Universal (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
99 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, DD+ 5.1 English
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French
Extras: deleted scenes; The Making of White Noise 2 (HD); Journey Into Madness (HD); Exploring Near-death Experience (HD)
Released: 8 January 2008
HD DVD case
20 chapters

After 2004’s White Noise scared up $55 million with a January release in the U.S., the folks at Universal decided to finance a sequel. However, White Noise 2 didn’t appear in wide release in North America. Instead, it made theatrical rounds in Europe and parts of Asia before hitting DVD and HD DVD on the same day as White Noise made its HD-DVD bow.

White Noise 2 is a conceptual sequel. That is, the story doesn’t pick up where the first one ends. Rather, we get a new set of characters who experience an expanded version of what Michael Keaton’s character heard and saw. In addition to being able to sense the dead, Abe Dale (Nathan Fillion) can see if people are in imminent danger of dying. Therefore, he finds himself caught in the dilemma of deciding to save people or to let nature run its course. Basically, White Noise 2 is White-Noise-Meets-Final-Destination.

Nathan Fillion and Katee Sackhoff have paid their dues in sci-fi programs such as Firefly, Serenity, and Battlestar Galactica. At some point, White Noise 2 probably looked like a résumé buffer; after all, a theatrical release is a theatrical release in a crowded market. However, the movie is little more than a loud barrage of screams, catapulted bodies, and crashing/flipping automobiles. There is definitely a market for this kind of fare, and you know who you are. Those of you looking to expand your horizons can look elsewhere.

Video:
As White Noise 2 was intended for theatrical release, the quality of the 2.35:1 1080p image is outstanding. The video transfer doesn’t rival the best that the format offers, but it compares favorably to marquee titles such as Universal’s The Kingdom and Eastern Promises. The movie doesn’t have a particularly distinguished look, but that’s due to the filmmakers’ level of expertise, not the people responsible for authoring the HD DVD.

Audio:
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English and DD+ 5.1 English mixes are markedly different from the ones on the White Noise HD DVD. Whereas the first movie favored a subdued sound field so that the “Gotcha!” effects are huge decibel jumps, this entry piles on the noises and pulsating music. The bass isn’t particularly low or deep, but again, the movie is fairly continuously loud.

Optional English SDH and French subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
You get about half an hour’s worth of deleted scenes. There are a number of complete scenes that aren’t just extensions of what we see with the final cut.

“The Making of White Noise 2” is basically an extended commercial, the type that you see all the time on cable TV.

“Journey Into Madness” is a tour of a mental asylum used for this production.

“Exploring Near-death Experiences” is a collection of interviews with people who’ve undergone intense near-death trauma.

Finally, as a Web-enabled release, you can log into Universal’s HD-DVD portal for a look at trailers and random updates.

--Miscellaneous--
The DVD side of this combo disc is identical to the stand-alone widescreen DVD. The DVD specs are 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen video; DD 5.1 English & Spanish audio; English SDH, Spanish, & French subtitles; the extras on the HD DVD side minus Internet connectivity; and previews for other movies.