Pitch Black

Dom Robinson reviews

Pitch BlackDistributed by

Columbia TriStar

• Cert:
• Cat.no: UDR 90093
• Running time: 104 minutes
• Year: 1999
• Pressing: 2001
• Region(s): 2, PAL
• Chapters: 18 plus extras
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Languages: English, German
• Subtitles: English, German, Dutch
• Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Super 35)
• 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
• Macrovision: Yes
• Disc Format: DVD 9
• Price: £19.99
• Extras: Featurette: “The Making of Pitch Black”, Raveworld Pitch BlackEvent, Theatrical Trailers, Production Notes, Cast and Filmmakers, DVDNewsletter, 2 Audio Commentaries
  

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  Director:

  David Twohy

  (The Arrival, Below, Pitch Black, Timescape)

Producers:

Tom Engelman

Screenplay:

Jim and Ken Wheat and David Twohy

Music:

Graeme Revell

Cast:

Richard Riddick: Vin Diesel
Carolyn Fry: Radha Mitchell
Johns: Cole Hauser
Imam: Keith David
Paris Ogilvie: Lewis Fitz-Gerald
Shazza: Claudia Black
Jack: Rhiana Griffith
Zeke: John Moore
Owens: Simon Burke

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Australian ‘Aliens’ is how I’d summarise thisfilm, with a threadbare plot that could also take in From Dusk Till Dawnand any movie where the bad guy comes good.

A spaceship has crash-landed on an apparently barren land and once they find anothership that’s long since been used, they then have to search elsewhere for some powercells and escape – but it must be completed by nightfall otherwise the bizarre vampiriccreatures will emerge, for they come out only at night or in any other dark crevicessince light destroys them.

With their own ship’s captain dead, Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell, above right) reluctantly is forcedto take the lead, forever maintaining she is not the captain’s replacement. If her nameseems familiar, then that’s because she twice appeared in Neighbours – in 1994 as aparachute instructor and in 1996 as student Caitlin. Amongst the survivors of the crashis the convicted murderer Richard Riddick(Boiler Room‘sVin Diesel). His plus, thus stopping the sane members of the team from trying tokill him, is that his special eyes allow him to see through the dark and since sorting thenew ship out has taken too long, it’s up to him to guide the hapless bunch through the darknessto safety – but you know that along the way some will slip up and be gored to death in agruesome fashion.

While Radha Mitchell looks sultry, sexy and stunning in just about every scene in which she appears with sweat dripping off her glistening body,does Pitch Black have any bad points? Yes – it’s far from original and is never scary,even when it’s trying to be. Still, at least it avoids the crappy usual that most films fallinto of making their lead characters become romantically involved.

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The film is presented in the original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio and is anamorphic.Director Twohy frequently uses the full width in the special effects shots which arefrequently spectacular. Print defects are very few and far between, making overall fora very impressive watch.The average bitrate is a high and almost constant 7.32Mb/s.

Dolby Digital 5.1 has been provided in English and German dialogue, which really comesinto its own when the baddies strike – that’s the flying creatures, not Mr Convict.Gunshots and an upbeat thumping score also play their part. If you buy the Region 1 DVDinstead, you’re blessed with an English DTS 5.1 soundtrack too.

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First up in the extras dept. is a ‘making of’ featurette, which lasts but fiveminutes and contains the usual clips of the film mixed in with chat from themain cast members. The Raveworld Pitch Black Event is what was usedto promote the film when world class DJs held raves to immerse the puntersin the “Pitch Black” experience. If you haven’t had enough rave in the clubs,then it might be an extra that’s up your street.

Two Theatrical Trailers in non-anamorphic 16:9, a few pages ofProduction Notes, Cast and Filmmakers‘ details for the principalcast and crew members, plus 2 Audio Commentaries make up the rest ofthe extras. The DVD Newsletter just tells you to visit their websitefor extra such news.

The disc contains 18 chapters, subtitles in English, German and Dutch and the menusare static, but the main one contains some music.

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


OVERALLReview copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2001.