IDENTITY
($28) is a highly enjoyable little horror thriller that features some
interesting twists and turns, as well as an air of the supernatural. I
really can’t say too much about the plot of IDENTITY, since it
takes away from one’s initial discovery of the story, but a very brief
synopsis won’t hurt. IDENTITY tells of a diverse group of
strangers that are brought together during a violent rainstorm in the
Nevada desert. Because all the main roads are flooded out, each is forced
to take shelter in a somewhat rundown motel. As the storm rages on, some
unseen killer begins picking off members of the group, one by one- leaving
behind their motel room key as a calling card. IDENTITY is a really
well acted little ensemble piece that features a solid cast of fairly big
named players including John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred
Molina, Jake Busey and Rebecca De Mornay.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment has made IDENTITY available on DVD in a
2.40:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on
16:9 displays. A cropped presentation is also offered on a separate layer,
for those who like their movies butchered. There is also an option of
viewing an extended version of the film. As for the wide screen version of
IDENTITY, it is pretty much what one would expect from a brand new
studio "A" production- it looks terrific. The image is very
crisp and beautifully defined. Even though much of the film takes place at
night and in a rainstorm, the picture has impressive clarity and
definition. Colors appear strongly rendered, although the darkness
prevents any form of vibrancy. Flesh tones are fairly natural and
generally appealing, except when the lighting gets a bit arty. Blacks are
dead on the money, whites are stable, plus contrast and shadow detail are
excellent. The film element used for the transfer is virtually pristine,
plus there is almost no appreciable grain during the presentation. Digital
compression artifacts are usually held in check.
IDENTITY
comes with a knockout Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack. The sound
design is highly aggressive and makes excellent use of the surround
channels for creepy ambient effects and directional sound effects- which
heighten suspense and help keep the viewer on edge. Additionally, the
soundtrack also creates a cohesive sense of space and maintains the
illusion that the audience is in the middle of a rainstorm, along with the
on screen characters. Dialogue reproduction is uniformly excellent, with
the voices sounding natural and everything being completely intelligible.
The bass channel is deep and authoritative, which not only enhances the
rumble of the thunder and other effects, it also adds musical definition
to the film’s score. A French Dolby Surround track is also encoded onto
the DVD, as are English and French subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as a few supplements. Director James Mangold
is on hand to provide a rather entertaining and informative running audio
commentary. From the Starz! Network is an On the Set program
that runs approximately fourteen minutes and is pretty much a standard PR
piece. Also included on the DVD are four deleted scenes with optional
director’s commentary, three storyboard comparisons, a theatrical
trailer plus cast & crew filmographies.
I
found IDENTITY to be a rather enjoyable thriller with a great cast
and intriguing twists and turns to its plot. As for the DVD, Columbia
serves up a great looking and sounding disc, with a nice complement of
extras. If the subject matter is appealing, then you can’t go wrong by
checking out this great little DVD.
IDENTITY
($28) is a highly enjoyable little horror thriller that features some
interesting twists and turns, as well as an air of the supernatural. I
really can’t say too much about the plot of IDENTITY, since it
takes away from one’s initial discovery of the story, but a very brief
synopsis won’t hurt. IDENTITY tells of a diverse group of
strangers that are brought together during a violent rainstorm in the
Nevada desert. Because all the main roads are flooded out, each is forced
to take shelter in a somewhat rundown motel. As the storm rages on, some
unseen killer begins picking off members of the group, one by one- leaving
behind their motel room key as a calling card. IDENTITY is a really
well acted little ensemble piece that features a solid cast of fairly big
named players including John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred
Molina, Jake Busey and Rebecca De Mornay.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment has made IDENTITY available on DVD in a
2.40:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on
16:9 displays. A cropped presentation is also offered on a separate layer,
for those who like their movies butchered. There is also an option of
viewing an extended version of the film. As for the wide screen version of
IDENTITY, it is pretty much what one would expect from a brand new
studio "A" production- it looks terrific. The image is very
crisp and beautifully defined. Even though much of the film takes place at
night and in a rainstorm, the picture has impressive clarity and
definition. Colors appear strongly rendered, although the darkness
prevents any form of vibrancy. Flesh tones are fairly natural and
generally appealing, except when the lighting gets a bit arty. Blacks are
dead on the money, whites are stable, plus contrast and shadow detail are
excellent. The film element used for the transfer is virtually pristine,
plus there is almost no appreciable grain during the presentation. Digital
compression artifacts are usually held in check.
IDENTITY
comes with a knockout Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack. The sound
design is highly aggressive and makes excellent use of the surround
channels for creepy ambient effects and directional sound effects- which
heighten suspense and help keep the viewer on edge. Additionally, the
soundtrack also creates a cohesive sense of space and maintains the
illusion that the audience is in the middle of a rainstorm, along with the
on screen characters. Dialogue reproduction is uniformly excellent, with
the voices sounding natural and everything being completely intelligible.
The bass channel is deep and authoritative, which not only enhances the
rumble of the thunder and other effects, it also adds musical definition
to the film’s score. A French Dolby Surround track is also encoded onto
the DVD, as are English and French subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as a few supplements. Director James Mangold
is on hand to provide a rather entertaining and informative running audio
commentary. From the Starz! Network is an On the Set program
that runs approximately fourteen minutes and is pretty much a standard PR
piece. Also included on the DVD are four deleted scenes with optional
director’s commentary, three storyboard comparisons, a theatrical
trailer plus cast & crew filmographies.
I
found IDENTITY to be a rather enjoyable thriller with a great cast
and intriguing twists and turns to its plot. As for the DVD, Columbia
serves up a great looking and sounding disc, with a nice complement of
extras. If the subject matter is appealing, then you can’t go wrong by
checking out this great little DVD.
