The Relic

• Cert:
• Cat.no: 903 569 9
• Running time: 105 minutes
• Year: 1997
• Pressing: 2002
• Region(s): 2, 4 (UK PAL)
• Chapters: 19 plus extras
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Languages: English
• Subtitles: English for the hard of hearing, Dutch
• Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic Panavision)
• 16:9-enhanced: Yes
• Macrovision: Yes
• Disc Format: DVD 9
• Price: £17.99
• Extras: Trailers
  

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  Director:

  Peter Hyams

  (2010, Capricorn One, End of Days, Outland, The Musketeer, Narrow Margin, The Presidio, The Relic, Running Scared, The Star Chamber, Stay Tuned, Sudden Death, Timecop, TV: Amazing Stories)

Producers:

Gale Anne Hurd and Sam Mercer

Screenplay:

Amy Holden Jones, John Raffo, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver

Original Score :

John Debney

Cast :

Dr. Margo Green: Penelope Ann Miller
Lt. Vincent D’Agosta: Tom Sizemore
Dr. Ann Cuthbert: Linda Hunt
Dr. Albert Frock: James Whitmore
Detective Hollingsworth: Clayton Rohner
Greg Lee: Chi Moui Lo
Parkinson: Thomas Ryan
Mayor Owen: Robert Lesser

The Relicis one of those nonsense horror films where cast members get bumped off oneby one until there’s just a handful of the principal ones left, but the killerhere is something that can’t be defined.

There’s not a massive amount of characterisation put in here or requiredand the leads, evolutionary biologist Dr. Margo Green (Penelope Ann Miller)and embittered superstitious divorce-suffering cop Lt. Vincent D’Agosta(Tom Sizemore) as they go on the trail of a creature that no-onecould ever have imagined – other than in the mind of special effects guruStan Winston – but which has a tendancy to break open the heads of itsvictims and strip out the hypothalamus, the adrenaline gland leading to thebrain.

The problems begin when a couple of crates come over from Brazil. One containsa bizarre religious relic and the other appears to be empty when it’sdiscovered, but what could it have stored beforehand? It won’t take long untilyou find out, but director Peter Hyams does a great job of building upthe suspense in the meantime leading The Relic to become a ratherunderestimated film because it’s one that never gets talked about despitebeing a very worthy one with great special FX and an explosive finale.

First up, the film is presented in the original 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreenratio which is essential. It’s just not a film you can watch in any kind of acropped image because you wouldn’t have the slightest idea what’s going onotherwise. Also, most scenes in the film are very dark, even down to a fewof the outdoor ones which seem a little unnaturally dark, such as whenDr. Green arrives at the museum early on. The DVD does an admirable job ofcoping with this but sadly the print used is a little on the soft side andit shows up from time to time.

No problms with the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack which grunts and groanswhenever the creature is onscreen, filling the auditorium with the appropriatenoises whenever it’s hinted at and especially when we finally get to see it.

Elsewhere on the disc there’s not a great deal to shout about. 19 chapters,2 subtitled languages (English and Dutch), static and silent menus and theonly extra is a 2-minute trailer in 15:9.

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


OVERALL