I feel I can say with extreme arrogance and utter confidence that you have never seen a film quite like Wisconsin Death Trip. I also feel better now that we've gotten that out of the way. Understandably, a film festival favorite, Wisconsin Death Trip is the kind of film that you would most likely gloss over at the rental store or brick and mortar mega chain on any given day. The film is very unassuming, and unless you were thrust into a situation that were to offer more info and entice you with its description and accolades (such as a film festival screening or a late night munchies - let's see what's on Bravo fit) you'd probably never even know that this film existed...just like me. Good thing I'm here for ya then, huh?

Based on the book of the same name (from author Michael Lesy), Wisconsin Death Trip is a pseudo documentary - telling the tale of Black River Falls, a small town in northern Wisconsin that saw more than a little trouble around the time of 1890 - 1900. The book, Wisconsin Death Trip , is a collection of photographs (taken by Charles Van Schaick) and compiled news clippings that attempt to tell the disastrous tale of just what it is that went wrong. In retrospect it's hard to pinpoint, it's an eerie tale that you just know would make a great book (and apparantly it did although I've never read it) but something that you wouldn't necessarily expect, is that it could make an even better movie.

While the film never really tries to pinpoint exactly why these events took place, inevitably, some 'probable' explanations are apparant. But in the end - it's the ever linking tragedies that are wholly unrelated, yet oddly related at the same time that carry the film till the end. So, what exactly is it that happened in Black River Falls?

Unexplainably, Black River Falls fell victim to an extreme case of mass paranoia and hysteria. For no apparant reason, children were falling ill and dying, residents were going insane - reportedly seeing ghosts and/or demons. Some folks were locked away, some went on killing sprees. People committed mass suicide, murder and had a general lack of concern for society...the general populous - seemed to just go crazy. All of the events weren't this morbid though, there are many more tales to tell. There's the young woman who we keep returning to, she has an uncontrollable urge to just smash windows. There's a general mood of loneliness and despair, and there are tales of people heading to Black River Falls at this time, searching for opportunities and a better life, unaware of what's actually in store for them.

Through the use of vintage photographs, cleverly executed and utterly morbid recreations and a slick narration from Ian Holm, the story of Black River Falls is laid out in a series of chronological vignettes. It's all handled in a very somber, unattached yet compelling manner. Director James Marsh manages to blend these elements together into one cohesive unit, and I'm still not quite sure how he actually managed this so successfully. You'll be hard pressed to tell the authentic photographs from the recreations and at times will likely forget entirely that you're watching a film comprised of 85% recreations - yeah, it's really that good.

Mixing present day footage with recreations, Marsh presents a past of unspeakable horrors with the tranquil present. Much of the imagery is undeniably chilling, some of it, very difficult to watch. Footage of young children, even babies being laid to rest. Elementary aged children brandishing handguns - adults and children alike, off the deep end. It's a reflection of society, past, present and future, a tale that you'd expect to be left to a Twilight Zone episode or teeny bopper scream-fest, but it happened. And it's almost as difficult to watch as it is to turn away.

Presented on DVD by Home Vision Entertainment, Wisconsin Death Trip is given the royal treatment in a really informative and attractive package. It's all a bit understated, like the film itself - but it still works. The anamorphic widescreen framing looks great, and appears to be a wholly accurate representation of the directors' vision. Shot on video, some of the recreations look a little rough and aged, exactly how they are supposed to, and the drastic differences between the 'vintage' and current footage only stands to enhance the overall power of the piece.

Audio is presented in a 2.0 stereo surround track and once again, I'm very pleased. Other than the actual narration, there is very little to no dialogue, mostly musical accompaniment and sound effects. Audio is crystal clear and compliments the film quite nicely. No distortion, hiss, background noise or anything of the sort o speak of.

Extras include a few deleted scenes, an informative audio commentary with Director Marsh and the films' DOP, a behind-the-scenes feature that runs just shy of 30-minutes and some well-written liner notes.

Unfortunately it would appear as if Wisconsin Death Trip could stand to be the most overlooked DVD release of the year. As consumers, we have the power to alter history! I highly recommend Wisconsin Death Trip, and despite its morbid subject matter and subdued approach, I even recommend the film to those who would normally shy away from such things. It's near impossible to walk away from this feature untouched or unaffected, believe me - you wouldn't want to miss it for the world. I commend HVE on such a promising presentation of a film that I never would've even known existed. Now off to the book store as well, for I have another purchase to make, as do you.