Session 9 (2001)
By: Dr. Obrero.
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| Inter-continental Video limited (Hong Kong). Region 3, NTSC. 4:3. English DD 5.1. English, Chinese Subtitles. 99 mins |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Brad Anderson
Starring: David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle, Josh Lucas, Peter Mullan, Brendan Sexton III.
Screenplay: Brad Anderson, Stephen Gevedon
Tagline: Fear is a place
Country: USA |
Creepy little no-budget thriller in the mould
of The Blair Witch Project. An asbestos
cleaning crew find its latest job, hired to clean
up toxic material from an abandoned, monolithic
old mental hospital with a horrific past more
than they bargained for when the insanity that
resided within the walls seems to be coming back
to haunt them. Seems it had been shut down in
the 1980's and abandoned since then. As the team
becomes increasingly fractured and fractious,
cracking under stress and pervasive evil influences,
one inquisitive member unearths a series of files
and nine tape recordings of psychiatric sessions
related to a notorious schizophrenia case, and
the emergence of one 'Billy' during climactic
session number nine proves the portent for spirits
to emerge from the inky blackness within the building's
soul.
Clever psychological thriller is longer on atmosphere
than logic, but the story serves its purpose well
enough. The atmosphere is effectively unsettling,
especially during the last third when an authentic
overtone of dread is tangible throughout the eerie
building and a sense of fear palpable through
the team. Shot on digital video (excellent cinematography
by Uta Briesewetz) at an actual empty asylum in
Danvers, MA, Session 9 is a well written,
convincingly played (by a strong ensemble cast
including Peter Mullan, David Caruso, and Brendan
Sexton III) and impressively directed minor league
creepshow. The measured pace, spooky visuals,
solid well-acted drama and sinister score invite
favourable comparisons to not only the Myrick/Sanchez
phenomenon, but also with Peter Medak's genuinely
frightening The Changeling. Session
9 is an efficient disturbing little gem. |
| Video |
| A dark film, Session 9 is intentionally
grainy and shot digital video for very little money,
so expectations for this non-16x9 enhanced disc
were not too high. I'm happy to say it looks absolutely
fine. Presenting the film 1.33:1 (4:3), as opposed
to USA Home Video's R1 anamorphic 1.85:1 edition,
the presentation is not widescreen, but is still
perfectly acceptable. I could discern no notable
evidence of cropping or compromised cinematography.
Black level is decent, colours are well saturated
if intentionally muted, and detail is good. The
stylised look of the film tends towards over contrast,
and this being a non-anamorphic transfer, shadow
detail is a bit murky and the colours can appear
too saturated occasionally, but overall this transfer
remains true to the intent of the filmmakers. Flesh
tones appear natural and shadow delineation is fine.
There is no sign of compression artefacts or edge
enhancement, a few mildly distracting blemishes
surface once in a while, though nothing too severe.
Considering source of this DVD, and the way Session
9 was filmed the DVD presentation exceeded my
expectations. |
| Audio |
| While the image is a bit below par for the format,
the soundtrack is terrific. Presented in English
5.1 Dolby Digital surround, it's an aggressive mix
throughout. Surrounds are very active with nice
discreet effects and good sidewall imaging. The
front soundstage is very wide with strong spatiality
adding to the sense of envelopment and ambiance.
Dynamic range is very wide, and low end is quite
strong and tight. Music, effects and dialogue are
all very well-balanced with clever, subtle use of
underscore really benefiting the aural presentation.
A very, very good track. |
| Extra Features |
| The Region 1 DVD includes additional material
including deleted scenes and an alternate ending
(with director's commentary) which hint at the presence
of someone else in the hospital, a mysterious woman.
These hint at the presence of Mary Hobbes as a ghost.
But the ultimate revelation is of an insane homeless
woman who has been squatting in the institution.
The scenes were taken out, according to Anderson,
for "streamlining", and because test audiences
were confusing the woman with Mary Hobbes. The deleted
scenes would have been a good addition to the film,
had the woman been left as mysterious, inviting
the audience to draw its own conclusions. Other
supplements on the Region 1 DVD are a screen-specific
director's commentary with Brad Anderson and Steve
Gevedon, assorted "behind the scenes"
making-of shots and a short featurette entitled
"The Haunted Palace", which is based on
the eerie paintings and commentary of artist and
Danvers history aficionado Michael Ramseur. Additionally,
there are some short interviews with the cast which
reveal that both Peter Mullan and David Caruso claim
to have experienced paranormal occurrences in the
hospital during filming which left them shaken.
So, having said all that, what does the Region 3
DVD offer up as supplemental material? Well, nothing
actually, not a single thing. Yes, in one sense
that is a disgrace, but as we all know, Region 3
discs are the 'cheap' options (for the most part)
and are consequently light on extras. So it comes
as little surprise, but still disappoints a tad.
The lack of even a couple of pointless trailers
for other R3 releases is unusual, but not entirely
unwelcome since they're a waste of (DVD) space anyway. |
| The Verdict |
| The film is a "4", the DVD a "2",
so the fairest overall rating is a compromise. Having
not seen it, a cheap R3 sight unseen purchase seemed
the most logical option, but I would recommend anyone
considering acquiring this excellent little picture
to acquire the Region 1 edition without delay. Having
watched the film on several occasions, I am impressed
by the constant parade of hitherto unnoticed clues
that are peppered throughout the narrative. Session
9 has been compared to the film Memento in
this respect, though I feel that is grossly unfair. Session 9 is at least a decent film after
all. Brad Anderson has created a solid, effective
and unpretentious little chiller that, whilst not
perfect, is certainly worthwhile seeking out. Highly
recommended, but get the Region 1 disc. |
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| User Comments |
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1 user comments have been posted so far |
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Good cast too.