We Are Still Here [Blu-Ray]

Director: Ted Geoghegan

Cast: Barbara Crampton, Andrew Sensenig, Lisa Marie

Release Date: Now Available on Blu-ray & DVD

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 9/10
Disc Rating: 8/10

 

Synopsis:

After their teenage son Bobby is killed in a car crash, Paul and Anne Sacchetti move to an isolated 19th-century house in the New England countryside to try to start a new life. But soon the grieving couple begin to sense they are not alone in the old house. The Sacchettis’ psychic friend May arrives to investigate Anne’s hopeful feeling that Bobby’s spirit is also there.

Unknowingly, the Sacchettis become the prey of a family of vengeful spirits that reside in their new home, and before long they discover that the seemingly peaceful town is hiding a terrifyingly dark secret. Now they must find a way to overcome their sorrow and fight back against both the living and dead as the malicious ghosts threaten to pull their souls – and the soul of their lost son – into hell with them.

Following the tragic loss of their son, Paul and Anne Sacchetti (Sensenig and Crampton) decide to make the move to a quiet countryside home in a small town. Upon arrival the townsfolk appear friendly and welcoming enough, albeit for a number of strange comments and odd actions. When Anne begins encountering seemingly haunted occurrences within their home, she initially believes it to be the spirit of their late son lingering along with them, although that’s exactly what the house wants her to believe, and the reality of what is occurring is a terrifying secret that has been kept quiet for many years. While it becomes increasingly obvious that the mysterious presence wants something from the Sacchetti’s, the real question is just exactly what that may be.

Ted Geoghegan wrote and directed ‘We Are Still Here’ and according to the included Behind the Scenes Featurette Geoghegan began scripting the film and fell so deeply in love with it that he fought to direct as well; a move which was undoubtedly a benefit to the film as he does a phenomenal job at the helm, perfectly capturing the eerie aura always lingering, as well as the 70’s time placement, even the filming choices and shooting techniques scream 1970’s which is fantastic, not to mention impressive. The film also benefits tremendously from the solid performances delivered by the entirety of the cast for the most part, although Barbara Crampton and Andrew Sensenig almost surely steal the show with their notable portrayals of Paul and Anne Sacchetti.

‘We Are Still Here’ is a refreshingly original, frightening and downright fantastic independent horror film that serves up no shortage of terrifying moments, scares and capable performances within a fresh and incredibly well executed haunted house story unlike anything you’ve seen before. The astounding reflection to the era of the 1970’s present both in the objects as well as the filming methods only complement this gem further. Overall, ‘We Are Still Here’ is a fresh, frightening and incredibly well done haunted house story and I strongly urge folks to check this one out, especially genre fans for whom it’s definitely a must see.

VIDEO:

The Blu-ray release of ‘We Are Still Here’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation utilizing the film’s original 2.35:1 Cinemascope Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks fantastic, delivering a sharp, detailed presentation, while simultaneously providing the feel of a true 70’s film in its grain and often dull colors. It holds up admirably even during the darkly lit or fast moving sequences of which there are certainly no shortage of within the film, never resulting in anything occurring on screen to become negatively affected or rendered indiscernible. Overall, this is a top notch high definition video presentation that beautifully captures the films intended appearance.

AUDIO:

The Blu-ray release features a lossless 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This lossless multichannel soundtrack holds up in every way required of it, providing a clean, sharp and at times quite aggressive audio presentation, utilizing all five available channels on multiple occasions in order to surround the viewer with the films wonderfully fitting score, along with a number of suitably placed creepy sound elements which contribute notably to the jump scares; never resulting in any dialogue which may be occurring simultaneously to become distorted or rendered inaudible. Overall, this is a solid 5.1 channel DTS-HD MA soundtrack that definitely shouldn’t disappoint.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Blu-ray release of ‘We Are Still Here’ includes a couple of notable extras. Included on the release is an Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Ted Geoghegan and Producer Travis Stevens. We are also treated to ‘Behind the Scenes of We Are Still Here: Building a House’ which runs approximately 7 minutes in length and features behind the scenes footage and interviews/comments with members of the cast and crew. The Teaser and Trailer for the film are also included.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They additionally will suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

Film Rating: 9/10
Disc Rating: 8/10

‘We Are Still Here’ is now available to own on Blu-Ray & DVD from MPI Media Group & Dark Sky Films.

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