Session 9 (2001)

"Superlative Second Sight Release of a Modern Classic"

Second Sight Films give their special edition treatment to one of the best horror films of the twenty first century, with Brad Anderson's remarkable debut as director getting a terrific two disc Blu-ray release with a gorgeous-looking transfer and plenty of extras.

Long closed down, the Danvers State Mental Hospital is due to be refurbished but first all the asbestos needs clearing out. Several companies bid for the contract and the winner is Gordon (Peter Mullan), who claims he and his small team can clear the building in a week. 

However, working long hours in a big creepy building turns out to be the least of what the team has to worry about as one of them discovers a series of tapes relating to a grim case history. Then one of their number disappears, but the biggest horror lies far closer to home than any of them realise.

If you've not seen SESSION 9 then hopefully the above has kept things vague enough that when you do (and this one really is a must see) it will deliver the gut punch topper to the slowly mounting sense of unease that the combined skills of director and co-writer Anderson, co-writer and costar Stephen Gevedon, and the rest of the cast and crew achieve so brilliantly. The location is an immense help of course, but SESSION 9 is one of those 'lightning in a bottle' movies where everything and everyone works in perfect synergy to create a modern horror classic. 

Second Sight's limited edition set comes with two Blu-rays. Disc one gives us a gorgeous transfer of the film. There are also two commentary tracks - one with Anderson and Gevedon ported over from the original DVD release, and a new one from Mike White and Jed Ayers. Return to Danvers is a 45 minute making of from 2016 and is ported over from Shout Factory's Blu-ray. Horrors Hallowed Grounds gives us twenty minutes of then and now (it's surprising what's left as well as what isn't). The Haunted Palace is a short archival piece about the ghost stories that surround Danvers. Story to screen is ten minutes comparing storyboards with shots, and there's also 9 minutes of deleted scenes and an alternate ending. The film-makers were right to cut this stuff although it's worth a look for a couple of stunning images that had to go.

Disc Two gives us all of Second Sight's new specially filmed material, which kicks off with a new 37 minute interview with Brad Anderson. Back to the Bat is an hour long interview with producer David Collins and DP Uta Briesewitz. Invisible Design is 23 minutes with production designer Sophie Carldon. Stephen Gevedon also has a new 23 minute interview and the film's composers, Robert Millis and Jeffrey Taylor, talk for 26 minutes on their contribution to the film. Finally, Alexandra Heller-Nicolas provides a 20 minute analysis on the movie.

So that's the film looking pristine, all previous archival material collected, two commentary tracks and over three hours of new interview material. I haven't even mentioned the soft cover book and rigid slipcase for it all to go in. Excellent stuff.

Brad Anderson's SESSION 9 is out in a special limited edition two disc Blu-ray set from Second Sight on Monday 27th December 2021