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Category | Horror | Theatrical Trailer(s) | Yes, 1 - 1.78:1 16x9 enh, Dolby Digital 2.0 (mono) |
Rating | Other Trailer(s) | Yes, 1 - Dolby Digital Train | |
Year Released | 1998 | Commentary Tracks | None |
Running Time | 82:38 minutes | Other Extras | Menu Audio & Animation
Cast & Crew Biographies Featurette (2:47) |
RSDL/Flipper | No/No |
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Start Up | Menu | ||
Region | 4 | Director | Steve Miner |
Distributor |
Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring | Jamie Lee Curtis
Adam Arkin Michelle Williams Adam Hann-Byrd Jodi Lyn O'Keefe Janet Leigh Josh Hartnett LL Cool J Joseph Gordon-Levitt |
RRP | $34.95 | Music | John Ottman |
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Pan & Scan/Full Frame | No | MPEG | 2.0 (silent) |
Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 2.35:1 | Dolby Digital | 5.1 |
16x9 Enhancement | Yes | Soundtrack Languages | English (Dolby Digital 5.1, 448Kb/s)
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 , 256Kb/s) English (MPEG 2.0 silent, 112Kb/s) |
Theatrical Aspect Ratio | 2.35:1 |
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Macrovision | Yes | Smoking | Yes |
Subtitles | None | Annoying Product Placement | No |
Action In or After Credits | No |
As far as scary movies go, this isn't too bad - there are a few too many false alarms for my liking which got a bit irritating after a while, and the body count wasn't all that high, but I still thought it was at least reasonable. Highly recommended as a date flick.
The transfer is variably clear, with a lot of poorly defined and poorly focussed scenes. What scenes there were in broad daylight were generally very clear, but in low lighting conditions, definition and shadow detail suffer. This is particularly the case early on in the movie, where the transfer as a whole seems very dark and murky. There is no low level noise.
The colours were variably rendered, from bright and vivid to oversaturated in lower lit scenes.
There were no MPEG artefacts seen. There were no film-to-video artefacts seen. Film artefacts were rare, but the odd blemish here and there was a little distracting.
Dialogue was variably presented. At its best, it was well-integrated into the overall soundtrack. At its worst, it sounded manufactured and artificial. Most of the dialogue is easily understandable. Some of it is muffled and hard to make out.
I watched this disc on a Toshiba 2109 DVD player. Dialogue appeared frequently on the verge of being out of sync, but was never definitely out. Whilst I didn't check it, I suspect that this disc will be problematic on Pioneer DVD players.
The musical score by John Ottman was fairly standard horror movie fare and did not distinguish itself in any way.
The surround channels were frequently used for subtle surround effects which were effective in creating an atmosphere of tension and foreboding. Music also made its way into the surrounds.
The subwoofer was used sparingly but effectively to accentuate the shocks throughout the movie.
The video quality is fair.
The audio quality is reasonable.
The extras are basic.
Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
© Michael Demtschyna
24th November 1999
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DVD | Toshiba 2109, using S-Video output |
Display | Loewe Art-95 95cm direct view CRT in 16:9 mode, via the S-Video input. Calibrated with the NTSC DVD version of Video Essentials. |
Audio Decoder | Denon AVD-2000 Dolby Digital AddOn Decoder, used as a standalone processor. Calibrated with the NTSC DVD version of Video Essentials. |
Amplification | 2 x EA Playmaster 100W per channel stereo amplifiers for Left, Right, Left Rear and Right Rear; Philips 360 50W per channel stereo amplifier for Centre and Subwoofer |
Speakers | Philips S2000 speakers for Left, Right; Polk Audio CS-100 Centre Speaker; Apex AS-123 speakers for Left Rear and Right Rear; Yamaha B100-115SE subwoofer |