Late Phases: Night of the Lone Wolf [Blu-Ray]
Director: Adrián García Bogliano
Cast: Nick Damici, Ethan Embry, Lance Guest
Release Date: Now Available on Blu-Ray & DVD
A Review By: Kevin Lovell
Film Rating: 9/10
Disc Rating: 8.5/10
Synopsis:
Blind war veteran Ambrose McKinley (Nick Damici, Stake Land, We Are What We Are) has recently moved to Crescent Bay, a seemingly peaceful community on the outskirts of a dense forest. On his first night in his new home, McKinley hears his elderly neighbor attacked by something he’s convinced isn’t human.
When the creature then kills his seeing eye dog, McKinley’s thirst for justice turns into a one-man vendetta against the monster that’s terrorizing his neighborhood. And when he’s stonewalled by both the police and his fellow residents, he decides to gear up and prepare to fight the beast one-on-one. Now it’s man vs. myth as the take-no-prisoners McKinley readies himself for what could be his final battle.
Ambrose McKinley is an aging (and now blind) war veteran who is moving into a new senior community along with his loyal guide dog. After a brutal attack he begins to suspect something more than a mere animal attack (as the police claim) occurred and soon he begins to unravel the mystery of what is truly out there attacking the citizens and animals of this community. Upon putting the pieces together Ambrose must decide how far he is willing to go in order to discover the true identity of this creature and try and stop it for good.
‘Late Phases’ is guided beautifully by director Adrián García Bogliano (Here Comes the Devil) who does a fantastic job at the helm from a script by Eric Stolze (writer of the creepy ‘Under the Bed’). ‘Late Phases’ also benefits tremendously from the fantastic cast including the likes of such talented individuals as Nick Damici, Ethan Embry, Lance Guest, Tom Noonan and a number more, all of whom deliver solid performances in each of their respectful roles, although Damici without question steals the show here with his phenomenal portrayal of Ambrose.
‘Late Phases’ (or ‘Late Phases: Night of the Lone Wolf’ as for some reason a subtitle was added to the film’s title around the time of its Video on Demand and Limited Theatrical release) is absolutely fantastic, a refreshing addition to the werewolf genre that not only approaches the genre with some real originality, but also utilizes practical FX in bringing its creatures to life which is always wonderful to see these days. The combination is a fantastic film that is easily one of the best werewolf films in ages. Fellow fans of the film will definitely want to make certain to pick up a copy of the Blu-Ray to add to their collections and for those who haven’t yet had the pleasure; I can’t imagine a better way to experience it for the first time.
VIDEO:
The Blu-Ray release of ‘Late Phases: Night of the Lone Wolf’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation utilizing the film’s original 2.39:1 Cinemascope Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks pretty impressive, complimenting the rich vivid colors that are so frequent in the film, while also keeping the fast moving sequences and those set in heavy darkness from ever becoming indiscernible. Everything occurring on screen throughout is clear, sharp and looks great, while never suffering from any notable faults throughout. Overall, this is a pretty top notch high definition video presentation that should not disappoint fans of this wonderful werewolf flick.
AUDIO:
The Blu-Ray release features a lossless 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This lossless multichannel soundtrack sounds fantastic and is also incredibly active. All of the available channels are consistently utilized to the fullest of their potential, taking every advantage in delivering a plethora of auditory effects swarming throughout, including trains running by, loud cricket chirping, (nearly) unbearable high pitched squeals and a whole lot more, while also managing to make certain that any dialogue occurring simultaneously never becomes distorted or inaudible at any point. Overall, this is a very impressive 5.1 channel DTS-HD MA soundtrack that provides an additional layer of fun to this already incredibly enjoyable film.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Blu-Ray release of ‘Late Phases: Night of the Lone Wolf’ includes a number of interesting and entertaining extras. Included on the release is an Audio Commentary with Director Adrián García Bogliano, in addition to the films Trailer and a couple of Behind the Scenes Featurette’s: ‘Making Of’ which runs just shy of 15 minutes in length and explores the origins of the project and more; and an ‘FX Featurette’ which runs just over 30 minutes in length and explores numerous aspects of the Practical FX used in the movie.
