4K Digital Review: Haunted Mansion (2023)

 

After the 2003 Haunted Mansion film with Eddie Murphy, Disney finally makes its way back to the world of the attraction and rebooting the IP. This time we get away from the slapstick humor of the 2003 film and get a film that is darker, scarier and yet still centered around a story about love and dealing with loss. 

Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son Travis (Chase W. Dillon) are moving into an old mansion that turns out to be haunted. The spirits do not want the two to leave. Gabbie reaches out to a priest (Luke Wilson) for an exorcism, who then reaches out to astrophysicist Ben (LaKeith Stanfield). This is the start of a team of individuals to help learn about the past of the mansion. 

I will be honest and had low expectations for this film that ended up being a fun and exciting movie set in one of my all-time favorite Disneyland attractions. The cast is solid with Rosario and LaKeith being the highlights here. Their chemistry feels genuine with LaKeith playing a grieving widower and Rosario as an overprotective mother to perfection. Just a genuine fun movie that is filled with heart.

Video:

The streaming 4K video is beautiful. The film takes place mostly in dark locations and is wonderfully dimly lit and hazy to create an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. Outdoor sequences on the other hand are bright and cheery. The rich mahogany tones of the inside of the mansion along with the orange flicker of the candles come to life. The spirits and ghosts of the mansion come to life in their green and blue neon colors.  

Audio: 

The 5.1 Dolby Atmos track is amazing. Dialogue is crisp and clear from the front channel. The rear channels get a real worjout from the atmospheric sounds of the inside the mansion. The creaks, cracks and booms really shine here. Another fantastic soundtrack from Disney.

Bonus Features

FEATURETTES:

·       Making Haunted Mansion (13:05) Hear from cast, crew and filmmakers about creating this grim grinning adventure based on the world-famous ride. See how the ghosts were "brought to life," what role new technology played, and how the wildly popular attraction inspired the film's design.

·       999 Happy Haunts (7:05) There are 999 Happy Haunts inside the Disney Parks' attraction...but always room for one more! See all the Easter eggs (well, maybe not all of them) where characters big, small, alive, departed, human and otherwise appear in both the movie and the ride.

 

DELETED SCENES:

Take a look at some moments that passed on before the final version of The Haunted Mansion was finished.

·       Carol (0:45)

·       1 Star (0:44)

·       Harriet’s House Of Intuition (3:11)

·       They Say The Place Is Haunted (1:16)

·       Between Realms (1:42)

·       Crump Manor (1:07)

·       Emergency Baptism (1:01)

·       A Good Head For Business (0:32)

GAG REEL:

     ·       Who knew making a scary movie could be so funny?             

Conclusion:

Haunted Mansion was a blast for me. I loved all the nods to the attraction while still telling a compelling story about love and loss. A deeply moving movie that I wasn't expecting. A wonderful video transfer with a fantastic audio track plus some fun bonus features make this a welcome addition to your library. Haunted Mansion is available on digital, DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD.  

*The movie was provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment for the sole purpose of the review. The review is strictly my opinion.*                                                                                                                                                  

4K Digital Review: Theater Camp

 

Theater Camp was acquired by Searchlight Pictures after the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and after a very short time in theaters, it is available to stream at home. While you can watch it on Hulu, you will not get all of the bonus features only available on the digital release. Please note that there is no physical copy release. 

The film opens with AdirondACTS theater camp founder Joan (Amy Sedaris) suffering a seizure from the strobe lights during a staging of Bye Bye Birdy. Her son Troy (Jimmy Tatro), who knows nothing about drama or the theatrical arts, is forced to step in to run the camp while she recovers. The returning camp counselors Amos (Ben Platt) and Rebeccas-Diane (Molly Gordon) are not happy with Troy especially since he has cut a number of counselors to help save on costs. It turns out the camp has been running for years at a loss and a neighboring camp wants the land. 

Theater Camp is shot mockumentary style and is filled with situational humor. Most of the film is improvised and all the actors do an incredible job, especially the child actors. If you were ever part of a drama club or camp, either as a student or a teacher, Theater Camp will bring back found memories.    

Video:

Theater Camp was shot to recreate the look of 16mm film. The look is soft with muted colors and artificial film grain that really capture this look of 16mm film. 

Audio:

The audio presentation is in a 5.1 audio mix. The dialogue is crisp and clean with little surround sound presence other than music and crowd noise and ambience. It is a dialogue heavy film so no surprise with the audio coming mostly front the front channels. 

Bonus Features

• Side by Side by Side: A Theater Camp Chat (7:17) – Go backstage with the creative team of THEATER CAMP as they discuss why being in sync as actors, writers, friends, and filmmakers brought their comedy to life. Featuring Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Owen Thiele, and Nick Lieberman.
• Deleted Scenes (4:44) – Enjoy a front-row seat to some of the funniest material ever to grace a cutting room floor in this string of highly amusing deleted scenes.
• Extended Scenes (4:05) – Sometimes the comic magic just can't be contained in the final cut. So, when enough isn't quite enough and you crave just a little bit more, these extended scenes are the perfect thing to satisfy you!
• Talent Showcase Reels (16:52) – Witness the improvisational genius of the cast in these talent showcase reels and watch as the actors build upon and embellish each scene with hilarious, impromptu, alternate takes.
  • Rebecca-Diane (4:06)
  • Amos (3:29)
  • Troy (2:45)
  • Songwriting with Rebecca-Diane & Amos (3:41)
  • Troy Meets with Rebecca-Diane & Amos (2:58)
• Outtakes (3:36) – With a cast as funny as this, it's no surprise that even these pros couldn't keep from cracking up. This outtake reel reveals just how hard it can be to keep a straight face.

Conclusion:

A fun film that pays a loving homage to those that were in drama club. A quirky mockumentary with solid audio and fun video to recreate the 16mm film feel. Some fun bonus features but I would have loved an audio commentary. 

* The digital copy was provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment for the sole purpose for the review and the review is solely my opinion*

4K Digital Review: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny opens in 1944 with Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his partner Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) captured by the Nazi's while trying to save a historical artifact. They pair come across half of Archimedes dial, an artifact desired by Jurgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen).

We then flash-forward twenty-five years to New York where Indy lives alone and is heading towards retirement. Grieving the loss of his son and nearing a divorce of his wife Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy is found by his god daughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), the daughter of Basil Shaw. Helena cons Indy into giving her his half of the dial and we are off on an adventure. Indy must stop Helena from selling the dial or before Voller acquires it. 

Harrison Ford is wonderful in his final film as Indiana Jones. Once again his comedic timing is spot on. And this time around he plays Indy as a heartbroken man whose grief and love of history leaves him feeling stranded in the present. 

Director James Mangold unfortunately just doesn't deliver what Steven Spielberg could. The action sequences feel flat and it feels like Mangold felt the pressure of the other films. But as we head towards the film's finale, Mangold puts his own touch on the franchise that tugs on our sense of nostalgia. This brings the film to an effective final scene.

Video:

The 4K digital stream is a stunning transfer. The opening sequence, underwater sequence and interiors feature strong contrast with rich, inky blacks and wonderful shadow detail. The details in Indy's face and cloth textures are phenomenal. 

Audio:

The Dolby Atmos track is immersive and makes wonderful use of all the speakers. Dialogue is front and center, the surround channels are extremely active and the LFE adds something extra to the explosions. Just a solid audio track that one expects from Disney and an Indiana Jones movie.

Bonus Features:
The Making of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny

• Chapter 1 – Prologue – Harrison Ford leaps back into action as Indiana Jones! Journey to 1944 as this featurette reveals the filmmakers, characters, stunts, locations, and incredible visual effects that make up the thrilling opening of Dial of Destiny!
• Chapter 2 – New York – Blast off to adventure as James Mangold showcases the re-creation of 1969 Manhattan for the Moon Parade chase. This featurette spotlights Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) as John Williams conducts his beautiful new theme for this compelling character.
• Chapter 3 – Morocco – The man in the hat is back! Explore Morocco as this featurette breaks down the white-knuckle stunts of the medina tuk-tuk chase and hotel brawl. Meet Teddy (Ethann Isidore), Indy’s precocious new ally in the hunt for the dial!
• Chapter 4 – Sicily – Meet Renaldo (Antonio Banderas) as he guides our heroes on a perilous underwater treasure hunt! Catch up with Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge on location in Sicily and explore the caverns, traps, and bugs surrounding Archimedes’ tomb!
• Chapter 5 – Finale – This featurette breaks down the thrilling climax to the Indiana Jones series. Cast and filmmakers James Mangold, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, John Williams, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford bid farewell to one of the greatest heroes of all time.

Conclusion:

Even with it's faults, this was still a fun Indiana Jones film that is said to be the last of the series. A fantastic video transfer and audio track combined with bonus features that left me wanting more makes this a worthy addition to your library.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is available now on digital and has yet to be announced as a physical copy.

*The digital copy was provided for review purposes by Walt Disney Home Entertainment and the review is strictly my own opinion*

4K Digital Review: The Boogeyman

 

Based off of a classic short story by Stephen King, The Boogeyman starts in a horrific manner with a baby's murder. We then cut to the Harper family who is dealing with the loss of their mom. The father, Will Harper (Chris Messina) is a therapist, trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and the youngest Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair). To add to their problems is Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) who comes to Will to talk about a being who killed his kids. 

Will's daughters start seeing a mysterious being in the house. The sisters work together to figure out what is happening and if they can get rid of the monster. But they get brought into a nightmare and now their lives are on the line.

For a PG-13 movie, you get a solid jump scare movie with little gore. The Boogeyman looks at fear and paranoia based upon grief. A solid horror movie that will make you think if the monster was real or just a way to show how people overcome fear and grief.

Video:

The 4K digital stream video is a solid transfer. For a film that is very dark, even in the daytime shots, the black levels and details are rich and inky. There are a lot of blue and gray filters throughout the entire movie. The black levels show off incredible detail. The HDR and Dolby Vision enhancements also help showcase the details in the dark. 

Audio:

The Dolby 5.1 track is solid and goes hand in hand perfectly with the fine video transfer. The front channels provide crystal clear dialogue. The surround channels will go into overdrive when you hear the monster moving around the room. An aggressive audio track is perfect for this type of movie.

Bonus Features:

• Into the Darkness Featurette – Open the door into the dark world of The Boogeyman as the cast and crew share how the terrifying tale, based on Stephen King's classic short story, was crafted.
• Outtakes – It’s not all just jump scares and bumps in the night. Join the cast for some lighthearted fun in the outtakes.

Conclusion:

The Boogeyman is a solid popcorn, jump scare monster movie. The solid video transfer and audio track really stand out here. A couple of short bonus features round out this release that will be a fun popcorn watch or a welcome addition to your library as a Stephen King fan.

The Boogeyman is now available on digital and on Blu-Ray and DVD October 10th.

*The movie was sent to by Walt Disney Home Entertainment for the sole purpose of review and the review is entirely my own opinion*