Spanish Judges [DVD] [1999]

Matthew Lillard, Valeria Golino, Vincent D'Onofrio - Dir: Oz Scott.

The DVD of Spanish Judges makes terrific use of Dolby 5.1's ability to make people off the screen sound as if they are in different rooms. Often during the film a character will call out from the right rear speaker in a muted voice, clearly indicating that he or she is elsewhere while the character onscreen does some nefarious set-up regarding the intricate con job that's going on. Sound effects are particularly well rendered, especially those buried deep in the sound mix that are supposed to help create the creepy, moldy aura of the warehouse apartment where most of the action takes place. The widescreen digital transfer at large is of the standard that DVD fans have come to expect, crisp and clear, but it's much sharper than the full-screen VHS, which tends to smear the colors a bit.