The Long Night - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Long Night



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
You know the old conspiracy theories about how sending off your DNA to those investigative companies could end up biting you in the backside by way of the Govt coming after you, or someone finding you? Well, that’s pretty much the premise of The Long Night in a supernatural sense. Grace Covington (Scout Taylor-Compton) is searching for her parents so she can find out ANYTHING about them as she’s getting closer to her boyfriend Jack (Nolan Gerard Funk). She gets a message from the investigator to come down south and meet him at his plantation home, as he’s found information on said parents. Well, Grace and Jack head down to the deep south only to find an empty home, and no sign of the investigator that she hired.

Creepy things start to happen as glimpses of a weird cloaked figure with an animal skull appears outside, snakes start coming into the house, and the phone doesn’t work (*gasp! How could this ever happen in a horror movie?!). Soon Jack and Grace realize that something isn’t exactly Kosher, especially when the supposed investigator’s brother (played by Jeff Fahey, for all of 8 minutes) comes in to the picture and starts experiencing the same things. But by that time it’s too late for the couple, as the forms of more and more cultists begin circling the property and their powers make it clear that NO ONE is getting out alive.

The Long Night is pretty rote by horror standards. It doesn’t even try to hide the fact that it’s your typical “damsel in distress who turns out to be some super special offering for a demon lord” movie (ala Rosemary’s Baby) redone for a modern age. It also doesn’t exactly help matters much that most of the movie is just Jack and Grace running around trying to close doors and windows while cultists try and take over Grace’s mind and stand around pointing the whole time. It’s touched on in the commentary, but the first 20 minutes or so don’t make a TON of sense. It shows our two main heroes talking about heading out to the Hamptons and then possibly the south to meet up and discuss with the investigator what’s going on, then suddenly we segue into the two of them in a car heading south with Grace acting like Jack was a total jackass. Turns out that there is a deleted opening scene that takes the place of the opening on the disc which shows Jack and Grace fighting, but this was unceremoniously chopped out, and leaves the audience really REALLY confused on why Grace is suddenly so off at Jack on their way to the plantation. Also, you can tell that almost no one involved in the commentary is wild about the final project as Ragsdale makes it abundantly clear that he was thrown into the director’s chair literally a week before shooting began.

There’s some craziness going on with the demon worshipers moaning and growling, then a REALLY weird scene with Jeff Fahey (who hams it up for the 7 or 8 minutes he’s allowed on screen), only for us to watch as Grace and Jack just run around the property trying to figure things out. The end is actually really REALLY hysterical with a nude flashback scene that had me rolling on the floor (you’ll know EXACTLY what I mean when it happens), and some exposition about how Grace is the super secret descendant of their most powerful leader and she’ll rid the world of evil with the help of the demon, and then it just …...ends.




Rating:

Not Rated by the MPAA




Video:

I couldn’t find a whole lot of information on the cameras used and the master’s resolution, but from what I could tell by reading other people’s discussions, and some rumors within the industry it appears it was most likely shot using Arri Alexa cameras (and most likely a 2K master due to the low budget...but if anyone has any information to correct me I’d be happy to update this with more recent information). Either way, according to one of the special features Director Richard Ragsdale is a huge fan of “textured” movies, which means the film has a very hazy, gauzy, and moody atmosphere that doesn’t always lend itself towards fine details popping off the screen. Check out the aerial shots heading up to the plantation. It almost looks like a watercolor filter has been lowered over the entire image. Close ups look a lot better, but the moody and dimly lit environment means lots of color banding (shocking, I know), some crushed blacks, and a heavy layer of fake grain over the entire thing that gives it a uniquely grungy feel. It’s a solid looking transfer, but one that is intrinsicly moody and full of low light and all of the side effects that comes with it.











Audio:

The best part of the entire package is easily the 5.1 DTS-HD MA track. A good horror film deserves a good horror track, and while The Long Night is far from a GOOD horror movie, it certainly has a good audio mix. The track is aggressive and as moody as the film’s visuals, with a nice heavy bass line for the somber moments (and a few startling moments near the beginning and end), along with great dialog. Surrounds are used in ample amounts with the score, but overall this is a fairly reserved track UNTIL things start getting crazy with the cultists. It’s an uneasy, and moody mix that permeates the entire sound stage and gives probably the best performance of the entire film in regards to the technical aspects.












Extras:

• Audio commentary by director Rich Ragsdale
• Behind the Scenes featurettes:
-- The Birthing
-- The Look
-- The Score
• Short film: The Loop
• Original trailer

Final Score: ​

The Long Night is a creepy atmospheric movie that just can’t seem to ever pay off. It goes through the gambit of being a psychological stalker movie, to supernatural demon film, to just plain lazy payoff at the end. Being a horror fanatic I’m well versed in how low budget horror movies can be so bad that they’re actually entertaining, and it’s part of the charm to slog through the drek that is a huge majority of the genre. This one? Well, this one is just plain bore and boorish with a few interesting elements that shows what COULD have been. The Blu-ray itself is decent, with great audio and mediocre video, but the movie itself is at MOST a rental on the high end. Personally I’d just skip it and look for better films.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Scout Taylor-Compton, Nolan Gerard Funk, Deborah Kara Unger, Jeff Fahey
Directed by: Rich Ragsdale
Written by: Mark Young, Robert Sheppe
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DD 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH
Studio: Well Go USA
Rated: NR
Runtime: 90 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: April 5th, 2022

Recommendation: Skip It/Rental