Paramount Scare Vol. 2 includes four (4) films: BREAKDOWN, FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART II, ORPHAN: FIRST KILL, and WORLD WAR Z. Each film contains the 4k UHD, Blu-ray, digital copy, and a slipcover designed specifically for the release. Also inside is a collectible poster, Collector’s Edition Fangoria Magazine, Iron-on patches, a domed sticker, a collectible logo pin, and a collectible box.
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BREAKDOWN
All roads lead to excitement with Kurt Russell in Breakdown, the non-stop thrill ride that’s “a movie of nerve-frying intensity…Kurt Russell’s best performance yet” (Rex Reed, New York Observer). Jeff Taylor (Russell) and his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan) are headed toward a new life in California when their car’s engine dies on a remote highway. Amy accepts a ride from a helpful trucker (J.T. Walsh) while Jeff waits with the car. But when Jeff shows up at the agreed rendezvous, he finds his wife’s not there. The locals aren’t talking; the police aren’t much help. With no one to turn to, Jeff battles his worst fears and begins a desperate, danger-ridden search to find Amy – Before it’s too late! – synopsis via Paramount Pictures
BREAKDOWNis directed by Jonathan Mostow. He is an action director who also directed U-571 and TERMINATOR: RISE OF THE MACHINES. His interest in action comes into play here when the movie takes a turn (pun intended) and gets crazy. Kurt Russell and a great cast make the tension feel real because this could and does happen to anyone.
Cast
Kurt Russell as Jeff Taylor
J. T. Walsh as Warren ‘Red’ Barr
Kathleen Quinlan as Amy Taylor
M. C. Gainey as Earl
Jack Noseworthy as Billy
Ritch Brinkley as Al
Moira Harris as Arleen Barr
Rex Linn as Sheriff Boyd
VIDEO QUALITY 4/5
The video is a 2160p HEVC with a Dolby Vision presentation. The arid filming locations have mostly drab colors but everything else on screen is in contrast to that. Meaning, that the blues and greens in clothing and some of the foliage stand out. Just like the blue in Kurt Russell’s killer stares just draws focus to them. It is toned-down but the transfer looks gorgeous. Skin tones have the appropriate level of warmth to be natural in any given situation from a relaxed to frantic red.
AUDIO QUALITY 4/5
The audio is a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix. The ambient, environmental sound of the wind and the vastness of the desert fill in the speakers in the appropriate scenes to convey emptiness. The effects are mostly vehicles and random gunfire plus some punches being thrown. LFEs are strong at points with rumbling engine noise and when the vehicles collide with each other. The bass shows up in parts of the score as well to round it off. Voices have a natural inflection to coincide with the emotions on the screen. The dialogue is natural and prioritized.
SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING 3.5/5
-Audio Commentary: with director Jonathan Mostow and Kurt Russell
-Isolated Score Track
-Filmmaker Focus: Jonathan Mostow
-Victory is Hers: Kathleen Quinlan on BREAKDOWN
-A Brilliant Partnership: Martha De Laurentis on BREAKDOWN
-Alternate Opening with optional Jonathan Mostow commentary
-Trailers
Disc Details
2 Disc Set w/ 1 4k UHD and 1 Blu-ray
Digital Copy
Limited Edition Slipcover
Running Time
93 mins
Edition Ratings
Rated R
Region Coding
Region Free
4k UHD
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC/H.265
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
HDR
Dolby Vision
HDR
Audio Mixes
English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French Dolby Digital 2.0
English Audio Description
Subtitles
English
English SDH
French
Blu-ray
Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio Mixes
English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French Dolby Digital 2.0
Isolated Score Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles
English
English SDH
French
THE FINAL WORD 4.5/5
BREAKDOWN is an incredibly underrated film that takes a turn for the worst. The movie does horror without monsters, gore, or a slasher but plays on your morals and makes you consider: what would you do? It has an excellent cast and the action works. The release looked good on Blu-ray and superb in 4k. The audio is a solid mix and gets the job done. The extras are worth checking out and getting a little background on the making as well as the cast. This is tied for best in the set.
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FRIDAY THE 13TH: Part II
Get ready for Twice the Terror with Friday the 13th Part 2! Five years after the massacre at Camp Crystal Lake, the nerve-wracking legend of Jason Vorhees and his diabolical mother lives on. Despite ominous warnings from the locals to stay away from “Camp Blood” a group of counselors at a nearby summer camp decide to explore the area where seven people were brutally slaughtered. All too soon, they encounter horrors of their own and the killing begins again. You’ll be at the edge of your seat for this gruesome thriller about 24 hours of bone-chilling fear! – synopsis via Paramount Pictures
FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART II is directed by Steve Miner. He went on to direct a lot of horror films including FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART III, WARLOCK, HOUSE, and HALLOWEEN H2O: 20 YEARS LATER. This is one of the more memorable installments in the series due to it being the first time you see Jason as an adult. Of course, this is the fun showing of Sack Head covering the googley eyes. You get the jump scares, promiscuous counselors, weed, and horror. All the ingredients you need for a FRIDAY THE 13TH installment.
Cast
Amy Steel as Ginny Field
John Furey as Paul Holt
Adrienne King as Alice
Stu Charno as Ted Bowen
Warrington Gillette as Jason Voorhees (unmasked)
Steve Daskewisz as Jason Voorhees (masked)
Walt Gorney as Crazy Ralph
Marta Kober as Sandra
Bill Randolph as Jeff Dunsberry
Tom McBride as Mark Jarvis
Lauren-Marie Taylor as Vickie Perry
Kirsten Baker as Terry McCarthy
Russell Todd as Scott Cheney
Betsy Palmer as Pamela Voorhees
Cliff Cudney as Max
Jack Marks as Deputy Winslow
VIDEO QUALITY 4/5
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation with Dolby Vision. This makes the primary colors a bit brighter and the video looks like it went through the remaster process. Clothing and foliage are the big standouts here. The details are bumped up and this created a heavy grain on the transfer. This is clearly due to the film source and I am glad that Paramount didn’t try to apply any EE. The images are clearer and even show off some of the rad 80s wear. Skin tones are warm and natural.
AUDIO QUALITY 3.5/5
The audio is a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix. It does the job but isn’t what I would call a strong track. The dialogue is clear and the various effects come through. The surround portion of the mix only comes into play during the storm.
SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING 3/5
-Inside ‘Crystal Lake Memories’
-Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions
-Lost Tales From Camp Blood Part II
-Jason Forever
-Theatrical Trailer
Disc Details
2 Disc Set w/ 1 4k UHD and 1 Blu-ray
Digital Copy
Limited Edition Slipcover
Running Time
86 mins
Edition Ratings
Rated R
Region Coding
Region Free
4k UHD
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC/H.265
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
HDR
Dolby Vision
HDR
Audio Mixes
English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles
English
English SDH
French
Blu-ray
Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English Dolby Digital Mono
French Dolby Digital Mono
English Audio Description
Subtitles
English
English SDH
French
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Esther’s terrifying saga continues in this thrilling prequel to the original and shocking horror hit, Orphan. After orchestrating a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Esther travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Yet, an unexpected twist arises that pits her against a mother who will protect her family from the murderous “child” at any cost. – synopsis via Paramount Pictures
ORPHAN: FIRST KILL is directed by William Brent Bell. Most of his experience has been in smaller horror with movies such as THE BOY and BRAHMS: THE BOY II. ORPHAN: FIRST KILL went straight to streaming and gets into Esther’s backstory that you learn about in the original movie. The movie has an interesting twist that comes out of nowhere and plaques your curiosity as to how things happened.
Cast
Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther / Leena
Julia Stiles as Tricia Albright
Rossif Sutherland as Allen Albright
Hiro Kanagawa as Detective Donnan
Matthew Finlan as Gunnar Albright
Samantha Walkes as Dr. Segar
VIDEO QUALITY 3/5
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR. The movie has been captured digitally so the images would have a sharpness, however, the details have a haze to overcome. There is a softness in about 90% of the scenes that varies in how much is applied. The other 10% is aerial shots of a town or setting up a scene. The softness is an artistic choice and it makes the movie lose the expected crispness of the format. What you end up with is hazy images, artifacts, and banding.
AUDIO QUALITY 4/5
The audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that gets the job done. Other than the random “horror” moments, the movie is dialogue-heavy. Loud voices and screaming over the effects are prioritized nicely. The LFEs are subtle and don’t make much of a showing until the third act.
SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING 2/5
There are no extras included on either disc.
Disc Details
2 Disc Set w/ 1 4k UHD and 1 Blu-ray
Digital Copy
Limited Edition Slipcover
Running Time
98 mins
Edition Ratings
Rated R
Region Coding
Region Free
4k UHD
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC/H.265
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English Audio Description
Subtitles
English
English SDH
Spanish
Blu-ray
Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English Audio Description
Subtitles
English
English SDH
Spanish
THE FINAL WORD 3.5/5
ORPHAN: FIRST KILL has had an uphill battle from the jump when it was dropped to streaming immediately. It is not a terrible horror movie and there is a tricky twist that gains it a few points. The video would get better marks if the haze wasn’t there and the audio was average. Also, there are no extras whatsoever. If you want some answers to the original movie, give this one a look.
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WORLD WAR Z
“The suspense is killer!” proclaims Peter Travers of Rolling Stone in this fast-paced, pulse-pounding epic of the potential last days of the human race. Former United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is called upon to help stop the chaotic pandemic that has gripped populations around the world. Lane fights to keep his family safe, while searching for an answer to the outbreak before it destroys all of civilization. David Denby of The New Yorker calls World War Z the “most gratifying action spectacle in years!” – synopsis via Paramount Pictures.
WORLD WAR Z is directed by Marc Forster and based on Max Brooks’ book of the same name. The movie is very good and did well at somehow toning down the violence to squeak into a PG-13 rating. There is some violence when stopping the undead and the unrated version also steps up the violence a bit. I understand that you can sell more tickets with a lower age rating but a zombie movie needs some gore.
Cast
Brad Pitt as Gerald “Gerry” Lane, a retired United Nations investigator
Mireille Enos as Karin Lane, Gerry’s wife
Daniella Kertesz as “Segen”, an Israeli soldier
James Badge Dale as Captain Speke, a U.S. Army Ranger
David Morse as an ex-CIA officer imprisoned at Camp Humphrey
Fana Mokoena as Thierry Umutoni, an Under-Secretary-General of the UN
David Andrews as the US Navy Captain
Sterling Jerins as Constance Lane, Gerry and Karin’s daughter
Abigail Hargrove as Rachel Lane, Gerry and Karin’s daughter
Peter Capaldi as W.H.O. doctor in Wales
Pierfrancesco Favino as W.H.O. doctor in Wales
Ruth Negga as W.H.O. doctor in Wales
Moritz Bleibtreu as W.H.O. doctor in Wales
VIDEO QUALITY 4/5
The video is a 2160p HEVC transfer with Dolby Vision. With this being one of the newer films, the details tend to be strong throughout. Small details like stubble, skin imperfections, and freckles stand out. Also, individual strands of hair are easily seen. Some of the skin textures of normal people and zombies are distinctly different. The video itself has a blue hue on most of the film and gets warmer depending on the setting. The Dolby Vision assists with the darks being solid with strong contrasting. Shadows and darker scenes are fairly black. Skin tones are warm and natural.
AUDIO QUALITY 4.5/5
The audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix. The surround channels are constantly working and have an excellent presence. Some scenes are made to feel claustrophobic and others too in the open. The LFEs hit hard and clean when necessary. The dialogue is prioritized and clear.
SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING 3.5/5
The same slim set of extras also return which isn’t all bad, but what’s here also isn’t the greatest material ever assembled. The four-part Production min-doc is the best piece here, but even then it feels like most of the material is spent rehashing the plot before they get into how they executed certain sequences.
-Origins
-Looking to Science
-WWZ: Production
-Outbreak
-The Journey Begins
-Behind the Wall
-Camouflage
Disc Details
2 Disc Set w/ 1 4k UHD and 1 Blu-ray
Digital Copy
Limited Edition Slipcover
Running Time
Theatrical: 115 mins
Unrated: 122 mins
Edition Ratings
Theatrical: PG-13
Unrated: Unrated
Region Coding
Region Free
4k UHD
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC/H.265
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
HDR
Dolby Vision
HDR
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles
English
English Captions
Blu-ray
Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Subtitles
English
English Captions
THE FINAL WORD 4/5
WORLD WAR Z tends to get mixed feelings from viewers because it is a “soft” zombie movie. There is an exception of gross gore when watching a z-film and this one doesn’t do it. I like the film because I enjoy that they were trying to solve the issue rather than just survive. The video gets top marks and the audio is solid. I would’ve liked an updated sound mix because some of the scenes with objects from above would ramp up the terror. The extras are a bit light and one wish list item would be something substantial with Max Brooks. Overall, fans will enjoy having this one on 4k.
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