The DVD

Video:
Until the Night is presented in an anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen format that doesn't do a whole lot to make Yasu Tanida's cinematography look nearly as interesting as it actually is. The very expressive color palette comes across fairly well, with some nice blown-out yellows and red, but flesh tones are not entirely accurate at all times, and shadows and lighting aren't quite as sharp as they could be throughout. Detail is lacking, grain is abundant at times, and there are some instances of dirt and spots to be found. The transfer actually makes the entire film look like it was shot on digital video, as there isn't that much difference between the film footage and the footage from the camera that Reedus's character uses throughout the film. Overall, this transfer gets the job done and actually does a nice job with the varied colors in Until the Night, but it could have been much better if a bit more care was taken.

Sound:
The audio on this disc is presented in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 stereo formats, which get the job done, but ultimately fail to impress. The tracks are actually very similar, as there isn't very much action in the surround channels, but the winner here is the Dolby Digital 5.1 track. It sounds much fuller, the dialogue is slightly louder and more distinct, and the film's interesting score gets some help from the rear speakers. Spatial separation is fine across the front channels, but dialogue – while still always discernable – is recorded slightly low. Volume fluctuation is a bit problematic at times, while .1 LFE channel is rarely, if ever, used effectively. These tracks may have a few issues and they certainly are not all that dynamic, but they do manage to suffice.

Extras:
For a film as depressing and lackluster as Until the Night, it's surprising to see Pathfinder Home Entertainment include as many extra features as they have on this disc. The first of which is an audio commentary featuring Writer/Director Gregory Hatanaka and Actors Kathleen Robertson and Luke Y. Thompson. Robertson and Thompson seem to be a bit lost in the beginning of the track, as Hatanaka attempts to bring them back to the film with some anecdotes and encouraging the participants to recall their scenes. The problem, however, is that Hatanaka tries to be very cerebral and technical about his chat while Robertson and Thompson seem to take it a little less seriously. Thompson, at one point, even asks Hatanaka what the film is actually about because he, clearly, has no clue. While comments like that are even more reason why Until the Night doesn't really work, they don't really add anything to the enjoyment of the film. This track, ultimately, fails because Hatanaka comes across as a pretentious filmmaker who thinks his film is better than it actually is. Robertson and Thompson, on the other hand, seem to at least have some fun with the commentary. Maybe they were in on the joke.

Also included on this disc are nine deleted scenes, which would have added little (if anything) to the film itself. While this isn't really groundbreaking material, it is nice to see the excised scenes included here.

Finally, we also have text biographies for seven of the main players, a photo gallery that includes 24 stills from the film set, and two trailers for Until the Night.

Final Thoughts:
If you put the cast of Until the Night in a film with some likeable characters, and a tighter script, you'd probably have a pretty good basis for something worthwhile. If only Gregory Hatanaka had thought about those likeable characters, and that tighter script, when he sat down to write Until the Night, he might have made a film worth watching. Instead, he ended up with a mess of meandering characters that I could barely stand to watch. Reedus does the best he can, and there are a few sexy scenes featuring Sarah Lassez, but it's not nearly enough for me to recommend the film. Pathfinder has made a valiant effort with an adequate audio-visual presentation and a larger-than-expected assortment of extra material, but all that can't save the film from being a miserable experience. Do yourself a favor and rent sex, lies, and videotape. There's a reason Soderbergh's film is considered a classic and Until the Night is barely a blip on the radar.