Plot: What’s it about?
I was recently on a cruise and in my room there was a channel that was playing a slideshow of trivia. One of the questions read like this: “This American author has had more of their works made into feature-length films than any other, who is it?” There were four choices: A) Stephen King B) John Steinbeck C) Tom Clancy and D) Edgar Allan Poe. Now me, the trivia enthusiast and movie buff, thought I knew the answer easily with Stephen King. Wrong. As it turns out Edgar Allan Poe, native son of Baltimore, Maryland was the correct answer. And imagine my surprise when I returned to find a copy of Stonehearst Asylum with “From the Mind of Edgar Allan Poe” in the bottom right of the slipcover. Though Poe was really known for a few things, namely The Raven, his short stories were the basis of many a high school English class. We’ve all read “The Tell-Tale Heart” or “The Masque of the Red Death” but clearly those just scratched the surface of his portfolio. Nevertheless, we flash forward a century and now we’ve got a feature-length film of a Poe tale I never knew existed (a quick search tells me it was based on his story “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether.”
Set around the turn of the 20th century, the story focuses on a young, recent medical school graduate Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess). Edward finds Stonehearst Asylum expecting to be greeted with open arms, but is instantly shunned by the keeper Mickey Finn (David Thewlis). After the initial confrontation is averted, Edward meets Dr. Silas Lamb (Ben Kingsley), the head physician at the asylum. Taking Edward under his wing, the two make their rounds and Edward becomes fixated on Eliza (Kate Beckinsale). Things take a turn for the worse when Edward discovers some “prisoners” living in the dungeon below the asylum who claim to be the real staff, and that those in charge are the actual patients. Fearing for his own safety, Edward must decide who’s telling him the truth and who isn’t and how to best keep himself out of harm’s way. The question is…can he?
There are some good performances in Stonehearst Asylum and the film sports a top notch cast of seasoned British actors. I’ve had quite a fixation on Kate Beckinsale for some time and evidently they’re not making any Underworld movies anymore, which might explain why we haven’t seen her in a few years. The movie is entertaining and it’s nice to get a “fresh” story from Edgar Allan Poe and one that no one’s really heard or (or I haven’t, at least). The film is entertaining, keeps you guessing (to a point) and more than serves its purpose in the entertainment department. I’d urge the viewer not to watch the trailer as it essentially gives away the film and its twist. Certainly each of the lead actors has had other films in which they shined, but putting them all together here isn’t exactly a bad thing. It’s a passable horror/action film and certainly won’t disappoint, though I don’t know about the replay value. Recommended for a rental.
Video: How’s it look?
The film comes to Blu-ray in a 1.85:1 AVC HD encode that looks very nice. The movie is dark in tone and dark physically as well. The interior of the asylum reeks of dark tones (is there any asylum out there that’s bright and cheery?), the rust on the iron bars, the rocks in the walls and so forth. Flesh tones look a bit washed out, but given the nature of the film, I’m sure this was intentional and not as a result of the transfer. Detail is top notch, showcasing the fine nuances in beards and Kate Beckinsale’s seemingly perfect face. I won’t give this film a perfect score in the video department as it just didn’t feel like something that’s perfect, but this is the next best thing.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The film comes equipped with a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack that manages to deliver a few really good moments. I’d assume that anything based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe would have at least a few moments of thunder and lightning mixed in with a few screams here and there, no? Vocals are strong and clear and the British cast annunciates their words (except Michael Caine who tends to mumble anyway) with the utmost clarity and precision. The front stage handles the main brunt of the mix while the surrounds offer up some nice creaks in doors and the slamming of jail cells. It’s a fairly straight-forward mix that didn’t blow me away, but didn’t leave me disappointed either.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Making-Of Featurette – While this won’t win any awards for originality, this aptly-titled “Making-Of” featurette is just that. We get interviews with the main players in the film, what attracted them to the role and a bit of behind the scenes footage. Nothing really too important here and while it’s nice to have this included, it doesn’t really add a lot of value to the disc.
- Theatrical Trailer
