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Our story begins as an unlucky thirteen guests cross paths at the Bates, er, No-Name Motel. One by one they start to disappear...and meanwhile, a convicted killer has been granted a last- minute stay of execution. But what do these seemingly disparate if equally doomed cast of characters have in common with a deranged serial killer? I would never dream of revealing this film's many secrets...

I'm assuming the screenplay's archetypal if finely- etched characters and its killer "hook" are what drew the cast and director James (Kate & Leopold, Girl Interrupted) Mangold to what is an otherwise formulaic horror pic. Since Identity's entire conceit relies solely on the big reveal, your enjoyment of it will hinge on how willing you are to suspend your disbelief. Riveting in its individual moments, here is another "psychological thriller" that takes itself so seriously it is never has that much fun just being a horror movie.

Critics continue to carp that flicks like Halloween and Friday the 13th ruined the modern horror genre, but Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians is a resilient tale that enjoyed favor far before the early 80's. Identity is only the latest in a line of glossy, big-budget thrillers, from Fatal Attraction to The Silence of the Lambs, that seem a bit embarrassed to use the H word. Nothing here will surprise anyone familiar to the genre, and its shocks are not so much creepy as simply jolting because they are constantly accompanied by bolts of lightening and loud musical stingers. And the ending, for me, played like pure camp, but at least the flick at last seemed to be having some fun.

It may sound like I'm being a bit hard on Identity. Not at all. I don't think it is a classic whodunit, but it is clever. I enjoyed its schlocky B-movie thrills and the cast manages to create some moments of genuine pathos despite limited screen time. It is a slick, quick and to-the-point little thriller that delivers a solid Saturday night's-worth of chills. It just could have used a bit more tongue-in- cheekiness and a little less pseudo-profundity. Perhaps the slasher movie will just never grow up?

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Shot in super-slick 2.40:1 widescreen (a pan & scan version is also included on this dual-layer disc), the anamorphic transfer here is great stuff. Pristine print, rich colors and rock- solid blacks, Identity boasts a very attractive three-dimensional appearance. Detail is often excellent: this is a very dark film but shadow delineation never suffers, with fine textures always apparent and a very sharp and film-like look. Columbia TriStar usually does fine work, which is in evidence here - I noticed no real edge enhancement and despite all the extras, no major compression artifacting. Pretty terrific.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

Horror films are almost entirely dependent on their soundtracks for their effectiveness, and Identity boasts a great one. Presented here in Dolby Digital 5.1, this is a top-notch studio production. Excellent frequency response results in a full-bodied sound, with crystal clear dialogue despite all the thunder-clash and aggressive effects. Separation and imaging across all channels are excellent, with an often 360-degree soundfield that is very effective. Low end is delivered forcefully, and the minimal score is nicely deployed throughout. Like the transfer, great stuff.

Also included is a French Dolby 2.0 surround dub, English and French subtitles and English Closed Captions.

Subtitles are available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, along with English Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Identity enjoyed a healthy box office run but was not a true blockbuster; still, Columbia TriStar has put together a nice little special edition with a number of notable extras.

Identity ran a brisk 90 minutes in its original theatrical form, and here is presented in an expanded version with an additional minutes - hold your breath - 50 seconds of footage. The "additional scene" and "alternate ending" feel like a cheat. The rejiggered finale is simply an omission of a piece of dialogue and the extra scene is really just an extension with, again, different dialogue. Viewers can chose between either cut, in widescreen or full frame, perhaps the perfect capper to this story was never quite figured out at the conceptual stage?

The real highlight of this set's supplements is the new screen-specific audio commentary by director James Mangold. I was familiar with his previous work but had never listened to one of his audio commentaries before, and am now a bit sorry I waited so long. He delivers a perfect director's commentary, discussing at length and with great intelligence almost every aspect of his "single location thriller" - development, casting, shooting, effects, the additional scenes and post-production. A great track and well worth a listen for fans of the film.

Also included are four additional deleted scenes. Some fairly good stuff, but all are very short (less than five minutes combined) and play more like scene extensions with a few extra lines of character development. All are presented in anamorphic widescreen and alternate between color and black and white to illustrate what's new and what isn't. Mangold offers optional commentary on each.

The remaining supplements are a bit more lightweight. The Starz: On the Set 14- minute featurette is typically glossy and acts like an extended commercial. Some good behind-the-scenes footage is included but if you have already seen the movie you won't learn much. We also get brief storyboard comparisons for three scenes - "Lou's Demise," "George's Death" and "Rhodes' Backstory" plus filmographies for the main cast and crew. Rounding it out is the film's theatrical trailer in anamorphic widescreen.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts