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Lifechanger Blu-ray delivers great video and solid audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Drew has an identity problem. Every few days, he has to shape-shift, or face a painful death. He has to find someone and make a copy. He takes everything: their looks, memories, hopes and dreams. Their entire life. He becomes them, and they die horribly. Lately, the changes are becoming more frequent. Facing his imminent death, Drew sets out on one final blood-soaked mission.
For more about Lifechanger and the Lifechanger Blu-ray release, see Lifechanger Blu-ray Review published by Neil Lumbard on May 11, 2019 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
It's not every day you see
an
independent horror film which manages to feel creative and original.
The genre has essentially covered every facet of horror storytelling
tenfold. Audiences know exactly what to expect out of most modern
horror films. Yet with Lifechanger, writer/director
Justin
McConnell has something different in store for audiences. McConnell
surprises with a indie horror success which feels like it was partly
inspired by Tales from the Crypt while also working
as a
gory-horror film mashed up with a slice of old-school drama.
Lifechanger
follows a
shape-shifting serial killer, Drew (voiced with eerie perfection by
Bill Oberst Jr.), as the beast shifts from one life to another on a
constantly evolving basis. The shape-shifting monster takes on
human-form and must devour and transform into other human beings in
order to survive. With the ability to take on any shape or form, the
beast transforms from man to woman (and back again), traversing
across the land in search of new human beings to devour and morph
into while channeling and devouring all of the energy from the
living. It's an interesting concept that feels like it could have
been taken right out of the pages of The Twilight Zone.
What really sets Lifechanger
apart from your typical gory-horror films is that the storytelling
ends up transforming into something different as well: the character
journey of the beast turns into a dramatic film about what obsession
can do to a soul. The beast becomes obsessed with finding a lone
woman, Julia (Lora Burke), who is someone they have a passion for and
for whom they will stop at nothing to be with. This makes things much
more complicated and interesting. The story takes some surprising
beats while laying the groundwork for an unconventional conclusion.
Lifechanger also
has some
interesting production elements. The special effects work is
surprisingly good for a smaller-budget production. The sequences
showcasing the gruesome transformations are well-designed
aesthetically. There is interesting cinematography by Sasha Moric
(The Guardians, Recall) and even
a nightmarish score
composed by Sean Motley (Blood, Sweat, and Terrors).
Writer-director Justin
McConnell
(Broken Mile, The Collapsed) has
formed a unique horror
story that has more to say than your typical independent
horror-outing. The film is a fascinating character-study of the
shape-shifter Drew while simultaneously delivering on the
horror-quotient. McConnell actually has an interesting directorial
style which feels creative and fresh. The film has some pretty
interesting longer takes as well. These moments help the film to be
an engaging watch. Lifechanger is compelling horror
and it
stands out from the pack as a fresh stab at the genre.
Lifechanger is
presented on
Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition presentation
in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The
film has generally strong video quality. However, the film
presentation isn't quite perfection and does have some minor
drawbacks. There are some noticeable scenes where the video seems a
tad too tightly compressed. The film also has some banding in the
source (especially during some of the night-time sequences). These
moments aren't particularly distracting but it's worth noting that
the presentation isn't quite flawless.
The audio is presented in 5.1 DTS-HD
Master Audio. The film has a energetic surround sound design. It's
clear that a lot of time and effort went into working on the sound
design for this film. However, the soundstage can feel a bit amateurish. Though clarity and definition
are pristine (and the release should be commended on those merits)
the surround design itself feels like a overdone attempt at
recreating the bombastic sound of a big-blockbuster movie. The rear surround channels feel over-utilized, the mixing
feels too chaotic, and it can sometimes be a bit distracting. In
terms of resolution alone, this release is impressive on an aural
scale. However, the sound design was not as professional as it could
have been.
Audio Commentary
with
director/writer/producer Justin McConnell
Audio Commentary
with actors
Lora Burke, Jack Foley, Sam James White, Steve Kasan, and
writer/director Justin McConnell
Change
and Adapt: The Making of Lifechanger(HD,
1 hour. 44 min. 15 sec.) is a surprisingly in-depth "making-of"
documentary about the film's origination and production. It's a
first-rate documentary that truly delves into the creative process of
putting the film together. I was flabbergasted by how good this bonus
feature was as it delves into the filmmaking more than many releases
with significantly bigger budgets. The production work, casting,
screenwriting, and direction are all glimpsed at with an attention to
detail which is highly commendable. I was fully invested in the
making-of documentary. It even made me appreciate the film that much
more.
Deleted Scenes
(HD, 25 min. 1
sec.) (With optional commentary) and featuring an introduction by
writer/director Justin McConnell
Original Score by
Sean Motley
(which plays back the score music while displaying a message about
availability to download via BD-ROM in the MP3 format).
Red Band Trailer (HD,
1 min. 53
sec.)
Official Trailer
(HD, 1 min. 41
sec.)
Art/Still Gallery
is a
click-through photo gallery featuring early posters, storyboards
(with art by Darryl Shaw), sketches by Sean Grady, test photographs
for the actors, and behind the scenes production stills.
Lifechanger is
an impressive
feature from writer-director Justin McConnell. The film has a
creative concept. The idea of following a creature transforming
between human bodies is one that is well developed here. This is a
gory horror film that is also surprisingly thoughtful. While the
presentation quality feels somewhat inconsistent, the Blu-ray release
comes jam-packed with bonus features and is absolutely worth a look
for genre fans.
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