Deadgirl appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a positive presentation.
Sharpness worked fine, as even with a lot of dimly-lit shots, delineation usually seemed good. Some shots could lean a little soft, but the majority of the film appeared well-defined.
No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects materialized, and I saw no edge haloes. Print flaws remained absent.
Colors weren’t much of a concern in this fairly monochromatic affair. Given the nature of the story, I didn’t expect dynamic hues, and the film tended toward a subdued sepia and teal look much of the time.
What colors we found seemed more than adequate. Again, the nature of the production meant the tones didn’t exactly leap off the screen, but the hues felt appropriately rendered.
Blacks tended to appear largely deep and dense, while shadows seemed smooth and clear. Nothing here turned into a visual showcase, but the Blu-ray reproduced the source well.
Though not especially ambitious, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Deadgirl seemed perfectly satisfactory. Like many horror movies, it mostly went with creepy atmosphere.
A few action/scare sequences brought the track to life in a more active manner, but these were infrequent. Instead, the mix usually focused on general environment.
That side of things worked well. The audio used the speakers in a natural manner that created a good soundscape.
Music also featured nice stereo imaging, and the surrounds contributed to the ambience. The back channels didn’t have a lot to do, but that added to the film’s aura. The whole package connected together in a reasonably involving manner.
Audio quality was positive. Music showed nice range and clarity, while effects offered good accuracy and punch. The smattering of loud scenes showed solid definition, and they lacked distortion.
Speech was also concise and natural. Nothing here dazzled, but it achieved its modest goals.
How did the 2023 Blu-ray compare to the original 2009 DVD? The lossless BD audio offered a similar soundscape but it seemed a bit warmer and fuller.
Visuals demonstrated more obvious upgrades, as the BD showed clear improvements in terms of sharpness, blacks, shadows and colors. This turned into a considerable step up in quality.
Note that a Blu-ray version for Deadgirl came out in 2011. However, I never saw that one so can’t make direct comparisons between the 2011 and 2023 BDs.
This “15th Anniversary Edition” of Deadgirl mixes old and new extras. We find two separate audio commentaries, the first of which repeats from the 2009 DVD.
The 2009 discussion features directors Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel, composer Joseph Bauer, editor Phillip Blackford, director of photography Harris Charalambous, screenwriter Trent Haaga, and actors Shiloh Fernandez and Noah Segan. The track takes at least two separate running, screen-specific chats and combines them.
The participants discuss sets and locations, score, audio and editing, production design and cinematography, thematic/tonal elements, cast and performances, various effects, story/script/character subjects, and reactions to the film.
My only complaints relate to the construction of the commentary. Combining the two – or more – separate tracks into one makes things a bit busy at times, and it can be tough to differentiate one participant from another. Most of the guys sound a fair amount alike, so it’s easy to forget who’s speaking.
Despite those minor criticisms, this ends up as a pretty terrific chat. It covers all the expected bases and does so in an honest, often amusing manner.
The guys don’t seem to hold back, and we learn a ton about the film. It turns into a very enjoyable discussion.
Found on the 2011 Blu-ray, we get a second commentary from actor Jenny Spain. Along with moderator Sandy Martin, Spain delivers a running, screen-specific look at how she got the part, challenges involved with the role, and various experiences on the shoot.
While Martin helps ensure Spain remains active and involved during the chat, she also talks over her a little too often. Nonetheless, the pair usually interact fairly well, and Spain brings an interesting perspective on her unusual character and work on the film.
Another piece from the 2011 BD but not the DVD, Jenny Spain’s Audition goes for one-minute, 58-seconds. Spain filmed herself on videotape as she acted all zombie. It delivers a short but cool addition, especially since her naturally bubbly personality contrasts to her feral character.
The next few components first appeared on the DVD, and Exquisite Corpse: The Making of Deadgirl brings a seven-minute, 14-second featurette. It presents notes from Sarmiento, Harel, Haaga, Segan, Fernandez, and actors Candice Accola and Andrew DiPalma.
“Corpse” tells us how the directors came onto the project, story and characters. A few minor insights about the film appear here, but don’t expect a lot from it. This feels more like a promotional piece than something that really educates us about the production.
Five Deleted Scenes run a total of seven minutes, one second. These include “Lost in the Asylum”, “Sidewalk Fight”, “The Burden”, “Dumping Dwyer”, and “The Easter Egg”.
Most of these tend to be pretty redundant and don’t offer anything that would’ve been new or insightful. “Dwyer” is probably the most interesting of the bunch, but it still wouldn’t have contributed anything much. Text notes introduce each scene and tell us why the filmmakers cut them.
In addition to the film’s trailer, we find The Makeup Effects of Deadgirl. This includes 10 minutes, 46 seconds of shots of that work along with text comments from makeup effects artist/designer Jim Ojala.
We get a pretty good look at the various makeup work from the film and even get to check out actress Jenny Spain pre-“deadgirl” decomposition. It’s a surprisingly interesting collection of shots, and Ojala’s notes add to the usefulness of the set.
From here we come to elements new to the 2023 “15th Anniversary Edition”. These launch with an Interview with Co-Director Gadi Harel.
In this 14-minute, 29-second piece, Harel discusses how he came to the project, cast and performances, makeup and effects, aspects of the shoot, and general thoughts about the film. Harel gives us some decent thoughts, but we don’t get many fresh insights.
An Interview with Writer Trent Haaga lasts 24 minutes, 13 seconds, and brings his thoughts about the development and writing of the script, the film’s path to the screen, cast and performances, aspects of the shoot, and the movie’s reception. Haaga offers a good take on his perspective.
After this comes an Interview with Actor Noah Segan. His reel goes for 17 minutes, 55 seconds.
Segan tells us about how he got his role, his performance and costars, and various experiences during the shoot. Expect an engaging collection of shots.
An Interview with Actor Shiloh Fernandez fills nine minutes, five seconds with his thoughts about costars, his character and work. Though a decent chat, this one feels more superficial than its peers.
Next we get an Interview with Special Makeup Effects Artist/Designer Jim Ojala. His feature spans 30 minutes, 11 seconds.
Ojala relates info about how he came to the project, his approach to the material, specifics of his work and challenges on the shoot. Some of this repeats from the text-based featurette but Ojala nonetheless adds good details.
Two Galleries follow: “Behind the Scenes” (61 frames) and “Production” (40). Both mostly seem banal, though the “Production Gallery” includes some interesting poster designs and a letter related to the movie’s rating in Germany.
Two text features finish the disc. In addition to the Final Shooting Script, we find a Deadgirl 2 First Draft. Written by Haaga in 2010, it never came to fruition, but this gives us a good look at what could have been.
As a genre change of pace, Deadgirl scores some points, but its execution comes with too many pitfalls for it to become a success. The film jumps from one tone to another in a clumsy manner that makes it falter. The Blu-ray offers good picture and audio as well as an excellent roster of bonus materials. While not a bad flick, Deadgirl fails to achieve its goals.
To rate this film, visit the prior review of DEADGIRL
