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| The Strangers | 
 enlarge | Director: Bryan Bertino
Actors: Scott Speedman, Liv Tyler, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks, Laura Margolis
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.98
Buy Used: $6.33
You Save: $23.65 (79%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  88 reviews
Sales Rank: 351
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 85
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7
MPN: 62033302
UPC: 025193330222
EAN: 0025193330222
ASIN: B001D2WU9I
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: October 21, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A young couple staying at a summer retreat are faced with a night of psychological terror. As the night goes on the reality of what will come is more terrifying than anything both could have imagined. Inspired by true events Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 10/21/2008 Starring: Liv Tyler Scott Speedman Run time: 91 minutes Rating: R
Amazon.com
A lean, briskly paced and exceptionally creepy thriller, The Strangers earns its scares the old-fashioned way: through atmosphere, sound design, and a simple yet undeniably upsetting central premise that allows for maximum tension throughout its running time. Attractive young lovers Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman are already having a bad day--she's turned down his marriage proposal--before a knock on the door in the middle of the night announces a full-fledged siege on their remote vacation home by a trio of masked assailants. The film's first third delivers the most consistent shivers as the visitors make their presence and intentions known to Tyler; the second half grows more frantic and bloody before a gruesome finale that may leave viewers either rattled to their core or bothered by its empty nihilism. Speedman is fine as the downtrodden male lead (who's seen tucking into a carton of ice cream after being rejected), but it's Tyler who impresses the most by shouldering the lion's share of the terror. First-time writer/director Bryan Bertino impresses by forsaking the current passion for over-the-top violence (save for the finale) in favor of more traditional means of generating fear, and if his project borrows heavily from other films, most notably the French chiller Them (which shares its "inspired by a true story" origin) and Michael Haneke's Funny Games, at least he's taking from the best. The sound design is among the many technical standouts, and the unsettling score by tomandandy (The Hills Have Eyes) pleasantly evokes Ennio Morricone's fuzztone-heavy work for Dario Argento in the early '70s. On a completely unrelated note, LP fanatics should appreciate how both the film's heroes and villains share an affinity for folk and country music on vinyl. --Paul Gaita
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| Customer Reviews: Read 83 more reviews...
 One of the BEST and most original horror films in years August 7, 2008
17 out of 25 found this review helpful
In response to some of the negative reviews: Some reviewers say that people banging on your door in the middle of the night isn't scary? Have they ever been in this type of situation before? I didn't think so. For someone who actually grew up in an isolated home in the woods, I can tell you how nerve wracking it is when you are all alone and you hear strange noises and think someone is out there. Some reviewers remark that the characters do dumb, ridiculous things. First, in horrific and intense situations that almost seem surreal, people aren't always going to make smart choices. You can say if you were in that situation, you would do this or do that. But you don't really know until it actually happens to you. Sometimes we only have a split second to think about what to do instead of sitting down and analyzing the situation. So why is it so hard to think that we wouldn't make the most intelligent choice? That is not what I call unrealistic as others say. Some reviewers have a problem with the "because you were home," bit. Use your head and read between the lines people. These "strangers" are obviously unbalanced and what is more unsettling is to think that there are human beings out there (and there are) who get off on terrorizing innocent people just for the fun of it. To me, that is what true terror is. Some reviewers poke fun at the acting. Liv Tyler actually gives one incredible performance. Her emotional scenes were heightened beyond believable and you don't doubt for one second the horror this woman is being subjected to. I guess some audience members prefer seeing Jennifer Love Hewitt in a tighty whitey tank top yelling out "What are you waiting for!?"
One reviewer says the ending was worse than Showgirls. Well, in my eyes anyone who even watched that film shouldn't be trusted to give a fair review. I never even watched Showgirls just for the record. Another reviewer says we saw this already in Vacancy. Not really. Vacancy doesn't even come close to creating the suspense that fills most of the running time in The Strangers. One reviewer says this is as bland as dry toast. Maybe she was drunk when she was eating her dry toast and writing her review? One reviewer says at least Saw had gore and sadistic violence. Anyone who aspires to gore and violence in their choice of films and think that it is quality filmmaking, they shouldn't be writing a review. "Travis Deputy" has given one of the most moronic reviews here. One issue he seems to have is that the film didn't tell us if Liv's character had survived and if the Strangers were caught. And we needed to see this why? A film is more than fine when it is left open-ended. (Hint hint: Think about the ending to Hitchcock's The Birds). Then he says "Aren't some films just wonderful?" Yes, they are. Like this one! Some reviewers say this is cliched because of the phones not working, the girl twists her ankle, etc. Let me just remind everyone that this is a movie. If the phones worked and they called the police, we would have a 30-minute film. And so what if she twists her ankle? Maybe the director is tipping his hat to the old-school horror films we all know and love. Find something else to complain about. I know, how about the Black Christmas and Prom Night remakes, films that really deserve the 1-star rating. There are also other reviewers who aren't happy when something scary doesn't happen within the first 15 minutes. If they would practice some patience and get to know the characters so the film can establish a backdrop, the suspense will happen soon enough. And in The Strangers, it did and once it started, it never let up and the payoff was more than rewarding.
The reason why I loved this film is because A. It was very intense and kept me interested and on edge the entire time B. The story was kept simple (simplicity being key) and captured the spirit of old school horror films C. The music and atmosphere used was very effective and downright chilling D. We did not know much about the Strangers so there was a sense of mystery which is lacking these days. I don't need everything spelled out for me in black and white to enjoy it. Was their an explanation in Halloween as to why Michael Myers was terrorizing Laurie Strode? Did we learn who the killer was in the 1974 horror gem Black Christmas? I guess people can't use their imaginations and want a motive like maybe the Strangers were getting revenge because one of their friends was killed by the couple or the couple was living in the Strangers old home, and they wanted it back. Maybe these Strangers were just born sick, plain and simple. Again, human beings of this nature is what true terror is.
I commend Bryan Bertino for his excellent direction and actors Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman who did a wonderful job. Liv looks as gorgeous as ever here. This film went back to the basics and as the Amazon reviewer stated, earned its scares the old-fashioned way. An isolated home in the woods, people knocking on your door in the middle of the night, an atmosphere of dread and doom, haunting music that heightens the suspense, a thrilling game of cat and mouse, it all adds up to one awesome horror flick! Do not miss this and ignore the poor reviews given by others. These are people who probably consider I Still Know What You Did Last Summer a good horror film or who just have bad taste in general. If you enjoy horror films that put the focus on the unexplained, suspense, atmosphere, music and characters, this is your kind of film. If you want fancy special effects, a love story with a happy ending or torture and gore, go rent something else. This film is all about putting the audience through the suspense ringer and it succeeds very well!
Also recommended is Neil Marshall's The Descent and Alexandre Aja's High Tension, both of which earn their scares the old-fashioned way much like The Strangers and keep your nerves on edge throughout!
Note: As of 11/10/08 a 6.3/10 rating on IMDb.
One of the Best Scary Movies in a Long Time September 13, 2008
13 out of 21 found this review helpful
To say that the horror genre these days is in a dire situation is a bit of an understatement. From repetitive torture films, dreadfull remakes, and cliched endings, its very, very rare to find a good horror movie these days. But every once in awhile, we are treated to a very good scary movie that rises aboves the genres bad reputation and delivers the thrills and chills. The Strangers is one of those movies.
The premise of the film is extremly simple. A young couple find themselves being terrorized by three masked strangers one night and both must fight for survival in order to make it out alive. That's all I'm going to give away, so as to not spoil the movie experience.
There are a few reasons on why the film works. First, as stated before, the premise is simple, with no back story, huge sets, glossy effects, over the top gore effects, none of that. Instead what the film employs are simple sets, dark atmosphere, creepy music, and killers that are not given a background but just there to terrorize.
The director Bryan Bertino uses all these elements to create nerve jolting scenes that keep your heart pumping, eyes glued to the screen, and jumping with fright. From a simple act of rusty chains, creaking doors, shifting shadows, crackle of leaves, you already get this feeling of unease, as if you are not sure what is going to happen or what may come next. Every corner you see, every window you look out, it gives you this sense-of-dread feeling that gives The Strangers its power.
So turn off the lights, pop some popcorn, and settle in for one hell of a scary ride.
2 Stars: Remake of the French Horror-Thriller "THEM" or Written before that film? We'll never know... October 22, 2008
10 out of 15 found this review helpful
After watching the French-horror thriller "THEM" a few months ago, I didn't really have high hopes for this supposed "based" on true events film: "THE STRANGERS". If this isn't a remake, it certainly has strong similarities. (Maybe this was also based on the incident in Romania?) "Them" came out around 2006, if this was written before, what took it so long to be made? The quality of the film doesn't reflect anything special to cause a delay in its release. The French film was based on true events that happened in Romania; "Them" was full of atmosphere and the actors portrayed a very panicked couple who were trying to survive. "The Strangers" is no different, very similar premise--with a slightly different screenplay, comparisons will be made and this film gives a feeling of Deja Vu. So how does it compare to the French Horror thriller?
A young couple, James and Kristen (Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler respectively) goes to a summer house after attending a wedding for a little "R & R". Apparently their "love" had become strained due to the fact that Kristen had rejected James' proposal. The two are quite uncomfortable around each other with James acting embarrassed about the whole thing. The two thought that they could try to reconnect with each other this evening, little do they know that this may become their most horrific night together as the summer house is assaulted by "The Strangers"...
I had mixed feelings about "Them", but I can very well say that the French take on this idea is a lot better than this film. This film would have done a lot better if it just remade "Them" shot for shot, and avoided any attempts at another screenplay. There isn't much that happens in "The Strangers" and while I do accept the idea of one night--a couple--in a big house--attacked by home invaders--the film resorted to the usual weaknesses that made horror films so full of cliche.
The usual cliches are present in this film; very idiotic decisions, panicked reactions that doesn't make any sense and antagonists that "toy" with their victims. At least, in "Them" the couple were making credible attempts to survive; in this remake, James and Kristen seem to be just waiting for death. Sure, the antagonists were probably "spooking" them out, but all their reactions did not make sense. All the potentially "good" decisions were abandoned so the film can get to where it wanted to go. Talk about "Lambs to the Slaughter"...
Now, I can ignore cliches as long as the film knows where it is going but here, the antagonists spend a very significant amount of time standing around, walking the house and trying to intimidate --writing notes in walls and windows with red (I assume either) lipstick or paint; the film just dawdles too much in trying to be creepy that it lost all elements of realism. (This is supposed to be based on a real story, right?) The lack of character development may be ignored so long as one can relate to the characters, when the viewer is immersed in the proceedings. The antagonists are all wearing masks that look rather silly and one look at those masks you'd know their intentions were obviously hostile. "Them" had it right with the hooded sweaters and the trickery with the shadows. Director Bryan Bertino definitely wanted to add some nice visuals and plays on ambiguity to try to make the film disturbing.
To its credit, the performance by Liv Tyler was quite good and she managed to show a lot of emotion. Scott Speedman had so little to work with, so I couldn't really say if his performance was bad or not. The "strained" romance thing does add some empathy to our characters. I was somewhat pleased that they weren't the usual happy couple. The film's cinematography is also quite atmospheric, although some elements looked too polished to really be claustrophobic. There were some intense moments that managed to give an unnerving feeling but the unsteady suspense just lost a lot of its "punch". The film is just based on cliches and idiocy, it is difficult to promote suspense when the build up is based on these formulas.
I do think this film would have done better without the "based on true events" gimmick. The "true events" thing will have to be met by realism and once you don't see that one defining factor, no matter how good the set-ups are, you may just fail. The film is supposed to be violent and disturbing, but for some reason, it felt oddly "tame" and irrelevant. Bertino's attempts for suspense relied too much on cheap scares and spooky sound effects. The director ends up relying on overused genre mechanics that overstays its welcome.
For a film supposedly based on "true" events, "The Strangers" just falls flat. It even lacked the original's disturbing finale. The film would have been better off billed as a "slasher" flick than an involving horror drama that supposedly hits closer to home.
The dvd's unrated version clocks in 87 minutes while the theatrical version is at 85 minutes. Both versions are in the dvd. The extra two minutes of running time is on James' additional seconds of shooting and Kristen drags herself on the floor, for more of a "tormented" effect.
RENTAL [2 Stars]
 Just A Friend You Haven't Met August 16, 2008
8 out of 18 found this review helpful
A stranger's just a friend you haven't met.
Trust me horror fans, you do not want to meet these strangers. Not because they're serial killers, that's why we're watching the movie, but because they're really boring serial killers. `The Strangers' is 1:15 of chloroform on screen.
The plot: As we've learned from the trailers Liv Tyler and her boyfriend spend the night in a country cabin and are attacked by three strangers wearing creepy masks. There is nothing beyond that. We go through 1:15 of going through the horror movie motions of how the phones don't work, the car has been immobilized, and there's no one around for miles. We know all of this going in. If the phones worked the police would show up and the movie would be over.
The strangers merely walk and stalk around the property scaring the couple. 1:10 in we finally get to some violence. This too is extremely disappointing. No `Saw' like torture, they just stab them with a kitchen knife. Talk about dull serial killers. Why are they doing this? "Because you were home." We already know that from the trailers.
In 1:15 I can honestly not think of a single redeemable aspect of this story. Stay away from `The Strangers' they're boring!
 How Horror Should Be August 11, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Far from the current crop of loud noise, teenage slasher films, this film delivers the scares the old fashioned way. Dread and menace is built until both the lead characters and the audience are stuck right in the middle of a realistic, modern day horror situation. The creepily masked assailants stalk their prey with sadism and without emotion and no easy answers are given as to their motivations. This is what empowers "The Strangers" with such a degree of power. People are killed everyday in real life for little or no motive so why not in the movies? Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman are both great and for the most part avoid common horror movie cliches in their onscreen behaviours. Tomandandy provide an eerie and chilling minimalistic soundtrack which really adds to the suspense of the film. The Strangers isn't up there with films like The Shining or The Exorcist however it is a very noble and welcome addition to the horror genre and achieves far more scares then 100 Prom Nights could ever hope to achieve.
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