Paranormal Activity 4 (trailer)

Paranormal Activity 4.

So apparently in the new Paranormal Activity, Katy, with Hunter in tow, moves into a suburban neighborhood and starts terrorizing the couple next door.

This could be good or bad. On the one hand, I don't think the premise makes any sense. This demon has waited decades in order to recieve the son he was promised, and then once he has it, he does what with it.... settles down in suburbia and starts scaring kids for sport? Why on Earth would he possibly do that?

I'm sure they'll explain why this has to happen in the film. And that's the point of contention for me. Part of me wants them to come up with a really good explanation for why such a weird plot makes sense. But the other part of me wants the movie to forgo the mythos-building and get back to what makes Paranormal Activity 1 and 2 good. Better than good, in fact, some of the best fucking films ever made.

What made PA 1 and 2 great is exactly what inspired Oren Peli to create Paranormal Activity in the first place. He had always been frightened of ghosts, and tapped into that universal fear to create the film. Put emphasis on universal. Those films are so scary because they're some of the most relatable horror films ever made.

Everyone's been alone in a house or building and heard random noises that 99+% likely are nothing sinister, but then you hear it again, and again. Paranormal Activity rachets up the action slowly so that you can put yourself in their place. The universality of the experience is part and parcel of what makes these films so unsettling and the richer of a backstory it gets, the more complex of a mythology it weilds, the less universal it becomes and the less scary it is.

With PA4 taking on the ole' "scary neighbor" motif it seems like it could potentially be returning to a more classic scare, with less of the mythos building. But it could just as easily take the mythos-building to yet new heights. Only time will tell.

In any case I'm excited for it and I love to see this franchise expand and proliferate, no matter the results. Paranormal Activity has become the first, and inarguably the best, found footage franchise and for that it deserves kudos from the likes of me. Twenty, thirty years down the line Paranormal Activity may well still retain the title as the ultimate found footage franchise. [REC] turned away from found footage a long time ago so it's not even a contest.

Trollhunter (2010)

Trollhunter

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Notice: No spoilers beyond basic expository information.

Overview: In a genre often accused of repeating itself, Trollhunter provides an awesome and much-welcome counterpoint. It's more clever than it is frightful, but it's an exciting ride.

Trollhunter is easily one of the most critically-applauded found footage films of recent years. And the praise is relatively well deserved, Trollhunter takes a genre with a strong temptation to remain formulaic, and ventures beyond in both subject matter and style. Hunting giant trolls is a subject perfectly suited to Norway's mythological heritage, and it's rare that a found footage film (particularly one with good production values), succeeds in being funny.

It starts with a group of kids following a mysterious bear poacher, but they soon learn there's more to his story. Over the course of the film, this veteran Trollhunter shows the kids the ropes of his secret trade. He details the natural characteristics of trolls (species variation, intelligence level, diet, habitation), strategies for taking them down, and the governmet conspiracy to keep them under wraps. This gives the film an admirable mythos and sense of reality. But since the film is funny at least as often as it is serious, the attention to mythical detail seems a tad wasted. Even so, in-universe consistency is always appreciated. Even a goofy movie becomes less impressive when they lack a coherent base.

I can't say I love Trollhunter quite as much as many seem to, as comedic and tongue-in-cheek films aren't so much my fancy. Cheesy, trashy, zero-budget films, hell yes, but there's a fine line between that and films which are traditionally funny like Trollhunter. All in all Trollhunter has excellent production values, great creatures and a solid plot. It's an admirable addition to the found footage genre from the great nation of Norway, and one that I'm sure will still be viewed years from now.

Horror Roundup Volume One: October Comes Early

I just can't wait for October to get here so I can start creeping myself out with scary movies. I probably shouldn't be dipping into the horror bin this early, but since I work nights, I'll only have about 8 days in October to watch movies in pitch darkness. So here are the first three movies I watched this horror season.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011)
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The best way to describe this movie is: old school cool. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark has basically everything I want out of a horror film. Atmospheric and moody, with a creepy setting and sinister paranormal forces that aren't overdone or ridiculous. Plus it boasts Guillermo Del Toro with Katie Holmes, two of my favorite names in film/tv (albeit for... ENTIRELY different reasons.)

It has sort of an unassuming feel to it. It doesn't feel like a big bad blockbuster, and that's part of its charm. After all, it's a remake of a made-for-TV movie. And despite the astounding quality of its execution, it still almost feels like a TV movie. It reminds me of AfterDark's HorrorFest, which I loved dearly. Just a yearly batch of humble horror films not trying to be the next big franchise, just trying to be good and scary. The only difference is, Don't Be Afraid of The Dark is even better than the best HorrorFest movies. EVEN Lake Mungo, which is a spectacular found footage film.


Carrie (2002)
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This was a very competently executed film, aside from the obnoxiously obvious cuts for commercial breaks. Instead of cutting for breaks in-between scenes, they would cut right in the middle of a scene, forcing us to acknowledge that this was a TV movie. Other than that, I found the characterization was very believable, and the familiar plot was handled well. They did seem to dwell on the "mystery" aspect too much for a plot that even those of us not familiar with the original are destined to be knowledgable of through countless references in TV and film. Carrie is a cultural staple, after all. They kept building it up like "ooh what's going to happen at prom," part of me was hoping they would change the ending so that all the build up is worthwhile.

The most peculiar thing about this film is that it was intended as a pilot for a TV series, staring Carrie. I find that peculiar because, as much as I adored Carrie throughout most of the film, I don't see how anyone can still root for her after the murderous rampage at the school. Mind you, I love revenge fantasies. In a fictional setting where good and evil are unambiguous, it's great to see evil people pay for their misdeeds. That's why I love Super Hero movies. But massacreing an entire school is a sensitive subject. I know real world and fantasy should be kept separate, but the only difference between what Carrie did and what the perputrators of Columbine did, is that the Columbine murderers had to use guns instead of magic powers. She didn't just kill the bad kids who bullied her (not that bullying is a justified reason for murder in the least), she also killed good kids, and innocent bystanders, and faculty who had stood up for her.


Romasanta: Werewolf Hunt
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Directed by famed [REC] creator, Paco Plaza. This movie has a variety of names. On Netflix it's called simply "Werewolf Hunter." On IMDB it's "Romasanta: Werewolf Hunt." On Amazon it's called "Werewolf Hunter - Legend of Romasanta."

Romasanta is the name of the real life serial killer in England who admitted to his murders but claimed he was not guilty because he was a werewolf and couldn't control himself. Based on the blurb, I thought this would be very much like The Exorcism of Emily Rose: where this man is put on trial and the argument is whether or not he is truly a werewolf. But instead this movie is about a cunning serial killer and his meticulous kills.

Not a complete departure from typical werewolf lore but definitely with some unique nuances. Not the most engrossing of the movies I watched, but definitely something that can appeal to both werewolf fans and fans of psycho killer movies. And I liked the ending that they gave it.

Ghostwatch (1992)

Ghostwatch

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Notice: No significant spoilers.

Overview: An unmitigated triumph of innovation and design, this is one of found footage's most influential films. But the content will seem dry by today's standards.

The phrase "ahead of its time" encapsulates this obscure 1992 TV movie, aired once on Halloween and then banned from ever airing again in its native UK. Although it caused quite a few water cooler conversations in the homeland, it has never been made officially available in the US, and was only recently releasd on DVD in the UK.

It's not strictly "found footage," more of a faux-cinema verite. Ghostwatch is a facetious BBC documentary investigation, pruporting to include live feed from a haunted house on Halloween night. Interviews with the family and exposition from reporters accompany scenes of ghoulish activity, such as objects moving of their own volition and stange loud noises. Reputable BBC personalities cooperated with this clever hoax to give it an extra-dose of realism. Unsurprising considering found footage was a deceit still unknown to the public at large, many were convinced by this production, and the film has even been accused of influencing one child's suicide!

In addition to pioneering the ghostly premise for countless found footage films (as ghosts easily represent the most common antagonist in found footage) and pre-empting the genre's most successful franchise (Paranormal Activity), Ghoswatch can also be linked to any number of faux-documentary films such as Fourth Kind and the TV version of Incident In Lake County. Most intriguing of all, perhaps, is it's obvious parallel to the now-omnipresent trend of faked ghost-hunting TV programs, like 'Ghost Adventures,' 'Paranormal State,' 'Ghost Hunters,' and MTV's 'Fear.'

But aside from its influence, how high quality of a film is it, really? Well, it gets a 10 out of 5 in originality amd craft. but probably only a 2 or a 3 in watchability. It's a very dry program. It's very REALISTICALLY dry, like a documentary genuinely would be. Which makes it an incredibly well-made piece, but not necessarily a fantastic movie. Admittedly, the deadpan seriousness with which the subject is broached can be considered to make this program more unsettling than the over-the-top jumping and screaming you see in modern shows. So those of you with a more refined, old school sensibility may find the program exciting and terrifying. My taste errs closer to where the genre has evolved to, than where it came from. Sure, I can watch someone walk down a dark hallway on shakycam for 40 minutes and adore every freaking second of it. But a BBC documentary from the early 90s? Not my idea of an exciting watch. But it's definitely worth a view for any fan of found footage, ghost stories, or groundbreaking horror films. For those of us without access to a DVD version, it's readily available on Youtube.

Back in Season

The spookiest of months is quickly approaching and I am ready to hunker down with some frightful features. This season I hope to explore some of the exciting new found footage releases, such as:

• V/H/S
• Chronicle
• War of the Worlds: The True Story
• Evidence
• Unaware
• Project X
• The Devil Inside
• Paranormal Activity 4

And make a significant dent in the long list of important found footage films I have seen (often several times) but not finished writing reviews for as of yet, including but not limited to:

• The Blair Witch Project
• Alien Abduction: Incident In Lake County
• Trollhunter
• Paranormal Activity
• Paranormal Activity 2
• Paranormal Activity 3
• Lake Mungo
• [Rec] 2

I may even review some non-found footage horror films (Chernobyl Diaries was just an exception due to Peli's involvement). But only found footage reviews will be listed in the review list on the right panel.

Well, enjoy Fall and don't let the ghoulies get ya! But be sure to bring a camera along.... y'know, just in case they do.