Ten Minutes To Midnight – Jinga Films Ltd (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 2020
Director: Erik Bloomquist
Writers: Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist
Cast: Caroline Williams, Nicole Kang, Nicholas Tucci, William Youmans, Adam Weppler, Alice Kremelberg, Greg Balla, Martin Sola

Release Date: July 6th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 72 Minutes 16 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $19.95

"Caroline Williams returns to the DJ booth for the first time since her star-making turn in 1986's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as veteran punk rock disc jockey Amy Marlowe, bitten by a rabid bat on the eve of her final broadcast. When a raging storm traps Amy, her mysterious replacement (Nicole Kang, Batwoman) and the uneasy staff inside their small-town radio station, reality begins to fracture as they move further and further into the graveyard shift. Is it rabies? Or something far more sinister?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Ten Minutes To Midnight comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.4 GB

Feature: 19 GB

The source for this transfer is in great shape. Colors and flesh tones look correct, black levels fare well and image clarity looks strong throughout.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a LPCM stereo mix in English. Both audio mixes sound great, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included with this release are removable English subtitles. 

Extras:

Extras for this release include Ten Minutes To Midnight teaser (50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Ten Minutes To Midnight trailer (1 minute 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Popcorn Frights intro (58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Grimmfest 2020 Q&A (28 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), CT Style Live interview (4 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), TMTM at Grimmoire Academy Halloween Carnival (1 minute 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Behind the Scenes: Take One (40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Behind the Scenes: Immortality (1 minute 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Behind the Scenes: Love Story (2 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Behind the Scenes: Memory Play (1 minute 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist, and Caroline Williams and three trailers for other films also released by Jinga Films Ltd. 

Summary:

Ten Minutes to Midnight is a tale about a protagonist who’s at a crossroads. Instead of celebrating her thirty-years as a late-night radio host, she’s confronted by her younger replacement who’s just entertaining the industry.

Though Ten Minutes to Midnight has most of the elements that have become synonymous with vampire films. The result is a unique spin on vampirism that’s laced with social commentary.

From a production standpoint, Ten Minutes to Midnight does a great job maximizing its resources. The premise is well-executed and at seventy-two minutes in length the narrative never over stays its welcome. Also, special effects are very effective and sufficiently gory. 

That said, Ten Minutes to Midnight’s heart and soul is Caroline Williams' exceptional portrayal of Amy Marlowe. She delivers an intense performance that dominates the rest of the performances. 

Jinga Films Ltd. gives Ten Minutes to Midnight a first-rate release that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer