Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Television reporter Angela Vidal and her cameraman are assigned to spend the night shift with a Los Angeles Fire Station. After a routine 911 call takes them to a small apartment building, they find police officers already on the scene in response to blood curdling screams coming from one of the apartment units. They soon learn that a woman living in the building has been viciously attacked by something unknown. After a few of the residents are also attacked, they try to escape with the news crew in tow, only to find that the CDC has quarantined the building. Phones, internet, televisions and cell phone access have been cut-off, and officials are not relaying information to those locked inside. When the quarantine is finally lifted, the only evidence of what took place is the news crew's videotape.

This is a remake of the international hit horror film from Spain, REC. I have the original version on Blu-ray as well and as far as remakes go this one isn’t too shabby. It doesn’t have quite the tension as the original, and I was a bit disappointed in their ending, but it hits the major points and stays pretty faithful to the original. The film is shot with a first person perspective similar to Cloverfield but I didn’t find it nearly as vomit inducing. Overall this is a great one for watching late at night with the lights off and the volume cranked.

Since this was shot with HD cameras it has a rather unproduced look to it that is faithful to the source material. Detail can be quite good in close ups but there are moments when it looks like a sharpness filter has been cranked a bit. Contrast and depth hold up really well and the filming style does lend a lot to the overall feel and moodiness of the film. Considering the look the filmmakers were going for with this one, Sony has nailed it with this Blu-ray release.

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby TrueHD and is by far the highlight of the presentation. The original Spanish film had a very aggressive soundtrack that really put you on edge and this remake is nearly identical in its open quality, great spatial design and precise soundstage. Low end extension is incredible at times and will really test the might of your subs. The sound design is quite aggressive in its ability to provide a convincing mix that envelops the listener on all sides. At times this can be unnerving, but that is the point.

Extras include a promo style making of feature along with a look at the make-up design of the film. A feature commentary is also included along with some trailers. Like all Sony Blu-ray titles, this one is BD-Live enabled.

While it fell a bit short of the Spanish film this is one of the better remakes I’ve seen stateside. It manages to capture the tone and intensity of the original and even add a bit of polish in some places. Sony has done a tremendous job with the A/V presentation making this an easy recommendation for horror fans.