DVD Review- Murder By Numbers
Date written- 08.30.03

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So the flick is called Murder By Numbers. Yeah. It should've been called Movie By Numbers cuz whoever engineered this train wreck hits upon so many cliches that it's tough find so much as one original plot element. The withdrawn and driven cop with a fear of intimacy; spoiled and loony rich kids with nothing better to do; a police captain constantly telling the cop that the case is closed; cripes this movie is full of 'em! If you're ever a Hollywood screenwriter stuck for ideas, pop this movie in. After all, the filmmakers ripped off so many other people themselves that they can't really sue you. Anyway, the killers are two young high school punks. They're so different from each other (one is an outgoing preppie-type, the other is more of a social misfit) that an explanation on how the hell they can stand to even be in the same room together would've done wonders. As it stands, I'm left to suspect a homosexual relationship between the two since there's no other rational explanation.

Much like the movie, the transfer left a lot to be desired. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, there are some problems with shadow detail on occasion. It seems to vary in quality based on the amount of light being used, but while it's good overall, it does exhibit weak spots from time to time. It's pretty obvious that some compression problems are wreaking havoc on the disc, despite virtually no extras! The opening scene depicts a sunset on a beach with a blue sky and pink clouds. This shot kind of sets the tone for the rest of the pixelization problems that pop up later on the disc. See for yourself just how bad it really is. Direct your attention to the clouds and the overlapping area against the sky. Pretty bad horrible, eh?


To be fair, the Dolby 5.1 track is all right. Nothing spectacular, mind you, but it gets the job done. First off, I must mention the musical score. Simply put, it sounds great on this 5.1 track. It's not exactly a memorable score or anything, but that's easy to overlook given the quality of the sound. Anyway, dynamic range is great and there are some great pans in the front soundstage. This 5.1 mix is surprisingly ambient, a lot more so than I would've expected, especially given the sholcky nature of the film. The dialog sounds warm and natural and the sound effects, music and dialog never distort each other. It's kind of odd to think that the sound just may be the best feature on this DVD... which isn't saying much.

The special features kind of suck. You've got a commentary with the director and editor and a theatrical trailer. Seeing as I didn't like the movie, you've got to be out of your mind to expect me to check out the commentary which would require me to sit through the movie all over again. No chance in hell.