[REC]
4: Apocalypse
(2014 aka Apocalipsis/Sony
DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: C Film: B
Jaume
Balaguero's [REC]
4
(2014) is an unexpected gem of a Spanish horror film. Boasting high
production design, decent acting, incredible special effects, and
some truly cringe-worthy moments, the film is vastly different from
other entries in the franchise. Taking place primarily on a boat,
which is the perfect setting for some infected zombie-esque carnage,
the film is reportedly the last entry in the franchise and is a
direct sequel to [REC]
2.
In some ways, it reminded me of the late '90s film Deep
Rising,
only not nearly as cheesy at that was.
Television
reporter Angela, is rescued from the building and taken to an oil
tanker to be examined. However, once she gets on board some weird
things start to happen. The power starts to flicker on and off, and
soon once Scientists perform tests using her blood samples, the virus
rears its ugly head and infects a monkey. Of course, the monkey
bites someone and then he bites someone and soon, a small group of
survivors are all that is left to battle for their lives. Midway, it
is unknown whether it is Angela herself who is carrying the seed of
the mysterious demonic virus, as there is something inside her tummy
that could be the source of the cause. Can she escape the boat and
stop the virus from spreading?
Picture
and sound on the disc look pretty great for DVD with a standard
definition transfer in anamorphic 2.35 X 1 widescreen and a lossy
Dolby Digital 5.1 track in Spanish. No terrible English dubbing on
this disc, which doesn't phase me. A Blu-ray release would be
exceptional, especially if a box set of all four films existed.
The
only extra is a Making Of featurette.
Being
a fan of The
Walking Dead
and the 28
Days Later
films, I found [REC]
4 a
pretty entertaining thrill ride with above average gore and special
effects. What these films succeed at is creating a great atmosphere
to introduce this havoc that really works at the selling the realism.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.facebook.com/jhl5films
