Dead
& Breakfast
Picture: B-
Sound: B- Extras: B+ Film: C+
Ok, think of something entertaining. Now, think of what it would be like if
something had no entertaining value whatsoever and you can pretty much sum up Dead & Breakfast, a recent addition
to the endless parade of tired splatter horror films. Oh wait, I almost forgot, this is actually one of those
horror/musical/comedy/thriller films that crosses so many genres and violated
just about all of them with insulting zest.
What bugs me most about films like this is just the fact that while
having campy horror fun, they seem to miss the point. You can still have a fun campy film and yet have some redeeming
qualities, rather than resting on clichés and tired material that has been done
over and over again. Not only that, but
rather than rest of the standard conventional tricks of the game, why not
excite the audience with some moments of randomness or uniqueness to make the
film stand out as more than just a routine and by the numbers rehash.
It’s likely that there will be fans of this film, and if
so, this DVD from Anchor Bay is most likely going to please them as it’s loaded
with extras. Before we get to that,
let’s quickly recap the film. If you’ve
seen Evil Dead II (also available
from Anchor bay in a nice Divimax version), then you can skip down to the next
paragraph of this review, if not then you can read on. A town.
Six friends. Two people found
dead. A local sheriff. Evil Spirits. Enough said? I thought so
too!
Technically this DVD is on par for a film of its
caliber. Anchor Bay did what they could
with the material, which is quite sufficient.
The film is presented in a 1.85 X 1 anamorphic transfer with a 2.0 Dolby
Digital and 5.1 mix. Both the audio and
video seem fairly good with only minimal drawbacks. The image could be a bit sharper and more pronounced, but this
could be the fault of the overall production, although the film was shot in
35mm. The 5.1 Dolby mix essentially
takes the 2.0 and boosts it up a bit with a bit more dimension as some minor
sound effects are then retranslated into the split surrounds. This is the preferred listening mode, as
most would imagine.
The extras on this disc are terrific if you are into the
film. There are two commentary tracks,
one by the director Matthew Leutwyler with some of the actors in the film, and
the other by the director again only joined by the special effects
director. This allows for just about
total coverage of the film from a details standpoint as well as some fun
moments. There are also some funny
bloopers as well as deleted scenes, which I wish more films would use the
branching modes to allow the viewer to access these deleted scenes while
watching the film and see them in their respective places. The trailer and some stills round out the
extras category and make this one sweet edition, regardless primarily on your
disposition on the film, fans should relish the moment.
- Nate Goss
