Actors: Daniel Zovatto, Mark Margolis
Directors: Larry Fessenden
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Shout! Factory
DVD Release Date: March 25, 2014
Run Time: 90 minutes
Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars
When it comes to indie horror, Larry Fessenden (“The Last Winter”, “Wendigo”) is the man. When you see the poster for “Beneath” you might think “Oh it just another JAWS rip-off!” Well you will be wrong (sort of). It takes some good ideas from “Jaws” and made it its own. I was really impressive with this film because it packed some great scares and most importantly a practical effect fish, which was creepy as hell. It is rare that a film can nail good practical effects but this film has balls and delivers!
Official Premise: When a group of young friends commemorating their high school graduation take a trip to the remote Black Lake, their celebration turns into a nightmare with the sudden appearance of a bloodthirsty, underwater predator. Stuck in a leaking boat with no oars, the teens face the ultimate tests of friendship and sacrifice during a terror-stricken fight for survival.
Shout! Factory’s sub label Scream Factory has really given this a nice release. The Blu-ray comes along with a digital copy of the film (though a downer that it is not Ultraviolet, come on!) The 1080p transfer is solid and the practical effects look great in high-def (I had watched a crappy DVD screener, prior). The DTS-HD Master Audio track is also impressive with the scares and the perfectly tuned score.
This Blu-ray also comes jam-packed with great special features. There is an audio commentary with Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick. This is very interested and highly recommend to re-watch the film. There are three featurettes including a great behind-the-scenes peek with “A Look Behind The Scenes: Making the Fish Movie”, “What’s In Black Lake?”, “From the Web: What the Zeke?” and “Fessenden on Jaws”, obviously cool to see where his inspiration came from. Lastly there is a theatrical trailer included.
