GREEN ROOM (2015) (Second Sight Films Blu-ray Review)

GREEN ROOM (2015)

Label: Second Sight Films

Region Code: B

Rating: Cert. 18

Duration: 95 Minutes 5 Seconds 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD WIdescreen (2.35:1) 

Director: Jeremy Saulnier

Cast: Patrick Stewart, Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots,  Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum Turner

In the Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin) directed punk rock thriller Green Room (2015) a scrappy D.C. hardcore punk band the Ain't Rights, comprised of bassist Pat (Anton Yelchin, Terminator Salvation), guitarist Sam (Alia Shawkat, Whip It), drummer Reece (Joe Cole, Peaky Blinders), and singer Tiger (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) ,are on tour the in Pacific Northwest they find themselves low on gas, short on funds, hungry, just as their last gig is cancelled, forcing them to jump onto a bill at the last minute at somewhere they would prefer not to be - a neo-Nazi bar in the middle of nowhere. 

During their set they piss of the crowd of neo-nazi skinheads with a blistering cover of the Dead Kennedys' "Nazi Punks Fuck Off", and afterward while packing up the van Pat goes back to the Green room to retrieve a cellphone, inadvertently stumbling up the aftermath of the murder of a punk rock chic named Emily, by Werm (Brent Werzner) the singer for house band The Cowcatchers. From here things quickly spiral out of control and they find themselves locked in the green room alongside Emily's friend Amber (Imogen Poots, I Kill Giants), who witnessed the murder, and the club's hulking bouncer Big Justin (Eric Edelstein, The Hills Have Eyes 2) 

With seemingly no chance for escape and a club full of neo-nazis on the other side of the door the members of the Aint Rights and Amber scramble to find a way out of their scary predicament. The skinheads elderly neo-nazi leader Darcy, a truly sinister and brilliantly cast Patrick Stewart (Logan, Picard) shows up and leads a negotiation through the locked door, promising safe passage out of the place with a few caveats, including surrendering the gun they've muscled away from Big Justin. They initially agree but when Pat attempts to hand over the gun minus the bullets the skinheads attempt to force their way into the room, savaging Pat's arm with a bladed weapon, nearly severing his hand at the wrist. Now, realizing that the skinheads have no intentions  of releasing them alive under any circumstances, especially after they discover their basement level drug lab, they have to fight for their survival using anything and everything at their disposal to make it out alive. 

Green Room is tense and visceral, the gore-riddled violence includes vicious attack dog sent it to kill, which rip out throats, multiple stabbing, shotguns blasts, and a boxcutter to the throat. It's an all-out enclosed space nail-biter with loads of suspenseful atmosphere and realistic gut-churning violence that lingered with me far after the credits role. Patrick Stewart is absolutely terrifying here as the charismatic neo-nazi leader, what a great choice to cast him, he fucking nails it. Also, Imogen Poots is a vicious little ass-kicker here, and of course it's hard to watch this and not think about the tragedy of star Anton Yelchin dying in a tragic accident not long after making this cutting his promising career far too short. Truly, a punk rock cinema classic, and one heck of a visceral and violent exploitation flick.  

Audio/Video: Green Room (2015) arrives on Blu-ray from Second Sight Films in 1080p HD framed in 2.35:1 widescreen. The HD image looks solid with excellent depth and clarity, the shadow detail of the dark club interiors are pleasing, and colors maintain their earthy tones in the color-grade. Fine detail inthe close-ups of faces and clothing textures are also solid. Audio comes by way of a robust English language DTS-HD MA 5.1 with optional English subtitles. The track is clean and well-balanced, the live punk songs are absolutely blistering, and gunshots and moments of action get the bass rumble going quite nicely. 

Extras are plentiful, we get a new fan Audio Commentary by Reyna Cervantes and Prince Jackson from Bloody Disgusting, plus and archival Audio Commentary with writer–director Jeremy Saulnier, and  the 10-min archival making of featurette: Into the Pit - Making Green Room. More new extras comes by way of the 32-min Going Hardcore: new interview with writer–director Jeremy Saulnier; the 16-min Punk Rock: new interview with actor Callum Turner; the 15-min Rocking Out: new interview with Composers Brooke & Will Blair; 15-min Going Green: interview with production designer Ryan Warren Smith; and 15-min video essay Nazi Punks F*ck Off: Thomas Caldwell on Green Room. The single-disc standard release version Blu-ray arrives in an oversized black keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork featuring new artwork by Adam Stothard. 

Special Features:
• NEW! Audio Commentary by Reyna Cervantes and Prince Jackson
• Audio Commentary with writer–director Jeremy Saulnier
• NEW! Going Hardcore: Interview with writer–director Jeremy Saulnier (32:08) 
• NEW! Punk Rock: Interview with actor Callum Turner (15:45) 
• NEW! Rocking Out: Interview with Composers Brooke & Will Blair (15:26) 
• NEW! Going Green: Interview with production designer Ryan Warren Smith (15:05) 
• NEW! Nazi Punks F*ck Off: Thomas Caldwell on Green Room (14:40) 
• Archive featurette: Into the Pit - Making Green Room (9:57)