found footage

Europa Report (2013) Review

February 20, 2014 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis: An international crew of astronauts undertakes a privately funded mission to search for life on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon.

Quick Review: Europa Report is more Sci-Fi than pure horror but the documentary style used for this movie brings us closer to the braveness of space travelers and the terror they might have to face when confronted with the unknown.

Technically, Europa Report is flawless and really allows us to get closer to the astronauts using cameras placed within the ship as well as on the exterior of the spacecraft. And the footage actually looks like it could have been provided by the NASA.

The performances by most of the actors are spot-on and convey the claustrophobia of being trapped in such a closed space for so long.

But is it scary? Well, for one, it’s not Alien, and you will not find jump scares scattered throughout the movie. Europa Report is more about the growing tension and sense of helplessness that those astronauts have to endure.

Therefore, as I said in the beginning, Europa Report might not be a traditional found footage horror movie but I will take this one over an Apollo 18 anytime.

My Rating: 7/10

Director: Sebastián Cordero

Origin: US

Click Here To watch Europa Report Online Now!

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) Review

February 5, 2014 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis: Jesse begins experiencing a number of disturbing and unexplainable things after the death of his neighbor. As he investigates, it isn’t long before Jessie finds he’s been marked for possession by a malevolent demonic entity, and it’s only a matter of time before he is completely under its control.

Quick Review: Many people dubbed the marked ones: The latino paranormal activity. Sure, we are going away from the usual white upper class neighborhood to some more middle class grounds but there is not much in terms of latino culture, if not for some tired cliches (the funny grandma who only speaks spanish, the gang-bangers…).

So what are we left with here? Paranormal Activity The Marked Ones plays out a bit differently than its predecessors, for the best (we are getting out of the confine of one main location) and the worst ( I did miss the security cameras from previous episodes.

The story is all about possession again and, similar to recent previous entries, ends up within the witchcraft community.

What really bothers me this time around was the actual reason behind the whole camera shoots: there is simply none. I know the found footage concept is getting tired but somehow it was made more obvious in this movie than any other Paranormal Activity before.

There is a reason to set up security cameras around one’s house to check for “paranormal activities”, there is none to follow your pals around with a camera and always keep it in your hands while being chased by crazy and/or possessed people.

My verdict: The Marked Ones is slightly better than Paranormal Activity 4 but still not up to the scare factor of the first three entries.

My Rating: 5.5/10

Director: Christopher Landon

Origin: US

The Dirties (2013) Review

January 9, 2014 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis: Two best friends are filming a comedy about getting revenge on the bullies at their high school. One of them isn’t joking.

My Quick Review: I have to admit, I feel kind of cheated by The Dirties. The whole movie teases you of a big impending doom that never completely comes and, as such, the ending is a big letdown.

The Dirties takes a found footage approach to tell this classic story of High School Bullying. The use of POV shots is justified by the movie within the movie trick and, it kinda work at the beginning but, as the film moves on, you’re just wondering about the mute cameramen and why they are always there shooting.

Both main characters are immediately sympathetic and the dialog never feels forced. It’s therefore very easy to connect with and get attached to them.

The tension slowly rises when it becomes obvious than one of the duo is getting more serious about filming an actual shooting and his sense of reality starts to blur away.

The problem with The Dirties is that this creates a lot of buildup but not much reward in the end and therefore, seems pointless.

So, while The Dirties has 2 main leads with great chemistry and a skillful blend of dark humor and dread, it ultimately fails to deliver anything new or original to the genre . Skip it if you’re looking for something grittier and with more horror/violence.

My Rating: 5/10

Director: Matt Johnson

Origin: Canada

Click Here to Watch The Dirties Online Now!

The Banshee Chapter (2013) Review

January 8, 2014 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis: Journalist Anne Roland explores the disturbing links behind her friend’s sudden disappearance, an ominous government research chemical, and a disturbing radio broadcast of unknown origin.

My Quick Review: I was pleasantly surprised by The Banshee Chapter, a genuinely creepy movie with well-earned jump scares that gave me jolts a few times.

The film is an effective mix of traditional filmmaking, ‘found footage’, and even actual documentary and news reels. The subject matter is based on real experiments conducted by the CIA during the Cold War.

Fans of the X-Files and HP Lovecraft stories (From Beyond is even cited by one of the main character) will find themselves right at home watching the Banshee Chapter and will look past through its shortcomings: poorly written dialog, awkward editing at times and some unconvincing acting.

What does work here like gangbuster is the tension building. First time director Blair Erickson manages to pull off many scary moments almost as well as James Wan did in The Conjuring. Sure, some of the jump scares are being abused but it almost always works.

In conclusion, The Banshee Chapter offers us many great scares and a creepy atmosphere while giving some new twist to the already tired found-footage genre.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Director: Blair Erickson

Origin: US

Click Here to Watch The Banshee Chapter Online Now!

Chilling Visions: 5 Senses of Fear (2013) Review

December 29, 2013 by Eric S. Leave a Comment

Synopsis: Five short films based on the human senses.

My Quick Review: If you find yourself wanting to quit watching Chilling Visions after the first 2 or 3 stories, DON’T. The last 2 stories alone make Chilling Visions worth investing your time into it.

All the stories in Chilling visions are somehow interconnected, not only through their themes (the human senses) but also through the recurrence of a big corporation doing experiments and products based on the 5 senses.

The first segment, Smell, directed by Nick Everhart is about an elixir that gives attractiveness to the person using it, but has devastated side effects. The story is a bit on the goofy side and feels like an average episode of Tales From the Crypt.

The second one, See, by Miko Hughes follows an ophthalmologist turned vigilante who can capture people’s visions. While the pitch is intriguing the output is too conventional and way too predictable.

The third story, Touch, is directed by Emily Hagins who made headlines a few years back when she directed her first full feature zombie movie when she was only 13. Here, a blind boy is in a car accident with his parents, looking for help in the woods where a serial killer awaits. This short might be the weakest of the bunch mainly because of a pointless script.

Chilling Visions finally delivers with the 4th story, Taste, directed by Eric England (Madison County, Contracted). We are introduced to Aaron, a hacker going in for an interview in the same big corporation that we’ve seen glimpses from in the other stories. Once there, things start to go bonkers and the less said about this segment the better. Fans of Saw will enjoy this one 😉

The last story, Listen, from Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton (Yellowbrickroad) takes the found footage angle and shows us disturbing footage about a song that can kill people listening to it. This story is again strongly connected to the one before and culminates in a great gory scene showing what happens when a guy plays the song in front of other people.

Thanks to the last 2 stories (that deserve the title chilling) and the fact there is an unifying theme connecting them, I can say that Chilling Visions is a must see for horror anthology fans. Since it was shot on a very tight budget and under 4 days for each segment, I can only applaud the whole project and hope for a sequel that could share even more light on the mysterious corporation playing with our senses.

My Rating: 6/10

Origin: US

Click Here to Watch Chilling Visions: 5 Senses of Fear Online Now!