Project-Blu Deadline, by M. Enois Duarte

Deadline

By: M. Enois Duarte, 12.28.2009

The Movie Itself:
One thing 'Deadline' will probably never be accused of is originality, innovation, or being utterly terrifying. It will also never win first pick as the scary movie to watch at a girl's slumber party. In fact, there may not be much to save this independent horror flick from drowning in a bathtub of its own mediocrity. This is a straight-to-DVD premiere after all, starring three actors who haven't made much noise theatrically in a while. We've seen the premise used in several other movies before (which you won't know until the end, of course), and none, in my opinion, have been able to pull it off with flawless success. Much like those others, the movie places all bets on a shocking twist ending to woo audiences and to appear cleverer than it actually is.

What the movie does have going for it is some good moments of creepiness, a more hip-with-the-younger-generation feel to it, and a promising beginning for a first-time writer/director. The difference here, too, is with the use of digital camcorders as a flashback device and the main female character surviving a terribly traumatic experience at the hands of an ex-lover. That last part is actually somewhat crucial since questioning her sanity must be taken into account. The woman's name is Alice (Brittany Murphy), a young and beautiful writer who's lost motivation. To get away from it all as well as her violent boyfriend, her best friend (Tammy Blanchard) her drives her to a secluded house (as if there's any other kind) to rediscover her muse.

After spending a couple of nights in the large Victorian house, Alice becomes convinced the place is haunted. With some snooping around, she uncovers a series of videotapes recorded by the former homeowners, a young expecting couple (Thora Birch and Marc Blucas). In a very weird way, Alice finds solace in watching their marriage suddenly turn disturbing. Or better yet, it takes her mind off her own misfortune and misery, which is necessary for her to finish her latest screenplay. Unfortunately, the dark secret surrounding the house and the newlywed couple gets the better of her, and she feels compelled to solve the mystery. Per usual, unidentified and irregular sounds and whispers are heard throughout the abode for a chilling atmosphere.

If not for the fact that Brittany Murphy plays the role of the victimized protagonist, I doubt there would be much else to attract audiences. With her unfortunate and untimely passing recently, many will likely find interest in watching this -- released only two weeks prior. As the young writer in need of isolation to complete a screenplay, she does a fine job in convincing us she's perfectly sane. When things increasingly become stranger in the house, the isolation seems to take its toll, and we watch slowly crack. Thora Birch, too, as the casualty of a pointless crime of passion fills the shoes, but her expressions don't change much. In the end, however, her marriage with the Blucas character fails to be as interesting as Alice's breakdown.

Writer/director Sean McConville deserves some credit as well. As a first-timer in both credits, 'Deadline' isn't half bad and serves pretty decent entertainment when there's not much else to watch. Particularly creative was the use of the digital camcorder to portray the husband's unusual and unnerving behavior. The guy literally records everything! McConville maintains a good level focus until those final moments when we realize we've been duped. It would've been nice to see him do something a bit more original, but this isn't a complete disaster for a film debut.
Rating: 5/10

The Presentation:
Granted this isn't exactly one of the better looking discs around, but ironically, the picture quality of this Blu-ray suits the filmmaker's intentions. The AVC MPEG-4 encode in a 2.35:1 frame is actually a fairly clean and stable transfer, showing a very thin grain structure that never fluctuates.

The palette is well rendered and accurate, but it's also very limited, which complements the subject matter. There's more attention given to secondary hues so as to establish a creepy tone and a spine-chilling atmosphere. Contrast appears a bit lacking and slightly toned down, which could also be intentional, but thankfully, it doesn't ruin the picture in any significant way. There's plenty of visible detail throughout, yet fine lines never look as sharp as we've come to expect from a newer release. Shadow delineation plays a major role as the movie is quite dark and gloomy. Unfortunately, it's not really up to par with many background objects being lost in the murk. While flesh tones reveal some nice texture in the complexions of actors, brightness levels are on the lower end of the grayscale, and blacks tend to look a bit faded. Overall, the video presentation isn't a complete loss. It just can't compete with other hi-def material.
Rating: 6.8/10

The Dolby TrueHD soundtrack included on the disc is where the real show it at with a good amount of activity to offer some frights. There's not a whole lot of action going on in the surround speakers, but the few discrete effects employed are very enjoyable and convincing, adding to the dreary and chilling atmosphere. While the echoes of loud, creaking doors and faint whispers fill the soundfield nicely, the musical score lightly bleeds into the background to engross the listener. The lossless mix generally maintains a frontal perspective, but the design allows for plenty of detail and clarity to give viewers the heebie-jeebies. The front channels deliver an engaging presence, well-prioritized vocals, and a clean dynamic range. Lower frequencies are also present but only active when required for suspense and fright. The track may not be a revelation, but it works on the movie's behalf and is quite entertaining.
Rating: 7.2/10

Overall Presentation: 7/10

** 9 - 10 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
First Look Pictures brings 'Deadline' to Blu-ray with a very small, barely worth the time package of supplements, and none are in high definition.

Behind the Scenes (SD, 10 min)
Trailers

Rating: 1/10

Final Thoughts:
'Deadline' is not half bad for a first-time writer and director, and it stars Brittany Murphy in one of her last performances. The psychological thriller has some good creepy atmosphere with a mystery surrounding a haunted house, but the ending is not all that satisfying. This Blu-ray edition of the straight-to-DVD movie arrives with a good A/V presentation but a disappointing collection of bonus material. When there's not much else to watch, 'Deadline' is a rental at best.
Rating: 4/10