Dream Eater (2024) #487

 

Making it's US premiere at the 29th annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, "Dream Eater" was eagerly received by those in attendance. This film shows the love that a D.I.Y independent film crew can create, where the three writers were also the directors, and two of them were the primary actors. This normally a sign for disaster but this was anything but that. "Dream Eater" is an engaging, tense film that amps up to a relentless climax. The ending may leave you with questions that you'll be kicking around long after the movie has finished, in a good way.

"Dream Eater" is about a documentary filmmaker who is recording her boyfriend's erratic and violent parasomnia. The movie is presented as a found footage film, which is perfect considering that nature of the narrative. Alex and Mallory leave the city for a vacation at a secluded cabin in the snowy mountains. Isolated, they only have each other to depend on. While loving, the relationship seems toxic with sudden outbursts from Alex whenever he is questioned about his childhood. At night, his parasomnia behavior escalates more every night, as Alex begins to claim that there is another presence there with them, hiding beneath the house. It becomes clear to Mallory that something is terribly wrong, possibly related to his childhood, possibly something supernatural, but most likely both.

"Dream Eater" is unique for a found footage film for few reasons. For one, there is a musical score, something that is noticeably absent for obvious reason. Second, there is a moment in the film where it feels like Mallory is breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience as she shows us a video clip that she discovered. This leads the viewer to entertain the idea that the movie itself is a documentary, that Mallory used this as her next project. It's an interesting concept if true, but in any case, this does not ruin or take away from the from the haunting atmosphere that is carefully crafted. And I love any movie that takes place in a snowy winter wonderland!

Jay Drakulic and Alex Lee Williams during a cosmic horror panel

Alex Lee Williams and Mallory Drumm discussing their film during a Q&A

The Gallows (2015) #436

"The Gallows" was a highly advertised 2015 POV horror film distributed by Blumhouse Productions. It's a decent film with an clever premise that fails to deliver the scares that the commercials promised. I appreciate the setting (a high school at night), how the film avoids using CGI, and the minimal cast, but I feel that the film would have been more successful as a regular movie than being filmed in a POV format. For some reason, I feel that the advertising campaign was similar to that of "My Bloody Valentine 3D", and if it had been presented in the same style, this film would have worked. Having four teens with video cameras running around a locked up high school from a mysterious killer with only one method of killing loses it's appeal and believability rather quickly; if only they had a valid reason to keep recording while running for their lives like the characters in "The Blair Witch Project"!

While I like the direction that the story takes, the characters themselves are cliched and underdeveloped. The other detail I noticed while watching the credits was the fact that most of the cast share the same first names as their character; Reese Mishler as Reese Houser, Pfeifer Brown as Pfeifer Ross, Ryan Shoos who played Ryan Shoos (???), and Price T Morgan as Price. This was either extremely lazy script writing or a clever way to include the actors as they helped create the story. A few of the actors do feel like they are giving their all in their performances regardless of the strength of the dialogue in the script.

The pacing of the movie is solid, giving the viewer ample time to see the set up of the plot, be introduced to the characters and learn about their basic motives, and move on to the point of the movie. The ending has a twist that I was not expecting but one that works. Overall, my review of "The Gallows" is a mixed; it was fun to watch but it could have been so much more.

The Houses October Built (2014) #416

I wanted to love this movie because of the name alone, but no matter what this film is called, it was a disappointing let down. The film is about five friends who who seek out various carnival style haunted houses that are set up and operated around Halloween, hoping to find something truly exceptional and scary. I like this idea and I believe that the movie would have worked if it wasn't presented in a POV, "found footage" perspective. The scenes in the traditional "haunted houses", also known as haunts, are fine but the real scares that could have taken place in the big climax are lost and wasted in a mix of cut scenes that are too dark and chaotic to process Asa viewer.

There are a few creepy scenes that work well that take place in the middle of the film. But before these happen, we are treated to watching a group of friends who have a genuine chemistry. The actors almost avoid the cookie cutter stereotypes so their characters come across as real and relatable. The same can not be said about the film's antagonists who are nothing more than the quiet, menacing type of faceless creepers that have been seen in countless horror movies already.

Sanatorium (2013) #410

Cliches buried beneath cliches is the best way to describe 2013's "Sanatorium". It's yet another found footage movie about another group of film makers going into a closed down asylum/madhouse/hospital/haunted house to record the rumored ghosts that walk the hallways. First there's the typical "did you hear that?" or "did you feel that" moments followed by an obvious supernatural occurrences, which leads to the violent "run for your lives" panic that ends with the eventual death of everyone. There's also the young new couple that you're supposed to care about that's introduced in the beginning, the jerk, and the typical nice guy that's just there to do his job.

Chances are that you've seen this movie before even if you haven't; it feels that generic. The film "Grave Encounters" is the first film to come to mind. But even though it is that generic, I really enjoyed this film; this style really appeals to me and I could watch variations of this story line over and over. For everyone else, if this was the first time this type of film had been made, it would be great. It's a solid ghost movie with a spooky back story and a slow build of tension until thing go crazy at the end. But it's not and so I would suggest "Grave Encounters" instead, just for the freaky moments (ghost in the corner and the bath tub) that are in it.

The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) #407

One of the more intelligent POV films from the last few years, "The Taking of Deborah Logan" was a pleasant surprise that delivers intense thrills that involve characters that are you care about. What begins as a documentary about Deborah and the effects of Alzheimer's Diesease quickly spirals into something dark and supernatural, with the documentary crew and Deborah's daughter racing against the clock to save to her. Everything about this movie runs smoothly, from the acting to the story to the special effects; the plot twists were surprising and kept the movie felling fresh. Without giving anything away, I can say that this film is a must see for anyone who is looking for a solid horror movie.

The Sacrament (2013) #391

"The Sacrament" is an mediocre offering from director and writer Ti West, with horror fiend Eli Roth serving as one of the producers. The film stars regular Ti West collaborators A.J Bowen, Joe Swanberg, and Amy Seimetz. The film might be a little too polished for a first person perspective film but at least the viewer is saved from an overly shaky and nauseating experience. The film doesn't offer anything new to the material that it covers but it does present that content in an entertaining fashion.

"The Sacrament" is a simple, effective, straightforward, and yet predictable horror film about two independent web-journalists, Sam and Jake,  and a collaborator, Patrick, who go to an unnamed country to make a documentary about Parish Eden, a possible religious utopia for former drug addicts and social rejects. Patrick wants to find his sister Caroline, a recovering drug addict, who wrote a letter to her brother asking him to come. When the three first land, they are taken to the parish by armed locals, giving them quiet concern. While the sibling reunite, Sam and Jake interview the parish residents about their new life and what their leader, Father, is like. Sam and Jake begin to see the positive aspects about the simple life that the parish residents are living but when they meet Father, their fears and concerns quickly return. Soon they realize that there are secrets that are being kept from them and that their lives are in grave danger.

Father being interviewed by Sam and filmed by Jake

Sam and Jake

Caroline holding her brother Patrick

As Above, So Below (2014) #385

"As Above, So Below" is another horror movie filmed in the shaky-cam/found footage tradition, which is about a young, highly educated, "Laura Croft" type of woman who goes along with her videographer, a friend, and three Parisian guides into the catacombs beneath Paris in search of the Philosopher's Stone; they find the mythical but they also find and enter the gates of Hell. stone butThis movie is perhaps the shakiest of all of the shaky-cam films that I've seen recently, which means that those who are suffer from motion sickness will want to avoid this film. For those who can stomach such visual rides, "As Above, So Below" is worth checking out if you enjoy startling, jump-in-your-seats type moments. If you're more of a horror film connoisseur, you may find yourself a bit disappointed. The film ends with several loose ends and various questions unanswered; this leaves the viewer wanting to know more and feeling a bit cheated. The reason for this is because the script itself strays from the premise and promises that it sets for itself; for example, if the adventurers are experiencing elements from their own personal Hell, then why are there other unrelated elements being presented?

Overall, I enjoyed the most of the film but I was hoping for a little bit more.

Absence (2013) #378

The movie "Absence" is a fine little film if you're only interested in watching a home movie about a family vacation and not a horror or Sci-Fi film about alien abductions...but that is what the film is supposed to be about. The director and co-writer of the screenplay, Jimmy Loweree, apparently wanted to make a movie about aliens that abduct people as well as their unborn children, but had no ideas in which to share with the audience except for the rushed abduction at the very and a few insipid "weird lights" in the distance moments in the middle. I kept watching the film hoping that it had a slow burn kind of approach to the action but sadly it never came. The concept of a soon-to-be-mom suddenly losing her child without any idea how or where it went caught my eye but the filmmakers obviously had no clue on where to take the story after it's initial opening sequence. It is films like these that waste people's time and spoil a cool and refreshing concept, ruining it for others who may have had an actual story to tell.

Crowsnest (2012) #374

I'm a fan of the point of view, found footage sub-genre and so I'm willing to give most movies with this premise a chance even though these films are quickly running out of unique and interesting sceniores. "Crowsnest" is a film that has some unique moments that I hadn't seen before in a "found footage" movie but it also contained plenty of scenes I've seen before, which sadly slowed the film down and tested my patience. When the film was finished, I was left feeling slightly disappointed and wishing for an extra few scenes that could have made the movie truly unique and fresh. The actors and the characters they portrayed were all in their mid twenties/post college age and felt too similar and typical to really root and cheer for; as always, there's always the one character that has to spell out the coming doom and danger and does a super cheesy job of it. 

Without spoiling the unique scenes too much, I'll simply say that this film felt inspired by "The Blair Witch Project", "Wrong Turn", and a little bit of the original "Jeepers Creepers"  for excitement. 

Frankenstein's Army (2013) #366

An instant favorite that I will watch time and time again, "Frankenstein's Army" is a non-stop action packed thrill ride of twisted monstrosities of mangled flesh and various machine parts. The film is a found footage movie and given that perspective it feels like a realistic chase scene through an enormous haunted house attraction. In fact, it may be best to think of the movie as a haunted house attraction that was made into a movie because it would explain how the camera operator was able to escape a horde of monsters time and time again by just going closing a door behind him. I was extremely impressed by the detailed sets and how vast Frankenstein's complex seemed to be; this was either a Prop Masters' dream come true or complete nightmare! Of course the main reason to watch this film is to see the many different types of odd creations that represent Frankenstein's army. There are so very creative and a few WTF monsters in this movie so keep an eye out!


A Russian reconnaissance team is on a mission in Eastern Germany near the end of World War Two and the mission is being recorded for prosperity for Mother Russia. The recon team stumbles across an old factory while looking for a team of Russian comrades who had sent out a distress signal. Inside the decrepit building they find an older man feeding some animals. They force him to lead them into the building but he quickly disappears and then suddenly their worse nightmares come out of the shadows, half-man half-machine hybrids with German markings and odd appendages used only for killing!

The Last Broadcast (1998)

Watching "The Last Broadcast" is an exercise of patience and disappointment. The movie had potential but loses and hope early on in the film. It is a slow, lumbering collection of interviews and film clips that never create any sense of dread or scares. The acting is fine considering that they are all amateur but the performance of the narrator is just plain god awful.

A public access show called "Fact of Fiction" goes out into the Pine Barrens in New Jersey to film a show about the Jersey Devil. One of the group, James Suerd, is the only member of the four person group to come back from the trip. He calls 911 and tells them that he doesn't know where the others are; he is then arrested a few days later when two of the bodies are found mutilated. James was added to the group to be the guide and psychic. The movie then shows how the evidence was used to convict him and then later to reveal how the others were really killed.

AVOID THIS FILM

The Bell Witch Haunting (2013)

"The Bell Witch Haunting" is a Found Footage movie that is full of horrible oversights, that but for some reason or another I still found entertaining. Some of the unforgivable oversights is that the movie takes places during January in Tennessee and yet the movie opens with a summer-like pool party. There is another scene a few days later where a group of girls are posing in their swim suits. Really? Other distractions include overly shaky shaky-cams and the fact that previous footage that shows some kind of evidence is only looked over once with any kind of result; the film is never looked over by the parents when things really get going and this seems like a huge plot hole. Finally, there is the grand moment when the father tells his family that they "won't be moving", that he spent all of their money to buy the house. While the film is takes obvious cues and plot-lines from "Paranormal Activity", there is enough of action and something going on screen to keep the viewer watching, especially at 3:30 in the morning.


The Sawyer Family just moved into their new house in Tennessee after relocating from Chicago. The film begins with Brandon's birthday (the son), where we quickly are introduced to his young looking parents Scott and Janette, and his sister Dana. Brandon receives a fancy new camcorder for his birthday, with which he records most of the events that follow. After a few nights of his sister experiencing extreme night terrors, Brandon's friend Colby tells him about the Bell Witch, a local legend dating back to the 1800's and how the Witch haunting and tormented the Bell family for generations, and how Brandon and his family live on the Bell family's estate. After Brandon and Colby set up additional cameras around his house, ghostly activity spikes and Dana's night terrors increase. Soon both Dana and Scott become possessed, forcing Janette to turn to religious means in order to help her family deal with their problem. A priest comes and begins a house cleansing who only gets killed when Dana becomes fully possessed. Afterwards, she rushes into the woods, where her family tries to follow only to never be seen alive again....

The Frankenstein Theory (2013)

"The Frankenstein Theory" is a decent "found footage" piece that spends it's time focusing on the discomfort and helplessness of the characters that are trapped in a hostile, and yet beautiful, snow covered wilderness rather than trying to constantly scare the audience with cheap thrills. It's a lot like "The Blair Witch Project", beginning with historical background information and the reason for the documentary to be made before moving on to the journey itself which also included an interview with a slightly off witness. The main difference between the two films is that you do end up seeing the Frankenstein Monster at the end, hearing him huff and growl well before he enters the screen. I will admit that there were several moments where I found myself laughing out loud and I'm not sure if that was intended by the film makers or not....The character that plays Erik the Producer has some of the best reactions to the events in the film; just watch his face to see what I mean.


John Venkenheim is a college student working on his PH.D and is the focus of a documentary that he is paying for. He claims that a member from his family line is the basis for Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" story and that there really is a Frankenstein Monster, still alive and roaming the lower Arctic Circle. Most people don't believe him, including his girlfriend (who leaves him) and the college (who kicks him out). So now hie's forced to find physical evidence to prove to the world that he is right. So a friend from college, Vicky, arranges a film and becomes his interviewer and brings along Erik the Producer, Brian the Sound Guy, and Luke the Video Guy. They meet up with their guide Karl, and continue off into the Canadian Wilderness on snowmobiles. They make it to a yurt in the middle of nowhere, and this is where they begin to suspect that they may have found the area that the Monster is currently passing through. How will the Monster react to people trying to find it? Will John find the proof that he needs? Will anyone return home alive??

Favorite part - I love when a "Found Footage" film takes the time to chew the scenery and let the suspense and pressure build on it's own, using what's already there. I also love movies that involve snow covered landscapes, adding to sense of isolation and hopelessness.

Atrocious (2011)

The great part of this project is digging out old favorites that I haven’t seen in years and discovering new films that I haven’t heard about before. “Atrocious” is a very recent discovery and is now one of my all-time favorites. It’s a found footage style movie that takes place in Sitges, Spain, following two teenage siblings filming clips for their web-series about urban legends. It has a very strong likeness to both “The Blair Witch Project” and “Paranormal Activity”. This is also one of the very few films that has ever really gotten to me. The first half of the movie does a great job establishing the everyday relationships of the characters and their environment and when the action begins in the second half, it doesn’t stop until the movie is done! This film also has one of the better endings for a horror movie I’ve seen in a long time, because let’s be honest, that is one of the genres’ largest challenges.

Christian and his sister are being dragged to the family’s countryside summer home for the Easter holiday. Before leaving, Christian is given two camcorders from his friend David so Christian and July can record clips for their web-series about urban legends. The summer home is next to a forest where a girl named Melinda went missing in 1940. Since then, people who get lost in the forest are found by Melinda and she points the way out. The two days after they arrive, the pair sneak away from their parents and their younger brother behind, they sneak through a metal gate and find a large tree labyrinth. The siblings split up, get lost, and finally find each other. Before leaving on the second day, they find a small gazebo in one area and an old well in a different area. After the father is called back to work in the city, things start to happen. First the family dog goes missing and is later found by Christian and July. Then their little brother disappears in the middle of the night. Their mother, in a panic, runs into the labyrinth looking for him as the siblings try to stay together. Everyone gets split up in the dark and then the bad scary things happen….

Favorite moment – the last 15 minutes. This is a short film at only 75 minutes long, but it has wonderful pacing and this IS one the best endings I’ve seen in a long time. The pacing is perfect and the story is kept very simple.

Another favorite moment – I love the times when the tape is rewound or fast forwarded and shown again or is inserted with police reports or media coverage. This is a found footage movie after all, so the events have all happened in the past.

The Last Exorcism (2010)

“The Last Exorcism” is a single camera, found footage movie that’s about a disillusioned reverend who is working with a film crew to expose his secrets on how he performs fraudulent exorcisms. This movie is a great example that not every horror movie needs an R rating (this is PG-13) to be effective. Horror movies don’t have to have endless gore, nudity, and profanity to be scary.

From a very young age, Reverend Cotton Marcus was groomed to be a man of god. As a child he began delivering riveting sermons and even performed his fist exorcism when he was ten. Now as an adult with a family of his own, Cotton has lost his faith and is giving up his career as an exorcist. He always believed that he was helping people and performing a service, for a fee, but after reading about an autistic child dying while having an exorcism performed made Cotton decide to give up this line of work. Before doing so, Cotton has agreed to perform one last exorcism and have the entire process filmed to prove that what he does isn’t real. So with director/producer Iris and her cameraman Daniel in tow, they head to the back country of Louisiana to help a teenage girl named Nell.

Nell is a sweet young teenager who lives with her father and brother out on a secluded farm. The father, Louis Sweetzer, has kept his children at home and away from town since their mother died. Louis wrote to Cotton asking for help after some of his livestock is killed and Nell is found covered in blood and unable to remember what had happened.  After assessing the situation and confirming that Nell is possessed by a demon named Abalam, Cotton rigs Nell’s room with various tricks and effects that he’ll use during the fake exorcism. During the ritual itself, the bed begins to shake and Nell lies on top of it and a speaker programmed with over 800 demon sounds is heard. Afterwards, Cotton declares that Nell has been freed from her possession and leaves with his payment. Later that night while staying at a motel in town, Cotton finds Nell awake but in a trance in his room. As they try to figure out what really is going on, Cotton discovers the dark truth and a reason to find faith one last time. 

Favorite moment – A possessed Nell takes Daniel’s camera , and after beating a cat to death in the barn, is standing over Cotton while he is sleeping, about to bludgeon him to death as well.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

It might not be the original Found Footage movie but “The Blair Witch Project” made this style popular and profitable. It’s a story about three college students going out into the woods of Maryland with video equipment to film a documentary about the fabled Blair Witch. The three students, Heather, Michael, and Joshua, were never seen again but their video cameras were found and the film within reveals their final days.

 “The Blair Witch Project” begins innocently enough by showing the three would be film makers meeting up, driving to Burkittsville (formerly known as Blair), and shooting a few interviews with various locals and are told about the different odd events that have occurred in the past. On the second day the troupe enters the forest, interview two fishermen, and film the area known as Coffin Rock. They set up camp and sleep through the night. On the third day the trouble begins as they hike deeper into the woods and become lost. While they continue deeper into the woods, the three come across various unexplained oddities such as seven piles of carefully stacked piles of stones and then bizarre stick figures hanging from the trees. During the nights they begin to hear noises in the distance as if someone is walking around their camp. As their tensions build and horrible events begin to occur, the movie keeps the viewer curious until the end. I won’t lie, the ending is abrupt and it leaves you wanting answers but it stays true to the style; if they don’t film it, you don’t get to see it.

My only issue that I have with the “Blair Witch Project”, and a few moments in other movies of this style, is that they are filming when it doesn’t feel like it’s the best time to be doing so. It doesn’t feel natural but rather forced. This is an inherent flaw of this style and it’s hard to work around. Unless they have stationary cameras like they do in the films “Paranormal Activity” and in parts of “Ghost Encounters”, they should then be required to explain why they don’t drop the camera and run for their lives. I appreciate the moment in “Quarantine” when Angela tells her cameraman to record everything otherwise their boss and editors are going to be pissed off. On the other hand, I would try to record everything if I was running away from a giant monster attacking the city….

To this day I’m still highly amused to know that there are people out there who thought that this was a real event. The marketing for the movie included a TV special in a style of a news program talking about the discovery of the tapes and the mysterious disappearances of the three students. There was a similar promotion for the movie “Independence Day” three years before and I’m sure there are others as well. One reason why there was so much marketing for “The Blair Witch Project” is because it was so cheap to make, in the range of $50,000 to $75,000, and acquire the rights for. The studio knew that they had a hit after the stunning reviews it had earned at the Sundance Film Festival.

Favorite moment – When they are in the tent and begin to hear what sounds like children laughing outside their tent, in the middle of the night. 

The Bay (2012)

“The Bay” isn’t your typical lost footage style film; this is a movie where a particular fatal outbreak occurs and as a result, all of the recordings of all kinds are collected and confiscated so the government can cover up the incident. As far as everyone is concerned and is told, warm tide waters and high algae levels were responsible for killing thousands of fish. The real events are revealed over the course of the movie by one of the survivors as she gives an interview to a reporter over Skype three years after the incident. As she explains what happened, you the audience watch the various news reports, cell phone recordings, security cameras, online conversations between an ER doctor and the CDC, and so on. “The Bay” took a popular filming technique and used it in a fresh and exciting way. The best thing about this movie is that there is very little shaky-cam, which means that you won’t feel too motion sick if that kind of thing bothers you.

I appreciate the nature of the film and how it deals about an avoidable environmental disaster without being preachy about it. This movie avoids feeling like a morality lesson because the main tragedy happens in a single day rather than a realistic span of weeks or months, and the results are disturbing and grotesque. Without spoiling anything, I will share that certain realistic decisions concerning local businesses and a lack of government approval or certification have a drastic effect on the bay. After the outbreak begins, there is a poignant scene near the end between the CDC and a Homeland security officer showing an absolute breakdown in communication and a feeling of indifference about the situation at stake.

“It’s just a small town.”

“What are you saying?”

“It’s a small town. You have to keep these things in perspective.”

Favorite moment – The video evidence of the aftermath at the hospital, filmed by the lead doctor of the ER.

Grave Encounters (2011) #8

"Grave Encounters" was a pleasant surprise that I recently saw for the first time. It's a found footage movie about a group of ghost hunters who are filming a reality show and spend the night locked in an old mental hospital, never to be seen again. The host and his crew are trying their best to appear polished and professional but are clearly desperate to make their show successful. While some of the daytime interviews with the caretaker and a local historian are decent, they feel it necessary to bribe a landscaper to lie and say that he has seen a ghost at the site. Finally, the psychic arrives, declaring the hospital to high levels of spiritual activity. The personalities being film are over the top and one dimensional but laugh about it after the shoot is over. But once they are locked in and ghost-like activities begin, you can see the cast becoming real and relatable.

The actions of the host, Lance Preston, remind me of Heather from "Blair Witch" with his constant need to record what's going on when it might be a better idea on trying to survive the next encounter. But I give kudos to his film crew because they did set up ten stationary cameras in the ghost "hot spots" and these vantage points give the viewer something besides the standard Point of View to watch.

Favorite moment – The film crew and host are getting upset because they haven’t found any ghost activity that they can use. At this moment the hair on the host’s assistant is lifted up on one side and she begins to freak out.