Movie Review: Blair Witch

Way back in 1999 a movie was released that took the word by storm. It was called The Blair Witch Project and it came out in the days before the internet was everywhere as it is today. What does that mean? It means the film was in perfect position to be marketed in such a way that people did not know if it was real or not, something that most likely would not be able to done today. I guess it was the last hurrah of the “is it or isn’t it” type of word of mouth marketing. Long gone are the days of Faces of Death and the perceived reality of said film’s contents. Why is any of this important? A sequel was made under cover of darkness, which has now been unleashed upon the masses.

Movie Review: House with 100 Eyes

Found footage. The horror style du jour that has finally been losing some steam in recent years. It is not that it is a bad tool to use, it is just that you need to apply some sort of creativity to it. Just look at the recent movie The Gallows, that was a bad implementation of the found footage idea. Now, look at House with 100 Eyes, it is not exactly a good movie, but it makes good use of the found footage style. That should also tell you if you are interested in this, some people just don't like this style of film making. That's not a bad thing, just a choice.

Movie Review: The Gallows (2015)

The next great horror icon is here, his name is Charlie. What makes Charlie so scary? Well, he waits for you to stage a high school play, locks you inside, and proceeds to hang you with his noose. Or something like that. This is what they would like you to believe. You know, I had some hope for this one, I'm not sure why. I saw the trailer and it looked relatively interesting, perhaps even a little scary. Of course, I was wrong. I am not usually quite this straightforward so early in a review, but I suspect this is not going to go all that long. If I was watching this on Netflix, I would have turned it off quite early.

Movie Review: The Houses October Built

It is a little out of season, but the other night I checked out The Houses October Built. Ideally, this is a movie that would best be viewed on or around Halloween, perhaps an October marathon. I don't know and in the end I guess it doesn't really matter. What matters is that this is actually a pretty good film. Despite feeling a bit unfocused on what it really wants to be, it still manages to build an atmosphere, feel creepy, plus it is actually interesting. Once you accept the fact that the characters are not going to be as interesting as the subject matter, you are all set.

Movie Review: The Upper Footage

I just recently found out about this indie thriller called The Upper Footage. They had started following me on Twitter for some reason. The other day they sent out a call for direct messages, with the first handful getting a link to watch the film. Wouldn't you know it, I was one of the chosen. I will admit to being curious about the “Like the Blair Witch Project, only real” marketing they were putting out for it. A little digging uncovered all sorts of interesting viral marketing. They were very successful in this alternative marketing method. It is a shame the movie fails to deliver much of anything.

Movie Review: Mr. Jones

I am actually a little surprised to say this, but I am getting a bit tired of foud footage movies. Sure, I still like the good ones and I am still willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I think some fatigue is starting to settle in. The gimmick can be an effective format, but, I don't know, it is becoming a bit predictable. Even with those thoughts in the back of my mind, I took a stab at Mr. Jones. The movie proved to be interesting, to a degree, but sort of reinforced some of the things that are pushing me away from the style. Still, I think it is a movie worth giving a shot to, it is a blend of good and bad, resulting in a compelling mediocrity.

Movie Review: Cut! (2014)

Snuff films, legend or reality? I don't know, I only hope they remain in the realm of legend. I would never want to know, definitively, that things like that actually exist. Now, on the other hand, films that simulate them or pretend to be making them are a different thing altogether. Things like 8mm (you remember that Nicolas Cage movie, right?) and Mute Witness (underrated thriller that it is) are examples of this. Now we have Cut!, a movie that devolves into snuff film making and brings together a couple of recent trends in horror, torture porn (hate that term, but you know what I am talking about) and found footage. The end result is interesting, although it takes a little while to get going.

Movie Review: As Above, So Below

I remember first seeing the trailer for As Above, So Below and thinking it actually looked pretty good. The catacombs under Paris seem like a great location to set a horror film. Just thinking about it conjures up all manner of crazy ideas and imagery. Just think about being underneath an old city like Paris and being surrounded by the skeletons of millions of people, add in the patterns made with the bones and just the creepy idea of bone lined tunnels and you cannot help but get a little shiver. So, the fact that we got a movie set there is interesting in and of itself. Now, while I do not completely hate the movie, I so wish that it were better.

Blu-ray Review: Devil's Due

Devil's Due is one the latest found footage horror films to hit theaters (now, home video). Now, I must admit to enjoying it, somewhat. I am not one to write off found footage tales, although I do think they are getting a tad long in the tooth and we could probably do with seeing them a little less often. Still, as shown here, the gimmicky style can still be effectively used and is a valid format that seems perfectly suited to the horror genre, which is why I think it seems to be overused. Could this work in a comedy or a drama? Probably not. It worked for superhero stories with Chronicle, but still it seems the only place where repeated effective use is going to be in horror.

Movie Review: Devil's Due

This afternoon I headed out to the theater to brave the latest found footage horror movie to arrive in theaters, Devil's Due. I have to admit, I did not have the highest of expectations, but there was still a little bit of hope, I did like Zach Gilford from his time on the television series Friday Night Lights (definitely recommend this series). As the movie ended and the credits rolled, I sat there for a couple of minutes contemplating what I had just seen. People around me were muttering and shaking their heads as they collected their belongings and scurried for the exits. The reaction to the ending amused me, much like the end of the recent Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.

Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 4

The Paranormal Activity franchise has been an interesting one. It is a series that you either love or hate, it does not inspire much in between thinking. It is a series built on jump scares with just a little not of story and they have somehow been able to keep going to a fourth outing. At this stage of the game, they are not going to win over any new fans and are more likely to start losing fans. For the record, I am a fan of the series and I enjoyed this outing, although they may be reaching a state of critical mass.