Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Autopsy Of Jane Doe, The

Collapse
X
Collapse
  •  
    Ian Jane
    Administrator

  • Autopsy Of Jane Doe, The



    Released by: Umbrella Entertainment
    Released on: May 3rd, 2017.
    Director: André í˜vredal
    Cast: Emile Hirsch, Brian Cox, Michael McElhatton, Olwen Kelly, Ophelia Lovibond
    Year: 2016

    The Movie:

    Directed by André í˜vredal, the man who directed the sorely underrated Troll Hunter a few years ago, 2016's The Autopsy Of Jane Doe first came to this writer's attention while strolling the floor of the New York Comic Con last year. IFC had a table set up with a woman standing behind it clad in surgical garb. On the table was the actual corpse prop that was used in the movie, its stomach flayed wide open for all to see. You could even poke it if you wanted to - it was pretty gross (check out some pictures of that here). Now the film has finally been released on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack from Shout! Factory and IFC. It's a Walmart exclusive for now but come late June, it will see a general release.

    As to the movie itself, it starts off when Sheriff Burke (Michael McElhatton) and a few other police officers uncover the body of a young unidentified woman in the basement of a suburban home, the site of some rather bloody killings. Understandably upset by the grisly crime scene, Burke nevertheless follows the law and brings this 'Jane Doe' (Olwen Catherine Kelly) to the local morgue. Here a father/son coroner team Tommy Tilden (Brian Cox) and his son Austin (Emile Hirsch) get as many details from the Sheriff as they can, and then they set about getting down to business.

    Austin is hoping this won't take too long - despite the fact that the weather outside is terrible he's planning on going to the movies with his girlfriend Emma (Ophelia Lovibond). As they start examining the body, however, it soon becomes clear that this is going to take some time. None of what they uncover makes sense - when they cut into her she bleeds, unheard of for a corpse more than only a few hours old. Her ankles and wrists have been broken but there's no bruising, her skins is perfect. The woman's tongue has been cut out. Her lungs are blackened and look to have been burned but there are no visible signs of burning to the corpse. Things get even more unusual once they start exploring her insides - and then the radio starts making odd noises. It gets weirder from there.

    The Autopsy Of Jane Doe is very well done. This starts off as more of a procedural than a straight horror film. The cops do their things and bring in the corpse and once the Tilden's start the autopsy, we see the elder man correcting his son, training him and teaching him what to look for along the way. It's fascinating to watch in an absolutely morbid sort of way. They go about their business like detectives out to solve a mystery, taking Polaroid's for reference and making notes on a blackboard as they dig deeper into what could have happened to their subject. Cox and Hirsch really shine here. They're well cast, completely believable as father and son and very good in their roles.

    As the procedural elements of the picture begin to give way to more traditional horror movie tropes, the performances stay strong. The film isn't heavy on bombastic effects as most of the movie really revolves around the two men poking around inside the corpse, but the prosthetic put together for the picture is convincingly gruesome and very realistic. The other elements that the last third of the picture calls for are also well done.

    Add to that some great production values and a really solid score and this shapes up nicely. The cinematography is striking and the basement morgue location wonderfully atmospheric. There are one or two jump scares here but for the most part the film relies a lot more on atmosphere and cleverly crafted characters to tell its genuinely engaging story. This is a welcome breath of fresh air in the genre, a smart and interesting movie that takes some interesting chances and comes out all the better for it.

    Video/Audio/Extras:

    The Autopsy Of Jane Doe arrives on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment on a 50GB disc in an AVC encoded 1080p high definition transfer framed at 2.40.1 widescreen and it looks pretty much identical to the U.S. release from Shout! Factory - which means it looks excellent (bit rate junkies may be interested to know that the feature actually takes up 23GBs of space on the disc as opposed to the U.S. disc, which affords the feature 21GBs of space). Shot digitally there's obviously no print damage of any kind to discuss, the image is pretty much immaculate. This isn't the most colorful film, given that it takes place inside a morgue in the middle of the night and that the power goes out at one point, but when brighter hues are used they pop quite nicely. Black levels are nice and strong but the image remains devoid of any obvious crush and has solid shadow detail. There's very good texture and fine detail here as well, which lets your eyes take in all the icky detail of the corpse as the movie plays out!

    The English language DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track is fine, and again it seems identical to the U.S. release. There are no problems with any hiss or distortion, the dialogue sounds clean and clear and the music has good range and presence to it. There are quite a few scenes, particularly towards the end of the film where things get a bit more intense, where the surround activity is immersive, impressive and effective. Levels are nicely balanced and there's a surprisingly strong low end that adds to a few key scenes (just listen to that thunder roll around the half way point). Sound design plays an important part in making this movie work as well as it does and it's to Umbrella's credit that they've ensured the movie sounds as good as it sounds here. An English language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track is also included. Optional English subtitles are also provided.

    Extras were slim on the Shout! Release, it only had a trailer and some TV spots, but this Umbrella disc actually does contain some decent supplements starting with a featurette that runs just over an hour long and is made up of some interesting cast and crew interviews. André í˜vredal is up first, talking about how he became involved in the film, what sold him on the script, preparing for the shoot, the characters that populate the film and more. Up next, producer Ben Hugh on his take on what makes the movie work, his first impressions of the script, working with í˜vredal on the film, the plot of the picture, what Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch both brought to the movie, the production design featured in the picture, the film's influences and more. Brian Cox shows up next (with fake blood all over his forehead!), to talk about how he became involved in the film, his thoughts on his character, the 'body' of Jane Doe, his thoughts on the director and on working with Hirsch, his thoughts on the horror genre in general and other assorted bits and bobs. A very animated and enthusiastic Hirsh then shows up to follow suit, talking about the plot of the film and what appealed to him about it, how he landed the role, his thoughts on the script and collaborating with his fellow cast members and with í˜vredal. Up next, producers Eric Garcia and Fred Berger on the quality of the picture and what the various participants brought to the table with their respective involvement in the feature, what audiences can expect from the film. Writers Ian B. Goldberg and Richard Naing then discuss the genesis of the story, what inspired them, what í˜vredal brought to their project and more. Last but not least, Ophelia Lovibond appears on camera to talk about her thoughts on the film and the script, working with í˜vredal, Hirsch and Cox and what audiences can expect from the film.

    Umbrella has also supplied thirteen minutes of B-Roll footage that serves as a look at what it was like on set. Here we get the chance to see Hirsch and Cox paling around when on set, some of the effects work, í˜vredal directing his cast, the difficulties involved in flambéing a corpse, and what was involved in getting some of the location shooting done out in the suburbs for the opening scene just right. There's also a ten minute piece that collects various feature and promo clips that were put together to promote the picture. Aside from that? We get the film's theatrical trailer, menus and chapter selection.

    The Final Word:

    The Autopsy Of Jane Doe is a refreshingly original horror picture, something genuinely different in the genre. It's well acted, quite tense and at times, genuinely eerie. Umbrella Entertainment's Region B Blu-ray trumps the U.S. release by replicating the excellent audio and video quality of the domestic disc while adding a substantial amount of extra features. Don't let this one pass you by, it's an impressive picture.

    Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!




















      Posting comments is disabled.

    Latest Articles

    Collapse

    • Hot Spur (Severin Films) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Severin Films
      Released on: April 30th, 2024.
      Director: Lee Frost
      Cast: Joseph Mascolo, Virginia Goodman, John Alderman
      Year: 1969
      Purchase From Amazon

      Hot Spur – Movie Review:

      Director Lee Frost and Producer Bob Cresse's film, Hot Spur, opens in Texas in 1869 with a scene where a pair of cowboys wanders into a bar where they call over a pretty Mexican waitress and coerce her into dancing for them. She obliges, but
      ...
      03-22-2024, 11:53 AM
    • Death Squad (Mondo Macabro) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Mondo Macabro
      Released on: April 9th, 2024.
      Director: Max Pecas
      Cast: Thierry de Carbonnières, Jean-Marc Maurel, Denis Karvil, Lillemour Jonsson
      Year: 1985
      Purchase From Amazon

      Death Squad – Movie Review:

      Also known as Brigade Of Death, French sleaze auteur Max Pecas’ 1985 film, Death Squad, opens with a night time scene outside of Paris in the Bois de Boulogne Forest where cars pass by a small gang of transsexual
      ...
      03-22-2024, 11:46 AM
    • Roommates (Quality X) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Quality X
      Released on: February 28th, 2024.
      Director: Chuck Vincent
      Cast: Samantha Fox, Vernoica Hart, Kelly Nichols, Jerry Butler, Jamie Gillis
      Year: 1982
      Purchase From Amazon

      Roommates – Movie Review:

      Directed by Chuck Vincent and released in 1982, Roommates opens with a scene where a young woman named Joan Harmon (Veronica Hart) gets a hotel room with an older man named Ken (Don Peterson, credited as Phil Smith),
      ...
      03-15-2024, 01:10 PM
    • Night Of The Blood Monster (Blue Underground) UHD/Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Blue Underground
      Released on: March 26th, 2024.
      Director: Jess Franco
      Cast: Christopher Lee, Maria Rohm, Dennis Price
      Year: 1970
      Purchase From Amazon

      Night Of The Blood Monster – Movie Review:

      Directed by Jess Franco, The Bloody Judge (or, Night Of The Blood Monster, as it is going by on this new release from Blue Underground) isn't quite the salacious exercise in Eurotrash you might expect it to be, and while it
      ...
      03-15-2024, 01:07 PM
    • Phase IV (Vinegar Syndrome) UHD/Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Vinegar Syndrome
      Released on: March 26th, 2024.
      Director: Saul Bass
      Cast: Nigel Davenport, Michael Murphy, Lynne Frederick, Alan Gifford, Robert Henderson, Helen Horton
      Year: 1974
      Purchase From Amazon

      Phase IV – Movie Review:

      Saul Bass’ 1974 sci-fi/thriller Phase IV is an interesting blend of nature run amuck stereotypes and Natural Geographic style nature footage mixed into one delicious cocktail of suspense and
      ...
      03-15-2024, 01:02 PM
    • The Bounty Hunter Trilogy (Radiance Films) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Radiance Films
      Released on: March 26th, 2024.
      Director: Shigehiro Ozawa, Eiichi Kudo
      Cast: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Minoru Ôki, Arashi Kanjuro, Bin Amatsu, Chiezo Kataoka
      Year: 1969-1972
      Purchase From Amazon

      The Bounty Hunter Trilogy – Movie Review:

      Radiance Films gathers together the three films in Toie Studios’ Bounty Hunter Trilogy, starring the inimitable Tomisaburo Wakayama. Here’s how the three movies in this
      ...
      03-13-2024, 11:30 AM
    Working...
    X