DVD Review: ‘The Lady Vanishes’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘The Lady Vanishes’ on Blogcritics.

In 1938, Alfred Hitchcock made a film based on the novel The Wheel Spins. It was remade in 1979 starring Cybill Sheperd, Angela Lansbury, and Elliott Gould.

Recently, the BBC and Masterpiece created a new version of this story, The Lady Vanishes, this one reportedly more closely hewing to the novel than the previous two, and released it on DVD.

This version stars Tuppence Middleton (Spies of Warsaw) as Iris Carr. A carefree socialite, she hangs around a hotel after her friends leave and ends up riding back to London on a train car with assorted strangers. She finds a friendly face in fellow Englishperson Miss Froy (Selina Cadell, Doc Martin), but after Iris wakes from a nap, Miss Froy seems to have disappeared. Iris grows more and more upset as she can’t find a witness to support her story that Miss Froy even exists, other passengers presumably lying, and a bout of what might have been sunstroke leaves her own testimony circumspect.

There is a diverse contingent of players on the train, a confined setting for the story that adds a feeling of claustrophobia to the mix. The Baroness (Benedikte Hansen, Borgen) could be the villain responsible for the drama, if indeed Miss Froy has been abducted, or she could be an innocent rich person that serves as a target for Iris’ delusion. Young, dashing Max Hare (Tom Hughes, Silk) would like to believe Iris, whom he takes an instant liking to, but even his chivalry can’t erase doubts as Iris’ claims seem to fall apart. There is also a Professor (Alex Jennings, Whitechapel), a Doctor (Jesper Christensen, Arvingerne), a Reverend (Pip Torrens, Fleming), his wife (Sandy McDade, Lark Rise to Candleford), and others who come into play, some with their own motivations, and some who remain more mysterious.

The main point of The Lady Vanishes seems to be to let viewers question reality and build tension. If everyone else is lying, why would they do so? Might Iris be as crazy as some accuse her of? Is Miss Froy alive or dead or made up? There are more questions than answers for most of the piece, which should be enough to keep viewers watching, if for no other reasons than to see how it ends up. It’s frustrating to watch, but that only mirrors Iris’ own feelings, so the tone does succeed in letting us relate to the protagonist quite well.

The 90-minute thriller is fine for television, but falls short for the cinema. The pacing is too slow and the emergency too tame, with decent, but not mind-blowing, acting. What this makes for is something that will feel familiar to fans of British period pieces and PBS, albeit moving into a slightly different genre than most of their productions, satisfying a particular, niche audience, but perhaps not appealing to the public at large.

The film’s production values aren’t particularly memorable. The train looks well-detailed, but with its muted, dark colors, it’s not a stand-out set, nor are the costumes lavish enough to really admire. Not being a student of this period, it’s hard for me to determine how realistic the program is, but I do find myself racking my brain, having a hard time coming up with elements to discuss, as the overall feelings is one of blandness.

That’s likely the biggest downfall with The Lady Vanishes. Athough I was interested while watching it, I wasn’t overly impressed enough to do so again anytime soon. It also didn’t stand out as something I would spend any time thinking of after the fact. It’s quick and forgettable, slightly interesting, but mostly dull.

It doesn’t help that there are no extras on this bare-bones DVD release. Perhaps if there were some clue as to why the producers thought a remake was necessary, or a discussion of the choices made, that might spark something more than a first impression leaves. Sadly, no audio commentaries or behind-the-scenes looks are included to serve this purpose, with only the film on the disc.

The Lady Vanishes is available now.

Check Into BATES MOTEL

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Bates Motel - Season One' on Blogcritics.

Horror is a very popular genre on television right now, with The Walking Dead crushing in the ratings, American Horror Story earning accolades left and right, and Hannibal being just plain awesome. Earlier this year, A&E, a network not known for anything but formulaic, procedural dramas, decided to enter the ring with Bates Motel, a prequel to the classic Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho. Imagine my surprise, then, that Bates Motel is every bit as worthy of praise as its peers.

Bates Motel is set in the modern day, and thus inspired by, rather than confined to, the film. The setting looks identical to that which viewers are familiar with, and some clothing and hairstyle choices are pulled straight from the source material. It pays homage quite clearly, though later episodes really take some license to go their own direction.

The reason to give a prequel story like this a chance, and the method through which it soars so well, is that it is made by producers of Lost and Friday Night Lights. These two amazing shows knew how to do character development and slow-burning plots, and they apply it here again. Combine this with a thoroughly creepy tone and place, you have a heck of a TV show. Plus, the cast is terrific.

As the story begins, Norman (Freddie Highmore, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland) moves with his mother, Nora (Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air, The Departed), to a run-down motel in a small town after the suspicious death of his father. Here, the seventeen-year-old boy tries to build a normal life for himself with friends (Olivia Cooke and Nicola Peltz), but is hampered by his controlling mother.

Yes, Norma is exactly what we’d expect her to be, having seen the old movie, or even just knowing she named her son after herself. She’s harsh and unfeeling, despite her assertions of love. She holds Norman a prisoner as much as a son, and even involves him in her murderous schemes, or at least covering them up. She is manipulating and shaping him into the killer that he himself will become, and making sure she sinks claws into him that will stay attached far beyond her death.

Not that Norma is the only dangerous thing in town. It’s hard to trust Sheriff Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell, Lost), even after Norma worms her way into the arms of his Deputy, Zack Shelby (Mike Vogel, Under the Dome). Pot fields and sex-slave rings abound. Creepiness is everywhere.

Norman’s path isn’t completely lost yet. He’s a nice, obedient boy, most of the time, and he has an older half-brother, Dylan (Max Thieriot), to look up to. He also has a teacher, Miss Watson (Keegan Connor Tracy, Once Upon a Time), that sees untapped potential within him. There is always the slim chance he might get out of this story without being ruined, though I doubt that would satisfy the fans.

High definition is a must for this series. Given the dark tone, there are plenty of shadows and muted colors. This blu-ray release does a fantastic job of showing off the blacks and layers within in 1080p. It’s nice to get such crispness from such richly detained sets and props. The soundtrack is well mixed in DTS 5.1. If a production is going to go this much trouble to deliver a high quality release, both visual and audio, it is worth it to seek the best picture and sound available.

The special features are unfortunately few. There are deleted scenes, of course, and a really cool Paley Center Panel included. For those who buy the initial release, a few of Jiao’s (Diana Bang) neat sketches are tucked in. But that’s it, no audio commentaries or behind-the-scenes extras, sadly.

Bates Motel: Season One is on sale now.