emlogomain.jpg

Main
Facebook
Tumblr
News/ Updates
DVD Reviews
Blu-ray Reviews
Movie Reviews
TV
Interviews
TV show review: CONTINUUM season 4
PHOTOGRAPHY
THE ABCs OF DEATH
Blu-ray review by David Blackwell

DETAILS:  130 minutes, making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, bloopers, behind-the-scenes footage, filmmaker audio commentary, theatrical trailer
VIDEO:  1.78:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)
AUDIO:  English (and various languages) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles:  English, English SDH, Spanish

STUDIO:  Magnet Releasing/ Drafthouse Films/ Timpson Films/ Magnolia Home Entertainment
RELEASE DATE:  5-21-2013
THE ABCs OF DEATH is an interesting horror anthology film that takes each letter from the alphabet and each director has to use a word starting with that letter.   The 26 short films feature 26 different ways to die in this anthology film that ranges from some action to horror to humor to the downright sick in a variety of filmmaking styles that mostly include live action with a little claymation and animation in a variety of languages. 
 
My favorite shorts have to B IS FOR BIGFOOT, D IS FOR DOGFIGHT, H IS FOR HYDRO-ELECTRIC DIFFUSION, S IS FOR SPEED, and the V short.   L IS FOR LIBIDO has to be one of the sickest shorts where you wonder why did I watch that while T FOR TOLIET is also a little disgusting (but in claymation).    THE ABCs OF DEATH is a demented and bloody horror anthology that makes the format work better than VHS ever could.  I just hope there isn't a single short focusing on potty horror or humor.
 
SPECIAL FEATURES:
There are a variety of behind-the-scenes material, featurettes, and deleted scenes for various stories on this disc.  I liked watching the deleted scenes for C IS FOR CYCLE, the dog training for D IS FOR DOGFIGHT, and the making-of for the V short called HOW NOT TO BUILD A ROBOT (in addition to a deleted scene with audio commentary for that short too).  There are also behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes for A, B, F, H (which shows it was shot live-action and showing how they made the plush costumes), I, J, P, R (photo gallery), T, W, and Z.
 
AXS TV: A LOOK AT THE ABCs OF DEATH is a short promotional featurette.
Also on the disc are three theatrical trailers with the first one being partly animated.  Rounding out the disc is an audio commentary with the filmmakers of these 26 shorts in the anthology film and  BD-Live Feature where you can view additional short film contest submissions.
 
FINAL ANALYSIS:  Even though I didn't like very short in this horror anthology, I will show up to watch the sequel to THE ABCs OF DEATH.  The disc has a nice variety of extras on a disc that looks and sounds good for 26 films made on low budgets.
 
this review is (c)5-28-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com