A year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve, Winnie Carruthers’ life is less than wonderful — but when she wishes she’d never been born, she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe and discovers that without her, things could be much, much worse. Now the killer is back, and she must team up with the town misfit to identify the killer and get back to her own reality.
For in-depth thoughts on It’s A Wonderful Knife, please see my colleague Gaius Bolling’s review from its original theatrical debut here.
Video Quality
It’s A Wonderful Knife comes to Blu-Ray with a gorgeous AVC encoded 1080p transfer that brings this film to vivid life. The cinematography features some dazzling pops of color that harness the spirit of the holiday. These colors capture the heightened reality of the story which aids it quite a bit in establishing the atmosphere. The picture is largely clear with only brief instances of banding during a few of the darkest moments. While bright daytime sequences are in short supply, the transfer maintains an impressive level of detail at both times of the day. Skin tones are natural throughout with impeccable details present in certain shots. Nearly every element from the smallest makeup detail to the texture in the production design is supremely impressive. RLJE Entertainment has done an admirable job with this release.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that sounds great as it translates the experiences of this world. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Environmental effects play a significant role in the film, and this track brings these elements to life with a clear strength. This track creates a fully three-dimensional world full of unique sonic details. The directionality is pinpoint precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. Activity in the low end delivers some important texture during the appropriate moments. RLJE has delivered a fierce track that packs a punch. There are English SDH and French subtitles for those who desire them.
Special Features
- Audio Commentaries: There are two commentary tracks provided in which the director sits down with two different figures who aided in bringing the movie to the screen alongside him. There are discussions about the production process, the shooting locations, the casting of the film, the look of the feature, and more.
- Audio Commentary #1: Director Tyler MacIntyre and writer/producer Michael Kennedy
- Audio Commentary #2: Director Tyler MacIntyre and cinematographer Nicholas Piatnik
- Better Off – The Making of It’s A Wonderful Knife: A 24-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the origins of the film, the shooting locations, the special effects, the casting of the feature, post-production, and more.
- Storyboards Featurette for “Carol of the Belles” Kill Scene: A two-minute comparison between the original storyboards of a key scene and the finished version.
- Trailers: This disc provides the Domestic Trailer (2:00) and the International Trailer (2:06).
- Social Media Spots: This disc provides various social media spots including the 15s Trailer, 30s Trailer, A Christmas Classic (0:33), Be Careful (0:26), Investigation Board (0:29), and Waters for Mayor (0:26).
- Behind-The-Scenes Stills Gallery: There is a collection of photos from the production of the film provided here.
Final Thoughts
It’s A Wonderful Knife is another fun entry in the holiday slasher genre that embraces the heartfelt possibilities of this high-concept tale. Traditional horror fans should not fear, though, as there are plenty of deaths on the docket – even if we wish they would have leaned more into practical effects. The thrills feel somewhat forced at times and the acting is inconsistent across the cast, but there is enough fun to be had to overlook some of the minor inconsistencies. RLJE Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a fun array of special features. If you want some fresh kills added to your holiday celebrations, give this one a shot. Recommended
It’s A Wonderful Knife will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on April 9, 2024.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 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.
