Monday, January 24, 2011

DVD REVIEW: Disturbed (2009)




DISTURBED (2009)

Label: Echo Bridhe Home Entertainment
Genre: Slasher
Cast Melissa Deverian, Alex Aldridge, Peyten Aldridge, Randy Aldridge, Gary Slayton
Directors: Brian McLaughlin, Randy E Aldridge


Plot: When deranged serial killer Charles Mason escapes from death row, the quiet town of Quartz Hill is in for a blood bath. On his hunt for the children of Congressman Fontaine—against whom he seeks revenge—Mason leaves a trail of victims brutally murdered. Now it is up to Ashley Fontaine to protect her siblings while her parents are out of town…before Mason settles the score.


Film: What we have here is Halloween (1978) rip-off number 12,566,921. When a serial killer escapes from death row he makes his way to the town of Quartz Hill to take revenge on the Fontaine famil stemming from the fact that the father is a congressman who's on vacation with his wife which leaves his three chuildren to fend off the escaped lunatic. This is a really low budget film with a student film quality to it which I wouldn't hold against it other than the film was mediocre and formulaic. While the killer Charles Mason (that's a bit on the nose, ain't it) is never truly glimpsed there's a decidedly Michael Meyers-esque quality to his shadowy appearance. Some good bloody kills but not much else.


DVD: Disturbed comes to DVD in a 1.33:1 fullframe aspect ratio with 2.0 stereo sound. The film definitely sounds better than it looks, the film looks to have been filmed on consumer grade digital video and is quite uneven throughout in regards to sound and  lighting. Add to that some rampant digital attracting and while it's watchable it ain't pretty.


Verdict: Whenever I see a film that so clearly wants to be Halloween (1978) it makes me appreciate what John Carpenter was able to accomplish over 30 years ago, clearly one of the most influential genre films of all time. While Disturbed is highly unoriginal there are some effective character moments bloody kills but not enough to rock it out of a deep Slasher 101 rut.  1.5 outta 5