There's extra depth in hi-def death with My Bloody Valentine 3D

My Bloody Valentine 3D is the latest in the long line of ‘80s horror remakes to roll off the Hollywood production line. But this one is a bit fresher than most thanks to the decision to cast some genuinely talented young actors (including Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles) and the decision to anchor the lashings of gore and nudity to a genuine whodunit plot – which makes it feel like a twisted episode of Scooby-Doo as you’re left guessing the identity of the man behind the mask of the murderous pick-axe wielding miner.

Rik Henderson: This BD50 platter serves up both 2D and 3D AVC 1.85:1 encoded versions of the film. As you might expect from a contemporary flick, the 2D presentation is sharp and well detailed, with excellent colour reproduction. The 3D incarnation uses good old anaglyph (purple/green) technology, which naturally robs the imagery of a natural colour palette, rending everything in orangey-brown tones. However, the 3D actually works pretty well, much better than other anaglyph discs I’ve come across, with not only a tremendous sense of depth in the picture, but also surprisingly effective examples of things coming out of the screen (such as the shotgun pointed at the camera in Chapter 10).

Steve May: The movie made be old-skool horror, but the soundtrack is a leading edge 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, rich in slasher atmospherics (is that someone behind me in a gas mask?). In many ways the aural effects are more three dimensional than the visuals, even though those extra rear surrounds get less attention than I'd hoped for. The score, by Michael Wandmacher, is suitably panic-stricken and driven – swelling with pride every time the killer makes an appearance (Wandmacher also scored Punisher: War Zone), and there's some juicy LFE to underpin the visceral slaughter.

Anton van Beek: The main extra is of course the inclusion of the 3D version (plus two pairs of 3D glasses). But this disc also offers up a few more morsels for fans.
There’s a chatty commentary track by director Patrick Lussier and co-writer Todd Farmer, a 7min Making of… featurette, a 6min look at some of the special effects with SFX guru Gary J Tunnicliffe, 14 deleted/extended scenes, an alternate opening, a gag reel and bookmarks. All of the video content is presented in 480p SD.

We say: The horror might be strictly old-skool, but everything else about this BD release smacks of the hi-def here'n'now.

Lionsgate, Region B Blu-ray, £25, On sale now
HCC VERDICT: 3/5