- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,397
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
My initial exposure to the horror genre was to the Universal films of the 1930s and '40s. These little gems, of generally short running times, set the standards for me for decades to come for the look, feel and texture of the genre. So for me, seeing the Universal logo turn to black & white, and then morph to the fireball at the tip of a villager's glowing torch...
The opening sequence of Stephen Sommers' Van Helsing is a brilliant black & white return to that classic era, brought up to date with absolute perfection by cinematographer Allen Daviau. Had the original cinematographer of Frankenstein (1931), the brilliant Arthur Edeson, who also photographed All Quiet on the Western Front, The Old Dark House, Mutiny on the Bounty and Casablanca been available, I would bet that his work would have looked very, very close to Mr. Daviau's loving tribute.
The cinematography for the rest of the film, all 132 minutes of it, flows beautifully and quickly, as the tale moves from locale to locale, and with our hero played by Hugh Jackman, finally joining forces with Kate Beckinsale.
For those who may not have guessed, I'm a sucker for this film, and Universal's new Blu-ray release, now with audio upgraded to DTS-HD, is a modern treasure, especially for those whose childhoods are ingrained with those delicate little Universal horror classics generally available via their Legacy releases.
Van Helsing is a gorgeous Blu-ray, terrific entertainment, and, with its greater bandwidth, a nice upgrade from HD. Don't for a moment think about taking it seriously. Just sit back and allow it to entertain.
Highly Recommended.
RAH
The opening sequence of Stephen Sommers' Van Helsing is a brilliant black & white return to that classic era, brought up to date with absolute perfection by cinematographer Allen Daviau. Had the original cinematographer of Frankenstein (1931), the brilliant Arthur Edeson, who also photographed All Quiet on the Western Front, The Old Dark House, Mutiny on the Bounty and Casablanca been available, I would bet that his work would have looked very, very close to Mr. Daviau's loving tribute.
The cinematography for the rest of the film, all 132 minutes of it, flows beautifully and quickly, as the tale moves from locale to locale, and with our hero played by Hugh Jackman, finally joining forces with Kate Beckinsale.
For those who may not have guessed, I'm a sucker for this film, and Universal's new Blu-ray release, now with audio upgraded to DTS-HD, is a modern treasure, especially for those whose childhoods are ingrained with those delicate little Universal horror classics generally available via their Legacy releases.
Van Helsing is a gorgeous Blu-ray, terrific entertainment, and, with its greater bandwidth, a nice upgrade from HD. Don't for a moment think about taking it seriously. Just sit back and allow it to entertain.
Highly Recommended.
RAH