Blair Witch (2016)

After staying home last night and enjoying Viral, it was awesome that Mother Nature decided to hold off the rain and let me head out to the drive-in to see Blair Witch and Don’t Breathe. I love horror double features and it is always such a good time when both movies offer something different. The first review of those will be Blair Witch.

Plot/ After discovering a video showing what he believes to be his sister's experiences in the demonic woods of the Blair Witch, James and a group of friends head to the forest in search of his lost sibling.

I have heard so many different opinions on the Blair Witch that I had to break down and see it. Luckily, it was playing at the drive-in  (with Don’t Breathe) and I was able to catch it earlier tonight. What I found was interesting. Yes, it was not perfect and I can see where some people would be turned off, but I could also see why people would love it. I really believe there was a nice mixture of homage to the original trip into the world and enough originality to create a tremendously entertaining balance. The way the movie built atmosphere and transitioned was done incredibly well and it created some intriguing elements that ensure the viewer paid attention to. The performances were decent, the storyline was developed, and for a found footage film, it had some new approaches to creating some new angles for recording. Sure, the ending is a bit odd and there were some jump scares that felt cliché, but those are easily overlooked. In the end, this one definitely took me back to the original and actually reminded me of what a real found footage film should look like. Of course, it is not a perfect movie, but it is one that should be seen and enjoyed. Check it out!

Lovely Molly (2011)

 

 

After watching the post apocalyptic entry Hell last night, I decided to spend some more time behind the screen with the extra hour of sleep that came from the calendar. I was also to answer a few emails, as some interesting Bigfoot news popped up from my good friend Jon in Connecticut from the Smoking Gun Research Agency (SGRA). I will keep you posted on details as they arise. Armed with some time, I decided to watch Lovely Molly from 2011.

 

 

Plot/ Newlywed Molly moves into her deceased father's house in the countryside, where painful memories soon begin to haunt her

 

 

This film by Eduardo Sánchez, he of The Blair Witch Project fame, re-enters that horror realm with this interesting endeavor. Sure, there are some similarities to his incredible debut, but this one is much more than that. This one is more of a straightforward supernatural flick full of atmosphere. The scripting and storyline is complex, the performances solid and the cinematography works. Sure, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect between the first and second parts of the movie, but that can easily be overlooked. In the end, this is one of the more interesting horror movies I have seen in some time. Yes, it is not for everyone, and some fans may be turned off by the lack of action, but if you like psychological horror with a supernatural edge, check it out.

 

The Objective (2008)

Last night I was searching for something to watch as the wife was making jewelry and watching Dancing With The Stars. What I found was the interesting 2008 supernatural horror film The Objective. Having spent some time in the Middle East, I wanted to see how realistic the film was and honestly, what I found was quite a surprise.

Plot/ In Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, a Special Forces team meets CIA Agent Benjamin Keynes, who explains their mission to find a very important Afghan cleric by the name of Mohammad Aban. The team leader, Wally Hamer sends the men to ready themselves. After being inserted, the team finds a local guide, Abdul, in a village in Southern Afghanistan, where the cleric is from. Together, they set out for the mountains, where the cleric is reputed to be hiding. As they head further into the mountains, they begin to have strange encounters, first with armed gunmen, who simply disappear when shot, later with strange forces. The further they go, the more dangerous it becomes, as the team realizes they are looking not for someone, but something that may not be of this world.

When I saw that this movie was written and directed by Daniel Myrick of Blair Witch Project fame, I did not know what to expect. However, I soon discovered an interesting psychological thriller / horror that took me back to the Sci-fi / Horror combos of my youth. Overall, the writing, acting and plot are all excellent within the confines of the supernatural horror and psychological terror being displayed. The movie did lack on the effects, but to be honest that is a relief considering the trash that is being created by CGI today and the ending left a bit to be desired as I still have some doubt about what really happened. Overall, it was a fresh take on a film within the horror / thriller genre and a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Seventh Moon (2008)

While searching through the horror section of free movies on my Comcast onDemand service, I was excited to see Seventh Moon available. I had seen the cover at the store and in the Red Box and it always looked interesting. So, without hesitation, I put it on and let my journey into the undead lore begin.

Plot/ Melissa and Yul, Americans honeymooning in China, come across the exotic 'Hungry Ghost' festival. When night falls, the couple end up in a remote village, and soon realize the legend is all too real. Plunged into an ancient custom they cannot comprehend, the couple must find a way to survive the night of the

Seventh Moon.

Directed by Eduardo Sánchez (of Blair Witch Project fame), the idea behind the story and the story itself (while pretty common) was decent and enough to draw me in. The acting wasn't and the overall look was much better than some of the material that is hitting the shelves today. However, that is about as much praise as I can give. The cinematography, especially with many of the scenes being shot with very low light, really took something away from this film with the shakiness. While, I am not a fan of the "shaky cam" phenomenon, I do see it as a viable technique in certain situations and scenes. Not this one though, especially with the terrible lighting that I already mentioned. In all, I felt it was a good idea, but the execution was far from perfect. It was definitely a movie I waited to see when it was free, if I had paid for it, I might be more upset!

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Paranormal Activity = The Blair Witch Project in 10 Years

Viral ad campaign, check; creepy subject matter; check, unknown filmmaker creating something special on a shoestring budget, check; I am talking about the famed The Blair Witch Project, right? Well, not this time. While 2009 did mark the 10th anniversary of the independent masterpiece, it is Paranormal Activity that took the world by storm following much of the same rules made famous a decade ago. This film, reportedly made for roughly $18,000 by writer/director/producer/editor Oren Peli, struck fear in the hearts of viewers and eventually outshined some big-budget competition at the box office.

The premise of the story is typical to many ghost stories or paranormal themed movies that frequent the big screen. A young couple begins experiencing strange occurrences in their house after moving in together. Not long after the activity begins, Katie (one of the two main characters) reveals that she has experienced some of the same happenings before as a child. Excited by the possibility of discovering what is happening and determined to find proof Micah (the boyfriend) purchases a video camera to record the happenings to try to figure out what is going on. Over the course of the next few weeks, he gets all of the proof he needs and more.

 

In all, the film does a great job at setting mood and a sense of unease while watching it. It may not be the scariest movie ever made, but there were plenty of sequences that got the blood flowing. However, there are some structural parts to the movie that will be caught by experienced members of the paranormal field and leave them scratching their heads. Most of these parts centered around the psychic and the referenced demonologist (which ironically seems to be the only one on the internet).

The rules stated by the psychic were at least valid and should be followed when one suspects that they have some type of demonic manifestation taking place. These rules are:

1. Do not run from the house, the spirit will probably follow.

2. The spirit feeds off negative energy (anger, fear, etc).

3. Do not do anything to engage the demonic entity (like buy an OUIJA Board)

While these are valid rules, this is a movie and the actors had to break one or all of them for the sake of the movie. In reality, these rules are probably ignored the majority of the time, helping add to the aura contained within the film. After all, the best horror movies are the ones that can eat into our psyche and present things in a manner that would remind the viewer that these events can happen any day, anywhere.

Like mentioned earlier, many of the video characteristics were reminiscent of those used in The Blair Witch Project with the shaky camera work and the home video feel. Yet, this recording is much more stable than the previously mentioned film and the idea really works on a conceptual level. The film felt authentic throughout, even in the periods that initially felt somewhat slow. The chemistry between the main characters was amazing, and it really felt like these were home videos and these people were actually dealing with a haunting.

To me, that realistic feel is why Paranormal Activity struck a cord with the masses. It plays on the deep-seated fears that many people have when they enter the nether region of a dreamscape. More importantly, it is something that could be happening all around you everyday. Because the movie has all of the right elements, Paranormal Activity will be talked about for a long time and in 10 years; we should be celebrating the 10th anniversary of another breakthrough film in the realm of the unexplained.

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