Review of Arlington Road

Video

Arlington Road is presented in an anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer, and is split over 18 chapters. It would have been nice to have seen a few more chapters for a film almost two hours in length however.

Picture quality is good, however I did feel that the colour looked a little washed out in certain parts. Contrast is satisfactory.

Audio

You get two 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtracks in English and German, which is welcome. Although one might think that being a thriller then there is no need for a lot of surround action, Arlington Road does have its moments. There is some nice rear surround action during the fast paced sequences, and the subwoofer is put to good use also.

I did once or twice notice some distortion from the right channel during some of the loud bits. This did not disappear even after reducing the volume (I like it loud when I’m reviewing!) so I have to assume that the audio on the disc is at fault. In fairness this was only noticeable once however.

Features

What a shame. No extras at all. The menus are also totally static and are about as basic as you can get. This is a total contrast to the region 1 version of the film, where there are extras galore, including a full length commentary.

The only redeeming factor is that you get quite a thick booklet with some cast biographies in. However the booklet is not as thick as you would initially assume, as the booklet contains three languages. The DVD is supplied in the plastic super jewel case – like it or loathe it!

This is yet another case of bad value for money for the UK. The disc is the film, and that’s it. I am pleased to note that there are more Region 2 discs which are at least comparable, if not better, than the Region 1, but unfortunately several of these ‘bare bones’ Region2s are still being released.

Conclusion

This DVD can be summed up as ‘Good film, poor DVD’.

Jeff Bridges and Tim “Shawshank” Robbins are excellent as the two neighbours on Arlington Road. As thrillers go, this is one that most people will be able to easily relate to – as who really can say that they know everything there is to know about their neighbours? The film really warrants at least two viewings to get the full twists and turns of the plot. This is the kind of film that if you cease concentrating for just a few minutes, you miss a vital part of the story.

The DVD on the other hand is a classic example of ‘Buy the Region 1’. It is such a shame when distributors try it on with the Region 2 release, and just supply the bare bones film with nothing else.