6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
The masters of modern horror – George Romero and Dario Argento – bring you an unprecedented pair of shockers inspired by the tales of Edgar Allan Poe. In Romero's 'The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar', a conniving wife (Adrienne Barbeau of THE FOG) and her lover use a hypnotic trance to embezzle a fortune from her dying husband, only to receive some chilling surprises from beyond the grave. Then in Argento's 'The Black Cat', a deranged crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel of RESERVOIR DOGS) is driven to brutal acts of madness and murder by his girlfriend's new pet. But will this cunning feline deliver a final sickening twist of its own?
Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Ramy Zada, Bingo O'Malley, Jeff Howell, E.G. MarshallHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48 kHz / 16-bit), Dolby Digital 5.1 EX @ 448kbps
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
To Edgar Allan Poe, whose stories have inspired this motion picture.
This is what "Masters of Horror" wanted
to be. In Two Evil Eyes, Horror legends George A. Romero (Land of the Dead)
and Dario Argento (The Bird With the Crystal
Plumage) team up to present a pair of hour-long films under one banner, the films
merging to form a united front with a running theme of true psychological terror with physical
manifestations and consequences. Each director lends a very unique eye to the process, the
result two films with often striking differences in tone but similarities in theme. The Argento
entry proves to be deeper than the somewhat superficial Romero outing, but each film often
captivates with intriguing stories and deeper themes than the average Horror fare, the result a
movie that offers an intriguing juxtaposition of Horror style while thematically covering the
dangers of allowing superficialities and raw emotion to get in the way of better moral judgment
and one's mental and spiritual well-being.
Yup, those are evil all right.
Two Evil Eyes gazes at Blu-ray with a 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar offers up a good transfer, one that is nice and clear, showcasing strong colors and solid levels of detail. Film grain is moderately heavy in places, but never serves as much of a distraction. The warmer scenes, those in Mr. Pike's office early in the first segment, for example, offer the best colors and most stable imagery. Many shots inside the Valdemar mansion feature bright light streaming through large windows that somewhat diffuses the image. Still, the image remains rather strong, offering excellent detail across the board, from Ernest's wrinkly face to the medical equipment that stabilizes him. The segment has a bit of a dated look to it. It's not as eye-catching and natural looking as the best of Blu-ray, but there is never a major problem with the transfer. The Black Cat features a heavier grain field than that seen in the previous film. Like the first entry, colors and detail are solid across the board. Whether the action takes place on dark Pittsburgh nights or during the day inside Usher's home, the disc never falters in offering above-average clarity and sharpness. Characters look slightly pale at times, but black levels are good. In total, Two Evil Eyes should please fans with its quality high definition video presentation.
Two Evil Eyes scares up a solid audio experience. In Blue Underground style, the disc offers up a pair of 7.1 lossless soundtracks, one of the DTS-HD MA variety and the other a Dolby TrueHD track. The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar offers a soundtrack that is decent at best. Dialogue is fine, clear but not completely sharp. Sound effects are occasionally heard discretely in the front right and left channels. Music is presented naturally with no discernible hiccups. The back speakers are used sparsely. It's a rather bland mix, but it's sufficiently effective nevertheless. The Black Cat doesn't fare quite as well. The cat's hisses and growls sound detached, unnatural, and louder in volume compared to the rest of the track. Music, in some instances, seems to often play second fiddle to dialogue and sound effects, sounding a bit more uninspired than the disconcerting meowing and hissing of the cat. Elsewhere, music reproduction is strong and presented with a nice bit of authority across the soundstage. Occasional bits of dialogue also unnaturally pour through each of the front speakers simultaneously, making the dialogue sound detached and lending something of an odd echoing sensation to the sequences. On the whole, Two Evil Eyes offers a sufficient soundtrack, though The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar fares better than the uneven The Black Cat.
This Blu-ray release of Two Evil Eyes scares up a few bonus features. Two Masters' Eyes -- Interviews With Directors Dario Argento and George Romero, Special Make-Up Effects Supervisor Tom Savini, Executive Producer Claudio Argento and Asia Argento (480p, 29:32) is just as advertised, a hodgepodge of interview segments featuring each of the participants sharing their thoughts on the film's stories and themes, shooting in Pittsburgh, and with special emphasis in places on the influence of Edgar Allan Poe. Savini's EFX -- A Behind-The-Scenes Look at the Film's Special Make-Up effects (480p, 12:06) is a fascinating glimpse into the world of movie magic through the eyes and work of renowned effects man Tom Savini as seen in Two Evil Eyes. At Home With Tom Savini -- A Personal Tour of Tom Savini's Home (480p, 15:43) is another solid piece where viewers are taken into the personal world of the film's effects supervisor. Adrienne Barbeau on George Romero -- Interview With Star Adrienne Barbeau (480p, 4:35) features an interview originally intended for Roy Frumkes' Document of the Dead and showcases the star of The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar discussing her views of Romero's abilities as a filmmaker. Finally, this disc includes the film's original theatrical trailer (480p, 1:28).
Two Evil Eyes features two of Horror's most iconic directors lending their creative talents to a pair of sub-hour films that offer an improvement over a similar product, the "Masters of Horror" series. George A. Romero serves up the more straightforward The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar, a decent outing that rates low on the scares but high on the social commentary. With The Black Cat, master Horror Director Dario Argento examines Horror at its core, bringing full circle an inner struggle manifested in a physical confrontation and the loss of humanity as a man spirals out of control as he struggles with both paranoia and physical fear against a foe that may or may not be the true villain of the story. Blue Underground's release of Two Evil Eyes should please fans. The disc features solid video, passable lossless audio tracks, and a fair amount of bonus materials. This is another good release from the fan-favorite cult studio, and fans of either or both of the film's directors should not hesitate to add this to the Blu-ray Horror collection.
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