I previously reviewed THE DEAD ROOM just a few short months ago and in my original review, I basically said that the film left too many unanswered questions and that it was a good effort that was poorly executed. After watching the film again, I’ve decided to slightly raise my review score on the film itself.

While I still despise the final act, the other 3/4 of the film is rather excellent. The mood, setting, sound (oh, the sound) are all masterfully crafted and it’s just too hard to ignore. The cinematography is also quite brilliant. To give a quick rundown of the story, THE DEAD ROOM follows three paranormal investigators (featuring great performances by Jeffrey Thomas, Jed Brophy, and Laura Peterson, respectively) as they seek the truth behind the haunted occurrences within a small family home. The film’s pace begins slow, but it picks up as the runtime chugs along and by the end, they’ve solved the mystery. Or so they thought… (cue awful finale)

I will fully admit that I may’ve been too hard on THE DEAD ROOM during my initial viewing and I encourage you to check it out for yourself. It’s worth a watch.

NOTE: Raven Banner’s release is a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. The Blu-ray (Region A) was viewed in advance of this review. The DVD was not tested. THE DEAD ROOM is rated 14A.

THE DEAD ROOM is actually a great-looking film; a bit of a surprise considering its small budget and minuscule crew. It’s clean, vibrant, and the blacks are superb. Of course, this all makes sense when you realize that the film was shot on a RED camera.

VIDEO RESOLUTION

Blu-ray –  1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2:35:1)

DVD – Anamorphic Widescreen

This Blu-ray features the new RUMBLE™ Soundscape Technology — a new audio tech that, while performed on test subjects, has been said to increase pulse rates, heighten blood pressure, and temporarily release cortisol in the body. The full breakdown on the reverse of the Blu-ray states:

RUMBLE™ – Get ready for the future of fear! A new preshow technology that uses infra sound waves to immerse the audience in a low frequency soundscape to help attune the viewer for atmospheric frights of this motion picture.

I tested out the new tech while watching THE DEAD ROOM and while I didn’t notice any increase in my pulse (no more than the usual while watching a horror film), the film sounded unbelievable. The audio is, hands down, the highlight of this release… and it’s all due to this new RUMBLE™ tech.

AUDIO MIXES/SUBTITLES

Blu-ray

DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English)
DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (English)/SDH Subtitles (English)

DVD

Dolby Digital 5.1 (English)
Dolby Digital 2.0 (English)/Closed Captions (English)

Bonus features on the disc include…

Behind the Scenes 
A 1-minute, 53-second clip that shows some footage of the film being shot. No interviews or actual context is given.

Trailer
A trailer for THE DEAD ROOM.

Additional Trailers
There’s three trailers for other Raven Banner films on the disc: BASKIN, BUNNY THE KILLER THING (seriously, WTF is that?), and AMERICAN CONJURING.

About RUMBLE™
A write-up that explains the RUMBLE™ audio tech that’s included on the disc as well as its creation.

Raven Banner’s THE DEAD ROOM Blu-ray looks great and sounds amazing, but the film itself unfortunately holds the release back. It’s a good flick for fans of the genre, but I just can’t get past that final act. It’s definitely worth checking out, though, and I’m looking forward to Director Jason Stutter’s next film.

Order your copy from Amazon.ca