Actors: Ethan Hawke, Fred Dalton Thompson, James Ransone
Director: Scott Derrickson
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Summit Entertainment
DVD Release Date: February 19, 2013
Run Time: 110 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
“Sinister” comes from the producers of “Paranormal Activity” and “Insidious”, one of my favorite horror pics in the last decade. Ethan Hawke really delivers a very impressive performance and really channels his inner Jack Torrence from “Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining”. You can literally watch his voyage into madness with each passing minute. The film is definitely falls into the horror genre but also leans into the crime genre as well. I really enjoyed the blend of the two. The director and co-writer Scott Derrickson knows the horror genre well after his take on “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” and delivers an impressive film here. This script is original and really delivers the suspense and keeps your attention fully for the near two hours. Recommend for all horror fans!
Official Premise: Ten years ago, true crime writer Ellison Oswald made his reputation with a best-selling account of a notorious murder. Now, desperate to replicate success of his first book, he moves his family into a home where the previous occupants were brutally executed and a child disappeared, hoping to find inspiration in the crime scene. In the home, Ellison discovers a cache of terrifying home movies, unwittingly opening the door into a nightmarish mystery.
Summit delivered an all around great Blu-ray release. The combo pack also comes with a digital copy and an Ultraviolet digital streaming copy. “Sinister” was made on a very low budget of $3 million dollars and shot with using HD cameras. The 1080p transfer in 2.40:1 aspect ratio looks stunning. The film is dark throughout most of the film but it looks sharp and even though it is shot on HD it works well. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is a real surprise though. Horror usually never gets the 7.1 treatment but let me tell you it really works with this film. There is no shortage of eerie and creepy sound effects pushed through those speakers and what an amazing score, thanks to Christopher Young.
The special features are not the greatest besides the fact that their are two audio commentary tracks. The first is with director Scott Derrickson, who gives some good perspective on the production. Next up is a track with again with Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill. Obviously it focuses more on the writing but is still entertaining. The next two features are more on actual crimes than the production itself. The first is “True Crime Authors” which has crime authors talking about their work and related situations. “Living in a House of Death” is the same thing but with real people talking about living in haunted houses. Next is a deleted scenes or story line actually with optional commentary by Scott Derrickson. It focuses around Angela Bettis’ (“May”) character, who plays the next door neighbor. Didn’t really add much to the film. Rounded out the extras is a theatrical trailer.