From
The Dark
(2014/MPI/Dark Sky Blu-ray)/The
Missing
(2013/Starz!/Anchor Bay Blu-ray Set)/A
Most Violent Year
(2014/Lionsgate Blu-ray)/Supremacy
(2014/Well Go USA Blu-ray)
Picture:
B-/B-/B/B- Sound: B-/B/B/B- Extras: C/C/B/C Main
Programs: C+/B-/B-/C+
Here's
the latest thrillers to know about...
Conor
McMahon's From
The Dark
(2014) is the latest European horror import, this time from Ireland
in a cycle of good couples getting lost on a long drive, even if they
have GPS tracking on them. This one have an opening with a man
accidentally digging up something evil, then comes the young couple
to have to deal with whatever the force is. I was impressed the
makers got 90 minutes out of this for the low budget they had here,
but they do try and make it work, resulting in one of the more
watchable such entries of late.... especially in such a glut.
However,
despite some good shots and efforts by the actors, this only goes so
far. At least it was ambitious.
Extras
include a feature length audio commentary track by McMahon, Behind
The Scenes featurette and an Original Theatrical Trailer.complicated
The
Missing
(2013) is a very pleasant surprise of a TV crime mini-series with
James Nesbitt (The
Hobbit Trilogy,
Waking
Ned Divine,
TV's Touching
Evil,
TV's Murphy's
Law)
and Frances O'Connor (Truth
About Emanuel,
Windtalkers)
play a couple vacationing in a small French town during a celebration
when their son disappears. They look but do not find him, so did he
just walk away, or was he kidnapped? Then things get more
complucated in this 8-part series that manages not to wallow in child
exploitation, become a cold police procedural and tell its story in a
smart way.
Director
Tom Shankland helms the whole show, which is a big plus and the
supporting cast (including Jason Flemyng) is really good throughout.
I liked this up until the last episode, which stretches things out a
bit, but I can see why the show is getting such acclaim... it is that
good and definitely worth a look and your time, particularly on
Blu-ray.
Extras
include a Behind The Scenes and two additional Making Of featurettes.
J.C.
Chandor's A
Most Violent Year
(2014) takes place in 1981 New York City, et al, involving a
businessman (Oscar Isaac) with questionable dealings in the oil,
gasoline & fuel business, trying to build his company as tankers
are being hijacked at gunpoint. He has his children and wife
(Jessica Chastain) plus a smart lawyer (Albert Brooks in one of his
best roles) trying to get him through the situation, but it is a
rough road ahead in this decent film by the director of Margin
Call
and All
Is Lost.
No
doubt the film crosses into Scorsese/New York School of filmmaking
territory, but it has some fine
moments and though I did not buy some of it (and it does not do
enough with or bring alive enough of the actual craziness that year
in the city), it is one of 2014's better films in a year that was
more disappointing than it needed to be. This would be solid in any
year and David Oyelowo also stars.
Extras
include a feature length audio commentary track by Chandor &
Producers Neal Dodson & Anna Gerb, Deleted Scenes, 3 in-depth
Behind The Scenes featurette and an Original Theatrical Trailer.
Deon
Taylor's Supremacy
(2014) is a gimmicky drama when a neo-Nazi criminal (Joe Anderson)
gets out of a tough prison, only to kidnap an African American family
(where Danny Glover and Lela Rochon come in among others) and what
could have been a bold, compelling drama becomes a stuck-in-a movie
that has much drama, but that is uneven and I did not buy early on.
If the screenplay has some other points, they do not work out like
the makers think they do.
Derek
Luke has a good turn as a cop who is connected to the young lady of
the house under siege, but that also is among the many cliches the
long 111 minutes offers. Too bad, because with some discipline and
concentration, this could have been interesting. The supporting cast
is not bad either.
Extras
include a Behind
The Scenes featurette and Original Theatrical Trailer.
All
four productions are digital shoots with the 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital
High Definition image on Dark,
1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image on Missing
and 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfers on Year
and Supremacy
having their share of limits and flaws, though Year
tends to be more consistent and stand out from the four. Missing
has some of the oddest flaws, but tries to have some of the most
interesting character.
The
lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix on Year
is as solid as anything here, with the other three Blu-rays offering
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes. Missing
can match it, but Dark
and Supremacy
tend to have inconsistent soundfields.
-
Nicholas Sheffo