Plot: What’s it about?
A pair of young couples are headed to a tennis tournament, taking a country road to soak in the sights. What should be a quiet, serene trip through the rural landscape soon takes an unexpected turn however, when the group encounters a panicked man with some troubling claims. He asks the couples to lend a hand, as his sister has fallen victim to a strange trap in the woods, leaving her stuck in a hole. The two men travel with the strange man, only to find that his sister has vanished, while the women remain at the car and manage to attract the attention of local law enforcement. But the police turn out to be more harmful than helpful, leading the women to make their run into the woods. Now the two couples are separated and face a host of dangers in the dark woods, but can they overcome, reunite, and survive this ordeal.
In recent years, a wave of foreign horror cinema has been washing over the genre and now, you can add Israel to the list of nations putting out the scares. Rabies lives up to the title, as it is a fierce, brutal movie that comes after the viewers with a rapid fire, hard hitting style. The violence might not be a constant presence, but when the carnage kicks in, Rabies lets the blood flow in graphic, horrific fashion. So for those of you who love the crimson stuff, this movie delivers. The atmosphere is rock solid as well, with good tension and the doses of humor come in at appropriate times. The story has potential, but with so many characters to follow, a lot is glossed over. A tighter focus on fewer characters could have made a difference, but even with this broad approach, the story works quite well. All in all, Rabies is a well made, fun to watch horror movie that supplies blood, suspense, and even some laughs. In other words, the movie is well recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Rabies is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen. The visuals here look great, thanks to good production values, quality camera work, and a skilled transfer. The image shows minimal flaws I could detect, as the image is clean and sharp. The level of detail is solid, but this is still a DVD, so don’t expect eye popping depth. Even so, the detail is strong, contrast is consistent, and colors are natural, giving us a terrific presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original Hebrew soundtrack is preserved in this Dolby Digital 5.1 option. The film doesn’t have explosive presence, but the mix tightens up when it needs to. So in the more tense scenes, the surrounds light up a little to enhance the mood. The overall atmosphere of the woods is brought to life thanks to solid ambient presence as well, so this is quite an active track. Not much else to talk about, just a solid soundtrack that covers all the bases. This disc also includes a 2.0 stereo option, as well as English and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
