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    WSR Detailed DVD Review
    History Of Violence, A
    Genre: Thriller

    Reviewed In Issue 106 (Mar 2006) Of Widescreen Review®

    Stars:
    Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes & Ed Harris

    WSR Review Scores
    WSR Picture Rating: 4
    DD Sound Rating: 4.5
    DTS Sound Rating: NR
    Download WSR Review
    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score: 4
    Internet Links
    www.historyofviolence.com
    Special Features
    Special features include an eight-part 66-minute Acts Of Violence making-of featurette, a deleted scene, a seven minute highlight on The Unmaking Of Scene 44, a brief look at differences between shots for domestic and international version of the film, a nine-minute Too Commercial For Cannes featurette, a David Cronenberg audio commentary track, DVD-ROM/online features, the theatrical trailer, and up-front ads.


     DVD General Information

    (Studio/Distributor): New Line Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number): N10095
    (MPAA Rating): R
    (Rating Reason):

    		 Strong brutal violence, graphic sexuality, nudity, language, some drug use
    (Retail Price): $28.98
    (DVD Type): Single Side, Dual Layer (DVD9)
    (Widescreen Edition): Yes
    (Full Screen Edition): No
    (Anamorphic Widescreen): Yes
    (Running Time In Minutes): 96
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Regional Coding): 1
    (Theatrical Year): 2005
    (Theatrical Release): Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release): No
    (DVD Release Date): 03/14/06
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

     Credits Information

    (Director): David Cronenberg
    (Screenplay/Written By): Subscribe Now!
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    (Director Of Photography): Subscribe Now!
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    (Supervising Sound Editors): Subscribe Now!
    (Re-Recording Mixers): Subscribe Now!
    (Executive Producers): Subscribe Now!
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      DVD Picture Information

    (Principal Photography): Subscribe Now!
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): Subscribe Now!
    (Measured DVD Anamorphic Aspect Ratio): Subscribe Now!
    (Measured DVD Letterbox Aspect Ratio): Subscribe Now!

      DVD Sound Information

    (DVD Soundtrack): Subscribe Now!
    (Theatrical Sound): Subscribe Now!
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      WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Two men with A History Of Violence come to a small town intending to do some harm. But Tom Stall (Mortensen) has other plans to protect the patrons of his diner. Immediately hailed as a hero, Tom's face is found on every news channel that evening. Anxious to get back to his quiet life, Tom is shocked when a new customer (Harris) at his diner begins to suggest that Tom has his own history of violence. Based on the graphic novel by John Wagner & Vince Locke. (Suzanne Hodges)

    DVD Picture:
    The anamorphically enhanced 1.85:1 DVD picture exhibits satisfying image quality, with colors that are nicely saturated. Fleshtones are presented with natural accuracy, blacks are deep and solid, and hues are rich and warm. The picture can have a harsh, gritty appearance that is complementary to the storytelling. Some scenes are very nicely detailed, while others appear somewhat crushed. While images are sharp, finer details can be limited. Shadow delineation is adequate, although visual information can drop off to complete black in some scenes. Some pixelization is noticed, and occasional minor edge halos are apparent. Overall, the picture is quite effective in delivering the chilling story. (Suzanne Hodges)

    Soundtrack:
    Although the Dolby

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