Why So Blu?

Belzebuth (DVD Review)

In Belzebuth, Special Agent Emanuel Ritter leads a police investigation into a series of shocking deaths. But after a priest from the Vatican finds a link between the murders and an ancient demon, a descent into horror ensues. BELZEBUTH is Emilio Portes’ (Pastorela) fourth feature film and first horror film, from a script co-written by Portes and Luis Carlos Fuentes (“Kipatla”). The horror/thriller stars Joaquín Cosio (“Narcos: Mexico,” The Lone Ranger ), Tobin Bell (Saw franchise), and Tate Ellington (Sinister 2). The film premiered at the 50^th Sitges Film Festival and received Best Picture at 2019 Santiago Horror Film Festival and Best Special Effects at 2019 Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre.

 

 

Film 

After a series of brutal massacres involving children and adults alike by mild-mannered individuals that have nothing in common except their working-class roots, special agent Emanuel Ritter (Joaquin Cosio) is tasked with investigating these brutal incidents that have affected everyone from all walks of life in this Mexican border town. What Ritter discovers may have dire consequences over all of humanity.

Belzebuth was never on my radar until this review opportunity presented itself and it was freakin’ fantastic! I mean, if you aren’t drawn and mortified by the first major sequence then you’re just not Belzebuth material. To say it was shocking and sad would be an understatement. It was that blunt force trauma to my senses that made me strap in and hold tight, because Belzebuth does not let up.

As the incidents of mass murder continued to escalate, Ivan Franco (Tate Ellington) arrives to help Ritter investigate. Franco is a “spiritual” Atheist but works for the Vatican. He believes that there is  a religious component to the macabre equation. This also brings forth the mysterious Vasilio Canetti (Tobin Bell) who has information and secrets of his own.

The film features familiar tropes like good, evil, religion, demons, possession, etc. It’s how the film manages to take all of these elements and make a cohesive no holds barred piece of entertainment that I marveled at. Belzebuth is a Mexican production but is in English and Spanish in almost equal parts. It has great production values, CGI, and special make-up effects. Belzebuth also runs at an almost hearty 2-hours, so it does plenty of air to breathe.

It seems that Belzebuth was released back in 2017 in Mexico and other countries. It has now made its American debut on streaming via Shudder and now will release on DVD and possibly Blu-ray. If you’re into films like The Exorcist, The Conjuring, then Belzebuth is right up your alley. It does a lot with the budget and I hope more people take notice, because the movie is terrific.

 

 

Video 

Encoding: MPEG-2

Resolution: 480p (upscaled to 1080p)

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Clarity/Detail: Belzebuth looks great and I think the scenes out in the daytime look terrific. I did not detect contrast or sharpness levels. Edge enhancement is there, but that’s do to it being a DVD – there’s no avoiding that.

Depth: There are scenes featuring some striking compositions and the DVD does a great job of showcasing these – MPEG-2 and all.

Black Levels: There are a few scenes that take place in darkness or in near darkness. These scenes are fare. There’s a slight inherent crush due to its DVD source. This is not a deal breaker whatsoever.

Color Reproduction: I would say the scenes with a red tint fare the worse, but it’s all relative. It is DVD after all.

Flesh Tones: Everyone looks great and the transfer reflects this.

Noise/Artifacts: I did not detect any instances of noise or artifacts.

 

Audio 

Audio Format(s): Spanish and English Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dynamics: I can only imagine what the Blu-ray would have sounded like, but this DVD’s 5.1 Dolby Digital track is no slouch. All things considered, it sounds phenomenal and really drags the viewer into this very dark world of terror…kicking and screaming.

Low Frequency Extension: The LFE subwoofer channel really delivers the low-end bass to the experience. The demonic action really benefits from the subwoofer channel, along with the scenes depicting acts of terror and brutality.

Surround Sound Presentation: There’s a heavy surround sound presence, especially when the demonic possession scenes kick in. There are a few other scenes that use the surround sound channels in a creative fashion.

Dialogue Reproduction: This multi-lingual film sounds great and everyone’s screams of terror can be heard nice and clear, free from distortion.

 

Extras

There are no extras on this DVD.

Summary 

Belzebuth was a sledgehammer over the head in terms of how hardcore the film was. I was not expecting this level of horror badassery. Now with it getting its wide release on DVD and possibly Blu-ray, here’s hoping more people get a chance to experience it for themselves. It’s one of the best demon/devil possessions that I have seen in a couple of years. Highly recommended!

 

 

The images used above within the review are not actual DVD screenshots. They are for illustrative purposes only.

 

 

Belzebuth will be released on DVD July 7, 2020!

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