Director Of CTU (Counter-Terrorism Unit), Los Angeles, Jack Bauer (Sutherland) sees his daughter to bed and is called in to the office when the CIA becomes aware of a threat to Presidential Candidate David Palmer (Haysbert). As Bauer investigates the threat against Palmer, he realises that there is probably someone on the inside, and that there is no one he can trust, leaving himself and his family in danger. Filmed in real time, we live with Bauer, Palmer, their families and the CTU team over 24 hours, the longest day of their lives…

I didn’t see this on TV, so I’ve watched all 24 episodes without missing one (which usually happens when I try to watch a TV series). I very nearly didn’t sleep in the two weeks it’s taken to find the time to watch and entire TV series. After the first few episodes, which introduce the characters, it becomes very hard to switch off – brilliantly acted, incredibly well directed and ending each episode with a cliffhanger, it becomes an obsession. The real-time aspect means that you find yourself wondering what is going on at that time on another sub-plot. Often you see two or three stories on-screen, and as it takes many episodes to resolve even the smallest story, you keep coming back for more, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, there’s a twist you didn’t see coming and another story starts up.

There’s so much to the story I would like to talk about but can’t simply because to say anymore will be to ruin the surprise (and excitement) of watching this without prior knowledge. But believe me when I say that this is the best TV show I have ever seen, and nothing has come close to entertaining me much as this series has. Obviously it’s tough to keep up such momentum for 24 episodes, and it does lull after the first dozen episodes, and some of the events do beggar belief, but it is still engaging throughout, supported by great performances – particularly from Sutherland and Haysbert.

The Series is presented on 6 disks, 4 episodes on each. Image is widescreen and clear, but ultimately it’s a TV presentation and so quite grainy at times. The 2.0 soundtrack is clear, but only uses the surround channel for the haunting music. You also get an alternate (and quite different ending), which is good, and a teaser for series 2, which I will be watching! I would have liked to see commentaries or a making of documentary – explaining the logistics behind making a real-time TV show, but perhaps we will see that on Season 2.

Many of you out there will have heard a lot about this but baulked at the price tag. All I can say to persuade you is that this is probably the best TV show ever to come out on DVD and worth every penny – if you only watch the series once you will get value for money.

Film:	★★★★★★★★★★
Video:	★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Audio:	★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
Extras:	★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
Overall:	★★★★★★★★☆☆

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24 Season 1, DVD Review (Archive)

Movie

Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter) hosts a TV show and she along with her cameraman Scott (Steve Harris) are spending some time with a Los Angeles Fire Department in order to examine what these guys do on a typical night shift. She and Scott are being shown around the department by George (Johnathon Schaech) and Jake (Jay Hernandez) when a call comes in reporting strange screams coming from an apartment building downtown. They all leap on the fire truck for the drive and they enter the building to find a number of scared residents and a couple of Police Officers. Upon investigating the apartment where the screams are coming from they find an old women acting very strangely; the old woman attacks one of the group. This spooks everyone out but when they try and leave the building they find that the CDC (Centre for Disease Control) has quarantined it and isn’t letting anyone out. Meanwhile other people seem to be showing the same symptoms as the old woman and the race is on for them to find an escape route before they are turned upon.

From what I’ve read Quarantine is almost a direct remake of a Spanish thriller called [REC], although I cannot verify that as I have yet to see that version of the film. However something that was apparent when reading other opinions on the film was that whilst everyone seemed to praise [REC] very highly, most people seemed inclined not to lavish that same praise onto Quarantine, this surprised me really as although the film does have its faults, if it was a shot-to-shot remake of the “superior” Spanish film why would that one be excellent and this one bad? It certainly isn’t the acting that drags it down as I thought that for the most part the acting came across as realistic and certainly when people start to panic in the film some of that panic emanates from the TV to the viewer. I say for the most part because there are a few incidents of what I called “Stupid Syndrome” where a person will do something that does not ring true in real life and it breaks some of the suspension of disbelief, with quarantine stupid syndrome is basically approaching people that are obviously infected asking if they are “ok” when in reality anyone how is looking even remotely ill would be avoided and all costs.

Quarantine

For me those parts didn’t ruin the film and it certainly didn’t make it a bad one; and don’t forget this is supposed to be almost a take for take copy of [REC] so that same problem may (I assume) exist in that movie too? Perhaps then it is the fact that it is guilty of being a remake, and that it was made around the same time as the Spanish film If so then that is really an unfair way to judge a film, after all I would rather watch a film that has an English soundtrack as opposed to reading English Subtitles off of the Spanish only soundtrack in [REC], it doesn’t make that Spanish film a bad film; it is simply my preference that I prefer English as the spoken language for films. Anyway that aside I felt that the movie had everything that I look for in a horror film, and that is jumps, scares, some good visuals and effects as well as a creepy location. So for me the film certainly hit the right note.

Picture

The film is shot in the documentary style with a handheld camera similar to that of Blair Witch and Cloverfield. This does take a little getting used to, and it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I must say it is a style that I like especially in a horror film where it elevates the panic that the characters are feeling to a whole new level especially when the location is a darkened apartment building using soft lights that cast deep shadows across everything.

Audio

We get a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack (English) which adds that extra element to the film, all dialogue is clear and the general audio is nice and punchy with lots of LFE usage and the surrounds are utilised effectively too. Loud noises and the “scary bits” within the film are done well and you will be sure to jump once or twice as action gets ramped up.

Quarantine

Extras

Commentary with writer/director John Erick Dowdle and writer/producer Drew Dowdle:

Quite an interesting commentary from the two brothers as they discuss aspects of the movie, the actors and location choices etc. worth a listen.

Locked in: The making of Quarantine

Standard making of documentary really, it doesn’t go on forever but gives enough information to make it fairly interesting.

Dressing the infected: Robert Halls make-up design

Robert Hall whose company almost human did the special effect son the film, and here he explains the process.

Anatomy of a stunt

This is a pretty good sequence actually that goes into detail on one of the stunts that went on in the film, it really highlights the amount of work that goes into doing stunts in films.

Trailers

5 trailers one being a blu-ray is high definition, then Red Sands, Screamers: The Hunting, Against the Dark and Lakeland Terrace

Overall

I enjoyed the movie, I thought it was scary, made you jump and kept you on the edge of your seat although there is a stupid syndrome that affects some people, so a good effort from me.

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Quarantine, DVD Review

         

Quarantine

Available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD / rent on DVD 9th March 2009

First-rate fright-fest Quarantine is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray on 9th March 2009, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

A critically acclaimed remake of the cult hit [Rec], Quarantine stars JENNIFER CARPENTER (Exorcism of Emily Rose, TV’s Dexter), JAY HERNANDEZ (Hostel, Lakeview Terrace), and JOHNATHON SCHAECH (Prom Night, That Thing You Do).

No details, no witnesses and no evidence – until now. Television reporter Angela Vidal and her cameraman are assigned to spend the night shift with an LA Fire Station. After a routine 911 call takes them to a small apartment building, they find police officers already on the scene in response to blood curdling screams coming from one of the apartments. They soon learn that a woman living in the building has been infected by something unknown. After a few of the residents are viciously attacked, they try to escape with the news crew in tow, only to find that the building has been quarantined…

A genuinely chilling and claustrophobic film that racks up the tension with stunning special effects and realistic hand-held camera work, this must-see horror is as scary as hell with a host of jumpy scenes.

Guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat, dare you see Quarantine?
Quarantine Links

Zip
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9.zip

Quicktime
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9_hi.mov
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9_med.mov
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9_lo.mov

Windows
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9_hi.wmv
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9_med.wmv
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9_lo.wmv

Real Media
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9_hi.rm
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9_med.rm
http://greenroom-press.com/clients/sony_pictures/home_ents/Quarantine/quarantine_16x9_lo.rm

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Quarantine