The Sonata - Screen Media - March 3, 2020

[rdodolak]

https://screenmediafilms.net/product...990/The-Sonata

A gifted musician (Freya Tingley) inherits a mansion after her long lost father (Rutger Hauer) dies under mysterious circumstances. She discovers his last musical masterpiece riddled with cryptic symbols that unravels an evil secret.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afdy...ature=youtu.be

[mastadge]

In the on demand version of this movie, there are subtitles for the English portions of the film but the multiple scenes in French had no English subs. Would anyone who has this be able to let us know whether the subs actually run during the scenes in French in the BD release? Thanks!

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by mastadge

In the on demand version of this movie, there are subtitles for the English portions of the film but the multiple scenes in French had no English subs. Would anyone who has this be able to let us know whether the subs actually run during the scenes in French in the BD release? Thanks!

The French scenes are subtitled, but those subtitles appear to be burned in (in yellow). The normal English subtitle track has the subtitles in white.

[Shallow_]

Just finished watching Sonata, and I loved it.

Creepy mood throughout the movie, with some very good scares here and there.

Got the urge to rewatch

[Show spoiler]the Ninth Gate

after watching this, similar theme.

Recommended.

And Freya was delightful

[hockeyshark91]

Originally Posted by Shallow_

Just finished watching Sonata, and I loved it.

Creepy mood throughout the movie, with some very good scares here and there.

Got the urge to rewatch

[Show spoiler]the Ninth Gate

after watching this, similar theme.

Recommended.

And Freya was delightful

This little review of yours sold me on making this a blind buy. A horror has to be pretty horrible for me to nit like it, so I'm sure this will be one I'll like.

[Wintermute]

Originally Posted by Shallow_

Just finished watching Sonata, and I loved it.

Creepy mood throughout the movie, with some very good scares here and there.

Got the urge to rewatch

[Show spoiler]the Ninth Gate

after watching this, similar theme.

I watched The Sonata last night, and I thought it was pretty mediocre.

I was also very strongly reminded of

[Show spoiler]The Ninth Gate

(one of my favorite films of all time) -- which is definitely no coincidence; it seems that the makers of The Sonata weren't simply influenced or inspired by it, but were consciously copying it as their main source of ideas. The Sonata is basically just a B-movie knock-off version, with the subject matter/theme switched to music.

Beyond over-arching plot details, there were also smaller-but-noticeable touches copied, like

[Show spoiler]both films starting with the suicide of an elderly male character (who possesses the secret, encoded writings that the rest of the story will focus on); even down to the camera focusing on their appendages as they kill themselves: Telfer's feet as he hangs himself, Marlowe's hands as he sets fire to himself (with self-immolation being yet another detail taken from The Ninth Gate)

.

The Sonata is set in a neat location (the mansion/castle), and has some cozy lighting & mysterious atmosphere, but overall it's just way, way too derivative of

[Show spoiler]The Ninth Gate

, with small touches from countless generic thrillers thrown in to pad it out. It has a fairly well-done look to it, but the story/script, dialogue, and acting leave a lot to be desired.

I'd rather watch

[Show spoiler]The Ninth Gate

for the 25th time than sit through a second viewing of The Sonata. Luckily I only paid $4.95 for it, from Hamilton Books.