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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Black Butterfly

    Featured In Issue 219, September 2017

    Picture4.5
    Sound4
    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):
    52162
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    Language.
    (Retail Price):
    $$24.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    93
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A
    (Theatrical Year):
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    (Disc Release Date):
    7/25/2017
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    (Director):
    Brian Goodman
    (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):
    DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (Subtitles):

    Black Butterfly, an adaptation of an acclaimed French thriller, centers around two strangers, a writer and a drifter, who begin a deadly game of dominance and control amidst the threat of a brutal serial killer. As a serial killer's latest slaying shakes up a remote Colorado town, desperate writer Paul (Banderas) offers drifter Jack (Meyers) shelter at his isolated cabin. Does Jack's violent behavior make him a suspect in the murders menacing the area? Or is the killer's story even more terrifying? (Gary Reber)

    Special features include commentary with Director Brian Goodman and Co-Writer Marc Frydman, the featurette Black Butterfly: Backstage (HD 09:11), a trailer, upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

    The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upscaled to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed digitally. The imagery is nicely saturated throughout, perhaps a bit overdone, as there is a raw quality to the picture. Still, the color palette is warm and rich with beautiful wood interiors. Interior lighting design and production design is excellent. Fleshtones are naturally hued throughout. Exterior scenes of the remote countryside exhibit natural earthy colors, such as forestry greens. Resolution is excellent, as well as sharpness and clarity. Fine detail is revealed in facial features, hair, beards, clothing, and object textures. This is a pleasing visual experience that is rich in color, with excellent black levels and revealing shadow delineation. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is frontal focused throughout, as well as dialogue focused. Even the orchestral score is frontal focused, with a few subtle exceptions, with a wide and deep soundstage. There is one segment, an intense rainstorm, that aggressively energizes the surrounds. There is a nice bass foundation to the music, which provides an overall warmth to the sound. Atmospherics are effectively realistic. Sound effects, such as gunfire and train sounds, sound real. Dialogue is generally well integrated spatially, though, at time a bit forward sounding. Overall, the soundtrack nicely carries the building intensity of the storytelling. (Gary Reber)

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