Whilst being a fan of the first two Rec films and enjoying some of the Paranormal Activity flicks,I'm well aware that the "Found Footage" Horror sub-genre is seen in the mainstream as being at the bottom of the ladder. Taking a look at the BBC listings recently,I was happily surprised to find a Found Footage flick being given a good time slot!,which led to me setting the recorder and crossing the border.
The plot:
Getting reports of a "miracle" taking place in a church,The Vatican send Deacon and Gray in to find out if a miracle has taken place,and are ordered to film their investigation. Locating the church in a country town,Gray and Deacon find the locals less than keen to talk about the past of the town. Whilst initially believing that it was all a hoax,Gray and Deacon soon nail a dark secret in the church on the cross.
View on the film:
Openly having the lads joke about The Wicker Man to the locals for his debut feature,the screenplay by writer/director Elliot Goldner features a refreshing playfulness,as Deacon and Gray's investigations at the church are inter-cut with them exchanging banter over the alleged miracle in the country pub. While taking some leaps with the horror, (no one bothers to check what is being recorded at the church) Goldner makes these flaws easy to overlook,thanks to building a real relationship between Gray and Deacon,who go from arguing about every minor thing the other one does,to praying that they can help each other survive.
Shot on location,director Elliot Goldner & cinematographer Eben Bolter hold back on the shaky cam of Found Footage to use the format for a claustrophobic atmosphere,where the viewer sees every murmur from the church run down Gray's spine. Shaking a Gothic Horror shadow over the lands,Goldner wonderfully records the Found Footage with expert sound effects giving the eerie impression of something crawling under the border.
The plot:
Getting reports of a "miracle" taking place in a church,The Vatican send Deacon and Gray in to find out if a miracle has taken place,and are ordered to film their investigation. Locating the church in a country town,Gray and Deacon find the locals less than keen to talk about the past of the town. Whilst initially believing that it was all a hoax,Gray and Deacon soon nail a dark secret in the church on the cross.
View on the film:
Openly having the lads joke about The Wicker Man to the locals for his debut feature,the screenplay by writer/director Elliot Goldner features a refreshing playfulness,as Deacon and Gray's investigations at the church are inter-cut with them exchanging banter over the alleged miracle in the country pub. While taking some leaps with the horror, (no one bothers to check what is being recorded at the church) Goldner makes these flaws easy to overlook,thanks to building a real relationship between Gray and Deacon,who go from arguing about every minor thing the other one does,to praying that they can help each other survive.
Shot on location,director Elliot Goldner & cinematographer Eben Bolter hold back on the shaky cam of Found Footage to use the format for a claustrophobic atmosphere,where the viewer sees every murmur from the church run down Gray's spine. Shaking a Gothic Horror shadow over the lands,Goldner wonderfully records the Found Footage with expert sound effects giving the eerie impression of something crawling under the border.