7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Jack Deth is a trooper in Angel City, circa 2247, mopping up the last of the disciples of the Martin Whistler. Whistler uses his psychic power to 'trance' those with weak minds and force them to obey his every desire. Whistler had been thought to be dead by now, but he's alive and well, and in the year 1985. Whistler's plan - to hunt down the ancestors of the City Council. With the Council disbanded, nothing is to stop Whistler from controlling the city. That's where Jack Deth fits in. Jack is sent back in time by inhabiting the body of his ancestor. The only problem is that Whistler's ancestor is a police detective, and he's begun trancing people back in 1985. With the help of Lena, a strong-minded punk rock girl, he must find and protect Hap Ashby, a former baseball pitcher now living on Skid Row, and face Whistler in a final confrontation.
Starring: Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt, Michael Stefani, Art LaFleur, Telma HopkinsSci-Fi | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
One might reasonably argue that the 4K UHD format has reached its maturity when lower budget "niche" items like Trancers start to become available, but that said, sometimes a "new, improved" format is not always the best friend to lower budget "niche" items like Trancers, and that situation may be the case with this fun movie that many might remember from the heyday of what was once the reigning technology of the time, VHS.
Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc.
Trancers is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Full Moon Features with a 2160p transfer in 1.78:1. This was obviously a low budget effort from
the get go, and so some of what's on display here is of the "baked in" variety, but this is another 4K UHD release that I'm personally not certain really
needed the increased resolution and dynamic range, since this is often a really fuzzy, blotchy and even at times downright pixellated looking
presentation. I frankly was not as much a fan of Full Moon's 1080 presentation as Marty was (and my score reflects that), as I found that the original
Blu-ray had a slightly processed appearance that to my eyes is only exaggerated in the 4K UHD version. Where the 1080 version looks undeniably
rough (as in the opening vignette in the diner), the 4K UHD version looks noticeably even more rough, with a splotchy grain field and
indistinct detail levels. When things improve after the equally "iffy" opticals by the beach (see screenshot 4), there is definitely a better, more tightly
resolved grain field, and HDR does add some nice new highlights, as in the bright reds of Helen Hunt's Christmas outfit. That said, I often found this
version to be slightly pinkish and flushed looking when compared to the 1080 version. Fine detail does enjoy an uptick in this version on things like
Thomerson's bristly stubble. But all of the lo-fi "special
effects" aren't especially aided by the increased resolution, and throughout this presentation, everything from grain to clarity to color temperature can
vary fairly noticeably.
Someone had pre-set this release to show lossless audio, but kind of shockingly, this 4K UHD disc repeats the lossy Dolby Digital tracks that are on the 1080 version and which Marty describes in his review. There are optional English subtitles available.
Both the 4K UHD and 1080 discs in this package sport the same array of supplements:
I think it's commendable that smaller labels like Full Moon Features are venturing into 4K UHD, and this film is probably inarguably Full Moon's "marquee attraction", but that said, something that suffers from less than optimal technical merits to begin with may not be the best candidate for the increased resolution and dynamic range that this format offers. Exacerbating the video side of things is the kind of shocking decision to only feature lossy audio (it's notable that the back cover of this release lists DTS-HD Master Audio tracks, so this may have been a production error that will be remedied with a future pressing). The video essay included with this version is an appealing addition, but that may not be enough to sway those who may be considering making a purchase.
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