The Abandoned Blu Ray Review (Unearthed Films)

The Abandoned is a 2006 horror film co-written and directed by Nacho Cerdá (Aftermath, Genesis, The Awakening, Ataúdes de luz, and Europe – 99euro-films 2). It was co-written by Cinematographer Karim Hussain (Infinity Pool, Possessor, Antiviral, Hobo with a Shotgun, The ABCs of Death, We are Still Here, and Hannibal). Cult filmmaker Richard Stanley (Hardware, Dust Devil, Color Out of Space, The Theatre Bizarre, and The Island of Dr. Moreau) helped re-write the final draft with the director. The budget was €3,000,000 and it grossed $4,529,892 worldwide at the box office. It was apart of Lionsgate and After Dark Films “8 Films to Die For” series. American Marie Jones (played by: Anastasia Hille from Snow White and the Huntsman, The Hole, The Awakening, Good, Trespass Against Us, and The Missing) travels to Russia and she’s staying in a hotel before checking out some property that she’s inherited. She goes to the isolated location where she runs into zombies and one of them strangely looks exactly like her. She fails to escape but she meets a stranger named Nikolai (played by: Karel Roden from RockNRolla, Hellboy, Blade II, Orphan, 15 Minutes, Bulletproof Monk, Running Scared, and The Bourne Supremacy), who claims that they are fraternal twins that were adopted separately after their mother was murdered of their mother. They experience visions from the past and their trapped in this haunted house that continues to change on them!!!!

Nacho Cerdá was known for doing extreme horror in the past so this was something different for the director. The Abandoned is loaded with nightmarish visuals and it’s a suspenseful thrill ride basically between only two main characters which makes it even more interesting in this isolation. Both actors are amazing in this which what carries the whole thing. Actress Anastasia Hille has been all kinds of stuff over the years, she’s always been good but this her best acting performance. Karel Roden to me is the most recognisable and known Russian actor of all time in the states. He’s so familiar to most people here because he’s been in everything it seems. Roden provides a great balance to Hille with his role. Everything in The Abandoned picks up when he enters the picture. Their chemistry just works in this creepy environment. Like I said before, it’s more traditional horror than Nacho’s previous graphic material but it still gets very gory at times and the special fx are very impressive. I loved the look of the zombies in this. The location is like a character in The Abandoned, it’s the main focus in this chaotic situation. It just adds to the atmosphere. This one is very underrated and it deserves some new life so hopefully this home video release from Unearthed Films helps it out. RECOMMENDED!!!!

Let’s discuss this high definition presentation from Unearthed Films! This 1080p (2.35:1) transfer is a massive upgrade compared to the older After Dark Films 8 Films to Die for DVD. I honestly never expected this one to get this kind of treatment in the states. It has a few different audio options which includes English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English: LPCM 2.0 on the disc. It’s a nice boost compared to the past. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the madness is elevated, and the music just pounds in your home set up. It has English and Spanish subtitles.

Let’s talk about the special features from Unearthed Films!  “Circling Back With Nacho Cerdà” is a 50 minute chat between Zoë Rose Smith and the filmmaker. He talks about how he got into horror. He shows his love for the sub-genre here. He brings up working with the other writers on this project. He goes over his experience with The Abandoned plus various other subjects like locations and music. “Circling Back With Karim Hussain” is a 51 minute chat between Zoë Rose Smith and the original co-writer for this film. He talks about working with a lower budget. He brings up his collaboration with director Nacho Cerdà. He goes over the original script being changed. He chats about Stanley’s work and changes to The Abandoned. He talks about the locations and his own work besides it. “Circling Back With Richard Stanely” is a 45 minute chat between Zoë Rose Smith and the final co-writer that was added during the re-writes Richard Stanley who also happens to very well known director. He talks about how he got involved with The Abandoned. He goes over some of the changes made with his help. He brings up working with the foreign crews on this production. He gives his thoughts on the visuals and performances from the feature. “The Making Of ‘The The Abandoned” is an archival 13 minute featuring behind the scenes footage plus interviews with the cast and the crew. “In The Abandoned’s Den” is an older interview with the director and the main cast for the horror movie.

They chat about changes made to the production. They talk about it being a difficult shoot and discuss certain important scenes. “Nacho Cerdà: The Trial Of Death” is a 28 minute chat with filmmaker Nacho Cerdà. He brings up his major influences when it comes horror and what directors really made an impression on him. He chats about the original script and how he became the man behind the camera for it. They goes over the locations and the rough shoot for The Abandoned. He shares his experiences with the actors and goes into detail about some of the themes for The Abandoned. “The Little Secrets Of Nacho Cerdà” is a 14 minute chat dedicated to the post production of The Abandoned. It’s discussed throughout this whole disc but he goes into greater detail about it here. “When Buck Meets Cerda: A Dialogue Between Friends” is a 14 minute chat between directors Nacho Cerdà and Douglas Buck. They just have a deep conversation about cinema here. It has 12 minutes of “Cut Material”, 3 different “Alternative Endings”, 6 minutes of “Deleted Scenes”, and 10 minutes of “Outtakes” for The Abandoned. I never expected to be able to check out so much unreleased or extended material from here. It has a “Promotional Gallery” and a few different “Trailers”. This home video release is loaded with all kinds of bonus material, this is one of their best efforts so far as a label. This limited edition includes a slipcover. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!