Haute tension (2003)
US Unrated + US Full English dubbed + Original French Unrated Director's Cut
DVD9 | VIDEO_TS | NTSC 16:9 (720x480) | Scans (2 JPGs) | 01:30:52 (each) | 7,91 Gb
Audio: English-French, French - AC3 5.1/2.0 @ 448/192 Kbps (each); English AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Genre: Horror, Mystery | 4 wins | France
US Unrated + US Full English dubbed + Original French Unrated Director's Cut
DVD9 | VIDEO_TS | NTSC 16:9 (720x480) | Scans (2 JPGs) | 01:30:52 (each) | 7,91 Gb
Audio: English-French, French - AC3 5.1/2.0 @ 448/192 Kbps (each); English AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Genre: Horror, Mystery | 4 wins | France
Alexia travels with her friend Marie to spend a couple of days with her family in their farm in the country. They arrive late and they are welcomed by Alexia's father. Late in the night, a sadistic and sick killer breaks into the farmhouse, slaughters Alexia's family–including their dog–and kidnaps Alexia. Marie hides from the criminal and tries to help the hysterical and frightened Alexia, chase the maniac, and disclose his identity in the end.
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DVDBeaver
Horror movies are, for the most part, sneered at and dismissed as mild diversions (at best), cinematic junk food (most often), or a danger to all society (at worst). Yet one could quite capably argue that creating an effective horror movie is actually harder than mounting a dramatic piece or a bedroom farce - because while other films are content to present character studies or well-timed flurries of humor, the "true" horror film is out to make you feel uneasy. The ones that can pull it off consistently for 90-some minutes are worthy of high marks indeed.
And despite a few niggling roadblocks (and a wild plot divergence that seems to make very little sense … at first glance), the slippery slasher flick from France known as High Tension (aka Haute Tension and Switchblade Romance) proves to be quite the dastardly dark and entertaining jolt-fest … if, of course, you don't mind your "cat & mouse" thrillers a little on the 'outlandishly gory' side.
The plot is simplicity itself: Marie and Alex are two adorable young French women who show up at the Family Farmhouse to enjoy a quiet vacation away from school. Not three hours after the girls arrive, a hulking and sweaty aggressor rings the front doorbell and promptly cracks a huge hole in Daddy's head, thus beginning a 70-some minute nightmare from Hunter to Hunted…with a few unpredictable rest stops along the way.
Suffice to say that High Tension offers generous doses of hiding, a fair share of seeking, a whole lot of chasing, and six or seven grimly enjoyable dispatches for the gorehounds to enjoy. The joyously juicy nightmare was snipped of 40-some sickening seconds for its U.S. release, but here the film is presented in all its gory glory. And it's not just that I love nasty, arbitrary carnage (although I do), but the overt and enthusiastic nastiness found within High Tension only serves to intensify the overall mood; Not only can any character die at any time, but you can rest assured that you'll be witness to every last gruesome detail.
Visually, High Tension is a grimy, gooey treat. The settings are sparse and deserted, the kills are graphic and grotesque, and there's a palpable sense of grungy intensity and desperation that helps seal the deal as a whole. Upstart director Alexandre Aja clearly grew up on the finest genre flicks that the 1970s & '80s had to offer, and his affection for the genre shines through clearly. From the gloomy and nasty little sound effects to the heaping helpings of slick, grimy grue (and all of the breathless moments of silence in between), Aja touches upon many of the horror fans' most beloved components. (Not the least of which is a massive man-monster who wields a mean axe.)
The final product is a flick that might find its fair share of detractors (and it's far from the most unique story ever told), but it's one that'll absolutely have most jolt addicts squealing contentedly with delight. And there's that "one" moment … the one that will cause huge debates and message-board bile for months to come … but I can't say any more about that. Not until everyone else sees the movie, anyway. Suffice to say that "the moment" works just fine for me, as unnecessary as it may be.
Ultimately, High Tension is for the real horror fans: The ones who acknowledge the flick as a loving homage to the golden days of Hooper and Craven, Carpenter, Fulci, and Argento. Only time will tell if High Tension is bound for horror-classic status, but I consider myself a massive fan of this material, and I think the flick's a near-masterpiece.
Sure it's indulgent and ugly and ferocious … but after sitting through three dozen Hollywood horror flicks, something like High Tension feels like a nice blast of ice water right in the face. Certainly not for all tastes (or children or those with heart conditions), but if you're the sort who normally makes a bee-line straight for the horror section, here's a brazen and brutal little import that comes Highly Recommended.
Special Features:
- Audio commentary by writer/director Alexandre Aja, and screenwriter/art director Gregory Levasseur
- Audio commentary from director Alexandre Aja, and actress Cecile de France (5 scenes - 46 min)
- Introduction by Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur (0:23 sec)
- "Haute Horror: Making of High Tension" - featurette (24 min)
- "Building Tension" - featurette (8 min)
- "Giannetto de Rossi: The Truth, The Madness, and The Magic" - featurette (7,5 min)
- Bonus trailers for ("Crash", "Rize", "House of D, Desperate Souls", "Undead", "Dark Harvest 2: The Maize", "Saw 2")
Note:
US Unrated Version - English-French DD 5.1/2.0 audio with English and Spanish subs
US Full English Dubbed Version - English DD 2.0 audio with English and Spanish subs
Original French Unrated Director's Cut - French DD 5.1/2.0 audio with English and Spanish subs
Many Thanks to Original uploader.
No More Mirrors.