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Mysterious Skin [Blu-ray]
(Gregg Araki, 2004)
NOTE This Blu-ray of Mysterious Skin is compared to the Tartan DVD and the Camera Obscura 2020 Blu-ray HERE
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Antidote Films Video: Strand Releasing
Disc: Region: Region FREE (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:45:07.217 Disc Size: 45,013,144,300 bytes Feature Size: 32,340,934,656 bytes Video Bitrate: 28.10 Mbps Chapters: 12 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: March 18th, 2014
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.78:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 3986 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3986 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit Commentary: LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit Isolated SCore: DTS-HD Master Audio English 2525 kbps 2.1 / 48 kHz / 2525 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles: English (SDH), none
Extras: • Commentary Track with Gregg Araki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Brady Corbet
•
Isolated Score & Effects Track (DTS-HD) • Deleted Scenes (5:49) • Book Reading (54:42) • Actor Audition Tape (8:05) • International Trailer (2:03)
Bitrate:
Description: Director Gregg Araki's MYSTERIOUS SKIN,
adapted from Scott Heim's acclaimed novel, is an intensely
powerful chronicle of childhood innocence lost. The film
features starmaking turns from Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Don
Jon,
Inception) and Brady Corbet (Simon
Killer,
Martha Marcy May Marlene) alongside outstanding
performance from co-stars Michelle Trachtenberg (Eurotrip,
Ice Princess), Mary Lynn Rajskub (TV's 24) and
Academy Award nominee Elizabeth Shue (Leaving
Las Vegas).
The Film: Two young men are haunted by similar events from their past, though the effects manifest themselves in very different ways, in this powerful drama from independent filmmaker Gregg Araki. In the summer of 1981, Brian (George Webster) and Neil (Chase Ellison) are both eight years old and playing on the same little league baseball team in a small Kansas town. One day, after a game, Brian blacks out after getting caught in a rainstorm, and five hours later he finds himself sitting in his basement with his nose bleeding and no memory of what happened to him. Over the years, the event -- particularly the missing five hours -- weigh heavily on his mind, and he becomes convinced that he was kidnapped by space aliens. Teenaged Brian (now played by Brady Corbet) becomes friends with Avalyn Friesen (Mary Lynn Rajskub), a woman who claims to have been abducted by aliens on several occasions, and she urges him to look to his dreams for patterns that might suggest what happened to him. Meanwhile, during the same summer, Neil developed a powerful crush on their little league coach (Bill Sage), who appeared to have also taken a shine to Neil. Excerpt from MRQE located HERE
Based on a 1995 novel by Scott Heim, “Mysterious Skin” reflects upon
how one childhood event shape the lives of two boys. At the age of eight,
Brian (Brady Corbett) passed out during a little league game and was out for
five hours, which he contributes to alien abduction, while Neil (Joseph
Gordon-Levitt) sought out an early sexual experience with his coach. Young
adults, Brian is alienated and spends most of his time at the library
reading and writing about alien abductions, while Neil has become a male
prostitute.
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Mysterious Skin arrives on Blu-ray from Strand looking advanced in the 1080P resolution over the, almost 10-year old, DVD (reviewed HERE). The image quality is clean and crisp showing some depth and a higher level of detail. This is dual-layered with a supportive bitrate. The colors scheme of the SD is supported only the BD's palette is tighter and richer - also brighter. Contrast is strong and there is some minor texture. Overall this just looks more like film - with the DVD, by comparison, appearing more like video. Daylight scenes are more impressive but nothing is overly dark and no unpleasant noise was present. This Blu-ray was transferred in 1.78 and opens up the 1.85:1 showing a shade more information in the top and bottom of the frame. I though the video rendering was quite crisp and pleasing.
NOTE This Blu-ray of Mysterious Skin is compared to the Tartan DVD and the Camera Obscura 2020 Blu-ray HERE
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Strand Releasing - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Strand Releasing - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Strand Releasing - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
Tartan - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. Strand Releasing - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
More Blu-ray Captures
Audio :Strand utilize a powerful DTS-HD Master 5.1 at a whopping 3986 kbps. It easily handles what the film, at the modest end of effects, throws at it sounding tight and clean with some seething depth and notable separations. Composures by the less-active (in film scores) Robin Guthrie + Harold Budd help buoy the moods - along with modern music performed by the likes of Cocteau Twins + Slowdive, and some keen piano by Alex Lacamoire. It all sounds, mood-enhancing, dynamic and very appealing. There is also a lossless isolated score for those keen enough. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'FREE playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.
Extras : We get the same, interesting, commentary track with director Gregg Araki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Brady Corbet as found on the original DVD(s). It is informative and pleasing to listen to. As already discussed we now get a lossless isolated score & effects track plus a new (2014) conversation between Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Brady Corbet at Sundance 2014 running over 23-minutes. Nice to hear them reflect back on the project. The presentation has the option of a 2.5 minute director Introduction by Gregg Araki. Also new is novelist Scott Heim giving us 8-minutes reflecting on 10 years later. From the old SD release we get Galleries, deleted scenes, trailer and an actor audition tape, as we the, almost hour-long, 'Book Reading' segment.
BOTTOM LINE:
NOTE This Blu-ray of Mysterious Skin is compared to the Tartan DVD and the Camera Obscura 2020 Blu-ray HERE
Gary Tooze February 26th, 2013
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About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
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