By Geno McGahee
On October 13th, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases THE GALLOWS on a Blu-ray Combo Pack with DVD and Digital HD. New Line Cinema, known for their horror roots, brings this new 80’s style film wrapped in a found footage paranormal ghost story. Written and directed by the team of Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing, THE GALLOWS is a mixed bag, heavily influenced by the current trends in the genre but with some elements that allow it to be its own entity.
In 1993, a play was being put on at a high school when tragedy strikes. Charlie Grimille died when a prop noose malfunctioned and he was hanged to death in front of the large crowd. It became a haunting incident for the school and as the years went by, the need to return was there, and a group decides to do so. In tribute, the school is bringing that play back, but the spirit of Charlie remains and the return stirs him up.
Reese (Reese Mishler) has a lot of respect on the football field, but he was attracted to drama and took the role that cost Charlie his life all those years ago. His friend, Ryan (Ryan Shoos), armed with his camera (at all times) finds much joy in teasing him and teasing just about everyone else. He is your typical jock/jerk that looks down upon anything artistic. He sees the drama males as wimps and geeks and mistreats them at every turn. He has such little respect for the art that he convinces Reese to disrupt the play by sabotaging the props the night before opening night. Reese reluctantly agrees and teams up with cheerleader, Cassidy (Cassidy Gifford) and Pfeifer (Pfeifer Brown) to join in.
Inside the school, things begin to get weird. The ghost of Charlie does not take kindly to the intrusion and now the group is trapped inside. The play will be done again and history will repeat itself. There are a lot of nice visuals in this film and the cast is better than most recent found footage big screen releases. The 1980’s throwback vibe to the film is a nice change from the recent spree of paranormal found footage film, but it is not without some issues.
THE GALLOWS would have been a much better film had it not gone found footage. The sub-genre is relatively played out and this film doesn’t really present it in a realistic fashion. It’s difficult to understand why the camera is rolling at times, other than to show the audience what they need to see. It attempted to give the viewer more bang for the buck than the other films of this sort and it does so. At times, the visuals are very creepy and the noose is an interesting weapon of choice for the ghost.
I recommend THE GALLOWS and the presentation of the Blu-ray release is outstanding. There is plenty for the horror fans to chew on.
“The Gallows” Blu-ray Combo Pack contains the following special features:
• The Gallows: The Original Version
• The Gallows: Surviving the Noose
• Charlie: Every School Has Its Spirit
• Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel
• Concept, Original Version and Theatrical Trailers
“The Gallows” Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:
• Charlie: Every School Has Its Spirit
• Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel
On September 29, “The Gallows” will be available to own for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. On October 13, “The Gallows” will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
ABOUT DIGITAL HD WITH ULTRAVIOLET
Digital HD with UltraViolet allows fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. Digital HD with UltraViolet is included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. Digital HD with UltraViolet allows consumers to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through UltraViolet retail services like CinemaNow, Flixster, VUDU and more. For more information on compatible devices go to wb.com/ultravioletdevices. Consult an UltraViolet Retailer for details and requirements and for a list of HD-compatible devices.
PRODUCT SRP
Blu-ray Combo Pack $35.99
DVD Amaray (WS) $28.98
Standard Street Date: October 13, 2015
DVD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French
BD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Brazilian Portuguese
DVD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French
BD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese
Running Time: 81 minutes
Rating: Rated R for some disturbing violent content and terror
DOLBY ATMOS DOLBY AUDIO [CC]
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.