4K Ultra HD – Edition EN – Studiochannel – 91 min – 27 October 2021
Video format
• Intermediate Master: 4K
• Standard HDR: Dolby Vision
• Ratio: 1.85
Soundtrack
• English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• English LPCM 2.0
• French LPCM 2.0
Subtitles
• English
• French
It is brought to the attention of our dear readers as well as the viewing equipment specified and used by each tester of the MaG team, the rendering may differ from one installation to another, whether or not it is calibrated, as well as personal preferences and expectations may influence the rating. Moreover, the images in the article are not representative of the edition tested.
WORK – The « blessing » of the werewolf
Karen White, a TV presenter, takes a break in her career following a traumatic incident with a serial killer. The police were able to save her by killing the dangerous individual. But is Karen really safe? On the advice of Dr. George Waggner, she will join « Colony », a rest centre where all kinds of energy are living. His nightmares remind him of his encounter with the killer... until he reappears at the full moon and attacks the Colony residents.
If he accuses the weight of years (unbelievable when he leaves, the transformations led by Rob Bottin are less so today), Screaming remains a major film about lycanthropy despite a pushy intrigue, a very limited budget and Joe Dante's relative inexperience at that time. The suffocating atmosphere of the forest is there, the striking scenes abound and the myth of the werewolf is dusted as it should. So even if we're hurt, it's a classic of the kind we're dealing with!
- All naked!
A 16-bit 4K scan (of the original 35 mm negative) produced in 2021 by Studiocanal and the VDM laboratory under the supervision of Joe Dante, this UHD Dolby Vision transfer is rather sumptuous for a work celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Covered by a light grain that exhumes the organic nature of its capture, the image captures much clearer details than in HD (the hairstyles of the 80s, woven textiles, posters in the sex shop, the disturbing sketches of Eddie, the bark of the trees), invigorated colors (the primary ones, once defracated, are now richly saturated) with particularly striking reds, rebalanced contrasts (blacks are deeper and whites are more delicate) and light sources finally awakened (such as the lighting of the TV tray, flames and the iridescent mist of a diluted blue).
SON – The screaming of the pack
Obviously frontal, however, the multichannel VO uses its all-new spatialization to diffuse from there some atmospheres (Eddie who begins to transform behind Karen during the screening at the sex shop, the crackling of fire and the waves breaking on the beach during the first evening at the Colony, or the presence of creatures in the woods). The dialogues are clear, the dynamics are honourable and the score is carefully transcribed. However, the LFE channel remains very limited in its scope.
Drafting and screaming, the VF must also deal with a dubbing too much.
CONCLUSION – Are you there?
You want to explore the mythological figure of the werewolf through a film that stopped paying homage to the genre (cf. the names of the characters)? So draw the present 4K Ultra HD in order to dissect it in its smallest corners!
Artistic note
6.5
Video quality
9
Audio quality
7.5
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