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, but there's little doubt that audiophiles should opt for the surround track if their home theater setups permit. This is a really fun, immersive track, one that has a glut of LFE rattling through the subwoofer while also offering some nicely pinpointed effects in discrete channels. The score (done by a rather large assortment of people) is also quite interesting and spreads through the surrounds extremely well. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly on this problem free track.
I absolutely loved The Editor, while I was a bit more conflicted about Father's Day, even if I admired its gonzo sensibilities. I'm not quite sure what exactly to make of The Void, for while it's extremely well crafted and proves that this particular Astron-6 duo certainly have the goods for dramatic fare, it's also curiously underdeveloped in a couple of key aspects, something that might have helped up the emotional impact of things. That said, lovers of good old fashioned monster movies, or even those with certain Lovecraftian occult tendencies, will probably like The Void a good deal. Technical merits are generally strong, and the main making of featurette is very enjoyable. Recommended.
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