And you thought the '80s were dead...
Released by: Starz / Anchor Bay
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Production Year: 2014
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:25:06
Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Video: 1080p (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
THE FILM - [3 / 5]:
Spring Ball, 1984. Adrienne (Kendra Timmins, "Midnight Sun", "Wingin' It"), a straight-A student, joins her quarterback crush Sean (Justin Kelly, "Maps To The Stars", "Big Muddy") and some friends in sneaking out of their high school dance for some unsupervised mayhem. The teens' party plans hit a snag when they run out of gas on a deserted road. They head out on foot and discover a rundown farmhouse where they hope to find help, but instead find themselves at the mercy of Junior Joad (Mark Wiebe, "Sweet Karma"), a cannibal killer from an urban legend. After the brutal murder of one of their friends, the group’s quest for help becomes one of survival. Will anyone survive the night?
While I enjoyed the film overall, there was room for improvement. The biggest mark against the film is that I found it to be overly dark. I can appreciate films that take place at night. But often the film is a little too dark in that you can't get a good look at what is happening. Now, that could be on purpose to hide poor special effects, but the effects we are able to see, look good. So it just made me feel like I was missing out on some good shots. Also, seeing as the film is supposed to feel like an 80's slasher, there was a total lack of nudity. Not to sound like a pervert, but 80's slashers were, for the most part, known to feature at least one young lady flashing her goods. I'm sure that will garnish the film some negative remarks from a number of fans. One other bad thing is while the characters in slashers are normally expendable, they should be somewhat memorable. I think that with a little better dialogue and some of the characters names used more often, it could have helped that issue.
My favorite thing about the film is that they nailed the feel of the 80's pretty good with their use of music, clothing and hair. There are even a few 80's staples like a boombox, rotary telephone and a Rubik's Cube that make an appearance. The filmmakers do a fair job of adding in the stereotypical characters like the jocks, pot head, good girl, bad girls and even a clueless parent.
"Lost After Dark" features a fine cast. It is nice to watch a film like this that has some quality actors. I don't recall anyone standing out, in a bad way. They really did a good job casting the film. It was nice to see Robert Patrick and Rick Rosenthal among the cast, even in smaller roles. I thought the practical effects use in the film looked pretty good. The small amount of humor in the film was used to good effect. Be sure to watch for a short post credits sequence following the film.
AUDIO - [4 / 5]:
The Blu-ray comes with one audio option in the form of a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. I found the audio quality on the Blu-ray to be excellent. The film makes some good use of surround speakers in key situations. I thought that there was a nice balance of dialogue, sound effects and score. I did not encounter any problems with the audio such as drop outs, pops or hissing. Also included on the "Lost After Dark" Blu-ray are English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
VIDEO - [4 / 5]:
"Lost After Dark" comes to Blu-ray thanks to Starz/Anchor Bay. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. The Blu-ray looks terrific. I did like the somewhat muted or faded look of colors used, as they give the film an aged look, which is what they intended. Viewers will notice some added effects such as scratches, white specks and even a "missing reel" in the film. If you are familiar with "Planet Terror," you have an idea what to expect. However the techniques used in this film do not occur anywhere near as often. They just pop up with the same frequency as some older horror films. Black levels looked pretty good. Skin tones have a nice, natural appearance. I did not notice any issues with the picture in the form of edge enhancement or other video artifacts.
SPECIAL FEATURES: [0 / 5]
Unfortunately, the Blu-ray does not come with any bonus materials.
IN CONCLUSION:
A decent enough attempt at being a throwback to the 80's. Slasher fans should find enough things in the film to satisfy most of their basic needs. Notice I did not say all of them. The video does feature excellent audio and video quality. So that is a big plus. It's a shame there are no special features included. I would advise most people to watch the film via VOD, rental, etc. rather than purchasing. However if you are a die hard slasher fan, I think you will be okay blind buying this Blu-ray since currently, it can be purchased for a reasonable price.
OVERALL RATING: [3 / 5]