2007 (?) horror filmRating: 15/20
Plot: Katie and Micah have shacked up. Micah takes a break from dicking around on his guitar and ogling his girlfriend's cracking rack to purchase a video camera with plans to record paranormal activity. Katie, it seems, has been stalked by a demon since childhood. They summon a psychic, but he can do nothing but unleash a few dickfarts, drool over Katie's cracking rack, and suggests they contact a demonologist. Gradually, as Micah fails to heed the warning to not taunt the demon, things get worse.
There are a lot of good things about this movie. It's a classic example of how to do a lot with very little. The effects are minimal and the bogeymen are camera shy, but the creeps are very real. There are some very scary moments in this movie, most of the time when nothing happens at all. And every single time the sleeping-couple-in-the-bedroom shot was repeated, I tensed up, knowing that something ranging from mildly spooky to pants-peeingly terrifying was going to happen. Very mild, seemingly harmless activities (a door closing, a light turning on) became intensely frightening within that dimly-lit home. I was also impressed with the acting, especially with Katie Featherston. She's also got a cracking rack. For three-fourths of the movie, this couple is the center of attention. Since this is one of those "discovered footage" deals (a la Blair Witch and Cloverfield), it's important that the acting doesn't seem like acting. These kids do a great job. There are also some almost awkward, very human, and playful moments exposed in the footage that make this a little more realistic. This horror movie isn't without its problems. It's got its share of goofy moments, and the ending is a little on the cheap side. And after a while, that sleeping-couple-in-the-bedroom shot set the audience up too much. You're able to brace yourself because you know that something's about to happen, and that might have taken some of the shock away. Still, it's impossible to know exactly what's going to happen and what sound effects are going to accompany it, and that keeps you on your toes.
Good review of the movies' strengths, and I would give it the same grade, mainly because I am amazed that this $20,000 film is better than the average 10 million flick.
ReplyDeleteI did grow to hate Micah, and I didn't believe for a second that two people haunted in this way would behave the way they do, or would not bring in every authority(or talk show host) they could get their hands on. Scary but silly stuff that is definately worth a look.
right...i forgot to mention that but very little of what the characters did felt like what actual people would do...i do think the actors were realistic in their portrayal of unrealistic people though
ReplyDeletetyped with one finger