BLU-RAY REVIEW

Dead In Tombstone

Featured In Issue 181, November 2013

Picture5
Sound5
WSR Score3.5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
63119903
(MPAA Rating):
R / Unrated
(Rating Reason):
Violence and language
(Retail Price):
$34.98
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
100 / 91
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
2013
(Theatrical Release):
No
(Direct-To-Video Release):
Yes
(Disc Release Date):
10/22/13
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Roel Reiné
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

Straddling the thin line between life and death, Dead In Tombstone is a tale of greed, revenge, and atonement set in a Gold Rush boomtown populated by thugs, drunks, and unlikely heroes. As a ruthless gang overruns a small mining town, they murder their own leader, Guerrero Hernandez (Trejo), in a cold-blooded power grab. Sentenced to eternity in hell, Guerrero finds himself confronted by Satan himself (Rourke), offering a daring proposition: deliver the six souls of his former gang and he will escape damnation. With time running out, he sets out on a brutal rampage to avenge his own death. (Gary Reber)

Both the rated version (01:39:59) and the unrated version (01:30:53) are available. Special features include seven deleted scenes (HD 15:58); a deleted shots montage (HD 05:14); four featurettes: The Making Of Dead In Tombstone (HD 09:43), Horses, Guns & Explosions (HD 05:23), Roel Reiné: The Leader Of The Gang (HD 04:28), and A Town Transformed (HD 04:04); an upfront ad; upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 1.78:1 1080p AVC picture was photographed digitally and exhibits crisp, vibrant imagery with excellent contrast. Deep blacks are stunning, and shadow delineation is revealing of fine detail. The color palette is naturally hued with rich browns that emphasize the dusty, wood-stretched buildings and interiors. Colors exhibit impressive warmth and richness. Resolution is excellent as well, with fine detail exhibited in facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. This is a raw western treatment whose stylization is effectively rendered and engaging. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is aggressively energized with a dynamic sonic presence that permeates the entire soundfield with aggressive localization throughout. Atmospherics and sound effects are top notch, with aggressive dimensionality and positioning. Gunfire and explosions are intense and boosted with strong .1 LFE sub-25 Hz energy. The music score is nicely recorded with a wide and deep soundstage that extends to the surrounds. Dialogue is intelligible, crisp, and decently integrated at times, though, certain voices are close miked and constrained. This is a terrific shoot-em-up soundtrack that is dynamically enveloping and holosonic® sounding throughout. The sonics won't disappoint, nor the fidelity. (Gary Reber)