Home Video Exclusives

[JohnIan101]

Past Tense


[An earlier version of this PT was originally posted on November 17th, 2011 on JoBlo's "DVD, Blu-Ray & Home Theater Discussion" forum.]

It hurts so deeply to have love lost; worst yet when your partner dies. That depression pit as real and tangible as any physical object. Your friends try to take your mind off the tragedy and set a trip, a girls outing. This week that pit becomes more than metaphor in "The Descent"...



The motion picture opened on August 4th, 2006 (States). It was made with a budget of £3,500,000 (estimated) and grossed over 57 million during its worldwide run (United Kingdom feature). The film opened number five at the box office (America), the following week it dropped to number seven.

The feature opened against "Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest", "Monster House", "World Trade Center" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby".

This release originally came with a cardboard slipcover which mirrored the case's wraparound. It also came with a two page booklet showcasing the bonus content. And an ad for D.E.G. (Digital Entertainment Group) - a mini insert saying/asking not to purchase bootlegs - buy the real thing.

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This was quite the popular item.

Nearly all the majors had an exclusive. In the end, bought it three times over. I can't recall if I made my money back on Ebay, selling the extra copies. I probably did not break even. But such is the life of a collector.

First off - there are zero screen snaps. NONE of these disc bonuses have menus, everyone without exception is auto play. Just so you know. All right...

The home video release was on December 26th, 2006. Best Buy offered the bonus disc titled "A Special Breed Of Effects And Actors", this has a run time of 11:50 minutes. It sold for $16.99, the set was housed in a two disc DVD case.

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Next up was Circuit City, their bonus disc was titled "Creating An Underground World". This too came in a two disc DVD case. And had a run time of 9:57 minutes.

It should be mentioned that their $16.99 exclusive did not come with a booklet just that D.E.G. note. Whatever.

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Lastly on street, Wal-Mart had one of their own. This however came inside it's own DVD case. As with other exclusives from that time; bonus discs were omitted from widescreen editions.

If you wanted it, you HAD to buy full screen. Frackin' retarded. I did learn much later that there was an exception, Sam's Club sold the set with widescreen.

This was packed side by side with the movie (as shown above), priced at $18.99. Their featurette was titled "The Fine, Fearless And Feisty" and ran for 9:33 minutes.

Researching, I discovered that this set is still available on Wal-Mart's website, now for $19.96. Is that full or wide? I read nothing on presentation. I'm gonna guess it's still full.

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Tangent.



This movie registered on mainstream's radar and is known by a good chuck of genre fans. But Marshall (director) had done another horror feature before "The Descent"; the 2002 motion picture, "Dog Soldiers". In short, werewolfs, but none of that "Twilight" bullshit - nasty, mean and oh so very hungry.

Brief synopsis; British military unit on a training operation in the Highlands of Scotland find themselves targeted by supernatural beasts. Their rival team is slaughtered. Fleeing, they find a cabin in the woods to make their last stand, only to discover that the domicile is the wolves' home.



There is a deluxe DVD/BD combo released by Scream Factory earlier this year (June 23rd, 2015), $29.93. But there's a catch, the print used for mastering was far less than stellar. In fact many have called it crap. They did the best they could. Why?

Allegedly the master/original print no longer exists.

But it's not complete...

Most of bonus features did not carry over from the last DVD.



The first pressing was released on November 5th, 2002 from Artisan Home Entertainment (out of print), $19.99. It came with trailer, commentary by producers David Allen, Brian O'Toole and Christopher Figg as well as a making-of featurette, 19:33 minutes. I bought mine many moons ago from Circuit City in December 2004.

It came with a single insert, chapter listing.

Missing from the deluxe is that commentary and featurette. If you want it all, you need both editions - I do. Which by the way has something else.

The image on the 2002 DVD, though softer was struck from a master print; not HD true, but depending on your desire - a slightly better image then newer release.



In 2009 the movie was re-released as a limited edition steelbook (also out of print). Did not buy. Why? This for whatever reason(s) presented the movie as bare bones (no insert either). I would've bought if it carried over the last extras. Released from First Look Studios.

Sorry, I am unable to give you an street date nor price.

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Rant.

I don't even remember how this came about on my radar back in 2006. Might have been the Deadpit horror podcast. *shrugs*

Should I? A synopsis?

Kinda loopy now. Haven't slept, finishing this late. Not about insomnia; I'm a night owl - been that way since I was teen. Wanna wrap this up before going to bed.

Nah. Horror fans more than likely know this flick. If you haven't - go see it. It's easily found in rental shops (they still exist), pawn shops (a great source in finding good deals) and online marketplaces. Well worth your dollars. *nods*

It was enjoyed and well earned its spot in my DVD library.



A sway flick.

And Juno (Natalie Jackson Mendoza) was quite the badass.

Okay then. Here you go.

I'm half assing this.

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Spoilers.



The movie is nearly a decade old.

Confusion over the ending; why did Sarah (Shauna MacDonald) stabbed Juno in the knee?

The answer OR rather the main reason is subtle at the start, but I'll go into that in a moment.

During the Crawler attack, Juno accidentally stabs Beth (Alex Reid) in the neck. Rather than trying to help her, she bolts. Leaving her friend to die alone, a meal for the subterranean creatures.

But not before grasping and removing Juno's necklace.



Later in the feeding pit, Sarah finds the mortally wounded Beth; barely able to speak.

Beth says to Sarah: "It was Juno's. Paul gave it to her." The necklace has an engraving, 'Love every day'. It's something her husband always used to say.

Juno was having an affair with Paul (Oliver Milburn). Before, at the cabin, Juno apologizes to Sarah for not being there when he died: "We all lost something in that accident." After he died, Juno completely cut off all contact with Sarah. Now that comment has a different weight.

Plus when she walked by (at the cabin), Juno clutches the necklace, not allowing the engraving to be seen.

Just before the fatal car crash (flashback), Paul was somewhat distant, not playing attention; something was on his mind. It resulted in his death and the death of their daughter, Jessica (Molly Kayll).

The tally. Juno cheated with Sarah's husband; inadvertently killed her friend's partner and child. Juno was the one who got them into this cave mess in the first place, she picked a location where no help would ever come.

Juno accidentally killed Beth, but didn't fess up to it when asked - she lied: "watched her die."



Juno's excursion ended up killing ALL of Sarah friends, her last bastion of sanity. In sort, stabbing Juno and leaving her to die to the horde was karma.

Her expression after being impaled wasn't that of pain, but sorrow. Watch it. She knows that Sarah now knows.

There was another reason... because of Juno's actions, Sarah had to kill her BFF (Beth remained when Paul died, helping her through her darkest time) to end her suffering.

Some food for thought. Sarah knew the way out. She found the chalk arrows (marking the direction they came in) from the pervious doomed expedition, but instead went in the opposite direction... to find Juno. Monsters in the dark be damned, revenge.

There is a sequel to "The Descent 2" which came out on 2010. The surviving cast reunite and takes place roughly forty-eight hour after the first film. Sarah having to go back into the caves with authorities. As you imagine, things go rather bad. It's a decent flick and done in such away that you could edit the two movies into one and it would still be solid. *nods*

Indeed. Come back on December 10th, 2015 for a visit to the valley, the Uncanny Valley.