Ground Zero (Umbrella Entertainment DVD/Region Zero/0/PAL Format)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: B-
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD can only be operated on
machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0/PAL format
software, and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the
website address provided at the end of the review.
There is nothing like finding a good thriller you may have
missed, especially when it is a foreign thriller that has good word of mouth,
good reviews and is hardly seen anywhere.
That is exactly the case with the New Zealand-produced thriller Ground Zero (1987) with Colin Friels as
the son of a military cinematographer whose father filmed many atomic tests in
the U.K. before dying at an early age.
This was obviously from his job and now, Harvey (Friels) is also a
cameraman. However, he is about to
discover there is more to what his father did.
Distant as he is from his current wife and kids, it is
about to get worse when he gets a call from a mysterious man (Donald Pleasance)
informing him there is more to what his father did and that the tests nearby
may have killed and poisoned the Aborigines, New Zealanders, Australians and
visitors exposed to the numerous tests.
The governments deny this, but Harvey’s father had proof and it turns
out it is in a film canister. Now, he
intends to find it, unless “they” kill him first.
Some of the best thrillers are ones with an undertone of
healthy cynicism, but these days, they are usually pointless, immature, shallow
and even tack on a happy ending.
Co-directors Michael Pattinson and Bruce Myles have made a thriller that
holds up well on its 20th Anniversary and performances are good all
around. There is also some interesting
action, so if this is your kind of film, get this disc!
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image may have some flaws on the film print
and could have more detail & depth, while color could be a bit better, but
it was shot in real anamorphic Panavision by Steve Dobson, who delivers some
good compositions throughout. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 Stereo is not bad for its age and this was a Dolby A-type analog
theatrical release, but there are no Pro Logic surrounds to be found encoded in
these tracks, meaning they are at least a generation down. Tom Bahler’s score is not bad and sometimes
interesting. The film could use some restoration
obviously and hopefully, a DVD like this will help spur that on. Extras only include Umbrella DVD trailers,
Jack Thompson interview and a good audio commentary track by Pattinson and
Myler.
As noted
above, you can order this import exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
- Nicholas Sheffo
