- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Video Codec:
- Resolution: 1080p/24
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0 Stereo
- Subtitles: English HOH
- Classification: 15
- Region: B (Region-Locked)
- Discs: 1
- Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: April 11, 2011
- RRP: £19.99
[amazon-product align=”right” region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B004OQJSVS[/amazon-product]
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.co.uk
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Whether you like slasher films, indie films or neither, I guarantee that Quentin Dupieux’s Rubber will be one of, if not the, most unique films you see this year. This is absurdist cinema at its finest. It’s a film about a tire that comes to life in the middle of the California desert and then goes on a murderous rampage, first starting with inanimate objects, then small animals, before working its way up the food chain to humans. But, how could a tire come to life, you might ask? And why would it go on a rampage? “No reason” as the narrator in the beginning monologue has already explained. Dupieux’s film is an homage to “no reason,” a comedy/horror film that is all about style and if the substance is completely bonkers, well, don’t bother to ask why something happens, because, there is no reason.
The tire, called Robert, rolls into an isolated desert town where a beautiful young woman named Sheila (Roxane Mesquida) becomes the object of his obsession. He kills a maid, tries to use the swimming pool and is uncovered by a local kid. This kicks off a tirehunt, if you will, led by the local sheriff. Meanwhile, the “film” is being viewed by a group of observers, like a Greek chorus, who occasionally comment on the events, but soon, they become a part of the story as well. An unlikely turn of events.
And what of “Robert”? Well, Dupieux successfully makes you believe that this inanimate object has come alive and can feel anger, pain, and lust, such as when he peeks through an open door at Sheila having a shower. That and the odd almost surreal acting make Rubber quizzical and, since it is a slasher film, shocking, all at once.
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
I would have given this 1080p transfer a perfect score were it not for the frequent appearance of stair-stepping scattered throughout. Otherwise it is strong in details, clean, has great flesh tones and is absent any video noise.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Rubber is given an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo soundtrack. The 5.1 mix is clean with intelligible dialogue, a good spread of sounds across the front soundstage that follow the action and ample amounts of ambient, atmospheric sounds. It is occasionally a bit dry sounding, but overall it fits the material quite well.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
The interview segments with the director and cast are your best bet on here, everything else is the usual filler of trailers.
The supplements provided on this release are:
- Interviews (1.78:1; 1080p/24):
- Quentin Dupieux
- Stephen Spinella
- Jack Plotnick
- Roxanne Mesquida
- Teaser Test (1.78:1; 1080p/24)
- Trailer (1.85:1; 1080p/24)
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
A unique take on the slasher film that is also a stick in the eye to Hollywood, Rubber is an amusing, gory, and wholly original film that is destined to earn the label “cult classic.” It’s been brought to Blu-ray in a transfer that wonderfully shows off the beautiful textures of the desert terrain. It’s not for everyone, so maybe rent this one before buying.
Additional Screen Captures
–
[amazon-product align=”right” region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B004OQJSVS[/amazon-product]
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.co.uk
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
