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Triangle
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (10th November 2024). |
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The Film
 "Triangle" (2009) Jess (played by Melissa George) is a single mother to her autistic son Tommy (played by Michael Dorman) for a short trip on his yacht alongside his trusty deckhand Victor (played by Liam Hemsworth), young married couple Sally (played by Rachael Carpani) and Downey (played by Henry Nixon), and their friend Heather (played by Emma Lung). Out at sea they are caught in a sudden violent storm that capsizes the yacht and Heather gets swept away. Luck seems to draw their way when a massive ocean liner draws near in which they are able to board, but there seem to be no passengers or crewmembers aboard. Jess has an eerie sense of deja vu and feels that they are all unsafe on board, and she is right. Their never ending nightmare is worse than anything expected... On first glace, "Triangle" seems to be a fairly standard romantic drama, with a group of twenty-somethings on board a ship and love being in the air. There is the prospect of a love story with the girl he invited on board to join the trip as well as another girl that his friends try to set him up with. Even the way things look with the bright gorgeous view of the ocean and the friendly banter between the cast shows that direction. But "Triangle" is nothing close to being romantic soon after, and it is a film that is difficult to describe without major spoilers. Essentially it falls into the science fiction genre of time looping, yet it doesn't always follow the rules that have been set in place by other works. There are the films like "Groundhog Day" or "Edge of Tomorrow" in which the main character is trapped in a time loop and is fully aware that the loop is only affecting the one character, repeating at exactly the same time and resetting the entire world. When things reset, there is no chance that the affected character would meet a differing version of oneself. There are film examples such as "Back to the Future" or "Moon" in which the main character encounters another version of oneself, yet those films aren't exactly in the "time loop" genre exactly. "Triangle" sets up its time loop scenario with the rules that one person is affected while others are completely reset without knowledge, the time loop resets to the point when everyone else but the protagonist is dead, when the protagonist is dead the time loop resets to a point further back, and with each waking moment, the protagonist starts to lose knowledge of previous events, leading to deja vu scenarios each time a familiar point it brought up. This is confusing to explain, and it best to be experienced rather than analyzed beforehand. Writer/director Christopher Smith first thought of the film's major twist as the starting point, of what if a group of people were stalked and killed one by one, but when the lone survivor becomes victorious, realizes the killer was her and the timeline gets reset once her other self is killed? Smith fiddled with numerous ideas on how to get a plot constructed around the twist, as to how this could be made possible. The setting was placed in Miami where it is close to the Bermuda Triangle, an area in the Atlantic Ocean that was filled with myths of plane and ship disappearances over the years. The idea of a ghost ship sailing the seas with a haunted past and unexplained mysteries is a trope borrowed from naval history and from a number of films. It also has references to slasher films with the cast being picked of one by one, as well as major influence from "The Shining" which itself is a possible time loop film and takes place in a lavish location stuck in the past with many unexplained happenings. The opening montage sees Jess as a mother that has a difficult time trying to raise a young autistic child on her own, though her sympathy is showcased with her hugging him and telling him how things will be alright. Yet in the following scene of her arrival at the pier to meet Greg and his friends, she is distraught and emotionally broken. The audience is not given the complete story of the time she is at home with her son and when arriving at the pier. This is all given at the end of the film, which is essentially the beginning of the film but shown with greater detail. Essentially the film is made so it could be put on repeat in an endless loop with the credits removed (that could have been a good idea for an option for a Blu-ray extra). If everything had been shown at the start it definitely would have made the character much less likeable, and less of an investing figure for the audience to identify with, and it also makes great use for a repeated viewing to see the story in a slightly different light. While there is a lot of emphasis placed on Jess and her psyche throughout, the rest of the characters are not given too much besides at the start, as in the middle they are offed one by one in a standard slasher form. Greg is a likeable rich boy that sees something in Jess even if they are on opposite sides of the class spectrum, and he is sincere when he tells her about his feelings on the yacht. Victor is a good handler of the yacht and might be a muscleman at glance, but he is also a capable protector. Sally and Downey are a yuppie couple that are good friends with Greg and are concerned that he hasn't found the right girl. Heather up front tells Greg that he is not exactly her type, and not too much is revealed before her untimely early death (or supposed death, depending on who you discuss the film with). There is a good amount of blood and gore for the horror segments and the characters getting offed one by one, with each loop showing some slight differences as there is the overlapping Jess as well as her actions not being exactly the same. In addition to jump scares and quiet moments, it certainly gets the horror elements right with the mid section of the film for the genre fans. What is make or break for audiences may be the logic and piecing the timeline together, with multiple versions of the same character in the scenes, and slight deviations from the loops affecting others. While it is great to test the audiences, it also has the power to take people out of the story as they try to follow something so unconventional. It does a fair job of trying to keep things as simple as possible in the complex situation, but at times it seems to cause confusion. Visually the film looks beautiful and bright in the exteriors, but the interior sequences on the ocean liner showcase a darker and more sinister look with the lighting and effects. For the production, the ship was actually partially constructed in Gold Coast, Australia rather than being entirely on green screen for realism, with some CGI enhancement for set extensions of the large scale ship in seamless form. The ocean liner is supposedly from the 1930s and has some hints to the era, at times it feels more modern than vintage. For the music, there is a great nod to musician Glenn Miller, whose record is played on the ship in one scene and later by a marching band, and is a fascinating figure whose death has been a mystery for decades after the plane he was on disappeared in 1944. With the CGI, it does show some age due to the time and the limitations the production had with the $12 million budget, but essentially does a fair job with the numerous instances it was used. The film was an Australian-UK co-production with a British director, a mostly Australian cast, shot in Australia yet set in the United States. The actors do a good job with the accents though there are a few minor instances where the Aussie accent slip through. The film premiered at the London FrightFest Film Festival on August 27th, 2009, followed by other festival appearances in France and Sweden before the theatrical release in the UK on October 16th, 2009. It opened theatrically in Australia on April 29th, 2010. It was received positively by critics, and was nominated for three Fangoria Awards and 2two Fright Meter Awards. Unfortunately the film didn't find an audience theatrically, grossing only $1.3 million internationally against a budget of $12 million. The film went straight to video in the United States with the Blu-ray and DVD release in February 2010. The film found a better life in the home video market, though it didn't quite have the hype or the impact Smith's previous film "Severance" (2006) had, even with the larger budget and ambitious scale. Combining the time loop, the slasher, and the psychological horror genres, Smith has definitely made a unique and fascinating feature, though with a few flaws with the slight confusion from time to time. It was marketed as a slasher film, but it doesn't quite fit in that category. "Triangle" succeeds in originality and is one that will make you think about what really happened. It's a thought provoker even with its flaws in logic, and is best experienced with people for a solid discussion. Note this is a region ALL Blu-ray
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents the film in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. Shot on Panavision Genesis HD Cameras and passed through a digital workflow, the image looks exceptional throughout. The outdoor sequences are bright with bold and vivid colors from the blue skies to the white yacht. The darkness in the interior scenes of the ship also look excellent, with darker hues and colors to accent the older ship, though there are some lighting effects that seem a bit out of place for an ocean liner that was supposedly from the 1930s. Detail is sharp and there are no problematic issues with the transfer here. The film's runtimes is 98:57.
Audio
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo There are two lossless audio mixes, one in full 5.1 and the other being a 2.0 stereo downmix. The sound design is excellent with the film, as there are waves crashing and the sounds of the storm. the echoes of the ship's corridors, the score by Christian Henson use the surround soundscape effectively. Dialogue is centered and always well balanced with the music and effects, and there are no problematic issues to speak of. There are optional English HoH subtitles for the main feature in a white font which are easy to read.
Extras
(1) Audio Commentary with director Christopher Smith (2010) This commentary has Smith in a solo discussion on the making of the film, packed with a lot of great information. He talks about the initial idea for the film, the many discarded ideas for the scenario, references to many other films especially "The Shining", the casting choices, the special effects, how the impressive mirror shot was done, reactions from test screenings, about the deleted scenes and more. Although he signs off at around 91 minutes rather than talking through the entire film, Smith does a fantastic job with an engaging commentary. Note that this was originally available on the 2010 UK/Australia Icon Blu-ray releases. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles (2) Audio Commentary with Producer Chris Brown moderated by Shayne Armstrong (2024) This new and exclusive commentary has the film's Australian producer Chris Brown recalling about the production moderated by filmmaker Shayne Armstrong. Brown discusses about his initial reaction to the script, his love for Smith's previous works, praise for the actors and the CGI created on a fairly small budget, about the construction of the boat set, the difficulty with the continuity, and more. He does lament about the ship's outer look which didn't quite have the eeriness of the interiors. He also mistakenly states the film was shot on 35mm, when in fact it was a digital production. While the conversation starts well, there are quite a few dead spots towards the end. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles (3) Audio Commentary by Director of Photography Robert Humphreys and Production Designer Melinda Doring (2024) Another new and exclusive commentary, this time with Humphreys and Doring who reminisce about the production. They point out various film references, from "The Shining", "Last Year at Marienbad", "La haine" and others, their initial very positive reaction to Hemsworth, filming in Gold Coast and on actual waters, the lighting of the ship corridors, the design of the ship and the time period it was supposed to mirror, and more. This is sadly the weakest commentary, as much of it has the two narrating what is on screen rather than going in depth with the visuals and the choices made. In addition it gets a bit spotty towards the end with a number of gaps in conversation. Having a moderator may have been a better idea to keep the conversation more interesting. Maybe if the two new commentaries could have been combined, it would have made a better experience. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Four-Sided Triangle" 2024 Interview with Writer / Director Christopher Smith (11:38) This new and exclusive interview has Smith discussing the origin of the story, the unexplained elements to create the mystery, inspirations for the film, an analysis of the character of Jess, and more. As good as it is, it does feel quite short and it would have been nice to hear more. It's assumed that the interview session was also conducted for Umbrella's upcoming Blu-ray release of Smith's 2006 film "Severance" available in January 2025. The interview is in 1.78:1 while the film clips are in 2.35:1. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Ghost Ship" 2024 Interview with Producer Julie Baines (12:41) This new and exclusive interview has producer Julie Baines discussing the difficulty with financing, shooting on actual waters, their decision to shoot in Australia, being an independent production to have creative control, the casting choices and more. The interview is in 1.78:1 while the film clips are in 2.35:1. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Sea No Evil: The Nautical Horror of Triangle" 2024 Video Essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (12:25) This new and exclusive essay by writer and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas discusses about connected folklore, examples of unsolved ship mysteries in history, films with similar settings and more. The extra is mistakenly titled “Phantoms at Sea” on the menu and the packaging. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "The Making of Triangle" 2010 documentary (44:09) This excellent documentary includes interviews with the cast and crew, pre-production footage, behind the scenes footage, and much more. Talked about are the ideas for the film and its origin, information on the characters and the actors thoughts on their portrayals, the designs of the ship, working on a limited budget, the multiple film references, and more. It is well edited, well produced, and has a lot of great footage from the film's production. Note that this was originally available on the 2010 UK/Australia Icon Blu-ray releases. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Deleted Scenes (1&3) (5:05) Two deleted scenes are presented here, with one during the storm which shows Jess' courage by saving Victor, while the other scene is before the storm hits, with conversation between Heather and Sally discussing about Greg. Interestingly there were three deleted scenes, and they are numbered #1 and #3 here. The second deleted scene in not included on this release. Note that these were originally available on the 2010 UK/Australia Icon Blu-ray releases. Deleted scene #2 is "Greg hears something" which takes place on the ship and has an extended shot of Greg following the sound of Jess, is embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "The Storm Special Effects" 2010 featurette (6:02) Visual effects supervisor Ivan Moran comments during this featurette explaining the shooting of the storm sequence, with scenes of the finished film beside CGI tests and overlays. In addition there are some behind the scenes footage of the shooting as well as additional effects work placed for the body pile scene, CGI to expand the ship's exteriors, and the CGI work for the seagulls. Note that this was originally available on the 2010 UK/Australia Icon Blu-ray releases. 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Behind the Scenes Gallery (1:52) Presented here is a silent automated slideshow gallery of behind the scenes stills. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 Storyboards Gallery (1:06) This is a silent automated slideshow gallery of black and white storyboards for three sequences. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 Set Build Gallery (3:04) This silent automated slideshow gallery has stills of the ship’s construction, from the 3D rendering designs, the miniature builds as well as the real set built for the filming, both inside and outside. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 Trailer (1:37) An updated trailer for the film is presented here, with Umbrella Entertainment’s logo included. It is identical in content to Icon's original trailer for the film, which has been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles The film was first released on Blu-ray in 2010 in the US by First Look Studios, which only had some cast and crew EPK interviews and trailers as extras. Note that the interviews are not available on this new release, though portions may be part of the documentary, but it is not confirmed. A month later, Icon released the film on Blu-ray in the UK and Australia. This included the director's commentary, the documentary, the featurette, three deleted scenes (one being an easter egg), storyboard galleries as well as a gallery for a poster design campaign. This was followed by the German Blu-ray from Ascot Elite the same month, which included the interviews from the US release, the documentary, and trailers. There were also Blu-ray releases in France and Holland, though we cannot confirm full specs for these. This new Umbrella release may lack the second deleted scene and the poster design campaign gallery, but it surpasses the rest with a good amount of new and exclusive extras. Other notable clips: Interviews with Smith on "Triangle" Red Carpet footage in London An introduction to the 1943 film "Ghost Ship" from TCM A teaser for The Smithsonian Channel's "The True Story of the Mary Celeste" (2007) A teaser for National Geographic's "The Bermuda Triangle Myth | Greatest Mysteries Revealed"
Packaging
The disc is packaged in a clear keep case with reversible artwork, with the only difference being the Australian MA 15+ logos being removed. The inlay states region B only but the disc is in fact region ALL. It is also available with a limited slipcover with differing artwork exclusively from the Umbrella Web Shop. Oddly the slipcover's spine has the title in the "French" style, with the lettering reading from bottom to top on both sides, making it an oddity for shelf display. It is also available in a Collector's Edition limited to 1500 copies exclusively at the Umbrella Web Shop which includes a 48 page book, a rigid case slipcase, a slipcover, a double sided poster, and 8 artcards exclusively from the Umbrella Web Shop. The book starts with the essay "At Sea: The Shape of Hell in Christopher Smith's Triangle" by Anton Bitel which is a great spoiler heavy analysis of the film and other films it takes inspiration from. This is followed by "Anchors Aweigh: Visiting the Set of Christopher Smith's Triangle" by David Michael Brown recollecting the set visit in 2008 and information on the film. Then there is "Time Is a Flat Circle: The Science, Sorcery, and Philosophy of Time Loop Movies" by Guy Davis which looks at the genre as a whole and the various ideas and themes in differing films. There are also production stills and poster art for other films mentioned in the above essays within the booklet. The artcards feature stills from the film printed on thick cards. The double sided poster has two versions of the original theatrical artwork, one being the inlay artwork and the other being the slipcover artwork. The poster is folded and housed in the keep case, which along with the artcards and book are housed in a rigid slipcase with exclusive artwork. It's stated that the slipcase and slipcover have glow in the dark ink, though they both don't seem to emit anything when in the dark. 
Overall
"Triangle" is a difficult film to pinhole because it takes elements from science fiction and horror and trying something unique through the time loop element. It may be imperfect, but it is thought provoking, highly entertaining and gives a different take on a second viewing. Umbrella Entertainment's Blu-ray release is a solid one, with an excellent transfer, great vintage extras plus some new extras as well. Highly recommended.
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