In COLOR OUT OF SPACE, after a meteorite lands in the front yard of their farm, Nathan Gardner (Nicolas Cage) and his family find themselves battling a mutant extraterrestrial organism as it infects their minds and bodies, transforming their quiet rural life into a technicolor nightmare.
For thoughts on Color Out Of Space, please check out my thoughts here.
Video Quality
Color Out Of Space comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a terrific HEVC encoded 2160p transfer which dazzles despite the lack of High Dynamic Range. The title of the movie clues you into the importance of color within this story, and the lack of HDR does not mean that there is a loss to the intended richness of the hues. There are subtle improvements you can see in the depth of the colors when compared to the Blu-Ray version also included. This presentation also clears up a bit of the murkiness during a few of the darkest portions of the narrative which struggle in simple HD. The film takes place almost entirely over the course of a few days, and the transfer retains a striking level of detail in all lighting conditions. Nearly every element from the texture in the clothing and production design to the grotesque special effects is quite impressive. RLJE Entertainment has delivered a presentation that knocks it out of the park.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a dynamite DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that brings this nightmare to life without fail. This track allows for a fully fleshed-out setting full of discrete sonic details. The directionality is quite intensive so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. Dialogue radiates out with perfect clarity as it is not overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Environmental elements are portioned out thoughtfully throughout the film to achieve maximum disturbance. Activity in the low end rarely lets up as it digs deep from the beginning. RLJE has delivered a standout track that elevates everything that is thrown at it. There are English SDH and Spanish subtitles for those who desire them.
Special Features
- The Making Of Color Out Of Space: A 20-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the development of this adaptation, the direction of Richard Stanley, the casting of Nicolas Cage, the atmosphere on set, the visual effects, the desire for future Lovecraft adaptations and more.
- Deleted Scenes: This disc provides 13 minutes of unused material including an extended meeting between Ezra and Ward, a dismissive moment with the mayor, more time with the alpacas and more.
- Photo Gallery – The Gardner’s Farm: A collection of photos from around the family farm.
Final Thoughts
Color Out Of Space has the inherent drawback of nearly any H.P. Lovecraft adaptation, which is the inability to perfectly capture the horrors which your mind creates from reading his brilliant writing. That being said, the nightmares conjured throughout this journey are no walk in the park as you are subjected to numerous disturbing images and bone-chilling situations. Nicolas Cage is off the reservation in a really fun way while the other cast members keep things grounded in a believable enough space to let him soar. The tonal balance is mostly achieved to deliver one of the best Lovecraft adaptations we have seen to date. RLJE Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a grand A/V presentation and a couple of brief supplemental features. If you love cosmic horror or a Nicolas Cage performance with a lot of big swings, be sure to add this to your list.. Recommended
Color Out Of Space is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
