Stage Fright Blu-ray Review

Magnolia Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release of "Stage Fright" offers a robust 1080p, AVC-encoded presentation that benefits significantly from its original digital intermediate. Shot on the Arri Alexa by cinematographer Bruce Chun, the film features sharp focus and extensive fine detail, evident in both broad crowd shots and intimate close-ups. The video is characterized by intensively saturated colors, highlighting the theatrical costumes and the stark redness of blood, which adds a vivid yet slightly unrealistic hue to the scenes. The black levels and contrasts are generally well-managed, crucial for the atmospheric moments involving the traditional Opera Ghost and its kabuki-styled counterpart.

Despite utilizing a BD-50 disc with an average bitrate of 30.01 Mbps to accommodate extra content in HD, some minor imperfections persist. While facial textures and outfit stitching are exceptionally detailed, and primary colors are cleanly rendered, the overall contrast occasionally falters, lending a somewhat flat appearance at times and creating areas of blooming. Additionally, the blacks vary, alternating between inky richness and murky dullness. The digital nature of the original HD footage results in a slightly unattractive digital look with sporadic banding. However, these flaws are minimal against a backdrop of generally high-quality presentation, where whites remain pristine and bright.

Altogether, "Stage Fright" on Blu-ray delivers a commendable video presentation that is sure to please the majority of viewers. Its balance of highly-detailed imagery, artistic color choices, and strong technical encoding offers an engaging visual experience with only minor drawbacks.

The Blu-ray release of "Stage Fright" boasts a stunning DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that fully captures the essence of the film's live music performances. The mix showcases musical numbers with exceptional dynamic range and clarity, flawlessly capturing the nuances of the orchestration whether the music emanates from onscreen performances or traditional off-screen arrangements. The rock numbers resonate with energy, and the dialogue remains crisp and intelligible, although picking up every sung lyric may require multiple listens. The soundtrack, composed by Jerome Sable and Eli Batalion, effectively utilizes the entire speaker array to create a vivid and immersive audio experience.

The front soundstage is expansive, providing excellent fidelity and detail. Mid-range frequencies contribute to a robust wall of sound that emphasizes the orchestration's intricacies. Channel separation and balance are handled with precision, ensuring that off-screen sounds are both convincing and entertaining. The low-end frequencies are particularly noteworthy, delivering a substantial punch and reaching impressive ultra-low depths. Dialogue is reproduced with consistent clarity in the center channel, maintaining its pristine quality throughout. Rear channels are employed effectively to surround the listener with discrete effects, from ambient wildlife noises to audience applause, creating an engaging and immersive soundfield. Notably, the song and dance numbers are spectacularly rendered, with voices echoing perfectly and individual musical notes beautifully panned across the soundscape, making this a vibrant and enjoyable lossless mix.

The Blu-ray extras for "Stage Fright" offer a robust and engaging look behind the scenes of the production, combining amusing commentary with insightful anecdotes and technical details. The Commentary with Writer/Director Jerome Sable and Co-Composer Eli Batalion stands out, blending humor and informative reflections on their experience, including collaborations with Meat Loaf and Minnie Driver. The Making of Stage Fright featurette offers producers and cast insights, while the Sing-Along option provides fans an interactive musical experience with all the film’s key songs. Additional features like Deleted Scenes, the whimsical In Memory of a Fallen Camper, and the detailed Evolution of the Set Design enrich the viewer’s understanding of the filmmaking process.

Extras included in this disc:

• Commentary with Writer/Director Jerome Sable and Co-Composer Eli Batalion: Insightful and humorous production commentary.
• The Making of Stage Fright: Cast and crew interviews on production.
• Deleted Scenes: Two cut scenes from the film.
• In Memory of a Fallen Camper: Compilation of deleted kill scenes.
• The Evolution of the Set Design: Conceptual paintings with film scenes.
• Stage Fright Sing-Along: Interactive sing-along feature.
• Interview with Writer/Director Jerome Sable and Co-Composer Eli Batalion: An in-depth discussion of their careers.
• AXS TV: A Look at Stage Fright: Short promotional feature.
• Trailer: Official movie trailer.
• Also from Magnolia Home Entertainment: Trailers for additional films and promotions.
• BD-Live: Access to online content.

Jerome Sable’s debut film, Stage Fright, is an audacious blend of musical theatre and slasher horror that defies conventional genre limitations. This innovative narrative pivots around musical theatre aficionados, with delightful allusions to classics like The Phantom of the Opera. The film features a standout prologue starring Minnie Driver as Kylie Swanson, a Broadway diva whose on-stage murder sets the stage for the ensuing drama. A decade later, the story shifts to a theatre summer camp run by Roger McCall (Meat Loaf), where Kylie’s children, Camilla (Allie MacDonald) and Buddy (Douglas Smith), grapple with their past amid a revival of the cursed musical. Sable infuses the plot with insider jokes and melodramatic theatrical moments, providing a unique treat for musical theatre enthusiasts while delivering an unexpected twist for horror fans.

While Stage Fright navigates through some predictable slasher tropes, its true charm lies in its seamless fusion of musical and horror elements. Sable showcases his vast understanding of both genres, balancing gleeful musical numbers with bloody horror scenes. Meat Loaf’s portrayal of Roger McCall brings a grounded, yet over-the-top charisma that anchors the film's eccentric tone. The film’s kabuki-style masked killer evokes comparisons to classic horror characters, adding a layer of eerie mystery. However, the film occasionally winks at the audience with its playful references and tongue-in-cheek humor, such as the comedic interjections reminiscent of Scooby-Doo or deliberate homages to horror staples like Friday the 13th.

The central narrative, revolving around Camilla’s quest to reclaim her mother’s role in the camp’s climactic production, is interwoven with subplots that build suspense and humor effectively. As Camilla contends with rivalries and a predatory director, a shadowy figure haunts the camp, accompanied by heavy metal strains underscoring their hatred of musical theatre. Stage Fright consistently weaves high-stakes drama with slapstick comedy, culminating in a grand finale that's both delightfully theatrical and satisfyingly gory. Sable’s keen direction ensures that even amid the chaos, every element serves the larger narrative, making this genre-blending film an engaging watch for both musical and horror aficionados.

A surprisingly entertaining hybrid of musical comedy and slasher horror, Jerome Sable's 'Stage Fright' delivers a witty and amusing debut that showcases the director's inventive irreverence and deep affection for the genres being parodied. Both a love letter and a playful jab at theater geeks and musicals, the film cleverly balances humor with horror, resulting in a unique and engaging experience. The Blu-ray presentation enhances this experience, with great video quality that brings out the vibrant visuals and the level of detail embedded within the film’s production design.

The audio presentation on the Blu-ray disc is slightly superior to its already impressive video counterpart. The sound mix is immersive and complements the musical numbers, enhancing the viewer’s engagement with the film’s dynamic range of tonal shifts. The supplemental features offered with the Blu-ray include insightful extras that delve into the making of the film, providing added value and context for fans and newcomers alike.

While not a masterpiece, Stage Fright is a promising beginning for Jerome Sable and shows both an inventive irreverence and a deep affection for everything being parodied. All of the best takeoffs are done with love. Otherwise, how would someone know the subject well enough to tweak it effectively? But once again, most of the jokes in Stage Fright are at the expense of theater geeks and musicals. If those subjects set your teeth on edge, so will Stage Fright. Otherwise, highly recommended.