Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Devil (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn  |  Dec 15, 2010

A group of five strangers are stranded in an elevator high above Philadelphia. When the lights go out, something bad is bound to happen and in one particular case, someone dies. The building's security guards call the police and Detective Bowden (Chris Messina) comes to investigate the murder but is the Devil the culprit?

This is the first in a series of thrillers dubbed "The Night Chronicles" produced by M. Night Shyamalen based upon his stories. Overall, this is a middling affair that feels more like a TV episode than a feature film and I didn't find the story scary or very thrilling. Then again, I've said the same thing about most of Shyamalen's films since The Sixth Sense.

Video Highlights

  • VC-1/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
  • Inky blacks
  • Adequate detail
  • Waxy flesh tones

Audio Highlights

  • DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
  • Intense LFE
  • Plenty of discrete effects
  • Creepy atmospheric sounds
  • Wide dynamic range

The video encode is serviceable but it's the DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track that compliments the story in creating a creepy mood.

Bonus Materials

  • 3 Deleted Scenes
  • 3 Featurettes
  • D-Box Motion Code enabled
  • BD-Live
  • Digital Copy

If you're a fan of The Twilight Zone this is right up your ally, but the story isn't very scary. The video encode is decent enough but the true star of the show is the audio track. It may be worth a rental if you like this genre, but I doubt many would want to sit through it a second time.

Release Date: December 21, 2010
Studio: Universal

Movie: 8/10
Picture: 6/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Integra DTC-80.2 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PVA-PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics

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