Game Of Death (2011/Sony Blu-ray) + Love At
First Kill (2007/Anchor Bay DVD) + The
Oxford Murders (2008/Umbrella Blu-ray/Region Free import)
Picture: B/C/B Sound: B/B-/B Extras: C-/D/C Films: C/C/C+
PLEASE NOTE:
Oxford is an all-region Blu-ray that can
be operated on all Blu-ray machines worldwide and can be ordered from our
friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the website address provided at the end of
the review.
Mysteries
can go in different directions, as the following three releases show.
Giorgio
Serafini’s Game Of Death (2011) is
not a martial arts film to anything Bruce Lee did, but a new project Wesley
Snipes finished in the midst of his publicized financial problems. The mystery here is that we don’t know much
of what is going on, but is a CIA hitman in the crossfire of double
crosses. An evil gangster (Robert Davi)
and corrupt business interests are also a part of it all, but Snipes just walks
through most of this film giving one of his most bored performances. It has the same tired shaky camera work,
slick editing that backfires and dull color look that is beyond tired. Davi hardly gets a chance to do anything and
even Ernie Hudson as a friendly priest cannot save this one.
As poor
and disappointing is John Daly’s Love At
First Kill (2007) with Margot Kidder as the mother of a son (Noah Segan)
are both living at home and on medication to function, but a sexy new female
neighbor (Lyne Renee) moving in next door upsets the mom and she goes to a
card-reading friend to the revelation that something, several things evil and
awful will happen if she stays.
The
script wants to deal with flashbacks and premonitions, along with the
supernatural (not unlike Kidder’s turn in the underrated Reincarnation Of Peter Proud), but is all over the place, cops out
at the end and has an ending so dumb that it contradicts the whole thing! Too bad, because it had some promise and good
performances.
Finally
we revisit an Alex de la Iglesia film I was not so impressed with. The Oxford Murders (2008) is a film we covered in its U.S. Blu-ray
edition from Magnolia at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10441/The+Oxford+Murders+(2008/Magnolia
The film
is still a disappointment, but this is not exactly like the U.S.
Blu-ray. The playback is better than the
Magnolia version, but has slightly different extras. The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition
image looks better and more consistent here to my surprise with a little more
detail and looks more like the film shoot it is. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mix
shows the soundmix has a little more reach than Magnolia’s version, but is
still limited. The combination is just
that much more engaging for whatever reason overall. The nine-part behind-the-scenes piece is
retained, but in the place of the U.S. HDNet program on the film is the trailer.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on Kill
is softer than I expected with poor Video Black and other detail and definition
issues. Color and overall softness gets
in the way, which a newer production should not have, while the Dolby Digital
5.1 mix actually delivers a good soundfield throughout. That is just not enough to save the picture
or story. There are no extras.
That
leaves the 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on Game, which is surprisingly noise and motion blur free for what is
an HD shoot, so someone took their time making this. Color and light have been dulled in the usual
clichéd style, but it does not ruin playback as it does in 99% of such
situations. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio)
lossless 5.1 mix has a solid soundmix that may be nothing unique or
distinctive, but is full, warm, rich and consistent enough to be enjoyed. Extras include a six-part behind-the-scenes
piece and BD Live interactive functions.
You can
order the Oxford Blu-ray import version exclusively
from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
Nicholas Sheffo
