A Haunting In Connecticut (2009/Lionsgate Blu-ray + DVD-Video)
Picture:
B-/C+ Sound: B/B- Extras: C- Film: C-
In yet
another bad haunted house film, Peter Cornwell’s A Haunting In Connecticut (2009) makes the phony claim that the
original Amityville Horror did that all the supernatural events are real, but
this is so bad, only appearances by the underrated Virginia Madsen and Elias
Koteas save this from being a total dud.
However, from the Amityville-looking house to the formula of the events,
this film puts the “con” in Connecticut, something the state and its people
could do without!
Besides
the new cliché that murderous supernatural forces just love to be in New
England and surrounding states (guess the winters don’t affect them much), but
that is never explained either. The
attempts to do drama as if the family-as-victim does not know what to do could
have worked, but co-writers Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe do not know there way
around this genre and it shows constantly, PG-13 or Uncut. Both versions are available in both formats,
but neither works, even with the Uncut offering 10 extra minutes. Watch Kubrick’s The Shining again instead.
The 1080p
2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image was actually shot in Super 35mm film and
is surprisingly weak throughout with too much digital manipulation, even when
there are no visual effects. The
anamorphically enhanced DVD is worse and it is obvious that the colors are
being tampered with in the silliest of ways.
Adam Swica had lensed Romero’s Diary
Of The Dead and this is no improvement.
The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 7.1 mix on the Blu-ray is not that
active and sometimes the soundfield is awkward.
The Dolby Digital EX 5.1 mix on the DVD is poorer and no more accurate. Nothing much impresses throughout, so you’re
not missing much there either. Extras include
Digital Copy of PC and PC portable devices, audio commentary by many involved,
four making of featurettes, trailer and Deleted Scenes with optional commentary
by Cornwell.
- Nicholas Sheffo
