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Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Black Point (2001)

Black Point (2001)

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Sell-Through Release Status Unknown
Available for Rent

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Thriller Main Menu Audio & Animation
Theatrical Trailer
Rating Rated MA
Year Of Production 2001
Running Time 102:31
RSDL / Flipper No/No Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By David Mackay
Studio
Distributor

Imagine Entertainment
Starring David Caruso
Susan Haskell
Thomas Ian Griffith
Eileen Pedde
Alex Bruhanski
Gordon Tootoosis
Case Click
RPI Rental Music Terry Frewer


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Full Screen, not known whether Pan & Scan or Full Frame English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio Unknown Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles None Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

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Plot Synopsis

    Black Point is a thriller which succeeds reasonably well at creating an atmosphere of suspense, the key element necessary to making any film of this genre a success. Whilst I didn't enjoy this movie so much that I'd recommend that you rush straight out and buy or hire it, if you are looking for a movie to watch when you've got a couple of spare hours to fill then you can certainly do much worse than Black Point.

    The plot is somewhat convoluted, but I'll keep my synopsis simple as nothing spoils a thriller more than someone telling you the story before you've had a chance to experience the movie for yourself. If you feel as I do on this point then I strongly recommend that you don't watch the theatrical trailer prior to seeing the movie as it gives away a couple of plot points which are best left to be experienced in the context of the story itself.

    John Hawkins (David Caruso) lives alone in the small town of Black Point. He used to be in the military but is now a reclusive man that spends too many of his days in an alcohol-induced haze. This is his way of numbing the pain he feels as a result of a terrible tragedy that has turned everything about his previous life upside down, and from which he has not been able to move on. Occasionally he manages to be sober enough to do his job, which includes delivering food from a local restaurant. It is one such delivery that results in him meeting Natalie (Susan Haskell), a beautiful young woman who is married to the possessive and abusive Gus (Thomas Ian Griffith). Now, you don't get any bonus points for guessing that Gus is not only an abusive husband but also involved in some highly illegal activities, centred around a bag containing 3 million dollars, together with his brother and friends. While her husband is away Natalie becomes close to John and is convinced by him to leave her husband. The only question is - will she be able to get away or will there be serious consequences for all the characters? I'm not giving anything away by confirming that it's the later and that some will die, some will be betrayed, and that some things won't be as they appear.

    As a side note, it's worth mentioning that the location for the fictional town of Black Point is Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. This forms a stunning backdrop to the movie with some beautiful vistas on display.

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Transfer Quality

Video

     This transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and is not 16x9 enhanced. In regards to the original aspect ratio, I have been unable to find any definitive information on what this is and therefore I can't say whether the 1.33:1 aspect ratio on the DVD is the original ratio or the result of a pan and scan or open matte transfer.

    The picture was generally very sharp, however shadow detail was restricted and certainly less than optimum. This is actually quite important as this movie has many dark scenes that are not front lit which means that a lot of detail is obscured. For example, details of the actor's faces are often hard to make out.

    The well lit outdoor shots generally look quite stunning and nicely capture the colours and rugged beauty of the Canadian landscape. Interior shots tend towards a drab palette of greens and greys.

    No MPEG or film artefacts were noted. Film-to-video artefacts were limited to some very minor and infrequent aliasing.

    No subtitles are provided.

    This is a single layered disc, so it does not contain a layer change.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Overall, the audio was excellent with the rear channels being used to good effect on a number of occasions. The only fault is in the form of a loud click which emanates from the left rear channel at 35:34.

    I listened to the English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) audio track which is also the only audio provided on this disc.

    Neither the audio sync nor dialogue quality could be faulted in any way.

    Terry Frewer's musical score sits there unobtrusively in the background for most of the time but comes to life dramatically to underscore the action sequences and tense moments.

    I'm happy to report that the surrounds are excellently used to provide an enveloping soundfield both in support of the musical score as well as to provide ambience and for some very nice effects in the various gunfights.

    The subwoofer comes alive powerfully on a number of occasions in support of effects such as explosions and gunshots.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    The extras are limited to just a trailer.

Menu

    The menu, which is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 without 16x9 enhancement, features both animation and Dolby Digital 2.0 surround encoded audio.

Theatrical Trailer

    Like the main feature, the trailer is also presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and has Dolby Digital 2.0 surround encoded audio. My advice to you is to not watch the trailer before the movie as it does manage to give away several plot points.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    Based on the available information it seems that our local R4 disc has the same content as the R1.

    The only variation is that the Region 4 version of this disc misses out on:

    and the Region 1 version of this disc misses out on:

    The R4 is clearly superior due to the addition of Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.

Summary

    As thrillers go, Black Point is a reasonable effort and while it doesn't break any new ground it does have a couple of nice plots twists to help keep you on your toes.

    The video quality is good but the movie suffers somewhat from a lack of shadow detail.

    Except for one flaw the audio quality is otherwise excellent.

    If you count a trailer and menu animation as extras then this disc contains exactly two extras!

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Peter Cole (Surely you've got something better to do than read my bio)
Sunday, March 02, 2003
Review Equipment
DVDPioneer DV-515, using S-Video output
DisplaySony VPL-VW10HT LCD Projector, ScreenTechnics 16x9 matte white screen (254cm). Calibrated with AVIA Guide To Home Theatre. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials.
AmplificationYamaha RXV-995
SpeakersFront L&R - B&W DM603, Centre - B&W LCR6, Rear L&R - B&W DM602, Sub - Yamaha YST-SW300

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