COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - THE BORDERLANDS (SECOND SIGHT FILMS BLU-RAY)
One of the hardest parts about being a horror fan is that you can’t possibly watch everything that has, and will come out. I know, a first-world problem to be sure, but the deluge of content we are getting these days comes with equal measures of blessing and burden. While the plight of not having enough time to dedicate to watching movies is a real one, it is also why physical media is still one of the best ways to revisit older films. With streaming services constantly juggling the availability of various titles at different times, a lot of films get lost mostly due to volume. And while streaming services like Shudder and Screambox (along with all-stars Tubi and Pluto TV) cater to genre fans directly, they still can only offer a small fraction of what is widely available to own at home. This is why labels like Second Sight are so important to genre fans as they take care to bring back films that may have fallen by the wayside while giving them the TLC they so rightly deserve. This may be the case for their newest release of The Borderland in a standard and Limited Edition Blu-Ray set. Is this a forgotten classic finally getting its due, or is this a fragment of film history best left in the annals of time?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A small team of Vatican investigators arrives at a remote church in hopes of demystifying the building's unusual goings-on, but what they discover is more disturbing than they could ever imagine.
HOW IS IT?
Found footage is a shining example of the best and the worst the genre has to offer. On the positive side, creativity and bootstrapping are often at the forefront of these films and they are usually the better for it. Trading in high budgets for more creative and atmospheric mood pieces, found footage films can illustrate the ingenuity of the genre without all the fixings you’ll find in a studio film. On the negative side, found footage as an aesthetic can be a crutch for underdeveloped stories and characters, while also falling victim (no pun intended) to the same trappings of monotony that slashers are sometimes characterized as being. The “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all” kind of mentality if you will. Then comes along a found footage film that does everything it sets out to do extremely well while avoiding some of the missteps so frequent in other kinds of films. That film is “The Borderlands”, and even if you’re not keen on found footage, you’ll likely have a great time with this one.
Part of what makes found footage films compelling is the sense of danger and voyeurism one feels while watching them. The problem then becomes, how you make the first-person point of view make sense in the narrative of the film. Most will opt for the Blair Witch Project approach of feigning documentary, but “The Borderlands” provides something more nuanced as we follow a group of folks dispatched by the Vatican to disprove claims of miracles. Not only does this setup work in favor of the film's broader religious themes, but it also makes complete sense within the world the story exists in. Much like how Deadstream (which came after this) uses the idea of a live streamer and plays with that to great effect, the use of the cameras as a means to document and report all make sense and add to the general sense of authenticity that these films live or die on. Part and parcel with a great setup are great performances, and while the cast is small, the work delivered most certainly is not. Both Gray (Robin Hill) and Deacon (Gordon Kennedy) are brought completely to life through their actors, with the former being more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed about the whole affair while the latter is on the opposite end of that spectrum; burnt-out, lacking belief, and an increasing reliance on alcohol to cope. These small details about these characters come out over time and do more than enough to help paint a clear picture of these two without having much backstory on either of them.
Of course, the reason you’re watching a movie like “The Borderlands” is for the scares and it most certainly delivers in that regard. While what is on-screen isn’t breaking the mold for found footage, it does execute the well-worn tropes extremely well and with far better closure than most found footage films ever get. The horror here works so well because of how slowly trickled out information is about what is going on, and what the reasons for it may be. In a surprising turn of events, we felt more engaged with the backstory of this church than most found footage backstories and we could certainly see a revisiting of this to inform a prequel. The religious horror is mixed in with the supernatural and cosmic to create a compelling and entertaining mix of mystery and the macabre. If there is one critique we could make it is that there could’ve been more time spent in the depths of the church as that seemed like great fodder for some more action. Still, this suggestion is merely additive and not there to improve what is already a great, concise, and wholly enjoyable found footage film. Even the naysayers will find themselves gleefully delighted with how dark things get here, and just how outstanding the final act is.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Second Sight as always brings a pedigree of quality to their releases and “The Borderlands” is no different. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and in 1080p HD encoding. Given the film is just over a decade old, there isn’t a lot of cleanup needed here, but the overall presentation is still spectacular. The image is crisp, the dark hues are vibrant, and the lighter and softer tones blend in nicely with the rural backdrop. Images from this release are seen below and used throughout this review.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
The audio options on “The Borderlands” disc are just another feather in the cap of quality that is a Second Sight Films release. Honestly, it’s hard to find fault with what they do just because of how much attention to detail and care is put into each release. The 5.1 DTS-HD audio track is solid and offers a mostly front speaker range with some occasional uses of the rears. The dialogue is easy to hear amongst the diegetic sound even during more loud, and tense scenes. There is also an English subtitles track for the hearing impaired which is a huge win!
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
Par for the course, Second Sight has outdone itself once again by literally cramming as much content as possible onto this disc. For film fans, there is nothing better than special features and Second Sight uses both previously available as well as newly commissioned material to deliver a comprehensive package in appreciation of “The Borderlands”. The first feature we took in was a 30-minute interview, Dressing The Part: A New Interview with Robin Hill and Gordon Kennedy. This single-camera interview splices clips from the film with a conversation between the two actors about their roles in the film. There is clearly a lot of authentic friendship and camaraderie on display as both Robin and Gordon reminisce about working on the film. Robin, who was not an actor but rather a film editor by trade, felt it was a good idea to try his hand at acting to get a better appreciation of the form. Interestingly enough, the wardrobe folks loved them both as their personal styles were pretty much on par with what the team had already dreamt up for them, and for the most curious there is even a “Barbie” and “The Borderlands” connection.
The second feature we took in was a 10-minute interview titled, “Monster Goo: a new interview with Dan Martin”. Maybe it is recency bias, but Martin’s name has popped up a lot recently (most notably on the Possessor release) and it felt appropriate to check out his work on “The Borderlands”. True to form, Martin gives a masterclass on all things slime-related as he walks the viewer through both a history lesson and a practical application of slime in film. For those interested in the ins and outs of special effects work, this is a “must-watch” feature that goes into extreme detail on what material is used for what kind of slime, how to make it, and even some tricks of the trade on how to make it work within your own effects stylings. There is some time devoted to speaking about this work on the film, predominantly the ending where his work was featured. A full list of special features included with this release is listed below.
Special Features
New audio commentary by Actors Robin Hill and Gordon Kennedy, Producer Jennifer Handorf and Special Effects Artist Dan Martin
Dressed the Part: a new interview with Robin Hill and Gordon Kennedy
Losing Faith: A New Interview with Jennifer Handorf
Monster Goo: a new interview with Dan Martin
Archive featurette: Behind the Scenes
Limited Edition Contents
Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Christopher Shy
70-page book with new essays by Tim Coleman, Martyn Conterio, Shellie McMurdo, and Johnny Walker
6 collectors' art cards
LAST RITES
“The Borderlands” is found footage done right, and is a shining example of how investing in characters and a great backstory will do much of the heavy lifting in the genre. Not only does this release look and sound great, but it is packed with extras that make this a worthwhile purchase for fans of found footage and maybe even those who aren’t!
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at AIM Publicity and Second Sight Films for providing a review copy for the crypt! The Borderlands is available NOW and can be pre-ordered via Second Sight Direct and will officially released on April 15, 2024!
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