Blu-ray Review: [REC]

The release of The Blair Witch Project in 1999 sparked a wave of ‘found footage’ films which has continued to sweep across genre cinema. As you’d probably expect given the relative low cost of this approach, there have been a number of duds. However, it’s a format which can produce impressive result. Lake Mungo, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity and Noroi: The Curse showed how it should be done. [REC] is arguably the best of what this sub-genre has to offer.

Reporter and cameraman, Ángela (Manuela Velasco) and Pablo (Pablo Rosso), are filming a television program following the night shift of a local fire crew in Barcelona. When they receive a report of an elderly woman trapped in her apartment, it seems like just a routine call-out. However, when they arrive at the block, they soon discover that something strange is going on. When the pensioner bites one of the police officers, everything suddenly goes to hell in a handcart.

[REC] uses the limitations of a single camera brilliantly to create a horror film which is tense, gripping and terrifying. Whilst the character of Ángela can get irritating at times, she’s pivotal to the film working as a whole. It’s through her reactions that we are triggered. Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza’s film has gone on to inspire sequels and a US remake, but the sheer impact of [REC] has never been replicated.

Special edition contents:

High Definition Blu-ray presentation with two viewing options: the “theatrical version” (24fps, 1080p, 78 mins) as shown in cinemas, and the “production version” (25fps, 1080i, 75 mins) as originally filmed
Original Spanish DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio options on both versions
Optional English subtitles
New audio commentary by film critic and historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Found Footage Horror: Fear and the Appearance of Reality
Archive commentary by directors Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza
The Making of [REC], an archive featurette examining the process of production featuring interviews with cast & crew
How to Shoot a Horror Movie, a French-language featurette presented by directors Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza
Archive interview with Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza looking back on the film
The Fantastic Four, an archive panel discussion with [REC] directors Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza and new wave Spanish horror contemporaries Gonzalo Lopez Callego and Juan Antonio Bayona
On set footage of the cast & crew at work on key scenes including “the attack on Mrs. Izquierdo” and the “climb to hell”
Archive interview with director of photography Pablo Rosso
Archive interview with sound supervisor Xavi Mas
Archive interview with sound designer Oriol Tarragó
Confidences, a video diary by star Manuela Velasco
Deleted and extended scenes, including “Fire Station Redux”, “The Secret Archive” and “Corridors of Nails”
Casting, original video footage from the audition process
Trailers and TV spots
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais