Attack The Block [Blu-Ray]

Released amidst the impersonal summer blockbuster season, Attack The Block was a breath of genre-flavoured fresh air, offering audiences thrills and laughs that didn't insult their intelligence. While most people were rolling their eyes at Cowboys vs. Aliens, the viewers who gave this wacko little sci-fi/horror/comedy a chance over the summer stumbled across a future B-movie cult hit. The film's from British comedian Joe Cornish (best known for The Adam And Joe Show) and while he may have done interesting work prior, nothing suggested he'd be capable of such an assured writing/directing debut. Cornish took a variety of influences – from John Carpenter movies to La Haine – and managed to combine them into a unique effort as strong as any debut to come along in the last few years. Attack The Block stars a group of unknown British teens in a crumbling housing estate that ends up being the unexpected site of an alien invasion. Cornish weaves together the threads of a monster movie, stoner comedy and a socially conscience study of repressed teens into unrelenting, rousing entertainment. Sounds strange, I'm sure, but it works shockingly well. His perfectly cast young actors ground the movie in the real world while a remarkable effects team created some amazing physical monster suits/puppets that top any CGI creature recently pooped out of the studio system. It's a small movie with little purpose beyond giddy entertainment, but one that does the job so well that it's impossible not to be impressed. Attack The Block arrives on Blu-Ray with an amazing transfer and enough special features to trump most blockbuster releases. There are a number of documentaries, highlighted by an hour-long, candid behind-the-scenes documentary and an impressive featurette on the incredible creature effects. Beyond that there are three commentaries from a variety of cast and crew members (including a very entertaining one from Cornish and executive producer Edgar Wright) and a rather embarrassing rap video. It's a great package for a small, weird little film that should find an appreciative audience on Blu-Ray and DVD. A must-see for fans of genre movies and entertainment in general.