28 Days Later [P&S]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Danny Boyle's hit suspense film 28 Days Later comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio. The transfer does a fabulous job of capturing the often gritty, yet occasionally lovely digital photography that helped earn the film its well-deserved audience. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while Spanish and French soundtracks have been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. English and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include an entertaining commentary track recorded by Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland. The two had previously collaborated on The Beach, and they have an easy rapport with each other. Three alternative endings are offered, along with commentary explaining why those endings were discarded. One of these is a close to 15-minute sequence that utilizes storyboards and an old script read by Garland and Boyle in order to show how the film's third act might have changed. These endings will be familiar to anyone. There are half a dozen deleted scenes with optional commentary, a close to 30-minute making-of featurette, trailers, a still photo gallery, and a music video. This is a fine release for what it is, but the same extras are available on a different disc that also offers a widescreen transfer of the film. That version is preferable to this one. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround
• Screen: Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: Spanish, English
• Features:
  • cc Audio commentary by director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland
  • Three alternate endings
  • Deleted scenes with optional commentary
  • "Pure Rage: The Making of 28 Days Later" featurette
  • Jacknife Lee music video
  • Animated storyboards
  • Still photo galleries
  • Theatrical trailer

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Cillian Murphy - Jim
       Naomie Harris - Selena
       Brendan Gleeson - Frank
       Megan Burns - Hannah
       Christopher Eccleston - Maj. Henry West

• Director:

  Danny Boyle

• Producer:

  Andrew Macdonald

• Screenwriter:

  Alex Garland

• Cinematographer:

  Anthony Dod Mantle

• Composer (Music Score):

  John Murphy

• Editor:

  Chris Gill

• Production Designer:

  Mark Tildesley

• Art Director:

  Patrick Rolfe, Dennis Schnegg

• Supervising Art Director:

  Mark Digby

REVIEWS:

• {$Danny Boyle} and screenwriter {$Alex Garland} (and {$Boyle}'s longtime collaborator, producer {$Andrew Macdonald}) bounce back from the relatively big-budget debacle of {#The Beach} with {#28 Days Later}, a kinetic low-budget {\horror} film. The filmmakers gratefully acknowledge their debt to a bunch of classic {\horror} and {\science fiction} movies, especially {$George Romero}'s {#Living Dead} films. There's even a kickass black woman ({$Naomie Harris}) who saves the hero's neck like in {#The Omega Man}. But {#28 Days Later} has its own style. Cinematographer {$Anthony Dod Mantle} ({#The Celebration}) uses digital video surprisingly effectively, adding to the film's gritty immediacy, with a few nice surreal touches (e.g. the painted flowers along the road) thrown in. The dark inflections of {$John Murphy}'s bass-driven score help moves things along, too. The story is simple and lends itself to allegorical readings, with its somewhat pro forma anti-authoritarian slant. There are a few nicely played shocks, and some amazing, haunting images of a deserted, "Rage"-ravaged London. The recently comatose main character, {%Jim} ({$Cillian Murphy}), begins as a cipher, but gradually comes into focus thanks to {$Murphy}'s soulful performance, and his chemistry with the fierce {$Harris}. {$Brendan Gleeson} ({#Gangs of New York}) maintains his excellent track record as a lovably gruff father vainly trying to keep some sense of normalcy in his young daughter's life. Things get a little ham-fisted in the last third of the film, bogging down a bit when the ragtag group reaches a military outpost in northern England and predictably finds something even worse than the diseased lunatics they're fleeing. But for the most part, {#28 Days Later} is a good, scary {\horror} film, and a worthy successor to the forebears it references in nearly every frame. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
• Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland (and Boyle's longtime collaborator, producer Andrew Macdonald) bounce back from the relatively big-budget debacle of The Beach with 28 Days Later, a kinetic low-budget horror film. The filmmakers gratefully acknowledge their debt to a bunch of classic horror and science fiction movies, especially George Romero's Living Dead films. There's even a kickass black woman (Naomie Harris) who saves the hero's neck like in The Omega Man. But 28 Days Later has its own style. Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (The Celebration) uses digital video surprisingly effectively, adding to the film's gritty immediacy, with a few nice surreal touches (e.g. the painted flowers along the road) thrown in. The dark inflections of John Murphy's bass-driven score help moves things along, too. The story is simple and lends itself to allegorical readings, with its somewhat pro forma anti-authoritarian slant. There are a few nicely played shocks, and some amazing, haunting images of a deserted, "Rage"-ravaged London. The recently comatose main character, Jim (Cillian Murphy), begins as a cipher, but gradually comes into focus thanks to Murphy's soulful performance, and his chemistry with the fierce Harris. Brendan Gleeson (Gangs of New York) maintains his excellent track record as a lovably gruff father vainly trying to keep some sense of normalcy in his young daughter's life. Things get a little ham-fisted in the last third of the film, bogging down a bit when the ragtag group reaches a military outpost in northern England and predictably finds something even worse than the diseased lunatics they're fleeing. But for the most part, 28 Days Later is a good, scary horror film, and a worthy successor to the forebears it references in nearly every frame. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

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