The Woman In Black

The Woman In Black

DVD Rating: ***1/2

Reviewed by: Amber Wilkinson

Read Martin Gray's film review of The Woman In Black

This is a handsome looking DVD but despite the quality of the picture, there is no doubt that some of the scare factor is lost on the small screen, where brief appearances by the Woman in Black are more likely to be missed.

The best of the extras is definitely the commentary track with writer Jane Goldman and the director James Watkins. They clearly enjoyed working with one another of the film and offer complementary observations. Watkins talks quite technically about some of the challenges of the film but also finds time to point out appearances from the Woman in Black that audiences may have missed. Goldman helps him to expand on his points and also gives an insight into the adaptation process.

Copy picture

There is some crossover with this and the interviews with the pair of them elsewhere on the disc but not so much as to make the inclusion of the featurette redundant. The rest of the featurettes are clearly designed to keep Daniel Radcliffe fans happy - but there's nothing wrong with knowing your market. You may get a little bit sick of hearing how his godson was cast in the film, however, as it seems to be mentioned again and again.

The Red Carpet Special - featuring Edith Bowman interviewing the cast and crew as they attend the film's UK premiere - is surprisingly engaging and she also manages to nobble a few other celebrities while she's at it. The Ghost Story Competition is, essentially, a tiny extra showing Radcliffe reading what I can only presume is a winning short story. He's not a bad narrator but it's of limited interest.

Rounding out the set are the galleries, split into Behind the Scenes, Film Stills, Production Design and, best of all, Storyboards, which show the transformation from imagination to final film. All in all a very solid set of extras that offer a decent insight into the making of the film.

Reviewed on: 25 Jun 2012
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The Woman In Black packshot
Harry Potter and the Spooky Old House? Not quite. Out on re-issue.
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Product Code: MP1146BR

Region: 2

Ratio: 2.35:1

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Extras: Commentary with Director James Watkins and Screenwriter Jane Goldman, Inside the Perfect Thriller: Making the Woman in Black, No Fear: Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps, Interviews with James Watkins and Jane Goldman, and an Interview with Daniel Radcliffe, The Woman in Black Red Carpet Special, Ghost Story Competition, trailers, gallery


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