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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Primal Fear

    Featured In Issue 139, March/April 2009

    Picture4.5
    SoundNR
    WSR Score4
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Paramount Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    14221
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    Brief grisly violence, pervasive strong language
    (Retail Price):
    $29.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    130
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    Not Indicated
    (Theatrical Year):
    1996
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    03/10/09
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Gregory Hoblit
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    Primal Fear is based on the novel by William Diehl and stars Richard Gere as arrogant, high-powered Chicago attorney Martin Vail. Looking for a case that will further his career, he grabs the opportunity to defend Aaron Stampler (brilliantly played by Norton), a penniless, stuttering altar boy from Kentucky who is accused of brutally murdering the local Archbishop. All the evidence points to Aaron, but Vail is confident that his shy and uncertain client is innocent and sets out to search for the truth. (Gary Reber)

    Special features include audio commentary by Director Gregory Hoblit, Writer Ann Biderman, Producer Gary Lucchesi, Executive Producer Howard Koch, and Casting Director Deborah Aquila; Primal Fear: The Final Verdict (HD 17:59); the Primal Fear: Star Witness interview with Norton and fellow cast members as they reminisce over his role as Aaron Stampler (HD 17:56); Psychology Of Guilt (HD 13:35); and the original theatrical trailer.

    The 1.78:1 1080p AVC-encoded Blu-ray Disc™ is far superior to the previously reviewed DVD. Color fidelity is fully saturated, with natural fleshtones, rich and warm colors, and deep, solid blacks. Contrast and shadow delineation are nicely rendered throughout. Images are sharp and defined, with noticeable improvements in fine background detail and dimensionality. The picture is generally solid, and while slight grain is noticeable, it is not objectionable. This is a beautiful, vibrantly colorful picture that is sure to please. (Gary Reber)

    The Dolby® TrueHD 5.1-channel soundtrack benefits from lossless encoding and sounds terrific. While dialogue is conventional, production sound, with limited spatial integration, is limited to the center channel. In the courtroom and jail scenes, the sound is effectively spatial, spilling over into the stereo front channels. The music score and sound effects, at times, sound wonderfully holosonic®, with pans and directionalized sounds all around. From trains to helicopters, which encircle the soundfield, the sound is dynamic and dimensional. Bass is deep and powerful in the .1 LFE channel. The music score is terrific, and the recording quality is excellent and spread wide across the soundstage. This is a satisfying soundtrack that pulls the viewer into the story. (Gary Reber)

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