Product Details

• Actors: Amber Tamblyn, Zachary Levi, Tricia Helfer, Joel David Moore, Jeremy Danial Boreing
• Directors: Joel David Moore, Adam Green, Joel Moore
• Format: Color, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
• DVD Release Date: February 2, 2010
• Run Time: 91 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002XJDUZ8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,402 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 02/02/2010 Rating: R

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Film With an Identity Crisis (3+ stars), March 19, 2008

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spiral (DVD)

(What's this?)

"Spiral" doesn't seem to know what kind of film it wants to be. Horror? Psychological thriller? A relationship film? A commentary about misfits? The unfolding of this story of socially inept Mason and the girl he hopes will "be the one" is slow and deliberate, with some scenes between them painfully awkward. There are undercurrents of madness, obsession, and psychological torment, although these all have a vagueness that never sharpens into the horror suggested by the film's trailer.

Despite the flaws, "Spiral" remains an interesting film. Joel David Moore seems to get inside Mason's skin, although he overdoes Mason's tortured personality so it hardly seems believable that he hangs out with the people he does. Amber Tamblyn is thoroughly likeable as . . . Amber, but the chemistry between her and Moore never quites succeeds. The cinematography is adept, with its hues of orange and red, and the use of rain.

The extras offer nothing special (except the trailer, which is interesting only because it splices all the tense moments into a minute that perhaps bests the film itself).

This film is a decent way to spend an evening, but I don't recommend going out of your way to see it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Ending Earned This One Another Star, May 3, 2008

By 

Alan Chadwick Radford "spookyfresh69" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spiral (DVD)

This film was going to get a three star review from me. The office environment where the main characters work was totally unrealistic. The boss drinks on the job and flirts with his female co-workers to such an extent he would have been fired for sexual harrassment. Mason, the main character, is so strange and unattractive it is hard to believe that the woman he becomes involved with would give him the time of day. This film was very different from "Hatchet". It was slow, moody, and very restrained whereas "Hatchet" was all about excess. I have to say that I was never really bored but I was checking the clock a few times. Then, the last ten minutes of the film hit me and earned this film an extra star. The double-twist ending did pack a punch. I think that it saved this film from mediocrity.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cold Call Freak, February 28, 2008

By 

Brad Baker (Atherton, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spiral (DVD)

(What's this?)

Anchor Bay's new release of 2007's "Spiral" is touted as a "Hitchcock-Tale" on the DVD cover. But this is no "Hitchcock". "Spiral" does contain some good acting, a few great shots of Portland, and a cute trick ending. Mason(Joel David Moore) is a slouchy loser who loves jazz and sells insurance over the phone. He appears to enjoy painting women. He's often nervous, and there's a room in his apartment he refuses to enter. What could be in there? Mason is a loner, and his only friend at work is his boss, Berkeley(Zachary Levi). One day, a young woman named Amber(Amber Tamblyn) sits beside Mason at lunch. They become friends. Mason convinces her to pose for a painting. Clothes are optional. But his behavior becomes erratic, and Amber begins to suspect that Mason may be dangerous. "Spiral" Star Joel David Moore doesn't quite cut it in the leading role here. Though effective, his twitchy learing is too one-dimensional to carry this movie. Amber Tambly is fine as the girl, but a stronger director might have molded a stronger performance. However, Zachary Levi, as Berkeley, is poised and well-timed, confident and cool. The "Spiral" screenplay is spotty. It lacks motivation. Why is Mason's telemarketer-boss his friend and protector? Mason reveals no compassion to warrant such friendship. His basic emotion is contempt. And why is the young Amber attracted to the skinny, awkward geek? Promos reveal "Spiral" as a feature-length indie adapted from a 13-minute short. The budget is small, and sometimes it looks it. The highlight of "Spiral" occurs half-way, as a huge tracking shot, from a roof-top party, displays a colorful night-time panorama of Portland. The DVD has been letterboxed at 1.78:1 and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TV's. The image is sharp and clear, with no grain or defects from the source material. Colors are good. Mason's hallucination scenes provide a nice blend of surround and subwoofer effects. Extras include an audio commentary with the director, producer, and writer, "Spinning Spiral: The Making of Spiral( 8 minutes)", "Cinefile Promo", and three trailers. Amber Tamblyn is managed by her father, actor Russ Tamblyn, who zoomed to fame by starring in 1961's classic "West Side Story". Russ Tamblyn appears in this film as an extra.