BLU-RAY REVIEW

Black Rock

Featured In Issue 180, October 2013

Picture4
Sound4
WSR Score3
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):
43424
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
Some strong violence, pervasive language, sexual references and rief graphic nudity
(Retail Price):
$24.95
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
83
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
2012
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
07/30/13
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Katie Aselton
(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):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

In Black Rock, three childhood friends, Sarah (Bosworth), Abby (Aselton), and Lou (Bell) get together for a private campout at an iconic setting from their childhood, an empty island off the coast of Maine, to renew their bond of sisterhood. The trio, however, quickly find themselves in a fight for their lives. After meeting three men who have come to the island for a hunting trip, a night of drinking spirals into a tragic accident, and the ladies soon become the target. What first started as a simple play date to recall old times is now a race for survival. (Gary Reber)

Special features include a behind-the-scenes featurette (HD 07:51) and A Thrilling Score: The Music Of Black Rock (HD 08:49), upfront previews, the theatrical trailer, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 1.86:1 1080p AVC picture appears to be shot digitally and exhibits a perfectly natural quality on an essentially all-forested island location. Hues are expressive of green foliage and brown tree bark. Against this backdrop are the women and men rendered with perfectly natural fleshtones. Contrast is generally well balanced with deep blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Resolution is revealing, as well, of facial detail, hair, clothing, and object texture. Generally, a realistic depiction of an isolated island is presented with convincing naturalness. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is intimately dialogue focused, with effective spatial integration throughout. Atmospherics and Foley effectively project realism. The music score really intensifies the terrifying circumstances and provides an aggressive and immersive soundfield. Deep bass is naturally supportive but not aggressively applied. This is an effective sonic experience that is engaging. (Gary Reber)