The Movie
In last year's remake of the cult classic film I Spit on Your Grave, fresh-faced young novelist Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) is just looking for a little peace and quiet, settling into a private lake cabin. Soon enough however, she is set upon by a band of predatory, misogynistic rednecks. Not content to rape her--which they all do--they also utterly humiliate her in more ways than one. She narrowly escapes her own murder afterward, choosing instead a suicidal dive off a bridge. And then she's gone.
But did she survive? And who is suddenly delivering bits of evidence to the rapists? Could one of the perps be turning on his buddies? This version of I Spit on Your Grave is certainly slicker than the original, with a tighter script and superior makeup effects, the latter proving particularly useful for the violent acts of quasi-poetic justice meted out. This is a harsh movie to watch, as full of hate as the title suggests.
The Picture
The 2.35:1 image is extremely clean, with subdued hues. Fine lines as on a heating grate can be mildly problematic, blacks can go a little harsh and unrealistic at times, and I noted just a bit of video streaking in a few shots, but in general the picture quality is quite strong. At several points during the movie, we view the action through the POV of a consumer camcorder, with faux video scan lines effectively applied.
The Sound
The Dolby TrueHD soundtrack deftly places discrete little details around the 5.1 soundfield: a car driving by, doors opening/closing, forest noises, faint creaks that keep us on edge. The rears are alive with the general tweeting of birds at happier moments, and the arrival of some hungry crows in darker times, while gunshots resonate nicely and voices might phase around us. Dialogue can be hard to make out at times, but the musical score has a sharp and precise quality.
The Extras
Director Steven R. Monroe, a fan of the original film since his teens, joins producer Lisa Hansen for the audio commentary. "The Revenge of Jennifer Hills: Remaking a Cult Icon" (16-and-a-half minutes) is a better-than-average overview, comprised mostly of cast and crew interviews, in standard definition. Star Sarah Butler in particular seems like a really cool person.
The slew of deleted scenes totals about 12 minutes, in HD, a high-bitrate MPEG-2 but at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Disc Two carries a Digital Copy of the movie for iTunes and Windows Media.
Final Thoughts
Although it didn't make much of a splash theatrically last year, this I Spit on Your Grave makes for a fine Blu-ray, worth checking out for its modern take on a classic tale of vengeance served cold, with a side of saliva.
Product Details
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