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eXistenZ Review
By admin | August 16, 2009
eXistenZ - Trailer
eXistenZ Review
COMMENTS
Just when you think you’ve got Disney’s attitude with respect to anamorphic DVDs all figured out, you walk into the video store and discover that a little, hardly seen film like EXISTENZ has been released in 16×9 format.
With all the big titles coming out of Disney’s stable, why would Cronenberg’s pic rate anamorphic treatment? Of course, we’re grateful, but we’re equally perplexed. As far as we know, forthcoming animated heavy-hitters like THE LITTLE MERMAID, MULAN, and HERCULES will NOT be anamorphic. It’s almost as if Disney is taunting us — teasing us. Still more confusing is the company’s failure to promote the fact that EXISTENZ has been pressed in 16×9. Geez, you’d think they were embarrassed. What are those little mice up to?
Maybe Cronenberg was involved in the mastering process — he’s done it before. Perhaps it was his urging that garnered anamorphic treatment for his film. It’s difficult to imagine that folks at Disney believed they’d pump up sales with anamorphia and took it upon themselves to press the disc this way. Anamorphic or not, EXISTENZ will have limited appeal to movie and home theater fans — as is the case with all of the director’s films. Cronenberg has a strong, loyal following, but a rather small one. Furthermore, if Disney believed 16×9 would’ve made a difference, they would’ve promoted the disc’s release a bit and at least mentioned the fact.
Another possibility is that Cronenberg’s film has an aspect ratio of 1.77 : 1, which requires no loss of image whatsoever when going anamorphic — that is, 16×9 IS 1.77 : 1. Perhaps this fact helped get the film transferred for enhanced viewing, but it’s doubtful. Until Disney speaks up, I’m afraid we’ll remain more than a bit puzzled by their decisions regarding anamorphic transfers. Hey, at least we’re getting them now and then.
As is often the case with Cronenberg’s films, EXISTENZ is unlike any you’ve ever seen before, except perhaps other flics by the director — like NAKED LUNCH. There are a number of ‘Cronenbergian’ elements in the film, and fans are sure to recognize them beginning with it’s very first scene.
Like THE MATRIX, THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR and a handful of other pics releases in the past year, EXISTENZ deals with alternate levels of ‘reality,’ and the confusion between the real world and, well … something else. The title refers to a new game designed by the goddess of virtual reality fair, Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh). A VR- themed pic wouldn’t be terribly unique. We’d expect more from the mind of Mr. Cronenberg, who wrote the script himself — his first since VIDEODROME. Of course there’s a twist. In EXISTENZ, the game is accessed by porting into a ‘pod’ — a fleshy structure made from the internal organs of mutant reptiles and amphibians. One ‘ports in’ with an ‘umbrycord’ — an umbilical cord running from the pod straight into the player’s central nervous system via a ‘bio port,’ or hole in the player’s lower back. Now THAT sounds like Cronenberg! So do other elements of the film, like the weapons manufactured from the flesh and bone of amphibians that fire human teeth rather than bullets, and the scenes where Geller and her partner, Ted Pikul (Jude Law), lubricate and tongue each other’s bio ports — an act which looks a lot like sexual foreplay, but isn’t. Cronenberg fans will be reminded of similar scenes in his previous film, CRASH where characters licked each other’s reddened, angry looking wounds.
Game fans will especially dig EXISTENZ because it prophecieses the future of the medium. However, it’s highly unlikely that folks will be punching holes in their backs so they can plug into a pile of amphibian organs any time soon. But, the idea of becoming a character in every sense of the word — that is to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell everything he does while moving in a completely convincing software-bound environment is a gamer’s wet dream. Geller’s Existenz can do this — but perhaps too well, for when players port in, they experience levels of psychosis. They can’t tell the difference between reality and ‘virtuality.’
Enemies of Geller and her company, Antenna, are disturbed by the escape-from-real-world experience provided by games like Existenz. A group of ‘realists’ is gunning for the legendary game designer. They’ve put a five million dollar price tag on her head. This plot element adds additional suspense and thrills to Cronenberg’s already intriguing premise.
The film’s visual effects are extra slimy and gruesome, particularly during a scene where Jude Law wolfs down a Chinese dish made from slippery mutant amphibian parts, and then assembles a greasy handgun from the bones (Yum!). The undulating pod and umbilicals used to enter Existenz are beyond description, but they look exactly like what you’d expect fleshy lumps stuffed with animal organs to look like (Eeew!). Like most Cronenberg films, EXISTENZ is not for the squeamish.
Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh are both convincing in their roles, and supporters Willem Dafoe and Ian Holm are delightfully creepy. Once again, with relatively inexpensive sets, special effects and costume design, Cronenberg and cinematographer Peter Suschitzky, manage to create an arresting atmosphere in which to unfold a unique story. EXISTENZ is not in the same league as DEAD RINGERS or THE FLY, but it’s an intriguing piece of work.
SYNOPSIS
Antenna’s Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the goddess of virtual reality game design, has completed five years of work on a thirty million dollar project — a game called ‘Existenz.’ Using a fleshy ‘pod’ and an ‘umbrycord’ plugged directly into the gamer’s spine, the software feeds right into the central nervous system and provides an out of body experience for its players.
An assassin makes an attempt on Geller’s life during the premier demonstration of the game. Her bodyguard, Ted Pikul (Jude Law), who’s actually just a PR guy for Antenna, scoops her up and drives her to safety. Fearing that her own people may be after her, Geller convinces Pikul to cut communications with Antenna and everyone else. No one can be trusted at this point.
Geller believes her pod may have been damaged during the shooting, so she urges Pikul to get a bio port in his back so they can port in together and check it for flaws. They pull over at a country gas station, called ‘The Country Gas Station,’ where auto mechanic named Gas (Willem Dafoe), installs a port in Pikul’s back. But dirty work is a’foot. Gas installs a faulty port which causes a surge and fries Geller’s pod. Apparently, there’s a huge bounty of Geller and her game and Gas is after the cash. Geller and Pikul manage to escape and together they drive to an old ski chalet to ask Kiri Vinokur (Ian Holm) to salvage the damaged pod.
Once all is well, Geller and Pikul enter Existenz and begin to play the game. However, which level of existence is real and which is virtual? We’re not sure and neither are they. We’re hood-winked time and again. There’s a group of ‘realists’ who feel the escapism provided by Geller’s games is poisoning the human race. Perhaps they’ve managed to tamper with the game so they can enter it and kill Geller. The twists and turns come faster as the story spirals to it’s conclusion, which is hardly a conclusion at all.
IMAGE
This is a very good, near reference quality, anamorphic transfer from the folks at Disney. Yeah, I know, it feels weird to me as I’m writing it. Save for a handful of scenes that appear a bit soft, the image is very sharp and detailed. Lines are crisp and clean with no hint of ‘ringing’ from digital enhancement. EXISTENZ is a rather dark film. Few scenes go above a low key-lit look. There are many nighttime shots and shots with long, dark shadows and dull colors. Blacks look deep and solid. The same can be said for the abundant dull color fields. We noticed no ‘grain’ at any point during the presentation. Shadow delineation is very good.
Though the color palette is rather dull during much of the film, there are splashes of brighter tones here and there. The occasional bursts of flames show off vivid, saturated reds and oranges, and the visit to the Chinese restaurant in the woods has bits of blue, red and green. All shades are well-rendered and look very good. Flesh tones look natural in all lighting keys — on character’s faces and hands as well as on those icky pods (Eew!).
The print used by Disney to strike their anamorphic master (I have to keep typing it until it sinks in) is near pristine. A few tiny nicks aside, there are no distracting scars and scratches to mar the viewing experience. This is an impressive second stroll down anamorphia lane by the folks at Disney. Keep ‘em comin’ fellas.
SOUND
This is a good Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Disney’s packaging states that it’s only a 2.0 surround sound track, but repeated viewings of a few key scenes has convinced us otherwise. There are occasions where we can hear some rather faint, split effects in the rear speakers.
The forward stage is fairly deep, though not very wide. Panning effects are good and on occasion sound effects image into the ‘phantom’ zones between the center and middle and right mains.
For much of the presentation, the stage is only hemispheric. Only occasionally are low level ambient sounds heard over the shoulders. One standout scene occurs in the pod factory where various sounds of conveyor belts and machinery can be heard all about the ‘surroundstage.’ This is one of the scenes where split effects can be detected in the surround channels. The dynamic range hardly ever dips very low during EXISTENCE — perhaps only two or three times. The .1 FX channel has virtually nothing to do.
Dialogue sounds natural and is well integrated across the front three speakers. Voices sound natural, never distorted or compressed. Howard Shore’s excellent score is quite reminiscent of his work on THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. The piece set to the opening titles in particular is outstanding and sets a dark mood for the film. Shore’s score has been well recorded and rises up nicely from all positions in the surroundstage.
FEATURES
Scene access menu with links to 26 chapters in the film
Theatrical trailer
Reel recommedations
English closed captions