![[box cover]](../../reviewimgs/b/bats.jpg)
Bats: Special Edition
Destination Films' Bats tries to pass itself off as a hip remake of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, but alas, it doesn't hit the mark. While this muddled mess of a film (which combines humor and gore, a la Wes Craven's Scream trilogy) does occasionally succeed in generating laughter, it's as often the result of the astonishingly bad CGI effects as the screenplay's wit (one notable exception: the terrific final scene, which thumbs its nose at the entire horror genre with great style). The film's somewhat conservative approach to horror might bore many viewers, but die-hard fans will have fun as long as they don't expect anything particularly innovative. Bats is overflowing with special-edition content, including a new (i.e., bloodier) director's cut of the film, a behind-the-scenes featurette, an isolated score, photo galleries, and theatrical trailers. Rounding out the package is a hilarious audio commentary track with director Louis Morneau and actor Lou Diamond Phillips, in which the pair discuss the shoot's calamitous working conditions and poke good-natured fun at the film, much like Mystery Science Theater 3000. Good widescreen transfer (2.35:1), DD 5.1. Keep case.
—Joe Barlow
