Revisiting SE7EN in 4K

SE7EN (4K UHD)

1995 / 127 min

From Warner Bros.

#InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Mr. Paws😺

I guess we can add David Fincher to the list of directors compelled to go back and tweak with his movies (even if they don’t need tweaking). But unlike George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Ridley Scott, he doesn’t mess with the content or narrative of Se7en…just a few CGI enhancements here and there that I doubt most viewers will even notice. 

Still, those changes are there, which I’m sure will raise the hackles of the few purists who’ve committed every single frame to memory. For cinephiles who still venture outdoors on occasion, this 4K UHD version - overseen by Fincher - looks and sounds tremendous…a fitting restoration for the film’s 30th Anniversary.

Wow, has it really been that long? It seems like just yesterday everyone at work was talking about this one. Still, I was a tad skeptical at the time because, not only did I assume Se7en was just another serial killer movie in the wake of Silence of the Lambs, it was directed by the same guy who just took a massive dump on Alien’s legacy. But curiosity eventually got the best of me and I dragged the wife along with me to check it out…

Brad in time-out.

…and I was floored. With its relentlessly grim take on your standard police procedural, Se7en was nothing like Silence of the Lambs. The beautifully grimy aesthetic enhances its bleak tone, creating an immersive experience in which our most recurring emotional response is dread. And since there was not much of an internet for dumbass doorknobs to drop spoilers, the twist ending was a jaw dropper that I didn’t see coming. My wife was horrified. So was I, but in a good way because, even today, it isn’t often that a major studio film has the cajones to end on such a dour note.

With this one film, David Fincher was suddenly a director to watch, Brad Pitt escaped his pretty boy image and “What’s in the box?” became part of our vernacular (eventually an overused meme). It also features one of Morgan Freeman’s best performances, which should have at-least gotten an Oscar nomination (with the exception of an editing nod, the film was shamefully snubbed that year).

Three decades later, Se7en has aged remarkably well and remains a wonderfully unnerving film, even if that climax no longer has the power to shock as it once did. But like Planet of the Apes, that’s due more to its cultural impact than the cruelty of time. While the 4K edition nicely presents the film in all its grimy glory, there aren’t any new bonus features and the outer packaging is pretty similar to a DVD set released by New Line 25 years ago. This one is for those interested in a technical upgrade…or David Fincher’s CGI enhancements.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Production Design; Mastering for Home Theater; Exploring the Opening Title Sequence.

EPK

4 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By director David Fincher, actors Morgan Freeman & Brad Pitt; 2) By writer Andrew Kevin Walker, director David Fincher, editor Richard-Francis Bruce, New Line president of production Michael De Luca; 3) By writer Andrew Kevin Walker, director David Fincher, cinematographer Darius Khondji, production designer Arthur Max. 4) By composer Howard Shore, sound designer Ren Klyce, director David Fincher.

ALTERNATE ENDING - With optional commentary and storyboards.

6 DELETED SCENES - With optional commentary.

6 STILL GALLERIES

DIGITAL COPY

SHELF LIFE: Paul Bartel's Last...at Last

SHELF LIFE (Blu-ray)

1993 / 81 min

From Liberation Hall

Review by Princess Pepper

Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, maybe you’ve seen Paul Bartel before. As an actor, he’s appeared in a lot of B-movies, mostly supporting roles. But for some, he’s the cult hero behind such quirky classics as Death Race 2000 and Eating Raoul. 

Shelf Life is the last film Bartel directed before passing away in 2000, not that anyone was aware of it at the time. Made in 1993, it sat unreleased for 30 years. Now it’s on Blu-ray and DVD from the boutique label, Liberation Hall, which is great news for Bartel's fans. Those not already in-tune with his eccentricities probably shouldn’t bother.

Even then, Shelf Life has the look and feel of an unfinished film, almost like a workprint. Nor does it appear that there was a very good original negative available this transfer. Or hell, maybe it’s supposed to look like its been playing too long at a second run theater.

It’s got a neat premise, though. Following the assassination of JFK, a family of five retreat to a bomb shelter. 30 years later, both parents have since died and the kids are now grown up…but only in the physical sense. Psychologically, they are still children. Isolated from the rest of the world, everything they know and feel comes from what they remember of their parents, a few books in the shelter and periodic TV signals.

Never play with your food.

However, there isn’t much in the way of a story. Nearly the entire running time consists of Tina (O-Lan Jones), Pam (Andrea Stein) and Scotty (Jim Turner) role playing what they see and hear on television, with a few brief moments of childlike conflict interspersed here and there.

Based on a play originally conceived by the three lead actors, Shelf Life is initially kind of interesting and occasionally funny. But once the novelty of the premise wears off, these characters are less endearing and the viewer might grow impatient waiting for some kind of significant plot development. After awhile, I found myself thinking this might have been more effective as a short subject.

Still, the performances are quite good, and considering the whole thing takes place in the dingy, cluttered confines of a bomb shelter, the production design reflects a lot of imagination. Ultimately though, historical curiosity is the film’s primary appeal. Shelf Life does not rank among Paul Bartel’s best work - not even close - but it’s nice to finally see what would be his last directorial effort. That alone makes it a must-see for some people.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - American Cinematheque Q&A - This is a Zoom conference featuring actors O-Lan Jones, Andrea Stein & Jim Turner and filmmaker Alex Mechanik; Q&A with Tina, Pam & Scotty is a faux Q&A session featuring the actors in-character…in someone’s backyard.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By actors O-Lan Jones, Andrea Stein & Jim Turner, production designer Philip Holahan and filmmaker Alex Mechanik.

TRAILERS & TEASER TRAILERS