(Movie Review) The Void - Practical Effects Are Cool

The Void (2017)

Horror

Directed By: Steve Kostanski & Jeremy Gillespie

I think it's safe to say that the days of overusing CGI in horror films is gone, practical effects work is back and in a big way. This is in large part due to the people who create these amazing effects taking the plunge and stepping behind the camera to direct. We've seen it recently with films like Deathgasm and Stung and now the latest from Steve Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie, who come from a background in art and makeup, The Void. The film lives and dies by its effects work with the creepy crawly's taking center stage over plot and character. 

What looks like another dull night on patrol takes a turn for the worst when police officer Daniel Carter stumbles upon a severely injured man running out of the woods. He immediately takes him to the nearest hospital, which just so happens to be on the verge of closing down with just a bare-bones staff in place. He, along with the rest of the staff, quickly learn that whatever this guy was running from has followed them here and they aren't going to let them leave. All the while something evil is changing the people holed up in this hospital. 

Let's get the obvious out of the way, the effects work on display here is absolutely stunning. Drawing inspiration from all of your favorite eighties horrors like The Thing and The Fly they are doing some seriously incredible practical stunts. These guys know how and when to deliver an effects gag and for the most part, that's what this movie is. They set aside memorable characters and a coherent plot for the sake of gorgeous visuals. 

Though it ultimately holds this back from being an all-around great movie it also makes it immensely entertaining to watch. It's easy to get over undeveloped characters and plot when every few minutes we get another effect that blows our mind. Each different creature holds a wonderful design and they are easily the most memorable "characters" in the film. I'd seriously kill for a book of art on this, there is so much gorgeous imagery to take in here. 

While the gorgeous effects work kept me thoroughly entertained throughout I unfortunately never found a character or plot point to latch on to and allow myself to fully get sucked into this movie. It wasn't due to a lack of trying either, There just isn't any character that gets developed enough to the point where you legitimately care about them, and the same goes for the plot. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was going on they would introduce another half-cooked idea that spirals it back out of control. 

The Void also has a lackluster ending unfortunately that, at least for me, didn't leave any feeling of satisfaction. They brought together a bucket full of good ideas and threw a couple handfuls of them into the movie but they never found a way to truly bring them together as a whole. It's wearing its influences on its sleeve but it isn't bringing us anything new on top of it all. It's cool that you wanted to make a movie in tribute to the Carpenter classics and eighties effects work, but you have to bring something fresh to the table if you want to be remembered.

That's not to say this film won't have a shelf life. I may not remember any of the characters names or any of the major storylines down the road but I can surely say that plenty of the effects work and imagery in this film will stick with me for a long time to come. I love seeing more effects people stepping behind the camera, hell it's where Ridley Scott came from and he gave us Alien so I hope these guys get to make lots more stuff. This may not be a great horror film but it nails it where you want it to most and the effects work alone is worth the price of a rental.  

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

(Movie Review) Life - Humans Never Learn

Life (2017)

Sci-Fi, Horror

Directed By: Daniel Espinosa

It's fine to "rip-off" another movie or movies, it really is. Every film is pulling from something that came before it in some way or another, but if you are going to go so far as to market your film with the clear indication that you are going to do so at least have something new to offer the audience. The newest piece of sci-fi horror from filmmaker Daniel Espinosa Life wears its influences on its sleeve like a badge of honor and then fails to bring us anything more than lesser versions of those very ideas. 

To the film's credit, they waste no time getting into the main plot and what we all care about. It opens on the crew of the Internation Space Station (ISS) as they attempt to intercept a capsule returning from Mars carrying a soil sample that could be life-shattering. Within minutes of the movie, the crew is already examining the sample and discovering the first official proof of life beyond our own. It's a creature composed of cells that are both muscle and nerves, it's all muscle and all brain making it the "perfect organism", sound familiar?

This creature grows at a rapid rate and as you can probably guess, finds a way to escape the quarantine and hunt them throughout the station. It's one perfect organism against the crew but unfortunately for this movie, they never take the time to build the characters or the atmosphere and in turn, it's hard to really care who lives or dies or to ever feel any real suspense. The most character building we get is the information that one of the crewmembers wives has just had a baby, that's about as deep as it gets. 

Life brings one new wrinkle to the story, that they are in a zero gravity environment at all times in the space station. This is a cool visual gag that makes for some clever moments, but it's not enough to elevate this film to anything more. The story moves too fast for its own good so even though they are bringing a fairly cool new creature to the table we never get the time to grow scared of it, they take it from cute to deadly with the flip of a switch and expect us to go along with it. 

Centering a movie around an alien means the look of it is crucial and for the most part, the design works here with its weird tentacles giving it the appearance of swimming through the zero-g. The abilities they form out of its design also work well and make for the tensest moments of the film, but once the best gag is used they bring it back repeatedly making it lose its impact. They rush through the discovery of the organism to get us into the action faster but we need that build up to set us on edge. 

The cast of this movie is too impressive for its own good and with little characterization for any of them they don't have many opportunities to "wow" us. The film was sold on Jake Gyllenhall, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds, and they are all certainly in this film. They are each quite good but when the most you get to build off of your character is that he has been in space for too long there is little they can do to just sell this on their presence alone.  

Despite its many shortcomings, I do believe this is a step in the right direction for studio horror. The film uses the R rating to its advantage and clearly lets the filmmaker do what he wants. There are some seriously cool ideas in here but they never grab one and focus in on it. It felt like the writers, Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick (Deadpool), kept coming up with clever ideas and then needing to find ways to bring the story back to its center after executing that idea instead of building it into the next step.

A few years back this may have been one of my favorite new horror films. It moves at a mile a minute and features some great effects work, especially the limited practical stuff they did. With the horror landscape the way it is these days, however, this just feels like an uninspired regurgitation of a handful of ideas we have seen done better in recent memory. If all you are looking for is an action packed alien horror film, Life may be just what you want, but don't expect to be given anything new. For me, let's just say I'm happy the new Alien movie comes out in two months.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on Twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

(Movie Review) The Devil's Candy - Stress Inducing Heavy Metal Horror Rocks

The Devil's Candy (2017) 

Horror

Directed By: Sean Byrne

How many horror films have you seen in the past five years that center around a family moving into a new home only to find it haunted by something sinister? It's a common plot device of the genre and we've seen it played out in dozens of different ways, yet The Devil's Candy offers us an entirely new look at the "haunted house" story. The second feature from writer/director Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones) takes us down a new path of demonic heavy metal horror we haven't traveled before. 

Jesse Hellman (Ethan Embry) is a hardcore metalhead and professional painter struggling to get by and support his family. This leads him to take his wife Astrid (Shiri Appleby) and daughter Zooey (Kiara Glasco) and move into a new home in rural Texas. They get the house for a deal because, full disclosure, two old people recently passed away inside of it. It isn't long after moving in that Jesse starts to hear demonic voices in his head pushing him to do things he cannot understand. That's it, that's all you need to know and anything more would be detrimental to your viewing of this movie. 

This is an atmospheric film, often times finding much of its tension in the fact that we as an audience know something bad is going to happen, but not knowing exactly what. From the moment this family moves into the house, we are aware that things are going to go poorly for them, but it could be in any number of ways. This instantly put me on edge watching this movie and once the story falls into place this feeling is only heightened by what's going on. It's a stress inducing film in the best way and it's sure to have you yelling at the characters for doing something you don't approve of. 

Sean Byrne has delivered a clever script that turns an age-old horror trope on its head and is only topped by his execution of the idea. This is a movie that easily could have failed if it weren't made with total confidence and thankfully Byrne is all in on this story. You buy that this "metal" family would move out to the country for a fresh start and that they would continue to make the poor decisions they do.

The cast is headed by familiar face Ethan Embry (Cheap Thrills) who gives a fantastic performance as Jesse, the father. You latch on to his character early on and because of it are constantly rooting for him to beat the demonic voices throughout. His relationship with the daughter played wonderfully by Kiara Glasco is where the audience will find its big emotional connection as you feel their relationship crumbling as the film goes on. Its great character work and without it this film would fail to have much of an impact at all. 

Though I don't want to say anything about his character specifically, it would be criminal not to mention the performance of Pruitt Taylor Vince. Once you watch the film and see who he is and what he's doing you will understand, he gives a haunting performance that is sure to stick with you. It's definitely stuck with me as this film had me on edge for the entire eighty minutes. I never knew who was safe or what was going to happen and because of it, I was treated to an intense movie watching experience. 

If you were wary of another "haunted house" story that would play out like the dozen you've seen over the past few years, you can breathe a sigh of relief and go into this movie with confidence that you will be shown something fresh. They hook you with an old school story and then win you over with a clever new take on where it should go. The Devil's Candy is stress inducing in the best way, the way that makes the whole movie feel like a ride, and you will be exhausted by the end of it. 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

(Movie Review) The Belko Experiment - Just Another Day at the Office for McLean & Gunn

The Belko Experiment (2017)

Horror, Action, Thriller

Directed By: Greg McLean

Anyone who has followed James Gunn's career pre-Guardians knows that he has a knack for violence and dark humor, which is made quite apparent in his film Super. Team his writing up with the directorial style of Australian filmmaker Greg McLean (Wolf Creek), who is able to capture violence in a way few directors can, and you get a film that is incredibly bleak and painful, while also being a weirdly funny and entertaining genre romp. 

The Belko Experiment keeps its plot simple and wastes absolutely no time getting into it. Belko Industries is an American company operating out of Colombia and its employee's, for the most part, are U.S. citizens that the company has set up comfortably in the country. Every day they go to work in an office building located on the outskirts of town, away from the mass population. These people lead a typical American life until one day a voice comes on the intercom, a voice instructing the employees of Belko to kill each other, or else they will do it for them. 

We only have to wait about five minutes until the first announcement comes over the intercom and we are propelled right into the thick of the story. In that first five minutes, though, McLean is able to visually inform us of the relationships in this office, we clearly see who is friendly with who and how these are all normal people doing normal jobs. This is crucial because once the carnage begins we need to have some connections to these characters as well as some background information about their relationships. 

Gunn and McLean aren't necessarily showing us any new ideas, this kind of story has clearly been done before, but they are giving it a new coat of paint. It's another exploration of just how far the human psyche can be pushed before even the best of us snap and do the worst things imaginable. Sure, plenty will no doubt panic and fall into the game they are merely just pieces of, but what about the one or two "good" people who refuse? Can they be broken? Are humans truly just animals that can only control themselves until a certain point?

As with most of these movies, it never truly answers these questions but it does take a side and in truly brutal fashion shows us the execution of that side. Initially, they won't even entertain the thought of cold-blooded murder but when bodies start to fall, all logic goes out the window. Once the floodgates are opened there is no going back, this is a movie about humans doing unspeakable things to other humans and they want you to feel that.

This movie is definitely not for the weak-stomached as the violence is made out to be authentic and brutal. This isn't glossy Hollywood killing, McLean doesn't do glossy, this is the same kind of reality we see in his other films like Wolf Creek. He wants us to feel the pain of these people, both the victims and the perpetrators and oh boy do we. I don't think I would say this movie revels in its own violence, but it doesn't shy away and it is purposely in your face with it every chance they get. 

Though they ultimately achieve what they set out to do, there are some troubles with the tone of this movie which could confuse some people. I believe this just to be an after effect of the writer and directors differing styles coming together but nonetheless, it's hard to get a handle on what they want you to feel at times. For example, after a gut-wrenching death, the camera may pan over to a sign on the wall or a character reaction meant to pull a truly dark comedic moment out of nowhere. Sometimes the jokes land and other times it feels out of place and confusing, thankfully they never hang on any of them for too long.

The cast of this movie is insane from top to bottom and is at often times what holds this batshit crazy story together. John Gallagher Jr. stars as Mike Milch, the one seemingly good person at this company who wants nothing to do with this game. His stubborn performance carries us emotionally through most of the movie alongside Leana played by Adria Arjona. The remainder of the cast is filled out with all kinds of fantastic character actors like Tony Goldwyn, John C. McGinley, Melonie Diaz, and Michael Rooker. Sean Gunn also plays a bit part as a cafeteria worker and manages the steal just about every moment he is on screen. 

Once it reaches its final act, Belko falls deep down a rabbit hole that it cannot ever emerge from, once it reaches that hole you are either in or you are out. At it's best this is a film that you won't soon forget as the brutality is super memorable, it has some issues with tone throughout but nothing so big that it will ruin your enjoyment of the film. This is sure to please the fans of these kinds of ultra-violent genre flicks while disgusting those with an aversion to this kind of violent reality depicted on screen. In the end I think we will all just breathe a sigh of relief that we don't work for Belko Industries. 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later! 

(Movie Review) Get Out - A Thrilling Ride Through Our Terrifying Reality

Get Out (2017)

Horror, Thriller

Directed By: Jordan Peele

When news first got to me that Jordan Peele, of Key & Peele fame, was going to write and direct a horror movie as his filmmaking debut, I couldn't have been more excited. For starters, anyone who follows Mr. Peele close enough knows that this guy is a die-hard fan of the genre and anything he does within it is going to be handled with absolute care and love. Secondly, if you are familiar with the work he and Keegan Michael-Key did on their show, you are aware that he has a cinematic eye. Their show was far better staged than it had any right to be so the transition for him from TV to film only feels natural.

Coming out of the gate hot as hell, Peele uses his first film to tell a story as old as time and as relevant as it has ever been in 2017. It's the story of a young, black man going with his white girlfriend to meet her suburban bound parents. A situation we have seen played out in countless sitcoms and bad comedies (and that I'm sure some of you have lived yourselves) is used as the perfect tool to tell a tight, stress inducing thriller that just so happens to be a bitter reflection of our own reality. 

Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) have finally hit the point in their relationship where Chris gets to meet her parents. Though Allison assures him that they are as liberal and as welcoming as can be, Chris knows better than to take her word for it. From the moment they arrive in her parent's small suburban town he knows something isn't quite right. It's not the lack of other black people in the community, it's that the few others around him are acting peculiar, to say the least. What he comes to find by the end of his weekend trip is more twisted and terrifying than anything he could have imagined. 

The less knowledge about the plot of this film you know beforehand, the more rewarded you will be by its outcome. The film winds its way down a road full of twists and turns, each one more fulfilling than the last, but not every twist is monumental, and some are even a bit predictable. It's the way they all come together that makes for a truly original piece of horror cinema. 

Jordan Peele's script for Get Out is one of the most impressive I have seen, not just in the genre but in all of film, in some time. He didn't only craft a thrilling horror flick, he also used the story to bring to light a lot of issues we are currently facing as a society. The way he depicts casual, almost unconscious racism in Allison's parents and their friends is so incredibly real it is sure to make you squirm. It is clear beyond a doubt that Mr. Peele has himself been in situations like these numerous times in his life. 

You can see this even in the way he shoots the film, how he switches between wide shots and close-ups to convey the energy being passed between the two parties. For example, when they show the first meeting between Chris and the parents, he chooses to show it from a wide angle showing off the suburban facade these people have created around them. It also plays up the meaninglessness of how her parents would present themselves in that first encounter. Suburban racism doesn't show itself right away, in fact, they will hide it and play up their "liberalism" as long as possible, which is something we see clearly in this shot as Dean, played brilliantly by Bradley Whitford, gives Chris a giant man hug the minute he walks up to the door, playing up their facade that much more.  

The social satire described above would make a highly interesting film in its own right, so for it to be just a part of a masterfully crafted horror-thriller like this is something truly special. The uncomfortable paranoia caused by this casual racism sets the perfect backdrop for a heart-pounding thrill ride. With every interaction he has with the neighbors, the more anxious we as an audience grow. We all know something terrible is going to happen from the start, it's just a matter of when and what will happen, and trust me, you won't see the final twist coming. 

What took me most about this film was how real everything felt, from his relationship with Allison in the beginning of the film to each and every one of the interactions he has with the white folk over that weekend. This script comes from a place of experience, it's obvious Peele has had almost these exact conversations with self-proclaimed "woke" white people and the way he crafts them into his narrative is a thing of beauty. 

If you are doubting this movie, or have pre-conceived notions due to Peel's background in comedy throw all of that crap out of the door. Anyone who knows anything about horror and comedy knows that the two are far more similar than most would think. Both are almost entirely predicated on timing, to pull off a good joke or a good scare it's all about timing. A second too long or too short and the moment is lost and we all know Peele has incredible comedic timing, Get Out proves he can translate it over to horror without even batting an eye. 

That being said, his comedic touch is not lost on this film as it hits some big laughs at the right moments. Chris' best friend Rod (Lil Rey Howery), who he has selective contact with throughout the movie, provides the film with some wonderful comedic relief. Rod calls in to check up at all the right moments and is often saying exactly what we as an audience are thinking. What makes him a great addition to the movie though is that he isn't just there for laughs, his character of an overconfident TSA agent works his way into the story in some really fun ways and becomes an integral part of the overall arc.  

Rod is one of many incredible side performances highlighting just one more thing Peele nailed in his first go-around behind the camera. He managed to pull stunning performances from everyone in the cast. Kaluuya and Williams are fantastic in the leads and Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener bring their best as they always do as Allison's mysterious parents. Betty Gabriel, Lakeith Stanfield, Lil Rey Howery, and Caleb Landry Jones round out a stellar supporting cast, all giving knock-out performances. Especially Betty Gabriel as the housemaid, she delivers most of the films creepiest, and downright unnerving moments. 

This isn't only impressive as a debut film, this is a damn good movie by any standards and we should look forward to many more flicks from the wonderfully twisted mind of Jordan Peele in the near future. I'm looking for a bad thing to say about Get Out and I simply cannot find it. I was never bored, I was most certainly always engaged, and the hook totally took me by surprise. Fans are always crying for fresh, original takes on the genre and you couldn't ask for a better example of that than this. Get out to the theater this weekend and let's make this movie a bonafide hit. 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on Twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

Phantasm: The 4K Experience

Phantasm: The 4K Experience

Yesterday was the first ever "Art House Theater Day", a nation wide event commemorating all of the remaining theaters that cater to the art house crowd. To celebrate theaters all over the country coordinated a screening of the new 4K transfer of Don Coscarelli's brilliant horror film Phantasm (1979) along with a live streamed Q&A with the filmmaker and main cast of the film from fantastic fest in Austin, Texas. This was not only my first time seeing this wonderful film on a big screen, but also the first time any of us have gotten to experience it looking and sounding this incredible.

If you are reading this than you probably know the ins and outs of this movie fairly well, but for those who are unfamiliar Phantasm is a late 70's horror film with heavy fantasy and sci-fi influence. The story centers on Mike (Michael Baldwin), his brother Jody (Bill Thornbury), and Jody's best friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister) as they uncover the mysteries of their local mortuary. When their friend Tommy is killed, Mike discovers something weird is going on in that Funeral home and he wants to know what it is. Uncovering the secrets that lie within those walls is made near impossible by the mortician, known only as The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm)

It goes without saying that I, along with countless other horror fans, think this movie is a masterpiece in its own right. So getting the opportunity to see a new 4K transfer on the big screen, at the same time as so many other people who love this movie just as much as I do, was an incredible experience. Revival screenings can be a toss up too, you never know if you are going to get a crowd who loves the film, or a bunch of mean spirited kids looking to laugh at an old movie. Thankfully the crowd I saw it with was totally dialed in and loving the movie. One guy even brought his pre-teen son, who screamed in terror multiple times, to see it for his first time. 

You guys don't care about this though, you want to know about the new transfer, and who can blame you? When we all found out JJ Abrams Bad Robot company was heading up a new 4K transfer of the flick we all simultaneously exclaimed "FINALLY!". With all of these obscure and cult titles getting releases under companies like Arrow and Scream factory we were all wondering why Phantasm hadn't been done yet.

It was all worth the wait, you guys. The new transfer of the film is absolutely gorgeous, get ready to see this movie like you've never seen it before. If you are someone who gets nervous about HD transfers of older horror films, as they can sometime expose things that were never meant to be seen, you can rest easy because this does none of that. From the first shot outside the mortuary where you see Reggie and Jody you can instantly see how great of a job they did cleaning this up. The only shortcomings are a few exterior shots of Mike's home, they must not have had a quality master because those shots are particularly grainy.

One of the aspects of this film that made it so popular in the horror community is its iconic score done by Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave. With a new, cleaned up audio track this music is louder and creepier than ever. Hearing that wonderful theme song blare through the speakers was easily a highlight of the night. The cleaned up audio also adds just a little more boom to Angus Scrimm's already bombastic line deliveries, 

Aside from getting to see one of my favorite horror flicks on the big screen I was also fairly intrigued to check out the live streamed Q&A with Don Coscarelli and the original cast after the show. Coscarelli gave some cool insight into how this new transfer came to be, starting with JJ calling him out of the blue one day over a decade ago just to share with him his love for Phantasm. He later came to do the transfer when he wanted to screen the film for his people at Bad Robot and all Don had was a beat up 35mm print or a DVD. Aside from that the crew basically share small factoids that we are mostly already familiar with, like the fact that they shot this movie on weekends over a few years to get it finished.

What really made the brief Q&A a great addition to the screening was hearing them all share some stories about the late Angus Scrimm. Having just passed away earlier this year they all had some really nice things to say about the wonderful actor, especially Coscarelli. Seeing them all pay respects to one of horror greatest icons was an experience I was happy to be able to have. 

If you missed the screening last night, be a little more patient, a Blu-Ray is coming though we still don't have an exact release date. The long awaited fifth movie in the franchise also hits theaters and VOD next week so keep an eye out for that. I know I am more than excited to have the Phantasm franchise be a large part of my Halloween season this year.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

Whatever, Found-Footage Doesn't Like You Either

Whatever, Found-Footage Doesn't Like You Either:

A Defense of Films Most Unpopular Sub-Genre

This past weekend brought with it the release of the surprise sequel to 1999's The Blair Witch Project, the film that kick started this whole "found-footage" subgenre. The new movie, simply titled Blair Witch, was not only met with poor critical reception but also found itself with a slightly disappointing opening weekend, with a box office of just $9.6 million (the movie cost $5 million, so in retrospect it's not so bad). So we all know what that means right? That means it's time for all the haters to come out of the woodwork to tell everyone how much they hate found-footage and how big of a mistake this new movie was. Only it wasn't a mistake, the movie is phenomenally made and a literal thrill ride in a movie theater. So why all the hate? What is it about this subgenre that the bad overshadows all of the truly fantastic films to come out of this? 

I'm not sure I'll be able to answer 'why' these people are so vile towards this kind of filmmaking but I can at least explain why this kind of attitude is completely unwarranted. If you are someone who gets motion sickness watching shaky cam then this article is not speaking directly towards you, I cannot blame someone for physically not being able to sit through these movies. I am addressing the fans, mostly in the horror community, who enjoy this genre at its best but cry for its death whenever a new film releases. 

The world of film is filled with all different kinds of genres and subgenres, some more popular and profitable than others but there is no denying one thing; In any genre of film there are far more bad films than great. This is a general rule with film, there is so much more bad than good out there that we have to be able to cherish it all for what it is. My point? Movie nerds never cry for the death of rom-coms or westerns whenever we get a bad one. So why does it have to be the end of found-footage every time a lackluster film is released?

A large part of this attitude, I believe, comes from the fact that this sub genre hasn't been around nearly as long as others. The pool from which to pick these kinds of movies is only a fraction of the size of most others that have been around almost as long as film itself. This means it is much easier for a fan to claim the amount of good here is far outweighed by the bad, but I strongly disagree. Since just 1999 we have seen a number of truly great films come out of this 'trend' that most moviegoers, including those who bash the genre constantly, would admit to thoroughly enjoying.

Take, for example, 2008's surprise hit Cloverfield which took this style of filmmaking and brought it into the big budget world. I remember when this movie came out, it was a huge deal among most young moviegoers and the secrecy around it make it a small cultural phenomenon. Still to this day I find far more film geeks who love this film than who don't, and for good reason. It was a huge movie made on a tiny scale that allowed us to feel like we were all really there in the city with them. 

That is a massive component to what makes these films, when done properly, so damn entertaining. Found-footage movies are meant to be an experience, one that feels more real than any other kind of filmmaking. This is what made The Blair Witch Project the most successful film of all-time and I believe it's a large part of what a lot of moviegoers fail to grasp with these stories. In order to get the full enjoyment and experience you need to allow yourself to exist in the world you are seeing and believe what is happening to be true. I'm not saying you have to leave the theater thinking you just watched a documentary, but a small suspension of disbelief can go along way.

There is even more to it than that though, and I believe the other major issue plaguing these movies is one that is effecting the film world as a whole right now. Most moviegoers judge the entirety of the movie universe on what they see in theaters. Now, fifteen years ago this would have been totally justifiable but with the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, as well as video on demand (VOD) platforms some of the best movies being made these days are seen on your home television. 

If you head over to Netflix right now and browse through the horror section you will find a handful of solid found-footage movies. Take for example 2015's Creep, from filmmaker Patrick Brice and starring the wonderful Mark Duplass. The flick is as simple as can be, made with one camera and two people they get more story and scares packed into 80 minutes than most straight forward horror films these days. Or, if you are like me and get unreasonably creeped out by the elderly then you shouldn't hesitate in popping on The Taking of Deborah Logan. This would-be documentary about alzheimer's quickly turns into truly unnerving piece of paranormal horror. 

Also, and I cannot say this enough, never be afraid to check out what's being made in other countries. Foreign cinema is where some of the most creative and fresh voices in filmmaking are and the found-footage genre is no different. Go seek out the incredible Spanish horror franchise [REC], the first two movies in the franchise deal out some of the best scares in modern horror, period. You could also pop on Netflix and see one of my favorite movies of all-time (no joke) Troll Hunter. This brilliant norwegian film will dish out a few nifty scares but more than anything else it's an absolute blast to watch. Boasting incredible special effects and a wonderfully charming story this could easily be the film to sway your judgment on the medium. 

I could go on listing the many other found-footage movies that I think are brilliant, but the haters will just retort with the ones that aren't, like The Gallows or Apollo 18. So I guess what I have to say to all of you is that you should take a step, look at the films you love and decide if you really think this kind of storytelling needs to go away. After seeing Blair Witch this past weekend, and with the satirical horror flick Found-Footage 3D coming out at some point in the near future, I am excited about seeing where else this genre can be taken.  

If nothing else, come away from this with the understanding that the found-footage genre is no different than any other form of filmmaking. The bad will always outweigh the good and if we can't truly appreciate the good because of that then why even bother in the first place? There were three bad superhero movies this year but there's no rallying cry for the death of superhero blockbusters that cost $200 million to make. Why then, should a style of filmmaking that is traditionally profitable and that cost so little to make be ostracized for its failures?

The chances of swaying even a fraction of you to my side is pretty much impossible, but at the very least I hope I have convinced even a handful of you to give these kinds of movies another shot. I especially hope to convince some of you to go and give Blair Witch a shot in theaters if you haven't already. It is a wonderfully crafted horror experience and too many are writing it off simply because of the style in which it was made. If this is the hill on which I choose to die than so be it, At least it's defending a bunch of films I really love.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

MOVIE REVIEW: Blair Witch

Blair Witch (2016)

Horror, Thriller

Directed By: Adam Wingard

When The Blair Witch Project hit theaters back in 1999 it was nothing short of a phenomenon, the likes of which we will probably never see again. They had people convinced what they had seen was real, so how do you follow that up? You can't try to re-capture lightning in a bottle, but you can recreate a feeling by building off of what audiences loved the first time around. Making the film in secret doesn't hurt, either and writing/directing duo Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard did just that filming under the title The Woods. With clever marketing and an understanding of what worked so well the first time around Blair Witch is the sequel fans have been waiting sixteen years for. 

Ever since it happened, James Donahue (James Allen McCune) has been obsessed with discovering how and why his sister Heather went missing in the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland back in 1999. He thinks he may have finally found a legitimate lead when he discovers a video online of someone lost in those same woods. Thinking that there are answers out there, or that his sister might even be alive still, he gathers a group of his friends to go out there and look for themselves. Though they are all skeptical they head out with James anyways in hopes of finally setting his lifelong mission to rest. Unfortunately for them the woods, and the Blair Witch herself have different plans for them 

If the original film was a thrilling build up to an epic final shot than this new movie is an insane roller coaster ride that finishes as abruptly as it begins. Barrett and Wingard knew they couldn't recapture the tension and surprise the original brought, but they could get the scares. Not only that but they made sure to make those scares much bigger than the first time around. Once the group has entered the woods they begin to rapid fire these scenes, with some jump scares feeling a little cheap but most of them landing wonderfully. The cheap ones are easily forgiven as well when you realize they are there to simply build more tension for the crazy final act. 

When I say this film is a roller coaster ride I mean this is the best possible way. What you are seeing this time around is a thrill ride experience. The movie is here to scare the hell out of you, not to change the genre entirely. The original was also an experience of a different sort, giving audiences their first real glimpse at the found-footage genre while also tricking them into believing what they were seeing was real. Blair Witch doesn't get the opportunity to do that so they created an all new type of horror enterprise within the same framework.

What makes the film more than just this amusement park ride is the way the filmmakers build off of the established mythology of the original. They take ideas that were barely even realized in the first and bring them into fruition in truly terrifying ways. They build off of the story of the man killing all those children under the witch's control, we actually get to see that influence in action this time around. They also incorporate different types of horror here as well adding a few practical blood shots and an unnerving sci-fi element dealing with time. This is precisely what a sequel is meant to do; take what the original established and build off it to create a story that feels both familiar and totally new at the same time. 

There were two key elements in creating this feeling and they are the characters and the updated technology. Taking advantage of the fact that everyone will know that this is a hollywood film this time, they brought together a wonderful cast of characters. Some we are pushed to really like while others are made to be the unfavorables, giving us a connection to this story that we didn't have the first time. It being 2016 now they also step up their game technology wise, equipping our characters with plenty of HD cameras, high quality microphones, and even a small drone. These are all used in clever ways to show us new angles, and give us new sounds that we were not able to pick up in the original.

Though this film may be one of the most exciting horror rides you take all year they have some trouble sticking the landing. Following in the footsteps of one of the most iconic final shots in all of horror the ending of this movie was almost guaranteed to fall short of it. If you are hoping for a crazy final shot that blows the lid off of this movie you will be disappointed. Barrett and Wingard focused on the ride that gets us to the finale and when the ending does come it feels like the only out they had. 

The latest installment in the franchise hardly sets out to reinvent the wheel but it does a damn fine job of polishing it. Operating on the same framework as the original these guys crafted a found-footage movie that hits every beat it needs to and those who enjoy this style of filmmaking will have a great time. If you are someone who scoffs at this sub-genre of horror I still say you should give this a shot. Seeing it on a big screen, as loud as possible, and with a big crowd made this a wonderfully fun, and truly scary experience.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find em anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!