I always have some high hopes for stories that play out a mythology. But with those high hopes comes a caveat: if you're building a mythology, you best back it up.
I've been mostly pleasantly surprised by the Paranormal Activity franchise, and I can certainly appreciate telling captivating stories on a shoestring budget. But there's a little matter of running out of steam, reaching that point where the story strains to be told instead of simply falling into place. As much as I hoped Paranormal Activity 4 would wrap up the mythology of the demon-plagued sisters, it sort of just peeked in to show what happened to one loose thread while not really answering much of anything else.
Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schuman (who did Paranormal Activity 3 and Catfish) and written by Christopher Landon based on a story by Chad Feehan, Paranormal 4 intends to wrap up the story began with poor, possessed Katie (Katie Featherston). We know that she's disappeared along with her nephew, Hunter, leaving a trail of bodies and mystery in her wake. In this fourth installment, a strange young boy named Robbie (Brady Allen) wanders over to the featured family's house after his mother goes to the hospital. He's an odd duck, making the daughter Alex (Kathryn Newton) and her best friend Ben (Matt Shively) suspicious, especially since he takes an interest in Alex's adopted younger brother, Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp). Robbie stays with the family for a while, and of course, strange things begin to happen. Weird gatherings happen at the house across the street and the family's computers - which Ben has rigged to record video 24/7 - pick up some really bizarre things. Most aren't too frightening, to be honest, but I really, really liked the use of the night vision camera along with the Xbox Kinect, which casts a sea of small dots over everything in the room. There is a sequence late in the film where that really looks tremendous. Things get really crazy when Robbie's mom re-appears, and they mythology gets tied together somewhat. It hurtles toward a weird, tragic ending that frankly left me wanting a little more story.
That's not to say there wasn't anything to like. Newton and Shively were natural, believable,and likable as the amateur detectives. They both hit home runs in terms of creating characters with whom a viewer could identify. A couple instances during the climactic chase at the end were really nice, and as I mentioned before, I really enjoyed the use of the Kinect as a new visual device. Maybe others got more out of the film than I did, and I hope that's the case. For me, personally, I wanted more in the way of what the demon's endgame was. I assume it wants the world, or does it just want to be a nasty little menace? I don't always need to be led around by the nose, but I would've enjoyed more direction in the mythology.
It wasn't altogether horrible, but when compared to the other films in the series - which I enjoyed - it fell a bit short. But hey, not every franchise can be perfect.
And now I'm going to go play some Kinect with my invisible friend, who always wins at Fruit Ninja...
Sometimes I find old VHS tapes hiding in storage bins. I'll pop them in and the worst I may think is, "damn, my hair was blonder in 1993." Nothing too scary. No ghosts, no demons, no knife-wielding maniacs.
The same can't be said for the doomed characters in the collaborative found footage release, V/H/S.
Found footage films seem to be all the rage these days. Personally, I like the subgenre, but like the modern zombie film, it could suffer from burnout. Still, there is a lot to enjoy until that happens. It seemed like a dream lineup when it was announced that several independent horror directors would combine to create a found footage anthology, sort of a Blair Witch Project meets Creepshow. Modern campfire stories, if you will. While I found V/H/S to be extremely intriguing, I was left wanting more, almost as if there was a big piece missing.
The movie itself consists of a framing story by A Horrible Way To Die director Adam Wingard called "Tape 56" and provides the reason for how we're able to see each chapter. The wraparound story follows a group of opportunistic Internet bad boys who make money filming themselves performing general acts of maliciousness (destroying an empty house, terrorizing innocent women, etc.). They're hired to break into a house and find a mysterious VHS tape. Upon entering they find hundreds of tapes, blank TV's, and a dead man sitting in a chair. As strange things happen around them, various members of the team put in random tapes, giving us each story.
The first chapter, called "Amateur Night," is by one of the directors of The Signal, David Bruckner (specifically, he directed the first part of that film). It tells the story of a group of dudes documenting their night of luring women to their motel room through the use of a spy cam on one of the guys' glasses. Things take a turn for the strange when an odd girl with a limited vocabulary ("I like you") tags along and gets caught in the motel room with drunk, sex-starved guys. This is very much like a modern campfire story, maybe a cautionary tale from inebriated college dudes who see themselves as ladies' men. Yeah, let's just say it didn't work out well for these guys.
The second chapter, from Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers), is called "Second Honeymoon." Here, we find a young couple out on the road, enjoying what appears to be the said second honeymoon. It starts out innocently enough, but there seems to be a third person enjoying the trip as well, someone who scoops up the video camera and takes a few shots of the sleeping couple. I love West's work but I felt there could have been more to this entry. Still, there's the basis for an intriguing story that would've worked even better over a longer length of time. After all, West is the modern master of "slow burn storytelling."
Chapter three comes from Glenn McQuaid, director of the wonderful I Sell The Dead, and it was, to me anyway, the most intriguing chapter of the anthology, entitled "Tuesday the 17th." A young woman brings her friends to a secluded wooded area for what they think is a weekend of partying. Turns out this young lady has been here before, and is hell-bent on catching a weird killer (dubbed "The Glitch") who seemingly cannot be filmed. Strange and off-putting, the idea of a killer that can somehow appear only as a series of glitchy shapes on film is very creative. I wouldn't mind seeing more of this mythos.
"The Sick Thing That Happened To Emily When She Was Younger" is the chapter offered by Silver Bullets director Joe Swanberg (and co-writer Simon Barrett). A young woman relates her frightening nighttime experiences by Skype (which somehow ended up on a VHS tape) to a friendly young man she knows. There seems to be an attraction as she grows increasingly scared of ghostly people appearing in her apartment. There's a puzzling twist to the story, yet it retains some intrigue.
Finally, we're privy to "10/31/98" from the directing team known as Radio Silence. Four guys, excited to attend a Halloween party, arrive to find an empty house full of shadows and strange voices. Exploring the house, they find a party of a different sort in the attic and insanity follows. As far as environment goes, I really enjoyed this setting - even when there was stark, bright light, the house's interior was confining and uninviting.
V/H/S was incredibly interesting and had some very intriguing ideas. Giving voice to independent directors and writers is really great - this movie did play in theaters and has a chance to reach a wider audience than most smaller horror films. While I felt like more time could have been devoted to some stories, the thought-provoking aftertaste of "Tuesday the 17th" and "10/31/98" gives attention to the possibility that these stories could work as full-length films. I got the sense that the filmmakers were having a good time with the experience, and even though I had hoped for a little more, I'm happy with the fact that we could see more from these talented artists.
Now...I dare you to go through your old VHS tapes. See the one that's not labeled? Yeah, go ahead and put that one in...you never know what you'll see.
I'll go on record right now and say that the Spanish horror franchise of [REC] films is one of the best series of horror films, in my humble, little opinion. I'm sure there are differing opinions, but this is mine. I love [REC] and [REC2] like I love cake. They're both heaping helpings of visceral tension with a claustrophobic, scared-of-the-dark atmosphere as the icing on top. While the franchise is essentially going to be a trilogy, it has a sort of "middle episode" that strays from the usual formula of darkened hallways, scarce lighting, and outright terror. [REC3]: Genesis is definitely a departure from the other two films, especially in tone. While it is a little jarring, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Paco Plaza, who co-directed the first two films with Jaume Balagueró, takes the solo helm for this film which, unlike the first two, takes place over a longer period of time. We begin in the afternoon and end the following morning, whereas the others were in real time. There are two huge differences that will either be applauded or derided: one, the use of the first-person camera is not all the way through the entire film, and two, the tone strays from the franchise in that it employs much more humor. Don't get me wrong: it's still full of gore, frights, and outright creepiness. But it's also funny in many parts.
The movie begins with a wedding, and we're introduced to many of the characters, mostly family and close friends of the bride, Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Koldo (Diego MartÃn). They're a beautiful couple (who look a little like a young Shelley Duvall and Jason Segal), getting married in a beautiful church in a beautiful part of Spain. You just know this idyllic event is going to be ruined by bitey demon-things at some point, and you would not be wrong. In fact, there's a clue early on that tells you who is going to be the first to be all bitey. It's just a sweet wedding and reception (and I love the touch of a DVD menu of the wedding starting the film - trust me, you have to see it, it's quite funny). But when a dear uncle exhibits strange behavior - which gets really strange - all hell breaks loose. The infection that spreads in the [REC] films is fast-acting and truly evil, in every sense of the word. The survivors have to scramble and in the chaos, Clara and Koldo are separated. The driving force of the film kicks in here: Clara and Koldo's love and desire to be together versus the evil demonic infection. What happens after that is all-out grindhouse-y fun with some really clever moments (that I can't really spoil), even if it does stray from the already-successful formula.
It's a change of pace from the first two films, to which, as a sequel, this film will always be compared. There's a wackiness that threads its way through the horror, involving things like ancient armor, a Spongebob knock-off, and a badass, chainsaw-toting bride. Seriously, when Clara has had enough and grabs that chainsaw, you know it's on like Donkey Kong, baby. [REC]3: Genesis is like a quick breather in between more intense episodes, and the franchise is set to finish off soon with [REC] 4: Apocalypse which tells you right there where the infection is heading.
A fun, strange, and still-terrifying film from a country that produces some great horror films, [REC]3: Genesis isn't the same animal as its predecessors, but it's still good and still has that sense of hopeless doom...with one small glimmer of hope, but I'll let you figure that one out for yourselves.
Until next time, chopper passengers, here's the trailer:
I know, I'm sure some reviewer has made that joke-reference somewhere, but hey.
In 2007, Paranormal Activity - in its own way - became the Blair Witch Project of the modern era: a shoestring-budget picture that became a cash cow. 2010 brought the sequel, Paranormal Activity 2, and it turned out to be very entertaining as well as hinting as a deeper story. Well, that deeper story came along in 2011'sParanormal Activity 3, and I must say, it was pretty intriguing.
With direction from Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, and written by Christopher Landon, the film begins with a prologue. Consistent with the semi-parallel storytelling from the first sequel, we're treated to sisters Katie and Kristi (Katie Featherstone and Sprague Grayden reprising their roles) sometime before the craziness really kicks in during the first film. Katie asks Kristi to store some old stuff, including some old video tapes. When the house is messed up in the second film, that's when those tapes disappear. That's when we're taken to the past via tapes from 1988. Katie and Kristi are little girls, enjoying life with their mother, Julie, and her boyfriend, Dennis, a wedding videographer...convenient, I know. After an earthquake occurs on-camera (Julie and Dennis were trying to make a "special" tape), Dennis sees a startling image and excitedly begins trying to capture it again. He sets up his cameras all over the house and reviews the footage the next day. In one segment, he sees Kristi whispering to someone off-screen where no one should be. Later, he finds out that she was talking to an imaginary friend, Toby. Although, Kristi swears he's not imaginary. In this movie, that's a pretty glaring red flag.
More cameras (the oscillating fan camera is pretty sweet) and more strange things afoot as evidence makes itself pretty known. The "ghost under the sheet"? Yeah, you'll know what I'm talking about. Dennis continues his investigation, and thanks to some "choppy" editing, we never really know the full story of the house and where it sits. After a terrifying incident with the closet, he discovers an odd symbol drawn inside. He connects it to an ancient witches' coven that once occupied the area, and he doesn't like the proximity to the girls he thinks of as daughters. Julie is still skeptical, even when seeing some of the weird stuff herself. It's when she has a...shall we say...kitchen moment, that she insists they leave and head for her mother's.
They do just that, but Dennis doesn't stop filming. Good thing, because the camera starts catching little things, like Kristi's seemingly innocent "preparation." At night, awakened by the sound of arriving cars, Dennis follows Julie into the darkened house. Along the way, he discovers truths that he would shortly wish he hadn't discovered. Getting out of the house with his daughters is the priority, but well, it's not a spoiler to say that doesn't happen. Things that occur in the first two films make sense by the end, and it all comes together if you've paid attention to the clues.
I've always been somewhat lukewarm to the hype that Paranormal Activity but that's the fault of the films. The more I think about them, the more I do realize their pure entertainment appeal. It's a simple formula: cameras set up, things escalate, some truths are uncovered, things get worse, climactic incident, silent denouement. But sometimes, simplicity is just what's needed. If the movies strayed too much from the norm, from what works, it would seem to convoluted or even pandering. I do like the movies, individually and as a trilogy. I like that the scares are obviously coming - that camera's going to show something and you know it. I really like the ambient music that slowly creeps into a scene, indicating something's about to happen, but you just don't know when or what it will be.
It's just good fun. Sometimes that's good enough.
So, hey, until the next time - I do hear there's another sequel in the works - enjoy the trailer, even if it does show a lot of things that don't appear in the theatrical release:
You know those haunted house attractions that pop up everywhere during the Halloween season? Some are hokey, many are extremely creative. Through my entire viewing of The Vicious Brothers' Grave Encounters, I kept thinking how sweet it would be if they could parlay the film into an actual haunted house one could brave on a crisp autumn evening. I also kept thinking about how well the filmmakers skewered "reality ghost hunter" series as fame- and ratings-seekers. Only in Grave Encounters, the question is asked, "what if one of those shows actually finds something?"
Continuing my unofficial "found footage month" here at the Helicopter, Grave Encounters slides right in as an entry in that genre, as nearly the entire film is told through footage that was "found" at an abandoned insane asylum and, as a concerned television executive tells us in the few moments that are not in first-person, "altered in any way." Although this subgenre is starting to saturate the market just a tad, I'm still interested in it. Although I had slightly lower expectations for this film, I was pleasantly surprised at how fun it was.
Written and directed by the awesomely-named Vicious Brothers (Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz), the film sets us up with premise that a film crew producing the latest episode of a ghost-hunting reality show called - as you may guess - "Grave Encounters." An executive lets us know in documentary format that the crew has disappeared and what we're about to watch is an edited, yet undoctored account of what happened to them. We then meet the leader of the team, Lance (Sean Rogerson) who bears an uncanny...hell, an obvious resemblance to that spiked-hair muscle guy on "Ghost Adventures." His mannerisms in front of the camera had me laughing since I'm so entertained by the antics of the real show, it seemed like a parody-homage. To investigate the supposedly haunted asylum, he brings his team of camera man T.C. (Merwin Mondesir), occult expert Sasha (Ashleigh Gryzko), tech guy Matt (Juan Riedinger), and psychic Houston (Mackenzie Gray). Early on, the on-camera facades drop and we see that Lance and his team hardly believe in the paranormal - the whole thing is about ratings and of course, money. Lance is obsessed with the show being successful, and Houston is hardly a real psychic, just an actor who complains that the overnight taping session might cut into his auditions. They even pose like a hip paranormal investigation team. They're ready-made for fame.
But strange things begin to happen over the night, at first nothing overly alarming. But when Matt goes upstairs to investigate a window that moved during the night, it kicks off something that ranges from mysterious (his disappearance) to the terrifyingly surreal (what the team finds when they finally open the front doors). Although they're not locked in anymore, they can't leave. The asylum itself becomes an antagonist. Maps and directions mean nothing. Doesn't matter that their clocks say it's daytime...outside the windows, it's still dark. Horrifying apparitions appear and the party is separated in the pitch black. One by one, the crew is picked off in chilling ways. I won't spoil how they go down, but I will say I found T.C.'s fate especially creepy. Eventually, it's down to just Lance, exhausted and alone. At the end of his rope, it's as if the asylum allows him to glimpse answers to long-standing questions about the nefarious doctor who likely created the restless spirits before handing him over to his doom.
Unlike Skew, the found footage film I reviewed recently, Grave Encounters isn't deeply layered. There's no symbolism or puzzles you need to solve, not even a breathtaking final shot to nestle itself in your brain. Grave Encounters is straightforward and wild, a walk through a haunted house not unlike some of the better Halloween attractions out there. It's not fancy, but it manages to hold the interest and entertain with no small amount of flair and nods to a slew of urban legends. Rogerson is excellent as the central character, and his Lance is intense, brash, and slightly unlikeable. He demands his crew follow him, even when things get insane. One standout for me was Gray as Houston, the over-dramatic, cowardly psychic. He's so over-the-top when he's "on camera" for the show, displaying his "powers," but a fame-seeking diva when he's not. I found him to be both hysterical and interesting by playing both sides of that coin.
Overall, the film is a lot of fun, not nearly as bad as I thought it might be...don't ask me why I thought it would be bad. I guess I thought I was due for a dud, but I was happy to find I really enjoyed Grave Encounters.
So give it a try, and you'll see what I mean: making this a haunted house tourist attraction would be money in the bank. Charge admission at the door, gift shop on the way out. Money, I tell you.
Skew had me thinking. Not just during the movie, which is always a positive, but after. Long after. It made me think about everything I saw during the course of the film and every line of dialogue. It especially made me think about a final scene enough that I went back and watched the final few minutes over again. The final frame froze me in my tracks. Figuratively, of course. I don't usually pace around the room when I watch movies.
The last found footage/cinema vertite/first person film to make me formulate ideas and theories long after I shut it down was The Last Exorcism, which I enjoyed more after I watched it as well. My theories may not be right, but it's fun to think them up. The last shot in Skew is a game-changer. It made me go back over everything I had just seen and re-think all of it. It's chilling and exciting at the same time. Like a goofball fawning over a double rainbow, I felt like laugh-shouting, "What does it MEAN?"
An entire bus full of tourists winds up dead after being filmed through Simon's lens, and the weirdness is just getting started. Terrifying things happen. Tensions flare. Nerves are stretched thin. Visions intrude (but only for Simon). Secrets are confessed, one of which brings friends closer, another which tears them apart. It all comes to a head, and when the final few minutes finally air, we get some answers and one huge reveal that might give you more questions to ponder.
And my friends, sometimes that ain't all bad.
Sometimes I like being left with a few questions partially answered...or not answered at all. It's good exercise for the brainpan to be given some slack to dance around the information it's been given, see it from different angles. Too often, audiences are spoon-fed the answers and soon grow to demand it. Look at some (some, I say) of the frustration with the TV show, Lost. Answers were deliberately held back, but there were those who got angry because every little detail wasn't revealed. But I digress.
Skew wasn't without a couple faults, the way I saw it. I understand and very much appreciate the importance of a slow build, but there were a few spots where dialogue and non-action felt a touch snail-like. But I'm definitely willing to look past those slow spots because the acting was very good, very genuine. It's hard to pick out a single star, and I have to hand it to Scattergood for basically what amounts to voice acting, as it is through his perspective that we see the film. Olak is a study in a breakdown as he goes from jaunty slacker-ish guy to hard-drinking angry friend on the verge of blowing his top. Lewis is the voice of reason, the almost angelic one that everyone loves. She tries so hard to keep the three together with so much going on behind her eyes. The script is natural and flowing, and the direction is tight, especially during the scenes of mounting tension or utter creepiness. I'm not alone in looking forward to Schelenz' next body of work.
Give yourself some time and have a gander at Skew. It's a fine entry in the current "found footage craze," even though it's technically a forerunner, since it was actually filmed in 2005. It doesn't have the frantic craziness of, say, a [REC], but for genuine creeps and chills, it makes a damn strong case for itself.
Now here, take a look at the trailer if you like. *warning: some language and possible spoiler-ish stuff*
Honestly. Instead, I just kind of liked it. It built itself a nice little foundation. You know, like in baseball, a really good windup. Then the pitch just sailed in at a nice velocity, but was a little flat.
I miss baseball already.
Atrocious, the Spanish film written and directed by Fernando Berreda Luna, is a found-footage style film (an increasingly popular subgenre) set in the Spanish countryside concerning a family that has been found horribly murdered. When the viewer begins the film, it's as if they're part of the investigative team reviewing the evidence. A jarring sudden rewind flashes some telltale near-subliminal images until it starts at the beginning.
The Quintanilla family heads to their old country home for the first time in a very long time, and siblings Christian and July intend to film the entire thing for their online paranormal investigation webcast. They're specifically excited about a local urban legend about the ghost of a girl named Melinda. Christian insists on filming everything while July joins him in exploring the creepy labyrinth outside the house. Soon after opening a locked basement, where they find old family artifacts, including an old TV and tons of old VHS tapes (including some Dario Argento selections), things get spooky. Strange sounds at night seem only a little odd, but then the beloved family dog disappears. Events take a turn for the frightening when they find the poor thing dead at the bottom of a well in the labyrinth. The ol' family vacation ain't what it used to be. The climactic scene finds the youngest brother missing and a frantic mother desperate to find him...in the dark labyrinth. The father and the family friend are conspicuously absent, but the resulting stumble through the dark with Christian's camera is jarring and ultimately reveals an ending you might not see coming.
I wish the ending hadn't fallen short of what I was expecting (or rather, hoping for), but that's not to say it wasn't decent. Maybe you, loyal readers, will get more out of it. The tension leading up through the entire movie was very well played out, to where we didn't really know what would be in front of the camera at any given time. But I think the movie got caught up in the atmosphere and somewhat, I don't know, lost itself. I wasn't blown away by the ending, instead saying "oh" out loud.
But I will say this: the ratcheted-up tension built at a really good pace. You really do end up wringing your hands over what you think might happen, and that's good by me. I just wish I hadn't felt so "meh" as it came to a close. Anyway, judge for yourself.
It appears that found footage (or first-person, or cinema verite, whichever term you please) is a subgenre here to stay. I'm mostly good with it, although for every Trollhunter or [REC], there might be a Monster. Thankfully, Atrocious, for all its faults, isn't lumped in with the latter. Keep an eye out, fellow zombie apocalypse survivors, as I'll have more found footage film review on the way.
For now, have a gander at the trailer for Atrocious:
You have a problem with cockroaches or ants, maybe mice or termites? It should be easy to find an exterminator in the yellow pages or online. You have a problem with trolls knocking down your trees or eating your livestock? Might be a little more difficult. But if you live in the more remote regions of Norway, you just might be able to get some help from a troll hunter. Getting a hold of him, however...that's another story. You're probably going to have to deal with the enormous pests on your own. But if you get a camera, you could film it and put it on the big screen, a plot device central to the wacky offering from Norway, Trollhunter(aka Trolljegeren).
I say "wacky" because honestly, this is a film about trolls. Not dinosaurs, not overgrown Sasquatches, not Blair Witches. Trolls. There's the potential there for this to really fall flat on its celluloid face. And yet it never does. It maintains a deadpan expression as it presents the possibility of these mythical, semi-humanoid, giant creatures as being real. It's tongue-in-cheek, yet never becomes a parody of itself.
Rabid trolls. It's actually scary if you think about it.
Trollhunter is alternately serious and straight-faced funny but doesn't make the difference between the two over-wrought. The trolls themselves are pretty sweet effects, especially as you get towards the end of the film. The ending has the same problem that most found-footage films have in that it seems like they're not quite sure how to end it and on what note. It's fine for what it is, but the ending didn't leave me breathless or laughing or wanting more. Jespersen, the very controversial Norwegian comedian, plays Hans very understated and as I described before, scarred. He's been through some things you don't expect, and is ready to retire...or something more permanent.
It's a fun movie...not really a game-changer, but something of a blast nonetheless. I'll tell you, Norway is really making some waves in the horror genre (and with monsters, this can be classified as horror) with this and the energetic zombie film, Dead Snow. Should be interesting to see what comes out of Scandinavia next.
Until next time, friends, be glad there aren't zombie trolls...yet.
A couple years ago, a little low-budget movie about a couple harassed by an unseen evil shot into the public consciousness, spreading virally, like that video of a cat playing keyboards. It was Paranormal Activity (my review is right here) and although fans and bloggers alike would be split on liking it, no one can deny the publicity machine that surrounded it.
Before the movie is barely born unto the world, a sequel is announced. I tell you, they're announcing sequels sooner and sooner these days. The success of the first film warranted a second, which, of course, is a tried and true Hollywood formula. Paranormal Activity 2 was released in 2010, this time with a different writing team (Michael R. Perry, Christopher B. Landon, and Tom Pabst) and a different director (Tod Williams), as original writer and director Oren Peli fell back into producer duties. While Paranormal Activity had its super-happy-crazy hype machine, the sequel had what seemed to me a lot less shouting. Sure, it had its share of viral videos and weird websites - in fact, the trailers and interactive website were downright creepy. But I either didn't feel or was subconsciously resistant to the hype surrounding the sequel.
Now, before there's a collective "aw, man, sequels" groan, let me say out of the gate that I found Paranormal Activity 2 to be quite interesting, holding my attention for the entire film. It's the same formula as the first movie: normal family, weird happenings, cameras documents, weirder happenings, get-out-of-the-house-NOW finale. Sometimes you just go with what worked before. What I found most interesting was how it intertwined with the story of the first movie.
The story begins with the arrival of baby Hunter (William and Jackson Prieto) into the Rey family, consisting of papa Daniel (Brian Boland), his daughter from a previous marriage Ali (Molly Ephraim), and his second wife Kristi (Sprague Grayden). We discover very quickly that Kristi is the sister of Katie, one of the stars of the first movie - and those who have seen it suddenly realize the time frame is very important. Reprising their roles as Katie and Micah are Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, appearing at various points throughout the story. As you soon find out - and this is no spoiler - Paranormal Activity 2 is essentially a prequel. Sort of.
After some small incidents, followed by a ransacked house in which only a necklace belonging to Kristi was stolen, the Reys install cameras throughout their home. We're privy to their life with a growing child in what is, by all accounts, a normal, happy existence. But like Katie in the first movie, Kristi is deeply affected by the strange happenings: voices, footsteps, pots falling off their hooks, Ali relating a feeling like the place may be haunted. In fact, Ali thinks it's "cool" at first, but deeper research into ghosts and demons quash her enthusiasm reeeeal quick-like.
The strange occurrences get wilder and more malignant until Kristi is at the center of a particularly violent episode. Finally wanting to do something about it, Daniel takes matters into his own hands with the help of the nanny he fired earlier (Vivis Cortez), someone who seems to know a little about keeping bad spirits away. I'm not going to get into the climax, denouement, and snap ending of the movie. Don't want to spoil it, although through logic, you may already have guessed the outcome. Still, there are story elements that add some spice to it, and for that, it made me want to keep watching.
I can safely say I thought Paranormal Activity 2 was pretty good. I know that notion will be at odds with some, but hey, variety's the spice of life. The use of deep ambient tones as a score was effective, and I believed Ephraim and Grayden's performances were especially good and quite believable. Like I said, I rather enjoyed the intertwining of the stories.
That said, I didn't come away from the movie feeling like I watched something special. It was entertainment, and that's it. That's fine, believe me. But for me, it didn't affect me like some films can. The ending was abrupt, which kept with the formula, but I did utter out loud, "oh, I guess that's it." Don't ask me what could have made it meatier. I've had pizzas that didn't satisfy me, but I couldn't tell you how to make them better. I'm just happy that I didn't waste my time, and that I can relate my opinion that I thought this movie was pretty good. I'm actually OK with Paranormal Activity 3 being made.
Now just make sure you've installed cameras, my friends...never know what they'll capture...
It's no secret I'm a gigantic fan of the masterful Spanish horror film [REC]. Go back and read my review of it to see just how lovingly I spoke of it. When I heard a sequel was in the works, I had one of those rare reactions to news of a continuing story: joy. It wasn't going to be just a sequel with different characters, same story as the first, but with a bigger budget and more "Hollywood-like" promotion. It had some of those traits, but it was more than those. It did have different characters, but in a logical way. The story is only the same because it's a continuation of the first movie. In fact, it starts about 15 minutes after [REC] finishes. It dives in and doesn't look back for one instant. Well...maybe one instant, but that's towards the end of the movie, and I'm not spoiling it here because it's a chiller.
I'll tell you now: this review won't be like most others. There won't be a detailed blow-by-blow here. The entire movie is pretty straightforward and full of spoilers that you really need to see for yourself. So let me give you some of the basics and we'll go from there...
Not long after the first movie ends, a special operations group prepares to enter the quarantined apartment building along with a member of the Ministry of Health in order to get some control of the situation. There's some nostalgia for the viewer upon entering that old building. There's that enormous bloodstain in the lobby along with empty handcuffs attached to the stairs. It's about then you remember something that the new characters don't know: not all of the infected died and you know they're just running around somewhere in this building. Revisiting (well, for us anyway) the penthouse, there's a little reminder of what the characters are dealing with through the pictures, the Evil Dead-like tape recording, and the murky atmosphere.
After some eerie music starts playing in an apartment, one of the special ops team runs afoul of some infected and quickly becomes one himself.
They lock him in a room and the dude from the Ministry of Health drives a knife into the door, then hangs a rosary from it. This actually stops the infected. Yeah, and that guy from the Ministry of Health? Owen is his name, and he's from a ministry, all right, but it's not the one of health. He's an agent of the Vatican with a license to exorcise, and he's kicking ass and taking rosary beads. The other officers aren't too happy about being deceived, and they're even more perturbed when they discover the real reason they entered this death trap: Owen needs to obtain the blood of the first possession victim, Niña Medeiros, kept somewhere in the darkened, ruined apartment that was home to a previous Vatican agent who experimented on Medeiros. Oh, and for a glimpse at the Medeiros girl, watch the ending of [REC]. Yeah, that's her. Shiver at your convenience now.
There are several attacks on Owen and the officers, and some by very recognizable faces from the first movie:
Around the confusion of one attack, a seemingly uninfected man is killed and thrown over the guardrail. The agents catch a glimpse of another party of uninfected people before another wave of attacks occur, splitting them up - which is never a good thing, face it. A frantic and revealing skirmish with the little girl from the first movie that ultimately ends the point of view from the agents' lone camera.
The film goes back a bit and starts down a different path as we meet three young pranksters who are high on adventure and daring-do. They think descending into the sewers and coming up into the quarantined building will be a hoot. Not exactly. They meet one of the firemen from the first movie who didn't go inside, and the father of the infected little girl, who are desperately trying to reach their friends and family inside. They find themselves locked - rather, welded - inside the apartment building. From there, it's a parallel story to that of the special operations team until they all meet up in an apartment. That pivotal scene leads to the final, white knuckle, screaming descent of the roller coaster as the ultimate push to either finish the mission (according to Owen) or simply survive begins.
I honestly can't get into the rest of the movie here. I could, and I could spoil everything for you, but I don't want to do that. I want you to go into this movie with the same blank slate I did, knowing what might happen, but feeling that thrill along the way as you discover what actually does happen. The ending is chilling not so much for what you see, but for what you could see if the film hadn't ended. And that's all I'll tell you. Even the lead-up to the ending includes clues and tip-offs that are better left uncovered by you as you watch.
[REC]2 is a brilliant sequel in my eyes not only because it's wild, intense ride, but because it's a logical progression from the first film. You see characters from the first one - logically - because they've been infected and weren't "killed" in the first movie. Scroll back and see that picture with the bald fireman to see what I mean. If you'd seen the first movie, you know who that is.
When you have entries in the "found footage" or "cinema verite" genre, there are inevitable comparisons to The Blair Witch Project, simply because that was the film that made the mainstream audience aware of the style. Makes some sense, but the films are worlds apart. There was one film that the [REC] series compares favorably to, and that's Demoni (Demons) from 1985, and a film that I gushed about in another review. I'm not the only one who saw that similarity, as my friend Jim from Movie Brain Rot mentioned it to me as well in a discussion. A dark setting and rapid infection from a nefarious source, nasty fluids and frantic escape plans - it's a nod and a wink, however intentional, to Lamberto Bava's Demoni.
Without spoiling anything for you, allow me to list a few indelible images and scenes that make [REC]2 so much of a trip
* Revisiting old settings: the lobby, the penthouse, the bloody landing, the fabric store. You definitely should see the first one again to fully appreciate it all.
* The building itself, a character in its own right. It's like a labyrinth, and seems larger on the inside than it does outside. The apartments seem to go on forever, especially in the dark.
* Ah, the dark. The darkness itself is not only a brilliant mood-setter, but much more important of an element than you think. Trust me, you'll see.
* The rocket. I'm sorry, but one scene involving some fireworks made me laugh out loud.
* The continuity. You'll find yourself saying, "ah, so that's where that came from." Not only that, but the camera manages to catch important establishing shots that allow you, the viewer, to figure certain things out. A film that makes you use your brain? *gasp*
* The "interference" that crops up here and there on the film. Watch when it occurs, and it only adds to the chilling air of what's happening.
* There's a scene involving a small pool of water that will give you shivers when you wrap your mind around what happens. See my reference to the "darkness" above.
* The ending. Yeah.
It's safe to say that I love this movie, and that's not just because I watched a pair of stinkers before it. [REC]2 has everything I love in a horror movie: thrills and chills, an enthusiastic air about it, clever use of atmosphere and setting, moments that let you figure out the details, a feeling that you can't control what's happening thanks to a better use of first person than most "found footage" films. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but from what I've seen, the tea table I'm sitting at is crowded.
Now, who wants biscuits?
Until next time, fellow survivors, the rules remain the same: don't get bitten. Now enjoy the trailer for this fine film, [REC]2:
I think there might be a formula in the horror film genre, similar to physics or mathematics, in regards to the hype of a movie:
"The intense hyping of a film will be converse to the general reception of said film."
Remember The Blair Witch Project? Well, of course you do, what am I saying? That is the poster child of overhyping a film. Actually, the early marketing of the film was great and it looked like something different was coming down the horror highway. More often than not, I hear people speak in disappointed tones about that movie. Most are kinder to Cloverfield, which employed a blitz of viral marketing, easter egg-filled websites, and all sorts of bells and whistles. For the record, I rather liked Blair Witch Project and very much enjoyed Cloverfield.
Paranormal Activity came on like the little demon ghost engine that could. Made for about ten dollars and employing plenty of admirable cost-cutting tricks, the hype machine rolled out with all guns blazing. Moviegoers were told to demand it at their local theaters. Videos of shocked and screaming audiences accompanied the minimal trailers. There was an air of mystery, yet a tinge of skepticism among seasoned horror fans.
I finally got a hold of it and took it in one afternoon, many months after the hype had died down. What I found was a film that wasn't bad, but not the all-out assault on my senses I was promised. When it comes to faux documentaries featuring hauntings, Lake Mungoset the bar pretty high for me.
The plot of Paranormal Activity, directed and written by Oren Peli, is pretty straightforward: a young, upwardly mobile couple has been bothered by strange occurrences around their home for some time, and the boyfriend, Micah (Micah Sloat), is all excited about it. He thinks it would make a great documentary, but girlfriend Katie (Katie Featherston) is apprehensive. Seems the weirdness isn't new to her. She grew up with a feeling that something has followed her, and that something isn't a guardian angel.
It starts off light, a sound here, something moving there. They contact a psychic, who recommends they bring in a demonologist to nip this thing in the bud right away. Katie's okay with that, but Micah overdosed on his douchebag pills and wants to make a film project out of the haunting.
While the hauntings intensify, the once-strong couple starts to fall apart at the seams. Katie is angry at Micah for taunting the entity and dismissing her feelings. Micah is mad at Katie for not embracing his new passion for film, and for bringing the entity into their lives in the first place, which just another notch in Micah's douche-ism tally. The entity itself becomes more and more malevolent. It shows no signs of letting up, and the incidents become attacks. They even become more frequent in the daytime. It's suggested to the couple that no matter where they run, the entity will follow them because it's after Katie.
The nighttime footage gets weirder, with Katie sometimes standing and staring at Micah for long stretches of time. Footsteps sound, heavy and thunderous in the house. One night, something pulls Katie right out of bed and drags her into the hallway, even biting her at one point. Katie is off the deep end after that, and Micah finally gives in to leave the house. Oddly, Katie refuses, saying that everything will be "okay."
That night, Katie spends hours staring at Micah before leaving the room. She screams and Micah follows, beginning a terrifying struggle that we, the viewers, don't see. The theatrical release of the movie ends with (spoilers, so if you really want to know, highlight the text after this warning)Micah's body thrown into the camera, and a demonic Katie entering the room before disappearing, according to the final credits.
Of the three endings I know of, this appears to be the better one. It's not easy to end a movie like this on a note that everyone will agree with, but it wasn't horrible. And that's how I felt about the entire movie. I know it disappointed some and thrilled others, but honestly, I didn't get either side of that argument. Ultimately, I guess there was some disappointment, because I wanted it to be utterly terrifying, and it wasn't. First-person horror that is truly scary: [REC]. Still, the movie provided me with a fair amount of creepy-crawlies:
The scratch on Micah's face in the framed picture.
Katie's footsteps at the end of the movie.
The exorcism footage they find on the Internet.
The footprints.
Katie's voice when she says, "I think we'll be okay." Listen closely.
Too much hype is like too much sugar. It's good for the product, but if it's overdone, it ruins the taste of what could have been a hidden gem. I'm happy that such a small film could rake in mounds of dough, but there's a part of me that's cynical when the Hollywood Hype Machine-o-Rama demands I watch and be scared. As I mentioned before, Lake Mungo had me turning on the lights from sheer creepiness. Paranormal Activity had me interested, but not as skeeved out as I was told I should be.
So, what's next on the helicopter's rounds? Next time, I'll finally get around to discussing the great horror comic Crossed, which sets infection horror on a new path. After that, I might be doing a little article about I Sell The Dead, which just arrived in my mailbox.
Until next time, remember, if zombies follow you from place to place, unlike the demonic presence in this movie, you'll be able to see them...and smell them. Bring Febreeze.
Some spoilers may lace this entry. Taste with caution.
A linear story. A simple location. A loss of control. You can't turn away!
Three very basic ingredients mixed together by writers Jaume Belagaro and Luis Berdejo, and baked by Belagaro and Paco Plaza in the beautiful oven of Barcelona, Spain, to make the delicious dish known as [REC].
Yeah, you see what I did there. Food analogies. I'm going somewhere with this.
The average movie-goer or novice horror might believe - if just for a moment - that [REC] somehow copied an American film called Quarantine. I mean, it's easy to think that, really. Same plot. Nearly the same players. Filmed in the same first-person way. However, Quarantine is a fairly decent remake of our subject. I personally thought Quarantine was pretty good, and I expected [REC] to be slightly better. I felt - and quite happily - that [REC] was not only far superior, but one of the best horror films to grace my DVD player in quite some time. And I've seen some good ones lately.
So how does this horror equivalent of a fine dinner experience unfold? Well, tuck in your napkin and I'll tell you - without spoiling too much, if I can help it.
OK, throughout the entire movie, we see only what Pablo's (Pablo Rosso) camera sees, for this is a television taping. Angela Vidal (the cute-as-a-button Manuela Velasco) hosts a documentary series that covers what happens while the residents of Spain (well, those with normal daytime schedules) are sleeping. Hence the name of the show, "While You Sleep." We never see Pablo's face, but Angela guides us and Pablo through the terrifying events that occur inside the apartment building that provides one of two sets of the movie. The other set is a firehouse, where the movie begins. For this installment of her show, Angela is visiting a local firehouse to see how the firemen cope with overnight life. She visits the cafeteria, plays basketball in the gym, and quietly hopes - trying not to sound morbid - that the firehouse gets a call so they can show the firemen in action.
The call finally comes: a woman is screaming, trapped in her apartment. Angela and Pablo join two of the firemen and policemen in investigating the emergency, and along the way we meet many of the denizens of the old place, all complaining about the noise. They're a cross-section of average Spanish citizens from a variety of backgrounds. Many would say that here is your buffet of cannon fodder. They would not be wrong.
When they get into the apartment, they find the lady, cowering in the dark like a David Lynch character. Can't quite...see her properly. The obviously sick lady becomes Sick - with a capital "S" - when she bites down on one of the policemen and going after the others before she's shot. This routine call just went from tense to strange to downright bloody chaos in a matter of seconds, and it's all caught with Pablo's camera.
What follows is claustrophobic, frustrated terror as everyone inside is quarantined (yeah, see where they got the name for the remake?). The poor cannon fodder tenants are sealed inside with no explanation and faced with death by sniper if they try to escape. There must be some disease here, because people aren't taking the bites very well, and there was already a sick little girl to begin with - flu, they think. This is a movie about disease...what do you think it is? When a health inspector enters to assess the situation, he gets caught up in the bloody, bitey carnage.
It all comes together as to why the authorities are there, how they got there so quick, and the connection to one of the tenants inside. But it's all going to hell, and no one has time to sit around and think about the ins and outs and the whys and hows. People fall left and right, until it's just Angela and Pablo. That quick scene of the stairwell teeming with the infected, all growling and moaning as they sprint up the stairs, is utterly terrifying.
Like a great survival horror video game on speed, our newscasters must find a key to a door under the building. Finding the key was tough enough, but they are soon forced into a penthouse where a man from the Vatican lived. I'm not going to go into the details of this part of the movie. I can only tell you that the clues in the Vatican agent's pitch-dark apartment - think of it: why is someone from a religious powerhouse there? - lead to a chilling implication. Much more chilling than the remake, by far. And did you really think they'd be alone in this apartment?
Yeah.
It's safe to say that I absolutely dug this flick. Insane, fast-paced, and disturbing...all from a first-person perspective. You are there. You can't look away. And really, you shouldn't since this movie is an Awesome Sandwich.
There I go, back to the food analogies again. Those biters outside the safety fence are really carved on my subconscious, I suppose.
Let's see if I can be more consistent with this thing.
