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Geek Vibes Nation
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Abigail' 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review - A Gleefully Over-The-Top Blood Bath
Radio Silence, the filmmakers behind the horror hits Ready or Not, Scream (2022) and Scream VI, bring a brash and bloodthirsty new vision of vampires with ABIGAIL. A heist team is hired by a mysterious fixer to kidnap the daughter of a powerful underworld figure. They must guard the 12-year-old ballerina for one night to net a $50 million ransom. As the captors start to dwindle one by one, they discover to their mounting terror that they're locked inside an isolated mansion with no ordinary little girl. For in-depth thoughts on Abigail, please see my colleague Dom Fisher's review from its original theatrical release here. Video Quality Abigail arrives on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Scream Factory with a stunning 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR transfer in 2.39:1. The film was previously released on Blu-Ray by Universal just a year ago in 2024. That release is likewise a looker, but the 4K UHD Blu-Ray makes subtle improvements when it comes to color and stability. The implementation of Dolby Vision helps the color palette achieve the utmost depth that enhances the aesthetic of the photography. Black levels are perfectly deep with some stark detail in shadows. The highlights likewise do not present any blooming in this presentation. Skin tones are natural across the entire cast with even the most minor facial details like stubble or dripping blood on display. The level of detail in this presentation is exceptional at every turn, especially when it comes to the facets of the production design in the mansion. All of the subtle aspects of the costumes and environments are likewise razor sharp. Even the practical gore effects are delightful in their grotesque beauty. There are no instances of aliasing or compression artifacts detectable here. Scream Factory has delivered an exceptional transfer for this 4K UHD Blu-Ray that allows this film to look the best it possibly can. Audio Quality The Dolby Atmos track brings a ferocious quality to this mix. Dialogue comes through clearly with no information feeling lost in the chaotic sound designs. Sound effects have a deft sense of direction within the mix with every aspect registering as substantial. The movie uses environmental sounds to wonderful effect, and the track retains firm detail even in the more violent developments. The soundscape is very dynamic with a complex deployment throughout. The addition of height channels allows this to feel more enveloping and immediate. The low end kicks you in the chest when the moment calls for it. The soundtrack and score radiate out with ideal fidelity. Scream Factory has released a peerless audio experience. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided. Special Features Audio Commentary #1: A commentary track with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett and Editor Michael P. Shawyer who delve into the production, discuss the cuts made to make the movie flow better, their favorite character moments, the gore effects, and more. Audio Commentary #2: Film Critic Drew McWeeny provides a new commentary track in which he discusses the blending of tones, where this fits into the pantheon of Universal horror, the background of the creative team, and more. Interview with Co-Writer Guy Busick: A new 24-minute interview with the co-writer in which he discusses coming in to rewrite the original script to fit the style of Radio Silence, developing a friendship with co-writer Stephen Shields, the impact of the WGA strike, the biggest changes from the original script, the ad-libs from the performers, and more. Interview with Co-Writer Stephen Shields: A new 26-minute interview with the co-writer in which he discusses developing his initial idea for Abigail , the obstacles that were faced along the way, working with Radio Silence, the performances in the film, and more. Interview with Production Designer Susie Cullen: A new 28-minute interview with production designer in which she discusses getting involved with the project, working with Radio Silence, collaborating with the director of photography in order to pull off certain shots, and more. Interview with Director of Photography Aaron Morton: A new 21-minute interview with the director of photography in which he discusses planning out the shoot with Radio Silence, inventive solutions to certain obstacles, shooting with multiple cameras, and more. Deleted & Extended Scenes: Three scenes of unused material totaling seven minutes are provided including an uninterrupted opening and more. There is some good stuff worth exploring for fans. Final Thoughts Abigail is the type of unhinged genre fare that we love to indulge in when we need to step out of the arthouse world for a bit. Thankfully, Radio Silence has carved out a bit of a niche in this regard, and they succeed once again here – even if it is not their strongest outing to date. The really charming cast aids the buoyant nature of the narrative that will have you wincing and cheering at the carnage. Despite a handful of slower moments, the movie treks along at a good pace, and it holds up even after you know the twists and turns. Scream Factory has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a terrific A/V presentation and a valuable selection of new and archival special features (although there are a few supplements missing from the previous Universal Blu-Ray, so you may want to hold on to it if you already own it). If you are a fan of the comically unhinged horror, you should not walk away disappointed. Highly Recommended Abigail is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
The Review Geek
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
‘Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil' by V.E. Schwab
Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is an intriguing queer romance, told from the perspective of three different (Very different!) voices with one thing in common – they're all vampires. Whether these voices are connected in some way is not something I'm about to spoil here, but suffice to say, Midnight Soil is as mesmerising as it is endearing and well-written. The story is split across three distinct timelines, blending Gothic horror with a more modern spin on vampirism. The main character for much of the story is Maria, an untamed girl raised in a patriarchal village in Spain, 1532. She's forced into marriage to a Duke and spends her days miserably hoping she doesn't get pregnant. When Maria becomes entangled with a mysterious, otherworldly woman called Sabine at an apothecary, her life changes forever. What follows is an epic, centuries-spanning journey as Maria adopts Sabine's name and sets off in search of meaning and identity far beyond her village walls. It's here where we're introduced to our second main protagonist, Alice. Alice is a loud, cynical college student who hates men and seems permanently annoyed with the world. After a one-night stand with the mysterious Lottie, who leaves behind only a cryptic post-it note, Alice sets off on a messy, erratic journey to uncover the truth. The third timeline belongs to Charlotte, whose story eventually bridges the gap between Sabine and Alice. This does arrive late in the book though, and Midnight Soil demands a fair bit of patience to untangle the timelines and flashbacks before things begin to click into place. What keeps Midnight Soil from crumbling under its own ambitious weight is V. E. Schwab's hypnotic prose and strong characterisation. Some of the descriptions are genuinely stunning, and Sabine's voice in particular has a dreamlike, almost siren-like pull. When Schwab is in her groove, she writes with elegance and beauty that will see the pages zip by, even when not very much is happening. However, that spell doesn't always hold. Beneath the gorgeous writing is a story that takes a long time to gain momentum. Maria/Sabine's arc is undoubtedly the emotional tissue holding everything together, but it's continually interrupted by Alice—whose sections are, unfortunately, the weakest part of the novel. Her rage rarely deepens into anything more complex, and despite being central to the story's resolution, she remains emotionally static. I won't get into spoilers here because there is a good reason for this anger, which is unveiled through layered flashbacks across her POV chapters. So in essence, we're not just dealing with three timelines but also flashbacks within one of those timelines to an earlier part… of the timeline. That said, Schwab's themes are loud and clear, and this part of the book is certainly not subtle. Midnight Soil is a book about womanhood, identity, power, queerness and survival in a world where men often take the role of aggressor. Most of the male characters here are either antagonistic or outright abusive, but Schwab avoids making her female characters flawless in return. Too often we see the usual trope of 'men bad/women good' but Midnight Soil mixes things up by basically making everybody a different shade of horrible. It's complex, messy, and deeply human – especially when it comes to Maria/Sabine's storyline. The book takes a lot of inspiration from Interview with a Vampire, in both the TV adaptation and the book format, and as the book continues, you can really see those influences shine through in a big way. Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil certainly won't be for everyone though. It's undoubtedly atmospheric and moody, but also overly indulgent, slow-paced and occasionally frustrating. However, if you're willing to let the prose guide you through its layered timelines and deeply flawed characters, the finale is explosive enough to look past some of the issue and see a lot of beauty in its bones.
Geek Girl Authority
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
THE LIBRARIANS: THE NEXT CHAPTER: Vikram Breaks Out the Buffy Vibe in Sneak Peek Clip
Any show with a credible creature/artifact-of-the-week template needs to get its vampire game on eventually. Next week, on The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Episode 9, 'And the Feast of the Vampir,' the team travels to Kisiljevo, Serbia, which is canonically the birthplace of vampires. Seriously, look it up. RELATED: Catch up with our recap of the epic previous episode of The Librarians: The Next Chapter , 'And the Hangover From Hell' In the sneak peek clip below, Charlie (Jessica Green) returns to the Annex looking for Connor (Bluey Robinson) after they visit Kisiljevo. Vikram (Callum McGowan) is unimpressed that they didn't arm themselves appropriately for possible vampire encounters. Image Credit: Courtesy of TNT The Librarians: The Next Chapter, 'And the Feast of the Vampir' We don't often see the Annex's arsenal. Besides Vikram's walking stick sword (and Cupid's bow and arrows, I guess), the season's been generally weapon-light. When the team has needed to fight, they've mostly used tech or items of opportunity. Vampires need more preparation, I guess. For obvious reasons. Image Credit: Courtesy of TNT Curiously, Connor didn't think to take precautions against vampires before their trip. Mind you, Charlie's description of Kisiljevo doesn't sound like they were on a reconnaissance mission. Snow cones? That doesn't even sound Serbian. RELATED: TV Review: The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Everyone once in a while, Vikram breaks out a talent that seems incongruous with his rogue Librarian gravitas. His dance moves in Season 1 Episode 4, 'And the Thief of Love,' and his metal vocals when jamming with Gregor's Hammer in Season 1 Episode 8, 'And the Hangover From Hell,' really upped his 2025 street cred. Here, his skills with a hatchet remind us that his 19th-century weapons training must have been extensive. Image Credit: Courtesy of TNT What's the Market Like For Castles? The clip contains one incidental line from Vikram that reveals that, although Lysa (Olivia Morris) didn't return home with Suki (Daniela Norman) after the bachelorette-party-that-wasn't, she is still moving forward with the plan to sell the castle. That presents all sorts of logistical issues. How does one stage a castle for sale? Can you fill a castle with a baked cookie smell? How long do you run an open house (open castle?) for if the looky-loos want to explore every room? And, of course, the big question is, what happens to the Annex when some non-Library person or corporation buys the castle? RELATED: Read our recaps of The Librarians: The Next Chapter In the meantime, it looks like it's all hands on deck to rescue Connor from a Serbian vampir. Hands carrying crossbows and hatchets, that is. The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Episode 9, 'And the Feast of the Vampir,' airs on TNT on Monday, July 14 at 9 pm ET. On Location: The Belgrade Fortress on TNT's THE LIBRARIANS: THE NEXT CHAPTER Diana lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she invests her time and energy in teaching, writing, parenting, and indulging her love of all Trek and a myriad of other fandoms. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. You can also find her writing at The Televixen, Women at Warp, TV Fanatic, and TV Goodness.
Gizmodo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Sinners' Used Costumes From a Scrapped ‘Blade' Reboot
The moment Sinners was formally unveiled, folks immediately began making comparisons to Blade. Black people fighting vampires in the south sounds perfect for Marvel's daywalker, and it turns out the two have more than that core concept in common. In a recent ScreenCrush interview, Sinners producer Sev Ohanian revealed 'a lot' of the film's background actors are wearing costumes originally meant for the Maheshala Ali-led horror flick. Both films share a costumer in Black Panther costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who's previously stated Blade would've also been a period piece set in the 1920s. Ohanian backed up those claims, saying Marvel's movie would've 'dealt with the past around the same era. 'Ruth happened to have a warehouse full of period-appropriate clothes, and it was like, 'Yo, we got to shoot this movie like tomorrow,'' continued Ohanian. 'And Marvel was generous enough and kind enough to let us basically purchase it at price.' Even before Carter confirmed it, there were rumors of a version of Blade's script that spanned one or more time periods. It's unclear which version of the script this idea was linked to, but the situation around this character's return to the movies has been so troubled, one iteration was said to have basically made him a side character. With Sinners having made a ton of money and lit the world on fire, there's no doubt it won't be in the conversation surrounding Blade once that one eventually rears its head. Kevin Feige recently said Marvel might've finally figured out a proper take for the character, so we'll see if this'll all be worth it at some point in the future. Maybe. [via Variety] Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
RNZ News
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Blood, guts and big bucks: Horror is slaying in cinemas
By Dawn Chmielewski , Reuters Sinners, an original story about Mississippi vampires, is the year's third highest-grossing movie in the US and Canada. Photo: Supplied / Warner Bros. Entertainment Vampires, zombies, and the Grim Reaper are killing it at the box office. At a time when superheroes, sequels and reboots have grown stale among audiences, horror has emerged as an unlikely saviour, entertainment industry veterans say. This year, scary movies account for 17 percent of the North American ticket purchases, up from 11 percent in 2024 and 4 percent a decade ago, according to Comscore data compiled exclusively for Reuters. Thanks to the box office performance of Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines , and new instalments of popular horror films hitting later this year, including The Conjuring: Last Rites and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 , cinema owners have reason to celebrate. "We have identified horror as really one of the primary film genres that we are targeting to grow," said Brandt Gully, owner of the Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs, Georgia. "It can really fill a void when you need it." Producers, studio executives and theatre owners say horror has historically provided a safe outlet to cope with contemporary anxieties. And there is no lack of material to choose from: the aftershocks of a global pandemic, artificial intelligence paranoia, the loss of control over one's body, and resurgent racism. "It's cathartic, it's emotional, and it comes with an ending," said film data analyst Stephen Follows, author of the Horror Movie Report, which offers detailed insights into the genre. "Horror movies give space to process things that are harder to face in everyday life." The often low-budget productions allow for greater risk-taking than would be possible with high-cost, high-stakes productions like Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning . The creative freedom has attracted such acclaimed directors as Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, Danny Boyle and Guillermo del Toro. "Horror movies are an accountant's dream," said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore senior media analyst. "If you're going to make a science fiction outer space extravaganza, you can't do that on the cheap. With horror films, a modest-budget movie like Weapons can be scary as hell." Audiences are responding. Coogler's Sinners , an original story about Mississippi vampires starring Michael B. Jordan, was the year's third highest-grossing movie in the US and Canada, according to Comscore. Movie theatres are still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, which broke the movie-going habit and increased viewing in the home. Mike De Luca, co-chair and Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, which released Sinners , said horror was a genre that manages to get people out of the house. "It's a rising tide that lifts all boats," he said. "You know, we're trying to get people back in the habit of going to the theatres." Fear knows no geographical bounds. Half of all horror movies released by major US distributors last year made 50 percent or more of their worldwide box office gross outside the US, according to London-based researcher Ampere Analysis. The breakout international hit The Substance , for example, grossed over US$77 million worldwide, with around 80 percent of that from outside the US. Streamers are also similarly capitalising on the appeal of the genre. AMC's post-apocalyptic horror drama series The Walking Dead became one of the most popular series when it was added to Netflix in 2023, amassing 1.3 billion hours viewed, according to Netflix's Engagement Report. Director Guillermo del Toro's film adaptation of Mary Shelley's gothic novel Frankenstein is set to debut in November. Horror films are ideally suited to watching in movie theatres, where the environment heightens the experience. "What you can't do at home is sit in a dark room with a hundred other people, not on your phone, and jump," said Blumhouse chief executive Jason Blum, producer of Halloween , Paranormal Activity and other lucrative horror franchises. "You can't really be scared when you watch a horror movie at home." Big-budget movies that the industry refers to as "tent poles," such as Captain America: Brave New World or A Minecraft Movie , remain the lifeblood of movie theatres. Over time, these blockbusters have elbowed out more modestly budgeted romantic comedies and dramas on movie screens. Against this backdrop, horror has been quietly gaining momentum. The genre broke the $1 billion box office barrier in the US and Canada for the first time in 2017, Comscore reported, buoyed by the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, It , and Jordan Peele's exploration of racial inequality in Get Out . Announcements of new horror films from US producers have risen each year for the last three years, including in 2023, when the Hollywood strikes significantly impacted production, according to Ampere Analysis. The number of US horror films that went into production last year was up 21 percent over 2023, Ampere found. "While more arthouse fare and even some tentpole superhero franchises have had mixed fortunes at the global box office in the wake of the pandemic, horror remains one of the key genres that audiences still make a point of seeing in the theatres," wrote researcher Alice Thorpe in a report for Ampere's clients which she shared with Reuters. The researcher's own consumer surveys revealed horror is the favourite genre among two-thirds of movie-goers, ages 18 to 24. "Anytime a teenager graduates to wanting to take a date to the movies, horror gets popular really fast," said Warner Bros' De Luca. "It's a great film-going experience to take a date to because you get to huddle with each other and gasp and hoop and holler." Horror has been a cinematic staple from its earliest days, when Thomas Edison filmed Frankenstein on his motion picture camera, the Kinetograph, in 1910. The British Board of Film Classification introduced the "H" rating in 1932, officially designating the genre. But it didn't always get Hollywood's respect. "In the first half of the 20th century, it was seen as a freak show," said Follows. Perceptions began to change with the critical and commercial success of films like Psycho , The Exorcist, and The Shining. Director Steven Spielberg ushered in the summer blockbuster in 1975 with Jaws , a re-invention of the classic monster movie. In recent years, horror movies have become part of the Oscar conversation. Peele collected an Academy Award for best original screenplay in 2018 for Get Out . Demi Moore received her first Oscar nomination earlier this year for her portrayal of an aging Hollywood star who will go to any lengths to stay beautiful in The Substance . Not every horror movie connects with audiences. M3GAN 2.0 , a sequel to the 2022 low-budget film about a killer robotic doll that grossed $180m worldwide, brought in a modest $10.2m in the US and Canada in its opening weekend, according to Comscore. Theatre chains will have no shortage of horror movies to exhibit this summer. Seven films are slated to be released before Labour Day weekend, including Columbia Pictures's nostalgic reboot of the 1997 film, I Know What You Did Last Summer , which reaches screens on 18 July, and Weapons , which opens on 8 August. "The best types of these movies are ones that elicit an audible and visceral reaction, 'Don't go in there!'" said Screen Gems President Ashley Brucks, who has worked on such films as Sony's upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer as well as A Quiet Place and Scream. "You are either squirming or laughing or screaming and just really having fun with it." - Reuters
