The Strangers [Blu-ray]
Description
Explore your worst fears imaginable with this shocking
suspense thriller inspired by disturbing true events. After a 4 a.m. knock at
the door and a haunting voice, Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt’s
(Scott Speedman) remote getaway becomes a psychological night of terror as
three masked strangers invade. Now they must go far beyond what they thought
themselves capable of if they hope to survive. Bonus Content: Deleted Scenes
The Elements of Terror BD-Live – My Scenes Sharing A lean, briskly
paced and exceptionally creepy thriller, The Strangers earns its scares the
old-fashioned way: through atmosphere, sound design, and a simple yet
undeniably upsetting central premise that allows for maximum tension
throughout its running time. Attractive young lovers Liv Tyler and Scott
Speedman are already having a bad day–she’s turned down his marriage proposal
–before a knock on the door in the middle of the night announces a full-
fledged siege on their remote vacation home by a trio of masked assailants.
The film’s first third delivers the most consistent shivers as the visitors
make their presence and intentions known to Tyler; the second half grows more
frantic and bloody before a gruesome finale that may leave viewers either
rattled to their core or bothered by its empty nihilism. Speedman is fine as
the downtrodden male lead (who’s seen tucking into a carton of ice cream after
being rejected), but it’s Tyler who impresses the most by s! houldering the
lion’s share of the terror. First-time writer/director Bryan Bertino impresses
by forsaking the current passion for over-the-top violence (save for the
finale) in favor of more traditional means of generating fear, and if his
project borrows heavily from other films, most notably the French chiller Them
(which shares its “inspired by a true story” origin) and Michael Haneke’s
Funny Games, at least he’s taking from the best. The sound design is among the
many technical standouts, and the unsettling score by tomandandy (The Hills
Have Eyes) pleasantly evokes Ennio Morricone’s fuzztone-heavy work for Dario
Argento in the early ’70s. On a completely unrelated note, LP fanatics should
appreciate how both the film’s heroes and villains share an affinity for folk
and country music on vinyl. –Paul Gaita
Features:
Product Details:
- Genre: Horror, DVD Movie, Blu-ray Movie, Action & Adventure/Thrillers
- Format: Multiple Formats, AC-3, Blu-ray, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen See more
- Contributor: Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler, Bryan Bertino, Laura Margolis, Kip Weeks, Glenn Howerton, Doug Davison, Roy Lee, Gemma Ward, Nathan Kahane See more
- Language: English
- Runtime: 1 hour and 31 minutes
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 7 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 1.6 Ounces
- Item model number :
- Director : Bryan Bertino
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, AC-3, Blu-ray, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Run time : 1 hour and 31 minutes
- Release date : August 28, 2011
- Actors : Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks, Laura Margolis