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Blu-ray Review The Vanishing (1993) Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Matt Hough

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The Vanishing (1993) Blu-ray Review

Though it’s not completely unheard of, film directors rarely get to remake their own works (why would most of them want to unless their initial experience was unsatisfying, and if that’s so, why put yourself in potential harm’s way twice?), but that’s exactly what we have with George Sluizer’s The Vanishing. A 1993 English-language remake of his own 1988 Dutch thriller (which, coincidentally, is one of Criterion’s October releases coming out in a week), it’s clearly not a patch on the original with a refigured amount of emphasis on other characters and a few more shock effects that take the film out of the realm of the pure psychological thriller. The American stars are appealing (for the most part), but the Dutch version is the better film.

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Studio: Fox

Distributed By: Twilight Time

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 5.1 DTS-HDMA

Subtitles: English SDH

Rating: R

Run Time: 1 Hr. 50 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray

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Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: All

Release Date: 10/14/2014

MSRP: $29.95




The Production Rating: 3/5

Stopping at a busy gas station/mini-mart, copy writer Jeff (Kiefer Sutherland) is horrified when his girl friend Diane (Sandra Bullock), who had stepped inside to buy some refreshments, goes missing. Three years go by without a word concerning her whereabouts, and Jeff has taken up with a feisty new girl Rita (Nancy Travis) though he has never stopped thinking about Diane. Since Rita’s patience with Jeff’s search has long since been exhausted, Jeff, after an offer of a book deal on his experiences, begins his search anew but headquartered in a motel room away from the apartment he and Rita share. This renewed search piques the interest of the original kidnapper Barney (Jeff Bridges) who decides to play mind games with Jeff to see how far he can push his buttons just because he has the power of information that Jeff so desperately wants.The original Dutch script by the director George Sluizer and Tim Krabb (who wrote the original book The Golden Egg) has been adapted here by Todd Graff, and he’s decided to emphasize the eccentric role of Barney and that of the new girl friend Rita. The horrifying original ending of the Dutch film is here but is only the beginning of the film’s last twenty-five minutes which brings the movie into more traditional horror territory of the woodsy stalk and slash variety. Some of the psychological underpinnings of the males pitted against one another is still present, though there are lapses in plotting and giant suspensions of disbelief that must be evinced for the film to work at all (case in point: the substitution of the gun in the metal case; how could the kidnapper possibly know Rita or Jeff wouldn’t check this long before either of them get to the woods?) Directorially, Sluizer keeps things moving and springs his little surprises nicely while never dragging out scenes past their effective lengths. He does a particularly smooth job in the flashback sequence when Barney describes to Jeff the series of events that brought Diane into his clutches (at that moment in the early part of the film, the point of view was with Jeff and not Diane). But there isn’t much that can help that tacked-on final sylvan sequence where Rita, who heretofore had described herself as not particularly bright, becomes not only as observant and deductive as Sherlock Holmes but a virago who would put Clarice Starling to shame.Jeff Bridges gets top-billing here, but to play this psychotic oddball, he’s affected a strange dialect and peculiar manner that in the real world would repulse people rather than luring them to get into his car, and we’re never given much of a backstory on why he’s as unbalanced as he is to play God in this way. Kiefer Sutherland gets his obsessive desire for answers across quite forcefully though the games playing with Rita is rather silly, and one finds the decisions being made by this very smart man to be fairly stupid the longer the movie runs. Nancy Travis is good with the blast and bombast of her goodtime girl who falls for a man who’s still obsessed with a former love, but common sense would seem to indicate that she would have by this time either understood her man’s compulsions or left long before the events of the movie begin to unfold. Sandra Bullock in an early role is her bubbly and easily chagrined self though her part is actually quite small. Maggie Linderman and Lisa Eichhorn do what they can with the underwritten roles of Barney’s daughter and wife, both seemingly in the dark about his murderous clandestine activities.


Video Rating: 4.5/5 3D Rating: NA

The film’s theatrical 1.85:1 aspect ratio is perfectly achieved in this 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Sharpness is strong throughout, and while contrast might have been upped just a tad, the image quality doesn’t really suffer as a result. Black levels in the climactic nighttime scenes are quite good with impressive shadow detail. Color is also nicely maintained with flesh tones that might seem just a touch pale, but that could simply be part of the believability factor for Washington state complexions. The film has been divided into 12 chapters.



Audio Rating: 4/5

The disc offers both DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and 5.1 surround tracks. The 2.0 is just a bit louder and seems actually more fitting for the piece than the 5.1 track, but both offer effectively recorded dialogue, subtle and effective music by Jerry Goldsmith, and appropriate if undemonstrative sound effects. There are no audio problems like hiss or crackle to mar the viewing and listening experience.


Special Features Rating: 2.5/5

Isolated Score Track: Jerry Goldsmith’s very enjoyable score is offered in a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 sound mix.Theatrical Trailer (2:24, SD)Six-Page Booklet: enclosed in the case, this offers a variety of color stills from the movie and behind-the-scenes shooting, original poster art on the back cover, and film historian Julie Kirgo’s interesting dissection of the movie.


Overall Rating: 3/5

With both versions of The Vanishing coincidentally coming out just in time for Halloween (albeit from different distributors), the choices are reasonably clear about their contents and general quality. The newer version offered here does include a star-laden American cast and a re-conception of its original ending to bring the movie more in line with American tastes in horror films. There are only 3,000 copies of this Blu-ray available. Those interested should go to www.screenarchives.com to see if product is still in stock. Information about the movie can also be found via Facebook at www.facebook.com/twilighttimemovies.


Reviewed By: Matt Hough


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JohnMor

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The Dutch film is the better film, to be sure. But I do like this one, at least for the most part. Ironically, I think this film gets better when it veers away from the Dutch version (aside from the ending.) I like the Nancy Travis character, and I think her performance is the most consistent in the film. Jeff Bridges' performance is downright odd and Sutherland to me only really comes alive in about two scenes. Neither performance ruins the film for me, but they certainly hold it back somewhat. The Dutch film is a work of art, but this one is a fun minor thriller and I was glad to add TT's blu to my collection.
 

bujaki

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If it hadn't been for that tacked-on Hollywood ending... Yes, the original is the better film.
 

Hanson

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The original is far, far superior. Between the awful ending and Bridges bizarre, "lookit me! I'm a serial killer!" performance, the American version isn't even good on its own right. I always wondered if Sluzier was forced to pave over whatever was great about his original film with Hollywood BS or if he was delivering a critque of how Hollywood ruins international films when they're remade.

The remake also omitted one of my favorite moments in the original, when Raymond asks a British tourist to help him "hitch it" in his French accent. I still giggle thinking about that scene every now and then.
 

HenryDuBrow

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I like this remake too it does have a certain meanness to it, I can see why some would hate it obviously.
 

PaulDA

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To best appreciate the remake, one should, ideally, be as little familiar with the original as possible. Once the original has been seen, the remake is a very pale imitation.
 

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