| Chapters |
28 |
| Release Date |
2/22/2000 |
| Packaging |
Keep Case |
| Screen Ratio |
2.35:1 |
| Subtitles |
English |
| Audio Tracks |
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Surround [CC]
|
| Layers |
Single Side, Single Layer |
| No. of Disks/Tapes |
1 |
|
| Purchase Date |
3/11/2003 |
| Owner |
Thomas Eisenmann |
| Store |
Best Buy |
| Purchase Price |
$7.99 |
| Condition |
Excellent |
| Reviewed |
Widescreen Review
|
| Bit Rate |
448 KB |
| Anamophic |
Yes |
| Links |
IMDB
DVD Empire
|
|
Anamophic
|
I get the shivers just thinking of those squeaking, leather-winged creatures; but for those of you who enjoy that sort of thing, have I got a DVD for you! With Bats, you not only get a scary movie full of the toothy things, but lots of extra drawings, discussions and flapping wings, too.
The version on our disc is the uncut “R” rated version and also includes a making-of featurette, “Bats Abound.” Indeed they do. Learn more about the movie by selecting the audio commentary by director Louis Morneau and star Lou Diamond Phillips. You can also choose the isolated music score from the audio menu. Next, enjoy the conceptual artwork of Berni Wrightson and the mechanical drawings of KNB Effects by clicking through the Photo Galleries. Creepy! There is a story board comparison section where you can choose from two different scenes and view the storyboard along with the actual filmed segment playing in the lower corner of your screen. We’ve seen these comparisions before, but I liked the way they were presented here the best. There is also a section that compares two scenes before and after special effects have been added. There is a limited cast and director filmography section, a production notes booklet, the Bats theatrical teaser and bonus trailers for The Tingler, Night Of The Living Dead, Fright Night and John Carpenter’s Vampires. |
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Story Synopsis:
It began when the citizens of the sleepy town of Gallup, Texas heard unusual stirrings in the night. Flapping wings, eerie shrieks and a whoosh of turbid air... Bats everywhere-genetically altered bats carrying a deadly virus that will rip through the canvas top of your convertible and reduce you and your girlfriend to er, pulp. How can authorities put an end to all the carnage? Representatives from the Center For Disease Control implore a zoologist (Meyer) who specializes in bat behavior and her assistant (Leon) to come to Gallup to investigate. Together with the local sheriff (Phillips) the team must discover how they can defeat the creatures before they take over the entire town. The night has wings-and a lot of beady black eyes!
DVD Picture:
Viewed through the component video output, the 2.35:1 anamorphically enhanced DVD exhibits a stylized picture that utilizes filters for a sultry, Arizona desert appearance. Colors are rich and generally natural, but wanting in clarity. Blacks are deep and solid. Much of the film takes place at night, and shadow delineation is nicely rendered with excellent visual information in the darkness. Images are sharp and finely detailed but, occasional edge enhancement is apparent. Settings seem very unnatural throughout the film, but as for the visual quality of the film, the picture is generally pleasing. Minor artifacts and pixelization are apparent, but not distracting.
Soundtrack:
The Dolby Digital 5.1-channel discrete soundtrack is a remarkable presentation of fidelity and sonic dimension. The audio tends to have an aggressive presence, and the dialogue throughout is somewhat forward sounding in the mix. At the upper extremes of the soundtrack's dynamic range, the audio can be a bit bright and fatiguing, unless you have Re-EQ engaged. The sense of space and dimension is truly impressive, due in large part to the prominence of the split surrounds and the back surround. This Dolby Digital Surround EX™-encoded film delivers an extraordinary experience of bats flying all around you. The back surround channel is utilized primarily for the sequences with bats, with some rather neat instances of front-back panning, such as a helicopter passing over your head. The sound mixers seemed to have had some fun with crafting this soundtrack, as we surely did in experiencing the back surround via the Audio Design Associates ADA 6.1 in our Reference System L. The music score has been nicely integrated into the sound mix with an appropriately prominent presence. Bass is deep, clean, powerful and occasionally intense, though the .1 LFE is surprisingly only utilized sparingly. The dialogue features fairly effective spatial integration and nicely recorded, natural sounding voices; though seemingly a bit too high in volume levels (in order to maintain consistency with the soundtrack's overall aggressive presence). Nonetheless, this is a remarkable film soundtrack that is sure to be exciting with the back surround, and an unnerving experience with the sounds of bats flying all around you and even encroaching upon you from behind!
