Directed by Andrew Currie
Screenplay y Michaelbrent Collings
2012, USA
WWE, or World Wrestling Entertainment, isn’t just about wrestling anymore, as evidenced by their frequent forays into film producing over the last few years. They’ve ramped up their movie distribution with WWE Studios; last month, their film The Day was released, the first from WWE to not feature any WWE wrestlers. This week, their newest film, Barricade, comes out direct to DVD, with an impressive, cool-sounding, and eye-catching cover using technology called the Augmented Reality experience, meant to bring the intensity of the film to life.
Eric McCormack, of Will and Grace and the current TNT drama Perception, stars in Barricade as Terrance Shade, who’s trying to balance his professional life as a psychiatrist and personal life as a widowed father. He and his kids decide to spend the holidays in a mountain cabin, to both get away from their regular lives and try to move on from the loss of the kids’ mother and Terrance’s wife. Soon after they arrive at the cabin, however, the vacation quickly turns into something more nightmarish and horrifying. Terrance is forced, through these events, to face his fears and become a stronger, more able parent.
The Augmented Reality (AR) experience—which is technology capable of recognizing real-world objects and images, then transmitting digital content to enhance them in real time—seems especially fascinating, and manifests on the DVD in two different ways. First, when you scan the title and art for Barricade with the app, the logo will frost over and crack as if it was made of ice; next, the AR app will share the trailer with you, so you can share it with friends on social networks like Twitter and Facebook.
Second, the Frosted Windows game appears after scanning the special trigger image. In the game, you’ll have to wipe away the condensation on the Barricade poster to see what terrors or behind-the-scenes features are inside; depending on what you find, you’ll also get sounds and vibrating effects to enhance the experience. You can play the Frosted Window Augmented Reality game for special bonus content. All you have to do is go to your app store, download the Aurasma app, and point it at the DVD cover to unlock the experience. The DVD itself has some interesting special features, including a behind-the-scenes look at the haunted house at the center of the film, an effects featurette on a key blizzard, and an in-depth glimpse at how Eric McCormack plays against type in the film, going from humor to horror.
It’s encouraging to see WWE Studios branch out beyond wrestling—Barricade may be a solid step in the right direction, so that the studio can be seen as legitimate by even non-wrestling aficionados. With the Augmented Reality experience tied to the DVD cover, it may be the kind of movie you might want to pore over before you even open the box to watch the film. Barricade comes out on DVD Tuesday, September 25th, so whether you’re a WWE die-hard or just a fan of horror and thrillers, this one may be worth checking out.
— Josh Spiegel