Continuing our Month of Horror, we have another Blu-Ray review for you to sink your fangs into. Today we have the horror graphic novel turned movie 30 Days of Night. Written by Steve Niles, the graphic novel featured intense scenes of vampires butchering an Alaskan town. It was sharply written and illustrated, featuring a great cast of characters and vampires that were genuinely bad-ass. Thankfully, much of this made it into the live action film.
The Movie
In the small Alaskan town of Barrow, the residents prepare for their annual month of darkness. As most of the towns residents use the last day of sunlight to leave the town, a small group of residents stay to keep the town in order. Sheriff Eben Oleson (Josh Hartnett) and Deputy Billy Kitka respond to various, and increasingly disturbing calls by the remaining residents. The last call results in Eben finding the cell tower operator dead…He had been decapitated. Eben arrests a man simply called the Stranger for the crimes. the mysterious man warns them that death is approaching, and no one in the town shall be spared.
Soon, the vampires show up, taking out the town quickly and violently. Before long, only a few are left, including Eben’s estranged wife Stella (Melissa George).The survivors choose stealth over force and move to various parts of the town. Along the way more and more of the survivors are killed. Eventually they group heads to the utilidor, a power station which is the last place in town with electricity. The vampires decide to cover their tracks by destroying the entire town, and Eben realizes he must face the vampires head on if anyone is to survive.
What I love most about this film is that it takes vampires, and removes all of the modern pansy traits that seem to be overtaking the genre. These vampires are out and out monstors with an almost unsatiable appetite. There’s no compassion, no love, and certainly no mercy. But that doesn’t mean they are without personality. The vampires use survivors as bait, toy with their meals and torment those in hiding. Their smart and cunning. The cast does an admirable job, with Hartnett providing surprisingly competent as the lead.
The one problem I do have with the film, is that it moves through days and weeks as if they are minutes. This quick moving pace distances you from the growing unrest within the ranks of the living. But it does give the film a quick pace, and the film is hardly ever weighed down by boring moments. The action is quick and furious, and the blood plentiful. For horror and vampire fans looking to find an alternative to teen fare like Twilight, then this just might be your movie.
Overall: 8 out of 10
The Video
30 Days Of Night is a film that had me worried about the picture quality. The movie is filmed in a stylized manner, hoping to draw comparisons to the graphic novel. Almost the entire movie takes place in darkness, and colors, except for the crimson blood, are muted and cool. The film is presented in a full 1080P AVC MPEG-4 encoding. Thankfully, the transfer holds up very well. While the darker scenes do have noticeable grain to them, the majority of the film is crystal clear. Contrast is excellent. If you have a higher end LCD, the details in the black levels will simply draw you in. I’m also please to say that the snow covered settings never appear as blown out grays or whites. The texture is rich throughout. On the down side, there are some glaring moments of edge enhancements, though they are few and far between.
But taken as a whole, the picture for this movie is simply fantastic. The muted, cool colors and the contrasty film style make for an excellent presentation. This is one horror flick you will like to show off.
Overall: 9 out of 10
The Audio
The film is presented in TrueHD 5.1 with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround dubs in various other languages. If you have a simple or elaborate speaker setup, this film simply shines. The TrueHD is absolutely amazing. 30 Days Of Night is a very atmospheric film. Hearing screams coming lowly from your rear speakers as the vampires rip through the various parts of town is very chilling. Sound in a horror film is always important, and you will not be disappointed in this movie.
Overall: 10 out of 10
The Extras
• Audio Commentary with actors Josh Hartnett, Melissa George and producer Rob Tapert
• Documentary: The Making of 30 Days of Night
• Photo Gallery: 30 Images of Night: Graphic Novel-to-Film Comparison
• Trailer
If there is a weak point on this Blu-Ray release, it’s the extras. First up, the Audio Commentary is pretty much worthless. The fact that director David Slade is not part of this group gives the whole thing a very impersonal feel. Josh Hartnett and Melissa George bring pretty much nothing to the table, and producer Rob Tapert refuses to offer anything remotely useful to the proceedings. The lone highlight is the Making Of documentary. Featuring some genuinely interesting interviews and fun behind the scenes footage, it really helps you appreciate how the film was made. Broken up into multiple sections, you can skip to just the stuff you want, or watch the whole thing. It is well worth it, especially the last part called “Blood, Guts & Nasty @#%!”
Overall: 6 out of 10
Bottom Line
Regardless of the somewhat lacking extras, 30 Days Of Night is a fun, nasty and beautifully shot horror movie. It’s genuinely tense and will please vampire fans looking to remember why they liked the genre in the first place. Best to watch at night with the volume turned up and the lights out.
Overall: 8 out of 10
