Misery [Blu-ray/DVD] [Blu-ray]

The Feature: 4.5/5

Writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is about to start a new chapter in his life. He's officially put an end to his highly popular but creatively unfulfilling "Misery Chastaine" romance novels and he's just completed an untitled work that puts him back in touch with his creative spirit. But on his way back home from the Colorado lodge where he does all his writing, he gets caught in a blizzard and crashes his car. Fortunately, he is rescued; unfortunately, his rescuer is Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), one-time nurse but now Paul Sheldon's "Number One Fan." At first her adoration is endearing - and there's something to be said about the medical care she's provided - but her attachment quickly becomes unsettling as she begins to exhibit sure signs of mental instability if not outright psychosis. When she finally reads what Paul has done to her beloved fiction series, she officially snaps and decides to do whatever it takes to resurrect it. If that means keeping her favorite writer hostage in her isolated farm house, so be it. The world will ultimately thank her for it.

Effective pacing, canny cinematography and excellent performances all around make "Misery" one of the more successful adaptations of Stephen King source material. No one seemed to expect that with "comedy director" Rob Reiner at the helm, but it turned out he was good at more than just making people laugh and that a little levity lacing the darkness could be effective too. Similarly surprising was the casting of the "highly physical actor" James Caan as the immobilized Paul Sheldon and the "unknown" Kathy Bates as the bi-polar Annie Wilkes, though it proved to be one of Caan's most notable performances and earned Bates an Academy Award for Best Actress. Though none of the hires could be considered downright risky, most of us can think of mediocre to awful films that resulted from decisions that "made sense." Which serves as a good reminder that sometimes the best things come from the unexpected.

Video Quality: 4/5

The film is correctly framed at 1.85:1 and presented in 1080p with the AVC codec. The image is mostly free of physical blemishes, with white "sparkle" and small black spots showing up every so often throughout the film. Black levels are solid and deep and the image shows consistently good contrast. Colors tend to be muted and drab given the time of year depicted, but flesh tones look accurate and there is overall satisfying depth of color. Visible grain structure indicates no excessive use of noise reduction measures; likewise there are no signs of digital sharpening with the image looking consistently sharp and detailed whether in wide shots or close ups. The epilogue does show a noticeable overall softness, but it's likely the issue is source related and not a result of the transfer. Of note is that all special features are on the second disc, ensuring nothing is competing for space on the Blu-ray disc.

Audio Quality: 4/5

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track offers balanced and enveloping multi-channel support for the score with occasional directional effects. The latter can show their age with their bluntness, but then the film is not exactly a hallmark of subtlety either. LFE is non-existent, but bass activity in the score and at a few spots along the narrative has good depth and fullness. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, though I had to turn on subtitles to figure out what Caan was mumbling in some early scenes.

Special Features: 3.5/5

In what appears to be an inventory-managing - but also very logical - step, the feature is left to itself on a dual-layer Blu-ray and the 2007 Collector's Edition DVD is included as the second disc. By including it, buyers get a standard definition copy of the feature to enjoy outside of their high definition setup, as well as all the special features from the most recent DVD release. Unfortunately the package looks more impressive than it is - about half the items are about the ins and outs of stalking and don't connect directly to the feature.

Audio commentary with Director Rob Reiner: Reiner is measured in his comments but offers some valuable insights and anecdotes about all phases of the production. The methodical quality of his commentary and his lackluster tone may not grab many viewers, however.

Audio commentary with Screenwriter William Goldman: Goldman covers similar ground as Reiner, but offers some additional insights into and tips about the screenwriting process. Goldman is also a little sparing in his comments, but I found his commentary preferable over Reiner's mostly because of his more enthusiastic tone.

Misery Loves Company (29:50): Making-of documentary produced in 2002 covers requisite topics of adapting the film from the novel, casting the leads, cinematography, storytelling techniques and stunts. Includes interviews with Reiner, Goldman, Bates, Caan, and cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld.

Marc Shaiman's Musical Mystery Tour (14:28): Composer Shaiman talks about key musical sequences and shares memories about his composing sessions.

Diagnosing Annie Wilkes (8:44): Dr. Reid Moloy describes Annie's psychopathology, which includes fine descriptors like psychotic, delusional, manic, depressive, sadomasochistic, and generally "nuts."

Advice for the Stalked (4:55): Law enforcement professionals and a prosecuting attorney give tips about how to deal with stalkers.

Profile of a Stalker (6:17): The standard characteristics of the modern stalker.

Celebrity Stalkers (5:05): Special characteristics of stalkers who becomes fixated on celebrities, which includes a "narcissistic linking fantasy."

Anti-Stalking Law (2:23): Details of the first anti-stalking law, which California put on the books in 1991.

Original Theatrical Trailer (2:20)

Original Season's Greeting Trailer (2:25)

"Misery" on DVD

Recap

The Feature: 4.5/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 3.5/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5

Effective adaptation of a Stephen King novel gets very good technical treatment and a decent set of special features.