End Of Days
Universal & Beacon / 1999 / 117 Mins / Rated MA15+

MOVIE
After 2 years break Arnold Schwarzenegger jumped back into movies big time with a special effects laden movie fighting none other than the Devil!

It's 1979 a baby is born little knowing that her destiny is to copulate with Satan and start a new age of terror and destruction. 

We flash forward 20 years, Christine York (Robin Tunney) is the young woman who has been having strange visions since she was young. We learn that she is the chosen one to bear Satan's child. Enter stage left, Satan played with zeal by Gabriel Byrne. He will stop at nothing to get his hands on Christine to impregnate her in the last hour of this century.

Satan forgot about one thing, Christine is being protected by a very suicidal Jericho Cane (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Loaded with great special effects and a moderately interesting story End Of Days is a good vehicle for Arnold Schawarzenegger to get back into the movies with.

VIDEO
This is a very strong and sharp transfer, colors were well rendered. There is absolutely no shadow detail present and dark areas are a deep black. There were no visible film or MPEG artifacts at all.

End Of Days  is framed at 2:35:1 and is 16:9 enhanced.

This is a single-sided, dual-layer disc.

The layer change occurs at the 83:32.
AUDIO

Reference quality audio adorns this disc. Encoded in Dolby Digital 5.1 the surrounds are very aggressive and immersive. The .1 channel is present but did not seem as active as it could have been. Dialog was clear and easy to hear. All in all the soundtrack puts you into the action. There is also a Dolby 2.0 soundtrack as well as a commentary track in Dolby 2.0

EXTRAS

More sensational extras from Village Roadshow here. I wish most other R4 companies could be this generous.

2 Theatrical Trailers - DD5.1 sound framed at 2:35:1. While technically sensational, the trailer does not sell the movie very well. There is also a hidden trailer for The Hurricane encoded in Dolby Digital 2.0 framed at 1:85:1. This is a great trailer but is lacking technically, I wish they has put the full 5.1 trailer that I have seen on the disc.

2 Music Videos - Two music videos of excellent quality. So Long - Everlast and Superbeast - Rob Zombie. While not to my tastes the videos are technically superb. Both have Dolby Digital 2.0 sound while one is framed at 1:85:1 and the other is closer to 2:1 ratio.

Making Of Documentary - This is a very good Universal spotlight documentary that runs about 20 minutes and sheds quite a lot of info about the movie. This is what a making of should be like, not a 5 minute extended trailer.

Revelations Featurette - This is a great extra featuring 9 behind the scenes featurettes on various effects on the movie which run about 30 minutes. These are a great extra that you can watch all in one or separately. All feature Dolby Digital 2.0.

Audio Commentary This is a very good commentary featuring the director Peter Hyams. He speaks openly about various aspects of filmmaking and is very informative.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Yet another great disc from Village Roadshow. Good movie, great extras, fine transfer. A great addition to your collection.
16:9 ENHANCEMENT DISC RATING

VIDEO:
AUDIO:
EXTRAS:
PLOT:
OVERALL:

REVIEW EQUIPMENT
Display: 48" Sony RPTV.
DVD Player: Panasonic A350 Player using S-Video Cables.
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-D508 Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.
Speakers: Accusound speaker system.

Copyright © 2000 by [Roger Ward].
Revised: 27 Jun 2000 01:13:42 +1100 .

DVD INFORMATION
Region Coding: Region 4
No of Discs: 1
OFLC Rating MA15+
Running Time: 117 Mins
Case Type: Clip Case
Release Date: 23/5/2000
Catalog Number: 1024129
List Price: $34.95
Distributor: Village Roadshow
DISC SPECIFICATIONS
Disc Format: PAL
Disc Type: Picture Disc
Disc Format: SS-RSDL
Chapters: 24
Macrovision: Yes
Manufacturer: DVM
VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS
Aspect Ratio: 2:35:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Film Format: 35mm
SOUND SPECIFICATIONS
Dolby Digital:

5.1 Surround
2.0 Surround
DTS: None
PCM Stereo: None
Other: None
Languages: English
Subtitles: Yes
SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio Commentary: Yes
Theatrical Trailer: Yes (2)
Teaser Trailer: None
TV Spots: None
Dolby Trailer: Aurora Trailer
Documentary: Yes
Cast & Crew Bios: Yes
Deleted Scenes: None
Music Videos: Yes (2)
DVD Rom Content: None
Collectable Booklet: None
Scene Access: Yes
Animated Menus: Yes
Production Notes: None
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