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savagemonkey
Reviews
In This World (2002)
Very powerful, serious film
I don't want to try to explain the events in this film, or create an indepth synopsis. I'm not very good at that, and there are better places to find them (in fact, I think it's better to view it without knowing the plot).
What I do want to explain is how the concept is executed, and the effects it creates on the audience.
Though I said this is a serious film, I don't mean it's a film that can only be understood by the super-intelligent. This film is effective for everyone who cares to read into the situation.
At first, I thought this was a true documentary. The DV handheld camera and documentary feel is there all the way through the film, but at the start there was a quick voice over explaining a few things about the location. Also, bystanders were interacting with the camera.
However, as things progressed it's obvious to anyone that it's not a documentary, but in fact a very crafty piece of filmmaking. The beginning intends to fool you into the idea that this is a true, real life documentary, so as things hot up, you are more engaged. I was pondering this issue through the first fifth of the film, however, this wasn't a bad thing at all.
The settings in the film were breathtaking, so real and brutal. It was, in essence, a road movie. Our protagonists travelled around and stopped off at places, but as it was in documentary style, we seemed that little more part of the quest than you would in other road movies.
This may sound hypocritical, but because of the documentary style, we stay distant from our characters. We don't align with their emotions; instead we are voyeurs to the situation. Rather than feeling things from their point of view, we feel the situations as if we were there WITH them.
The visuals and editing in this film are also very important. In one scene, I was feeling very disoriented, and, almost sick, just like our on-screen characters. This was due to the lighting and editing, not shock or sickening imagery.
I saw this film in the cinema, but I expect many people will only be able to see this on TV or DVD because this isn't running the mainstream cinema circuit. However, unlike most movies, I think this will work well on all mediums because it's not a traditional film as it tries to pass itself off as a documentary. Maybe the scenes that really effected me physically won't work so well viewing them at home because it's unlikely you have the same A/V equipment, however everything else will be fine.
I agree with the previous review that this film is bleak, but despite this, it is very intriguing and you won't be able to look away once you get into it! You shouldn't leave the film feeling bored.
A FILM does not get much more real than this! I give it 8/10.
World's Scariest Ghosts: Caught on Tape (2000)
Fascinating and it got me quite edgy
If you get a chance to watch this program, don't miss out on it. Maybe you can miss it, but if you ever liked Sighting or any other reality program on the paranormal, this will please you.
During one of the advert breaks I went downstairs (at midnight) to get a drink of milk, and there was only one tiny light on to give slight visibility in all the halls and rooms I passed through. I was so nervous, there were windows to the outside world, and I couldn't stop thinking that something could be right outside the window. I wouldn't normally get like this, but the program had struck certain cords in my body. In my opinion, the program wasn't intending to do this (despite the "Scary" part of the name), but the authenticity of the footage, especially the poltergeist sections, helped make this a special program.
Some of the segments weren't too great, even though the program thought they were the better pieces. I'm referring to the `moving dense mist' in the basement of that mansion. Still, it wasn't "boring", just not as impressive as the other parts.
Apart from that though, the other parts were great. They showed really extraordinary footage of poltergeist activity, oozing liquids, ghostly images in photographs and an unexplained, faceless figure in a music video (when the location was completely empty at the time of filming).
Even though this was made in the year 2000, it still has the same old charms that the same type of older shows did. For example, between interviews and clips they have like 4 second video montages to set the scene. Though they could be said to be "cheesy", they still work!
Sometimes there was a little too much voice over narration, but that would be my only suggestion for *possible* future episodes that they cut down on the voice over.
A well structured program, and highly entertaining if you liked the similar programs. I'd give it 7/10, and it almost pars with the "Sightings" TV show of the early 90s.
Abductees (1995)
quite moving
This was shown after Alien 3 today and I couldn't look away. It was an impressive mix of video and animation. "Abductees" were shown on videos or through voice overs while it cut into animations of what they were describing. The descriptions and the visuals complement each other perfectly and I was quite affectve by the situations (which is unusual for a short because they usually have little time to get us engaged with the characters). Maybe this worked because you assume the people are telling the truth (and are not just actors for the purpose of entertainment). And whether or not they are genuine, it's still quite powerful.
If you ever see this available on TV or at a festival (which I doubt, its from 1995), it's definitely worth a viewing.
7/10
Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County (1998)
Don't look for flaws, just watch it!
I find it rather strange how many people can find flaws with this movie.
Many people may think the little girls' acting was too calm for someone her age (if she was actually in the situation of the film). To you I would ask were you just judging the actors abilities or trying to watch the film? If you were watching, you would have seen and understood that she had some sort of connection with the aliens. I did not watch the movie from the very beginning (I missed about 20 minutes), but throughout she was telling the family how to act, as she knew what the aliens were doing. She kept running upstairs, as if by force, trying to see the alien. When Tommy put down the camera she unloaded the shotgun so that if the aliens did come within firing range, they would not get hurt. If you were watching her carefully, you would have seen her drawing aliens, even though she never saw them (correct me if I am wrong, as I said I missed the first 20 minutes). And the concluding story to her so called "calm acting" was when at the end when the aliens walked in she didn't even get drawn to the aliens like the rest, she just walked to join her flock. And if you didn't pick up on this, the choice of putting her photo last out of the whole family (when if you think about it, it should be Tommy), and giving that image more on screen time than the rest shows she had some significance.
When I was about 11 years old, at the time of Blair Witch came (not being able to see it though), I was drawn into the hype as I didn't fully understand how the world worked. For people of about 14 and upwards, you should understand even if video footage was found of a family who have been abducted (and nowhere to be found), the government would never allow it to be released for TV (at least not after many years of working with it). I think most of you already knew this. So you shouldn't watch the movie and complain about the obvious fact its a film made for entertainment! For the time you part of the movie, it is meant to seem real as it makes you emote more. But afterwards you leave the film and realise it was a movie and thought it was a great one at that. The film makers would not deny it was just a film. That phone number before the credits just helps to keep you part of the film.
I can understand how for some people the cuts in the film (where it fades to black then to an expert) can be very annoying, but it effectively heightens the suspense. Just as something creepy happens because of the aliens, the frame pauses just on a really interesting picture. After this you are on the edge of your seat trying to see the aftermath.
I never knew any of these actors when I saw the movie, so maybe I was at an advantage rather than always thinking "Thats the guy from Stargate!". I thought overall it was a great movie, and I was watching in constant suspense. So I think this movie is for any suspense seeker, especially for those who have a craving for some alien invasion.
Okay, now I would like to make the flaws of the movie that are actually important known.
The amount of the light that the camera has available is too much for any flashlight (I believe he is holding one whenever he is outside). Instead I think the night-vision capability should have been used (which is widely available on the market of DV cameras these days). This would have enhanced the element of being made by a teen with a cheap camera. Thats it. After all, again, it was a film, and not real life.
Genuinely scary and gripping from start till end, though still requesting more footage, this film gets a 9/10. A must see, but do not buy (as its one of those films you don't want to regularly watch).