Wrong Turn

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Despite the fact that horror fans likely missed it during its "blink-and-you-miss-it" theatrical run, director Rob Schmidt's grim, throwback chiller Wrong Turn gets a commendable DVD release thanks to 20th Century Fox. Presented in both 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 pan-and-scan, the transfer of the film is virtually flawless. With solid blacks in the frequent night scenes and spot-on skin tones as the sweaty teens elude their inbred pursuers, the image is clean and free of virtually any and all distortion and grain. One of the aspects of Wrong Turn that makes it as effective as it is in providing scares is the sound, and the English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track certainly doesn't hold back when it comes to surrounding the viewer with terror. As twigs snap in the distance and various piercing objects burrow into human flesh, viewers will no doubt cringe at the remarkably vivid soundscape of this brutal film. Though at first fans may be enticed by the apparent wealth of extra features included on this disc, upon closer inspection there are really only a few truly valuable and entertaining bonuses here. A commentary track featuring director Schmidt and stars Eliza Dushku and Desmond Harrington is indeed fun in parts, and it's obvious that the trio is having a great time revisiting the film, but there are also extended stretches of silence that really grind things to a halt. In addition to citing the aforementioned use of sound and their desire to recreate that childhood rush of fear that only horror films can provide, the only other real reason to listen is to hear about the varied and numerous injuries sustained by the cast and crew during filming. Likewise, many of the extra features offer little insight into the production at all, with "The Making of Wrong Turn," and "Eliza Dushku: A Babe in the Woods" both clocking in at under five minutes -- hardly enough time to truly delve into the film's many impressive effects. The two featurettes that do stand out, however, are "Fresh Meat: The Wounds of Wrong Turn" and the one on Stan Winston, the former offering a neat look at the film's effects and the latter offering a nice retrospective in Winston's own words. Deleted scenes offer a romantic interlude under a waterfall that was likely cut for pacing, an "alternate" view of a kill that doesn't seem to differ from the onscreen version at all, and dailies of Emmanuelle Chriqui getting a mouthful of barbed wire. Rounding things out is a series of fun poster concept designs and the impressive and intense trailer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen), 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Surrond
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV, Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: English, Spanish
• Features:
  • cc Commentary by director Rob Schmidt and stars Desmond Harrington & Eliza Dushku
  • Deleted scenes
  • "Making of Wrong Turn" featurette
  • "Eliza Dushku: Babe in the Woods" featurette
  • "Stan Winston" featurette
  • "Fresh Meat: The Wounds of Wrong Turn" featurette
  • Poster
  • Concept gallery

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Desmond Harrington - Chris Finn
       Eliza Dushku - Jessie
       Emmanuelle Chriqui - Carly
       Jeremy Sisto - Thomas Avon
       Kevin Zegers - Evan

• Director:

  Rob Schmidt

• Producer:

  Erik Feig, Brian J. Gilbert, Robert Kulzer

• Screenwriter:

  Bill Collage, Adam Cooper, Alan B. McElroy

• Cinematographer:

  John S. Bartley

• Composer (Music Score):

  Elia Cmiral

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Randy Gerston

• Editor:

  Michael Ross

• Production Designer:

  Alicia Keywan

• Art Director:

  Elis Lam

• Co-producer:

  Stan Winston

REVIEWS:

• {#Wrong Turn} is a {\horror} film that thematically hearkens back to a number of groundbreaking terror films of the early to mid-'70s, such as {#Last House on the Left}, {#The Hills Have Eyes}, and in particular, {#The Texas Chainsaw Massacre}, with which it shares not only a similar narrative conceit (seemingly normal kids are drawn into the way-scary orbit of a family of beastly "others") but also several set pieces (such as the carnage-strewn house and the creepy automotive graveyard). Unfortunately, director {$Rob Schmidt} draws equally upon '90s {\teen} {\horror} in his approach, casting his leads with photogenically aerobicized teens who appear to have wandered away from some {#Dawson's Creek} knockoff and who spout dialogue that's catty or stupid more often than it's enlightening or functional (especially whiny bride-to-be {$Emmanuelle Chriqui}, whose performance practically guarantees the audience will be pleading for her painful demise). But director {$Schmidt} is also a canny visual stylist who's sharp enough to keep his mood tense and his shocks inventive in the second and third acts, and if {#Wrong Turn} doesn't hold a candle to vintage {$Tobe Hooper} or {$Wes Craven} for sheer disorienting {\horror} (due at least in part to its more polished surfaces), it's significantly more powerful than 90 percent of what's come down the pike in the wake of {#Scream} and it's self-consciously "clever" brethren, and the best moments pack a genuine wallop. Definitely worth a look for genre fans, though you may not want to stick around for the coda, which seems to serve no purpose other than opening the door for a possible sequel. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
• Wrong Turn is a horror film that thematically hearkens back to a number of groundbreaking terror films of the early to mid-'70s, such as Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes, and in particular, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with which it shares not only a similar narrative conceit (seemingly normal kids are drawn into the way-scary orbit of a family of beastly "others") but also several set pieces (such as the carnage-strewn house and the creepy automotive graveyard). Unfortunately, director Rob Schmidt draws equally upon '90s teen horror in his approach, casting his leads with photogenically aerobicized teens who appear to have wandered away from some Dawson's Creek knockoff and who spout dialogue that's catty or stupid more often than it's enlightening or functional (especially whiny bride-to-be Emmanuelle Chriqui, whose performance practically guarantees the audience will be pleading for her painful demise). But director Schmidt is also a canny visual stylist who's sharp enough to keep his mood tense and his shocks inventive in the second and third acts, and if Wrong Turn doesn't hold a candle to vintage Tobe Hooper or Wes Craven for sheer disorienting horror (due at least in part to its more polished surfaces), it's significantly more powerful than 90 percent of what's come down the pike in the wake of Scream and it's self-consciously "clever" brethren, and the best moments pack a genuine wallop. Definitely worth a look for genre fans, though you may not want to stick around for the coda, which seems to serve no purpose other than opening the door for a possible sequel. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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