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| Warner Home Video (UK). Region 2, PAL. 2.35:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 5.1. English, Arabic, Romanian, Bulgarian, Subtitles. 96 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Jamie Blanks
Starring: Denise Richards, David Boreanaz, Marley Shelton, Jessica Capshaw, Jessica Caufield
Screenplay: Tom Savage, Donna Powers
Tagline: Remember that kid everyone ignored on Valentine's Day? - He remembers you.
Country: USA |
Thirteen years after humiliating a high school
geek at a dance, a quintet of well-to-do female
friends begin receiving dire threats in the shame
of sick and twisted rhymes penned inside ominous,
anonymous Valentine's cards. When two of them
meet sudden, violent ends at the hands of a killer
dressed in a cherub mask, it becomes apparent
that someone vengeful is stalking them, and plans
to teach them a lesson in love. Given the prediction
'Roses are red, violets are blue, they'll need
dental records to identify you' and the heroines
decision to throw a lavish Valentine's Day party
to distract them from the killer, it looks like
a long evening for the man in the white coat...
Australian director Jamie Blanks' previous effort,
the unbearably dismal 1998 Urban Legend doesn't suggest pitching viewer expectation anything
above utter rubbish, but Valentine, whilst
hardly the zenith of the post-Scream stalk
'n' slash 'n' dash boom, is rather better than
expected, and overall surprisingly entertaining.
Not good by any stretch of the imagination, but
definitely better than expected. As the postage-stamp
plot stumbles along towards the inevitable climactic
confrontation between hunter and hunted, reeking
with the stench of a dozen red herrings and lacking
even a dash of originality amongst the po-faced,
mechanically staged mayhem, it's impossible to
take seriously and as such turns into an entertaining
chuckle-fest. Blanks chucks in multitudinous,
thunderously unsubtle homage's, and leaden references
to genre luminaries such as Carpenter and Argento,
and classics or the infamous numbering amongst
their number; Psycho and Driller Killer amongst many others, but he hasn't Carpenter's
skill at generating suspense, Argento's vision
or virtuosity or anything given him by the four
writers (including two writer-producers) to distinguish
Valentine from the chaff. That said, Valentine
is a hoot, boasts decent production values, clips
along agreeably--much aided by an attractive,
easy-on-the-eye cast including Roswell star Katherine Heigl, Denise Richards, Marley
Shelton, Jessica Capshaw and Jessica Caufield
and demonstrates an apparent affection for the
genre, giving it the makings of an above average
popcorn flick. TV's Angel star, David Boreanaz
turns up as Shelton's irritating boyfriend. |
| Video |
| Valentine is presented in anamorphic widescreen
at the correct ratio of 2.35:1. Warner has produced
a breathtaking transfer. Image detail is clear and
sharp with bold, stable, vibrant colours, especially
the gorgeous reds. Blacks are solid and saturation
spot on, the print is flawless with no artifacting
or edge enhancement. Valentine was shot using the
Super 35 process, so occasional grain is apparent,
but overall this is a sumptuous transfer. |
| Audio |
| Valentine is presented in English 5.1 Dolby
Digital surround, and nicely done--this is a very
good mix. Fidelity and dynamic range are considerable
and surround use is aggressive. The mix employs
all five channels excellently, sidewall imaging
is decent, dialogue is clear and distinct throughout
and well balanced between music, effects and discourse;
unlike some horror DVDs (check out the 1999 House
on Haunted Hill for an example of the worst). Low
end is nicely utilized, though overtly obvious at
times. |
| Extra Features |
| Warner Bros.' DVD includes supplemental materials
that are relatively worthwhile, if a tad underwhelming.
Blanks' screen-specific audio commentary is very
informative containing a degree of honest opinion
on what did and did not work, self-imposed cuts
to violence and detail surrounding the shooting
of the movie on a tight schedule. Other, less impressive
supplements include a lame video for Orgy's contribution
to the noisy soundtrack--the song Opticon and a
good theatrical trailer for the movie. We also get
Valentine - Behind the Scenes, a typical piece of
promotional fluff running a whopping eight minutes.
Finally, there's a somewhat redundant cast and crew
list - this information can also be obtained by
looking at the back of the case. |
| The Verdict |
This is not one of the better horror movies of
this, or any year. I did enjoy it for reasons I
find hard to fathom, but by no stretch of the imagination
is it any good and I simply don't have the heart
to actually recommend it. You're on your own folks.
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