Things go from bad to worse.... After establishing a promising premise, the filmmakers and the film go south.
Video:
Fox transfers are usually always good, yet this one, while no great exception, is not among their absolute best. Still, almost is good enough. The picture's dimensions are quite wide, measuring a ratio approximately 2.17:1 across my TV, very close to the movie's original theatrical-release ratio of 2.35:1 (the keep case says 2.40:1, so take your pick). The image is enhanced for 16x9 televisions and transferred at a reasonably high bit rate. Definition is good most of the time, and colors are deep, rich, and glowing. There is some murkiness in the darkest shots, however, and some small noticeable grain.
Audio:
The audio is reproduced on disc via Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. In DD 5.1 one hears exemplary modern sound, but you have to wait for it. At first, there's not a lot going on. There is a very wide dynamic range, with some sounds and dialogue barely audible and other sounds quite loud. But as things go along, the soundtrack begins to assert itself, with greater impact, stronger bass, and more directional effects. In other words, the audio reinforces the action, becoming more aggressive as the movie proceeds.
Extras:
The disc opens with a series of trailers on boot up. They can be bypassed to go directly to the Main Menu. From here, one of the main special features is an audio commentary with director John Polson, screenwriter Ari Schlossberg, and editor Jeffrey Ward. Like most such collaborative efforts, this commentary track finds the three participants sometimes providing solid information and sometimes engaging in jovial banter. It may be of interest to the fan of such things. Of greater interest to me was a series of fourteen deleted or extended scenes, about nineteen minutes' worth, all in widescreen and with optional commentary from the same trio who talk through the feature film. Of slightly less interest were four brief, alternate endings, again with optional commentary. I didn't find any of these endings any more satisfactory than the one finally chosen. Besides which, we are only talking about the last minute or two of the ending, not the last half of the movie. In any case, if you like they can be incorporated into the movie itself or watched on their own.
Then, there are three rough conceptual sequences, with integrated live action and storyboards, for things that were not actually produced. Next, there is a ten-minute promotional featurette, "The Making of Hide and Seek," that contains the usual praise for the film from everyone involved in its making. The extras conclude with thirty-two scene selections, but no chapter insert; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; and English and Spanish subtitles.
Parting Shots:
As I said, a good beginning, a redundant middle, and an awful ending. Still, it's always good to see De Niro. One just wonders why he wants to squander his talents on such frivolous fluff. And I don't mean horror movies. Jack Nicholson did everyone a favor by starring in "The Shining." I mean bad horror movies or bad comedies. De Niro is above such things and should be able to tell the difference in a good script and a bad one. I dunno. The only surprise in "Hide and Seek" is why De Niro did it.
Fox transfers are usually always good, yet this one, while no great exception, is not among their absolute best. Still, almost is good enough. The picture's dimensions are quite wide, measuring a ratio approximately 2.17:1 across my TV, very close to the movie's original theatrical-release ratio of 2.35:1 (the keep case says 2.40:1, so take your pick). The image is enhanced for 16x9 televisions and transferred at a reasonably high bit rate. Definition is good most of the time, and colors are deep, rich, and glowing. There is some murkiness in the darkest shots, however, and some small noticeable grain.
Audio:
The audio is reproduced on disc via Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. In DD 5.1 one hears exemplary modern sound, but you have to wait for it. At first, there's not a lot going on. There is a very wide dynamic range, with some sounds and dialogue barely audible and other sounds quite loud. But as things go along, the soundtrack begins to assert itself, with greater impact, stronger bass, and more directional effects. In other words, the audio reinforces the action, becoming more aggressive as the movie proceeds.
Extras:
The disc opens with a series of trailers on boot up. They can be bypassed to go directly to the Main Menu. From here, one of the main special features is an audio commentary with director John Polson, screenwriter Ari Schlossberg, and editor Jeffrey Ward. Like most such collaborative efforts, this commentary track finds the three participants sometimes providing solid information and sometimes engaging in jovial banter. It may be of interest to the fan of such things. Of greater interest to me was a series of fourteen deleted or extended scenes, about nineteen minutes' worth, all in widescreen and with optional commentary from the same trio who talk through the feature film. Of slightly less interest were four brief, alternate endings, again with optional commentary. I didn't find any of these endings any more satisfactory than the one finally chosen. Besides which, we are only talking about the last minute or two of the ending, not the last half of the movie. In any case, if you like they can be incorporated into the movie itself or watched on their own.
Then, there are three rough conceptual sequences, with integrated live action and storyboards, for things that were not actually produced. Next, there is a ten-minute promotional featurette, "The Making of Hide and Seek," that contains the usual praise for the film from everyone involved in its making. The extras conclude with thirty-two scene selections, but no chapter insert; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; and English and Spanish subtitles.
Parting Shots:
As I said, a good beginning, a redundant middle, and an awful ending. Still, it's always good to see De Niro. One just wonders why he wants to squander his talents on such frivolous fluff. And I don't mean horror movies. Jack Nicholson did everyone a favor by starring in "The Shining." I mean bad horror movies or bad comedies. De Niro is above such things and should be able to tell the difference in a good script and a bad one. I dunno. The only surprise in "Hide and Seek" is why De Niro did it.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]15908[/release]