The amber tone very much replicates the theatrical presentation. Based upon the screen shots in the review, the transfer appears to be faithful to the film. Nice to see the film getting some decent extras; being a fan of apocalyptic films this is an easy purchase for me, and the extras don't hurt.
Regarding the overall film appearence, I'm expecting this film to look better in a Home Theater environment simply due to the smaller screen sizes, and the accompanied reduction in blockiness and size of digital artifacts when compared to a viewing upon a much larger theatrical screen.
I'm happy to see this movie is getting a good release with good extras. (on a personal note I am excited to see another feature that was shot with a Canon XL1 as that is what a few fellow filmmakers and I are using, it is very inspiring)
I missed out on seeing this movie in theaters but have read quite a bit about it in indie magazines and am looking forward to it!
I LOVED this movie in the theater! Great review, I will be there on release day!. The description sounds very much like I remember from the big screen.
Nice review. I've been awaiting this DVD ever since I saw the film theatrically. While not the best horror film of the year, it comes damn close, and in a year with several satisfying horror releases, it was one of the most satisfying.
I'm curious about the way this was transferred to ntsc as well. The film has two sequences shot on film rather than DV; some Super-8 inserts and standard 35mm was used for the ending.
I understand that the UK R2 dvd was entirely mastered from a film print, rather than a digital source, so I have avoided the UK dvd to avoid PAL speed-up. Can anyone confirm that the R1 dvd has been created anew rather than a conversion of the PAL master?
I will be picking this one up. Since it similar to Omega Man (which I also picked up and liked), I will probably get a idea of how this bleak world full of zombies. Great review.
Simon brigns up a good point. It's unlikely this was "filmed" at PAL-speed as it was made for theatrical release. Theaters in Europe project 24fps, same as here. Shooting 25 would have forced 4% slowdown in the theaters.
Actually, the halos were present on the film prints and not just the dvd. They came from using such a low-resolution video stock. I'm pretty sure this was filmed on non HiDef-DV. Anyone who hasn't seen this, please don't let the less-than-stellar image quality deter you. This is a fantastic little film!
Right, the print I saw in theaters was absolutely terrible. Massive Edge Enahcement, graininess, terrible resolution with hardly any detail, etc.
The movie was good, but I would'nt purchase it unless they shot the whole thing over with standard 35mm film. And I don't see how this abominable PQ contribues to the film in any way. It's not "documentary style", it's "terrible digital looking style".
I read that Fox confirmed it when the UK dvd was released. I pass on only what I read, which is why I included the proviso. It seems plausible, given that it's not an entirely digital feature.
Malcom, as for Spoiler #1: True, however, they did not know that until the very end.
and Spoiler #2. Its easier to say "zombies" over and over, and its also easier for people to relate to. This is the only reason I chose to use "zombies". Although they do bite.
Excellent review Adam. I saw this the weekend it came out and loved it. The film is indeed intended to be "grainy" as it was when I saw it in the theater. While not quite a "zombie" movie (the infected are still alive), it is still well into that genre as the feel of the movie is the same as that of a bonified "zombie" flick. This is a definate must for a "living dead" movie collector/affectionado. It will surely go into my collection.