Animal (Blu-ray / DVD)
Starring Joey Lauren Adams, Elizabeth Gillies, Paul Iacono, Thorsten Kaye
Directed by Brett Simmons
Distributed by Scream Factory
If there’s one facet of reviewing films that can occasionally cause an opinion to shift, it’s viewing the bonus features. Now, look, I try to be as objective as possible because it’s doing a disservice to readers otherwise, but when you hear a director’s passionate commentary track and learn about all their influences and challenges and “proud papa” moments, you’d have to be a robot not to let it affect your view of the film in some way.
It’s easy to sling mud, but what isn’t easy is getting a film made. That moment of completion – no matter how big or small the film – is massive. I say this only because very few filmmakers set out to make a bad movie, but sometimes “them’s the cards you get dealt.” You probably see where I’m going here.
Director Brett Simmons delivers the kind of enthusiastic commentary track on his latest endeavor, Animal (2014), which makes you wish his film had been better. Hell, when I found out it was shot in my birthplace of Hartford, CT, I tried talking myself into finding some merit in the film – and, to be fair, there is a little – but all the passion in the world can’t make a bad film better. In addition to the gorgeous locations, the film shows a heavy Carpenter influence (like, you know, just about every other low-budget affair these days) from the group confinement storyline to the use of all practical FX (kudos there!) and even the famous “Carpenter font” used for the main titles. What holds Animal back from being a good film is a cast of characters that lack complexity and the titular “animal,” which is a woodsy creature that looks kinda cool/totally impractical and would have better served the film had it remained in the shadows.
Our story finds a group of Abercrombie & Fitch models (not their stated profession) taking a ride up to the woods for a day of cave exploring. Virtually none of them has much of a personality outside of the one stereotypically gay character, who is a bit of an obnoxious queen. As night falls, one of the group members comes across… something as it feeds, at which point the creature turns its attention to the group and begins to feast on one of them. The survivors run for help, finding a remote cabin containing three individuals last seen during the film’s requisite opening kill. Here, the group dynamics grow a bit as the creature is kept at bay, allowing everyone to develop trust issues, form alliances, bicker… you know, all the irrational things most normal people wouldn’t be doing in a “we have to work together” crisis situation. Tensions flare, more people are eaten and that’s pretty much that.
As stated earlier, Simmons gets some credit here for trying to do things the old-school way, by featuring practical effects work and shooting on location with an intention to emulate the ‘80s horror films he clearly grew up watching. There are two obstacles standing in the way: the characters and the creature. In regard to the former, the most succinct way I can put it is that no one is very relatable or sympathetic, and what little complexities do arise in their personalities simply aren’t compelling. Most of the actors here do a reasonable enough job – including Joey Lauren Adams, who seems so out of place in a horror movie – it’s just that none is particularly likeable. Who dies isn’t much of a surprise, although I will say the first death was a tad unexpected and slightly refreshing.
In regard to the creature, it tends to work best when hidden under the cloak of night. Unfortunately, the filmmakers must have been very proud of the beast they created because it’s shot in brightly lit settings far too often. At a glance the design seems novel and there’s some interesting biology going on, but under close scrutiny it seems to be the antithesis of organic sense. For one thing, those teeth! Because of their size, and numbers, and lack of mobility it winds up looking like a guy in a really nice Halloween mask is pretending to munch on guts. Kudos on the body suit, though, which is sleek and moves well with the actor inside. Rob Bottin it ain’t, but a decent effort all the same. Most films would’ve tossed some CGI monstrosity in there (on the cheap) and called it a day.
Chiller Films has a plum deal with Scream Factory distributing their original films, although so far it has yielded mostly rotten fruit. None has been outright terrible, just lackluster and far from the high bar currently being set by a number of DTV vendors who have been killing it lately. Animal starts off very rough, manages to right itself just enough to remain watchable, but in the end it’s as forgettable and generic as its title.
With nearly every filmmaker on the planet making the shift to digital, is it any wonder that the film’s 1.78:1 1080p image is pleasing? Shooting digitally provides a clean, crisp image devoid of grain and full of minute details and accurate color reproduction. No post-production tampering appears to have occurred here, leaving “Animal” with what can only be described as a perfectly acceptable, nearly-pristine image. A few shots look a tad on the soft side, but otherwise this is about what viewers expect from features of this ilk. The forest setting allows for plenty of lush greenery to dominate the picture, with the rustic palette maintained as the group segues to a log cabin. Black levels hold well, which is important since a lot of the film takes place in very dark surroundings.
The English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound track has a bit more presence than most DTV titles, especially in regard to the rear channels which deliver ambient effects and discreet noises to really aid in immersion. Despite this, the track doesn’t have much of a presence. This may be due to a real lack of oomph emanating from the LFE track, which is mostly silent throughout. Dialogue is balanced and clear. The highlight is definitely the creature’s weird noises, which reminded me a bit of The Creeper, encompassing both high and low tones as it bellows. An English DTS-HD MA 2.0 track is also included. Subtitles are available in English.
Director Brett Simmons is on hand for the film’s audio commentary. As previously mentioned, he is enthusiastic and prepared here, delving right into details about the location shooting, securing permits, etc., before moving on to discussing the characters, actors, and the creature itself, which he has a lot of information regarding.
“Interviews with Cast & Crew” is so short it probably should have been titled “A Few Words with Cast & Crew.” “Behind the Scenes” is a just-as-brief piece, featuring a couple cast and crew interviews while on set. The film’s theatrical trailer and teaser trailer are also included in HD.
Special Features:
- Audio commentary with director Brett Simmons
- Interviews with Cast & Crew
- Behind the Scenes
- Theatrical trailer
- Teaser trailer
- Reversible cover art
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Film
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Special Features
Categorized:Reviews
