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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Saw

    Featured In Issue 112, September 2006

    Picture3.5
    Sound3.5
    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):
    Lionsgate Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    19393
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    For strong grisly violence and language
    (Retail Price):
    $29.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Single Layer (BD-25)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    103
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    (Theatrical Year):
    2004
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    06/27/06
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    James Wan
    (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 Digital Surround EX, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1
    (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):

    Adam (played by screenwriter Leigh Whannell) is one of two men who awaken to find themselves chained up at opposite ends of a room. Between Adam and Dr. Gordon (Elwes) is a man lying dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Neither have any idea how they got there, and they soon learn that they are pawns in a game played by a sadistic madman. A Saw is offered to them, but the blade is not strong enough to cut through chains...only bone. Decisions...decisions... (Suzanne Hodges)

    The only special features are high-definition trailers.

    The 1.78:1 MPEG-2-encoded Blu-ray Disc image can be sharp and detailed, but at it can be rather soft. The entire picture can look muddy at times, with inconsistent blacks and low contrast. Shadow delineation usually looks good, as there are times when details in the shadows jump out nicely. While the color palette is generally limited to hues of green and brown, when bright reds and blues do appear on screen, they really pop with good saturation. The gritty, edgy stylization of the picture is delivered well, and while film grain and flecks of dirt are still prevalent, they are not a huge distraction. (Danny Richelieu)

    The Dolby® Digital Surround EX™ 5.1-channel and DTS® ES™ 6.1-channel encodings are good, but the soundtrack really could have benefited from the increased fidelity that an uncompressed PCM encoding would have provided. It seems as though the two mixes are identical to what is on the previously released DVD, with good surround imaging, impressive pans, and well-localized effects. In addition to the better surround imaging afforded by the discrete center back surround channel of the DTS version, the fidelity is improved by way of better articulation and dynamic range. While the soundtrack is good, again, it is disappointing that PCM encoding was not included. (Danny Richelieu)

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    Derek Anderson
    26864 Mandelieu Drive, Murrieta, CA 92562 • Phone: 951 676 4914 • Fax: 951 693 2960
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