The Children Blu-ray

The Children

 (2008)

Horror



You brought them into the world. They will take you out. A family anticipates a Christmas filled with sledding, laughter and hot cocoa as they head to their vacation home in the secluded backcountry... The holiday cheer takes a fast turn for the worse after a mysterious flu-like virus sweeps through the kids. One by one the children become deadly. Amidst the suspicion, mayhem and murder, the parents fight for survival against their own twisted offspring.

For more details about The Children on Blu-ray, see The Children Blu-ray Review

Starring: Hannah Tointon, Rachel Shelley, Eva Birthistle
Director: Tom Shankland

The Children Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 18Mbps), The Children delivers a decent yet unremarkable visual experience. The first thing you’ll notice about the opening scene in the film is the overly-saturated color scheme. Reds, yellows, blues and greens all appear extremely bright against the white backdrop of the country estate. The color spectrum certainly matches the cheerful setting the filmmakers intended to create, but it also leads to a slight loss of black level depth. Contrast still appears strong despite the bright nature of the picture, allowing even the finest of details to emerge from the shadows. Regarding the overall level of fine-object detail, the transfer contains a reasonable level of clarity that never blew me away, but manages to remain consistent through the duration of the film. For example, look for the appearance of facial textures or the designs of fabric on sweaters, and you’ll notice there’s a degree of softness that obscures the finest details. The picture quality still appears smooth and film-like, but just be aware this won’t stack up next to the best high-definition transfers.

The Children Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


There’s a certain shift my mind has to go through when I watch a production with UK actors. Perhaps it’s the thick accents, or the subtle differences in the English language that Americans aren’t accustomed to, but I found myself straining to make out the dialogue through the first fifteen minutes or so. Unfortunately, a compounding factor in my difficulty with the dialogue is a tendency for the speaking parts to lack a bit of distinction. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they registered on the flat side, but there seemed to be an issue with the volume balance (I can assure you I had the film cranked up). Thankfully, the dialogue-heavy portion of the film subsides by the half-hour mark, replaced with the shrill screams of maniacal children and shouting adults. During the remaining runtime, the volume balance is perfectly in check, delivering one rousing sequence after another. I was quite pleased with the use of rear surrounds to generate a robust feel to the track, and the incorporation of music really adds to overall entertainment experience. One minute you’ll feel completely disarmed by a happy Christmas-themed song, only to be bombarded in the next moment with a sense of dread (as a cute little four year old turns around with blood-drenched sleeves). Considering the horrific nature of the film itself, this is definitely an effective audio experience.

The Children Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Today on Blu-ray - October 6th - October 6, 2009


• Lionsgate Upcoming Horror Titles Detailed - July 21, 2009


• Lionsgate Reveals Four Upcoming Horror Blu-rays - July 20, 2009

The Children Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

Topic

Replies

Last post