Review by David Paul Hellings
@HellingsOnFilm
“Entertainment to release STIGMATA, the visually stunning, intelligent supernatural horror starring Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne & Jonathan Pryce, on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a Dual Format edition on 17 October 2016.
When Frankie Paige (Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette, True Romance, Boyhood), a young hairdresser from Pittsburgh, begins to suffer the stigmata – a physical manifestation of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion wounds – the Vatican’s top investigator, Father Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne, Miller’s Crossing, The Usual Suspects) is sceptical of their authenticity. However, as the severity of the wounds increases, Kiernan realises Frankie has become the vessel for an extraordinary and provocative message that threatens the very foundations of the Catholic Church, and now the stigmata is not the only thing threatening her life.
Also starring Jonathan Pryce in a supporting role and featuring a fantastic cutting-edge score by The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and Elia Cmíral, Stigmata is a visually stunning, intelligent supernatural horror”.
- via Fetch Publicity
Review:
“Stigmata” was a studio release aimed at catching a mainstream audience that liked the supernatural and Patricia Arquette. And also liked Gabriel Byrne who was on a minor, but deserved, run of leading men roles, most of which were beneath him. Adding a visual director with the touch of music videos and “Stigmata” hit the screens. Looking back upon it now and we see an effective and well made supernatural piece that also ticks the right boxes in terms of its fictionalised representation of the holy orders and their suppression of information.
Music video Director Rupert Wainwright’s film did good business, topping the box office, and proved popular with audiences. It is a well made, strongly acted piece with a good premise. It has that high octane, rock video look and feel to it, cut with the same levels of shock and awe. And it has that impending Millenium mood to it; that’s what aided it no end when getting the tickets sold. Looking back, it’s easy to forget the levels of hysteria as the clock ticked midnight on January 31st 1999. The doomsayers were proved wrong, but the sense of the End of Days was never very far away during the previous 364 days of that year. “Stigmata” captures Arquette’s “True Romance” cool and Byrne’s “Usual Suspects” cool and gives them the slow motion, rainfall New York treatment.
“Stigmata” is an engaging supernatural horror-thriller, high on style and using the Church as the villain of the piece is always good to see in a large budget, mainstream film. The print looks great, as is the sound. For fans.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
1080p High Definition transfer
5.1 and uncompressed stereo soundtrack options
Isolated music & effects track
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Feature-length audio commentary with director Rupert Wainwright
Divine Rights: The Story of Stigmata
Deleted scenes
Alternate ending
Music Video – “Identify” By Natalie Imbruglia
Original theatrical trailer
