Accidents Happen (2009/Image Blu-ray)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Feature: C+
A one-joke film that could have been much more, Andrew
Lancaster’s Accidents Happen (2009)
brings back the always welcome Geena Davis as the mother of two children who
start to find themselves in more trouble, including some that they simply are
not causing, though the whole family seem to be haunted by the worst possible
things happening. This begins with a
neighbor catching on fire in an opening sequence that is too much like Desperate Housewives of all things,
then this veers off into a self-amused direction that has some amusing moments,
but does not add up to a full story.
It also wants to emulate several other films by The Coen
Brothers, Wes Anderson and anyone else who the makers think is quirky, yet it
is too derivative to ever really work, though the cast is decent and so is some
of the comic timing. After its 92
minutes, I expected it to work more effectively than it did, but it might
become a curio down the line.
The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image was shot
on High Definition video and has a somewhat washed-out look that does not help
the viewer and makes it look cheaper than it should. The DTS-HD Master Audio (MA) lossless 5.1
track is very restricted, uneven and lacks an even decent soundfield, as if the
low budget meant anything beyond stereo was an afterthought. The combination is trying and not as good as
Davis and company deserve. Extras
include the original theatrical teaser, trailer, cast/crew interviews and two
making of featurettes.
- Nicholas Sheffo
