Crimson Peak 4K Ultra HD

A sheltered young woman abandons the safe certainty of her upbringing for life with an alluring aristocrat on a remote English estate in "Crimson Peak". (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary with Co-Writer and Director Guillermo Del Toro; 11 featurettes "The House Is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak" (HD 50:00), "An interview with Guillermo del Toro" (HD 08:35), "Allerdale Hall: Four Featurettes" (HD 19:32), "A Primer On Gothic Romance" (HD 05:36), "The Light And Dark Of Crimson Peak" (HD 07:53), "Hand Tailored Gothic" (HD 08:58), "A Living Thing" (HD 12:11), "Beware Of Crimson Peak" (HD 07:51), "Crimson Phantoms" (HD 07:02), "Kim Newman On Crimson Peak And The Tradition Of Gothic Romance" (HD 17:36) and "Violence And Beauty In Guillermo Del Toro's Gothic Fairy Tale Fllms" (HD 23:36); five deleted scenes (HD 04:24); original trailers and TV spots; image galleries and a hardback book.

The 1.85:1 2160p HEVC/H.265 4K Ultra HD Dolby Vision/HDR10 picture, reviewed on a VIZIO Quantum X P85QX-JI UHD/HDR display, was photographed digitally using the Arri Alexa XT camera system and sourced from a 4K Digital Intermediate. The picture is gorgeous and was approved by Director Guillermo Del Toro. The Gothic period imagery exhibits an engaging visually wonderful palette of intricate textural detail, nicely captured digitally with the Arri Alexa digital camera system. Textures are finely resolved with superb realism, whether in the opening Buffalo, New York scenes or within the expansive house at Cumberland Peak, which is the setting for most of the story. The settings exhibit wonderful production and costume design. Resolution is superb with fine, intricate nuanced detail exhibited in facial features, hair, and beards, clothing sown in fine, elaborate fabrics and objects. Textural detail is incredible in the production design, which is comprised of period architecture and its artisan structures, costumes and objects of all description. The color palette is richly warm and vibrant with natural, extravagantly saturated and nuanced hues that are tinted golden/bronze or bluish. Flesh tones and complexions are varied and effected by the stylized and atmospheric lighting, generally naturally hued. Strong primaries at times pop. HDR contrast is well balanced with deep, solid blacks that are nicely defined, revealing shadows and bright natural white levels. The picture is well crafted and conveys a sense of dark eeriness. This is an astonishing picture with impressive cinematography, production design and costumes –– a real treat for the eyes.. (Gary Reber)

The DTS:X/DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack is one of the first such soundtracks encoded with DTS:X Immersive Sound that expands the 7.1-channel ear level encoding to height channels. The sound is dynamic and spatially dimensional, with strong spherical surround envelopment. The immersive imaging flows throughout the soundfield, often with aggressive, directionalized atmospherics and sound effects. Deep bass is energized through the .1 LFE channel and at times extends to sub-25 Hz frequencies, including the infernal steam machine. All sorts of atmospherics, such as rushing steam; creaky, heavy doors; unstable floorboards; wind; thunder and rainfall; etc. are all discretely directionalized. Panning effects are also utilized to great effect. A prominent character is the orchestral/choral score, which is dynamic, occupying a wide and deep soundstage and an aggressive surround presence. The music effectively establishes the eerie, haunting mood. Dialogue sounds natural, with good spatial integration. Fidelity throughout is superb with superb dynamics, depth and dimension.

The Immersive Sound Element is comprised of an extension of the music to the height layer as well as select atmospherics and sound effects, such thunder,and rain, wind, howls, creaky and pounding effects, horrific screams, ghost voices and numerous other environmental atmospherics and sound effects. Notable is the directional discreteness of the height layer sonics as discrete sounds clearly pass overhead and pan from the front to the back of the height layer.. This is a wonderfully effective height layer presentation.

This is a well-crafted spatially dimensional soundtrack that effectively uses every channel, for an impressive dimensional sonic experience. Its astonishing holosonic® spherical surround envelopment is thoroughly haunting and compelling. Reference quality throughout .(Gary Reber)