Pet Sematary (2019) 4K Blu-Ray Review

Pet Sematary (2019) 4K Blu-Ray Review

Story

    After the Creed family relocates from Boston to rural Maine, they soon discover an ancient burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, the grief-stricken father is driven by the cemetery’s sinister power, setting off a perilous chain of events that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences.  Some secrets are best left buried in this twisted thriller.

Review

     As soon as I saw they were remaking Pet Sematary I got really excited. I know a lot of die hard horror fans are not pleased with the amount of remakes that are coming down the pipeline because they fear that it will ruin the originals. I feel differently about this, hey if the new iteration isn't my cup of tea I can always go back and watch the original and still enjoy it all the same. If the new iteration is my cup of tea, now I have two films that I enjoy. This new Pet Sematary falls into the latter category.

This new version does change quite a few things from the original and some of those decisions work mostly because it changes the plot around in a way that feels refreshing. I don't like spoiling these things for people but in this instance if you've watched the trailer then you know what I am talking about. If you haven't watched the trailer and are reading this then I urge you that you do not watch the trailer and go into this with an open mind.

One thing I did enjoy about this movie was the cinematography and the overall palette of this movie. It just gave me that vibe I'm usually looking for when I pop a horror movie in and want to feel unsettled sitting on my couch. The book itself was extremely dark and this movie is no different. What I would have liked is that the horror presented was a bit more cerebral, this is a very basic story so I would have liked it for it to be a bit more elevated. However I admire the look of this film and that enough kept me intrigued even if I knew where we were headed at the end of the day.

Performances were solid all around and I even found myself enjoying John Lithgow's Jud, of course it didn't have the charm and over the top style that only Fred Gwynne could bring but it was a solid effort. Jason Clarke plays a devastated father and honestly I enjoy most of Jason Clarke's performances and this one was no different, but going back to the writing, I wish he was giving a bit more to chew on. That actually goes for the majority of the cast.

   

Video

Pet Sematary is presented in 4K Ultra HD  in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio and had a sublime image on my television. I was definitely able to take note of plenty of different textures from mangled cat fur to blood stained shirts. The majority of the meat of this film takes place in the dark and thankfully the blacks looked great and I attribute that to the HDR. The colors were all adequate and I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation.

Audio

The English Dolby Atmos track here was satisfying. All the dialogue was clear which is usually what I nitpick when I'm watching a movie for the first time at home. The environments all felt very real and were definitely enhanced because of the audio. The nighttime forest scenes felt authentic with all the sounds you could expect to hear in that setting. 

Extras

·         Alternate Ending

·         Deleted and Extended Scenes

·         Night Terrors – Family Haunting Visions

·         The Tale of Timmy Baterman

·         Beyond the Deadfall

o   Chapter One: Resurrection – Directors, screenwriters and cast discuss bringing this classic back to life

o   Chapter Two: The Final Resting Place—A deeper look into finding the right location for the terror to unfold

o   Chapter Three: The Road to Sorrow— Inside the film’s tragic themes and creating the iconic cat “Church”

o   Chapter Four: Death Comes home—Unearth the creepy elements behind the climax and final scenes of the film

Language

• English Dolby Atmos, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, and English Audio Description English, English SDH, Spanish, French

Subtitles

• English, English SDH, Spanish, French

Final Thoughts

Pet Sematary has a few twists and turns that made this feel different than the original but I would have liked if the story was more layered. Overall as far as horror movies go, this is a solid entry in a genre that suffers from more misses than hits.

Pet Sematary is available on Digital, 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on now from Paramount!

The Witch 4K Blu-ray Review

The Witch 4K Blu-ray Review

Story

 New England, 1630: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with their five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassible wilderness. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family beings to turn on one another. The Witch is a chilling portrait of a family unraveling within their own fears and anxieties, leaving them prey to an inescapable evil.

Review

The Witch of course is film that hes been out for a few years now and to me it still remains of my favorite horror movies of the last few years. I know some people will argue that it is not a true horror film, whatever that even means. This is one of those films that will leave you thinking about it days after you have watched it. I do not want to go too much into the plot because it is pretty simple but I would put it as more of a psychological horror film. It really messed with me and there are scenes in this movie that have stuck with me even years later.

This is first performance I ever watched from Anya Taylor-Joy and she was phenomenal. Her emotions and her facial expressions were all on point and if there is anyone that you're going to relate to in this movie then it is most likely going to be her. 

It is important to note that this movie is set in 1630 and of course the family is living a super strict Christian life and that has them more on edge about certain things that maybe we're more used to now. It was one of those viewing experiences that had me really tense through out and had me wanting to yell at the screen.

I know I'm being very vague but I am doing that because I am sure most of you reading this have already watched this film and are looking to upgrade your copy but also because there are those of you who have not watched it and I don't want to give anything away.

Listen, if you enjoyed Hereditary, this film is for you. That simple. If you're a fan of horror and maybe want something a bit different from the usual slashers and demonic urban hauntings, then The Witch is well worth your time. Seriously, go watch it.

Video

The Witch is presented in 2160p Ultra HD in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. What that means for most of you is that there will be some thin black bars on the sides of the screen instead of the usual top and bottom bars. The Witch to begin with is a film that doesn't require a super high resolution or the capability to show extreme contrast between colors for it to be enjoyed, so I was definitely looking forward to seeing how good it looked in 4K. I can say that there was definitely a benefit, especially from the HDR. The majority of this film has a tone where it is almost washed out, like a slight white overlay over the entire thing. It does add to the setting and definitely makes the film better. The addition of the HDR just lets us see more of that environment, especially in some of the darker scenes. The daylight scenes really popped off screen and also benefited from this transfer. Honestly I would say that The Witch is worth upgrading if you're a fan of the film or want to see how 4K looks on a less than traditional looking film.

Audio

The audio is presented with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master mix that doesn't have much to it as far as something that will blow you away. There are a lot of sounds from the environment in this movie but more than anything it has a very haunting soundtrack. That to me is a very important aspect to any horror movie but more so with a film like The Witch that relies a lot on its setting to add to the environment and overall sense of dread that you feel while watching it.

EXTRAS

·            “The Witch: A Primal Folklore” Featurette

·            Salem Panel Q&A 

·            Design Gallery

·            Audio Commentary with Director Robert Eggers

LANGUAGE

• English

SUBTITLES

• English SDH and Spanish

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Witch is a very disturbing and unsettling horror film that will stick with you long after you're done watching it. If you're looking to expand your horror collection or just looking to beef up that 4K collection, The Witch is a worthy addition.

The Witch is available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack now from Lionsgate.