NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Second Sight Films Blu-ray (April 2022): Second Sight Films have transferred Joel Anderson's 2008 Australian horror Lake Mungo to Blu-ray. This is a pared-down version of their Limited Edition of last year (2021) - with a rigid slipcase and perfect-bound booklet with new essays by Sarah Appleton, Simon Fitzjohn, Rich Johnson, Mary Beth McAndrews and Shellie McMurdo, interview with actor James Lawson by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas plus rare behind-the-scenes photos - previously available HERE. A shame we didn't have it to review as it did spark interest in our year end poll. This 'standard BD edition' is on a dual-layered disc with a high bitrate. We presume the same transfer as the LE Blu-ray. The 'live' image quality looks excellent with some fine grain textures. The video segments - 'found' footage and docu-fiction elements - is meant to look harder to distinguish adding an air of realism and mystery to the story. I thought it worked well and the 1080P image was effective.

NOTE: We have added 46 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Second Sight Films use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original English language. Lake Mungo is fairly passive filled with pseudo interviews and no aggression with few instances of deft separation. The score is by David Paterson (mostly known as an actor this is his own film composure credit), sounding clean. There is consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. Second Sight Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray available in both US and the UK.

The Second Sight Films Blu-ray offers plenty in terms of supplements. We get an archival audio commentary by producer David Rapsey and DoP John Brawley plus a new audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Emma Westwood. Captured Spirits is a 3/4 hour interview with DoP John Brawley expanding on his information in the commentary. Ghost in the Machine is a dozen-minute interview with Producer David Rapsey. A Cop and a Friend runs shy of 1/2 hour and is an interview with actors Carole Patullo (Sargent Drouin) and James Lawson (Frederick Rosskamp.) Kindred Spirits has filmmakers Justin Benson (The Endless) and Aaron Moorhead on Lake Mungo has the pair discussing the techniques, production etc. used for around 25-minutes. Hosting Spirits has filmmaker Rob Savage (Host) on Lake Mungo. Even at under 30-years of age the director/writer has plenty of good insight into the story and handling of it by Anderson. Sulacra and Spirits is a 20-minute a video essay by film writer Josh Nelson and Autopsy of a Family Home is an 8-minute video essay by filmmaker Joseph Wallace. Both are excellent. The supplements end with almost 1/4 hour's worth of deleted scenes.

Joel Anderson's Lake Mungo seems to have garnered both positive and negative reaction. I consider it a bold effort - taking the docu-horror to a well-realized level. This was intelligently directed. I loved that it didn't, like so many, devolve into gore or extravagance. Lake Mungo gives you purposeful confusion about the believability of the supernatural 'ghost apparition doppelgänger' briefly throwing in a sex-tape controversy element. This, in turn, distracts you from the fact that it is pure fiction - not even fictionalized truth. A psychological barrier is obfuscated. To its great credit it doesn't go overboard and the balancing act is adeptly produced. The end credits are brilliantly intercut with past footage, revealing sightings of Alice's ghost throughout the film that went un-identified in the story. I enjoyed my viewing and have already recommended to friends who appreciate this genre... or more verbose representations found in similar films. The restraint shows Anderson's maturity. There is a uniqueness to this project and the attempt deserves recognition - separate from the throw-away popcorners that we see so often. The Second Sight Films Blu-ray has gone to the next level with the appreciated supplements - two commentaries, two video essays, interviews etc.. It's a complete package - one we recommend to any keen - opening your mind to this impressive brand of psychological horror.

Gary Tooze