A Haunted House Blu-ray Review

Universal's Blu-ray presentation of "A Haunted House" takes its found-footage roots seriously, utilizing a mix of handheld and stationary perspectives to emulate the aesthetic seen in the "Paranormal Activity" series. Consequently, the video frequently diverges from traditional high-definition qualities, adhering to the filmmakers' deliberate intention. Shots taken under adequate lighting reveal appreciable levels of detail and depth, with black levels being gratifying and colors appearing natural. Conversely, scenes shot in darkness exhibit prevalent macroblocking, noise, and aliasing, leading to a perceptible decline in detail and delineation. Nevertheless, these quirks are mostly intrinsic to the source material and not indicative of any flaws in the 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer itself.

The visual experience is also characterized by fluctuating contrast and black levels, which tend to run a bit hot or appear murky in certain spots. Although this results in a less-than-satisfying level of overall clarity, elements such as edges, textures, and facial complexions are resolved with decent precision during daylight scenes. The encode manages to maintain bright and bold colors without unnatural saturation, albeit they sometimes feel lifeless and digitized. While negligible posterization and banding are present, they're largely forgivable considering the intentional look and production constraints. Overall, despite its inherent limitations, the Blu-ray video quality aligns well with the film's parodying nature and does not detract from the viewing experience.

The Blu-ray audio presentation of "A Haunted House" impresses with a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that excels in capturing the film’s found-footage sound design while maintaining an immersive, atmospheric experience. Dialogue reproduction is notably clear, benefitting from excellent intonation and room penetration, even when constrained by the expected low-budget aesthetics. The mix cleverly utilizes the handheld camera’s perspective, resulting in seamless integration of dynamic directional cues and ambient sounds across the sound field.

The front-loaded elements are balanced well with the mid-range’s expansive and detailed imaging, offering fluid realism for on-screen movements and interactions. Low-frequency effects stand out with their power and robustness, often manifesting in the mid-bass regions to convey room-shaking commotion convincingly. Rear channel activity, though not always consistent, enhances the spooky environment, with discrete effects that pan flawlessly from front to back or side to side, creating a highly immersive and entertaining auditory experience. While it retains the informal soundscape essential to a found-footage film, this audio mix underscores both its dynamism and precision.

Overall, the DTS-HD Master Audio track demonstrates excellent dynamic range, clarity, and bass definition. The various atmospheric sounds and LFE output are delivered with firmness and ferocity when necessary. Although quieter moments exist, the active use of rear speakers provides an enveloping sense of space that aligns perfectly with the film’s narrative style. This results in a sound environment that feels authentic and engaging, matching the film's premise and ensuring an enjoyable viewing experience from an auditory perspective.

The Blu-ray edition of "A Haunted House" includes a limited selection of extras, notably a short featurette titled "How to Survive a Paranormal Presence." Clocking in at just two minutes, this supplemental material offers a concise yet underwhelming production insight that's largely forgettable. Users will also find additional conveniences such as scene bookmarks, an Ultraviolet Digital Copy, a standard Digital Copy, and a Bonus DVD. While these features offer some utility, the lack of substantive behind-the-scenes content or in-depth exploration makes the overall extras package quite thin.

Extras included in this disc:

• How to Survive a Paranormal Presence: Brief production featurette.
• My Scenes Bookmark Feature: Allows users to bookmark favorite scenes.
• Ultraviolet Digital Copy: Stream or download via Ultraviolet.
• Digital Copy: Additional digital format for convenient viewing.
• Bonus DVD: Additional DVD copy of the film.

"A Haunted House," co-written by and starring Marlon Wayans, aims to parody the found-footage horror genre epitomized by the "Paranormal Activity" films. Unfortunately, the film falls short, offering primarily crass and lowbrow humor that may find a very narrow audience. The comedy heavily relies on juvenile humor, including bodily functions and slapstick mishaps, to elicit laughs. While fans of such humor might find sporadic chuckles, overall, the movie suffers from unimaginative jokes and a lack of witty or creative commentary. One or two isolated moments, such as scenes involving the housecleaner Rosa or thug cousin Ray-Ray, stand as exceptions, but they are quickly overshadowed by the film's numerous tiresome gags.

Directed by first-timer Michael Tiddes, "A Haunted House" struggles to maintain comedic momentum. The storyline, which follows a couple (Wayans and Essence Atkins) discovering their new home is haunted, is a flimsy scaffold for a series of predictable and unoriginal set pieces. Despite a lineup of supporting actors like Cedric the Entertainer, Nick Swardson, and David Koechner, the film fails to inject fresh humor or clever twists into its parodic narrative. Instead, it simply rehashes old, tired comedy tropes that feel long past their expiration date. Notably, the film’s feeble attempts at variety—shifting between parody, spoof, and straightforward R-rated comedy—lead to a disjointed viewing experience.

Overall, "A Haunted House" constitutes an exasperating effort that neither delivers effective scares nor genuine laughs. While Marlon Wayans may have intended to create an over-the-top spoof with echoes of "Scary Movie," the result is far less successful and more grating than enjoyable. From uninspired plot points to ineffective gross-out humor, the film registers as a bewildering misfire. If there's any solace, it might be in the film's brief runtime or the eventual appearance of end credits. For most viewers, however, this lackluster horror-comedy hybrid will prove to be an unenjoyable experience best avoided.

"A Haunted House" is, unfortunately, a prime example of a film that leaves audiences questioning the rationale behind its creation. Despite yielding impressive box office returns—grossing forty million dollars on a modest three-million-dollar budget—this horror comedy from Marlon Wayans fails to deliver genuine laughs or originality. Laden with hackneyed potty humor and a host of clichéd gags, it’s difficult to find the film either memorable or worthy of recommendation. The lackluster comedic execution renders it easily skippable unless you are a dedicated Wayans fan.

That said, Universal's Blu-ray release does offer some technical merits which may appeal to home theater enthusiasts. The video presentation, while not groundbreaking, is solid enough to satisfy viewers with a decent display setup. More notably, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track delivers an unexpectedly robust auditory experience, enhancing the film's few engaging moments. Unfortunately, the supplementary material is severely lacking, extending no further than a brief, two-minute extra, which pales in comparison to what more comprehensive Blu-ray packages typically offer.

In conclusion, while "A Haunted House" might serve as a fleeting distraction for undemanding fans of the Wayans' brand of humor, its overall lack of originality and subpar comedic content make it an easy pass for more discerning audiences. The competent technical specifications of the Blu-ray release provide some redemption but are insufficient to justify a purchase for those uninterested in the film itself. Proceed with caution unless you are certain of your affinity for this particular brand of humor.