Voices Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Voices Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 2, 2022

Kevin Billington's "Voices" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw; new program with critic Vic Prat; new program with director and producer Peter Crane; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

If Voices was a much better film with an established genre reputation, it would not have been too difficult to think of it as a spiritual godfather to such blockbusters as The Sixth Sense and The Blair Witch Project. But it is not that kind of a film, and there is a very particular reason why. I will reveal this reason to you shortly.

Robert (David Hemmings) and Claire (Gayle Hunnicutt) are living the good life. They are madly in love and raising a healthy boy. They have enough money in their bank account to be spontaneous and go places that look interesting to them. Both of them are still very, very young.

But when their boy accidentally drowns, the good life is instantaneously transformed into a nightmare that pushes Claire on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown. Despite Robert’s best efforts to help Claire overcome the shock from the tragedy, eventually she is admitted in a psychiatric sanitarium and enrolled in a long recovery program.

Not too long after Claire is released from the sanitarium, she inherits her late aunt’s secluded country home, and Robert suggests that it would be great to spend a weekend there. An unusually heavy fog slows down their journey and manages to genuinely annoy both, but once they reach their destination, they are delighted to discover that the country house is even more impressive than initially described. Almost immediately after they enter the property, however, Claire begins hearing a very odd child’s giggle that threatens to reverse her progress.

Apparently, Voices is based on an original play by Richard Lortz, which is either quite average or impossible to properly remake into a film. I am completely unfamiliar with it and do not know which is true. But it does not matter because the middle part of Voices is so bad that it feels like a parody that was conceived to seriously hurt Hemmings and Hunnicutt’s reputations, which means that it should have been cut and redone from scratch.

Unfortunately, not only did no one have the courage to tell director Kevin Billington that what he had done was bad, but it appears that someone convinced him to shoot on video to strengthen the ambience of this problematic material. So, as soon as Hemmings and Hunnicutt enter the secluded country home, Billington replaces the 35mm camera with a video camera and stays with it almost until the very end. On paper the switch might have sounded like a nice curve ball, but as it is executed it very much feel like a cheap trick.

The very particular reason that collapses Voices and makes it look like a very small and amateurish film, however, is the lack of imagination. Indeed, the entire narrative is essentially a series of very banal conversations that keep the entire film stuttering in the worst possible way, so watching Hemmings and Hunnicutt trying to extend them for as long as possible before the entirely predictable finale is quite the endurance test.

Voices was lensed by Geoffrey Unsworth, whose credits include such timeless films as Cabaret, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Night to Remember, and Tess. Needless to say, this is quite a shocker because Unsworth’s brilliance is simply undetectable in Voices.

*This recent Blu-ray release from Indicator/Powerhouse Films is sourced from an exclusive new 4K restoration. An identical British Blu-ray release is available for purchase as well.

Voices Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Voices arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that was prepared after the film was fully restored in 4K. Obviously, because a portion of it was shot on 35mm film and another portion on video, there is a pretty dramatic difference in visual quality after the shift occurs. The 35mm footage looks outstanding -- delineation, clarity, depth and fluidity are as good as they should be. The video footage also looks very good, but it exhibits all of the conventional limitations that you would expect to see. The color grading is convincing too, though on the video content you should again expect to see typical limitations. Image stability is excellent. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Voices Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

During the 35mm footage clarity and sharpness are very good, plus the upper register is clean and healthy. However, during the video footage the audio becomes a bit flatter and occasionally there is noticeable light hiss in the upper register. I assume these are inherited limitations, but modern equipment can quite easily address the hiss. It is not distracting, but you won't miss its presence.

Voices Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw.

• Wide Boys: Vic Prat on John Daly, David Hemmings and Hemdale Film Corporation - in this new program, critic Vic Prat discusses the history of David Hemmings' production and distribution company Hemdale Film Corporation, as well as some of the films it handled. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• Mon Brave!: Peter Crane on David Hemmings - in this new program, director and producer Peter Crane recalls his work with David Hemmings as well as a few interesting experiences involving the late actor. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Voices From the Past - a short program about the recent 4K restoration of Voices. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of original promotional materials for Voices.

• Booklet - a limited edition exclusive booklet featuring a new essay by Julian Upton, archival interviews with actors David Hemmings and Gayle Hunnicutt, a look at the source play, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

Voices Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If some newly discovered papers revealed that David Hemmings, Gayle Hunnicutt, and cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth agreed to do Voices as a favor or because together they lost some eccentric bet, I won't question their authenticity. This film is so small and feels so random that there is probably some pretty strange story that explains its existence. It is like an episode of a made-on-a-budget vintage British TV show that had only one season everyone forgot about a long, long time ago. Naturally, even if you are a very big fan of its stars, do not consider a blind buy. Find a way to rent it first and then decide whether you need it in your library. Voices has been exclusively restored in 4K by Indicator/Powerhouse Films and is available on Blu-ray on both sides of the Atlantic. (Our listing of the identical British release is here).