Afterdeath

Although it has its praiseworthy aspects - like the mostly female cast and the ambitious, if naive, storytelling - Afterdeath is not a strong film, so it's nice to see it presented here in a much stronger package. Alongside an introduction by the Frightfest Presents head honchos are a Making Of featurette and a commentary by directors Gez Medinger and Robin Schmidt. These go into a lot of depth about how the film was cast, structured and made. They contain quite a few spoilers, however, so should be saved for after you've watched the main feature.

Unusually, Afterdeath is a film which makes for more interesting viewing with the commentary than without. There are amusing anecdotes of the kind one often hears in this context, but what really makes these extras work is the technical focus. This will appeal to other filmmakers and film fans alike. One doesn't have to feel that the directors got all their choices right in order to find their stories edifying. Some viewers will also find that the commentary clears up mysteries, as undeveloped themes and subplots have left traces in the film.

Overall, though it doesn't have a huge number of extras, what Afterdeath does have goes into more depth than fans had a right to expect, and considerably enhances the film.