30 Days of Halloween. (Day 11).

Technically this round up is two movie marathons combined, due to busy schedules we manage to fit in times to watch the films...but we are so fucking tired we end up cutting the marathons short and if we've wasted time on a lot of shit, I rarely come away with much to recommend, I mean there is no point doing one whole post for one mini review but I have three films to talk about and recommend, so I think we're good! Enjoy! Also, due to the high volume of shit I've seen, I've decided to make these round ups entirely positive and just write about the good stuff I found in all the shit. That is right people, I'm wading in shit so you don't have too, I'm good to you, ain't I?

Surprisingly, well for me at least, two of today's films I have are found footage...and I fucking hate that genre so it really says a lot that these were two of my favourites out of the fifteen something horror films I've waded through since last we rounded up - although I don't know if that says a lot about these films or the other ones. Oh, I also have a ghost story for you too, yay!

The first of these two found footage titles is a film called, 'Evidence'. Despite coming out only last year, it doesn't have a Wikipedia article, I guess that says a lot so I'm sorry I can't wow you with facts.

But what did I think? Evidence is one of those confusing films as a critic, because it really makes you think about what you define as good and why. For example, Evidence basically comes prepackaged with everything I hate about this sub-genre, but because my expectations and even interest in this genre are so low and small, when stuff actually started to happen...wider than just things falling over..I was completely wrapped up in the thing. A found footage horror film where stuff actually happens?! Mental! So yes, although still not particularly good, Evidence still needs to be recognised as a found footage film that actually has action scenes and a plot that is more than a demon or ghost that loves opening and closing doors...just for the hell of it.

However, this does create wider problems though. Mainly in that, yes stuff happens...but it still isn't really very good. Really, even though a lot does happen during the film, in the end most of it amounts to being just as superficial as all the other bullshit in these kind of films, only it's played like a themepark ride, rather than some kind of documentary. To be fair rollercoaster is probably the perfect analogy with the final act being basically one long ghost train ride.

I think the reason Evidence ends up working in the end, despite everything, is a pretty firm knowledge and love for the horror genre itself. It embodies the notion of 'the less we know, the scarier it becomes'. We ultimately come away learning very little but that is where the horror lies. I'm pretty sure you and your friends will have many an interpretation at what exactly happened during the third act of the film - or really any of it as there are quite a few scenes that seem oddly throw away until you think of them in a wider sense and it opens whole other cans of worms for discussion. Either way, I love a film that gets a good discussion going. I really don't want to say much more for fear spoiling, but trust me this film is more than worth sitting through the draggy first act, it's all carefully crafted to give that final chase a heavy amount of whack. Well done, Evidence, have a Think About It! Seal of Approval.

My second found footage recommendation is a film called, 'Emergo' or 'Apartment 143' according to everyone else, which came out this year. It is a Spanish film, but English spoken. And of course, the critics hated it, but then again, they always do with these kind of films. If a horror film ever gets a good review from a mainstream critic, then you better believe they were either paid a humongous amount of cash...or it is some kind of masterpiece to rival the greats.

And what did I think? Well, I digged it - although it isn't an easy film. Putting a whole jar of peanut butter onto your toast doesn't make it a meal...I know that metaphor is made up, but I couldn't find one that really fits better. In itself Emergo is basically the third act of every Paranormal Activity film glued together to make a frightening and exciting found footage film. The problem is, they try to be all clever about it and add all this made up science and jargon and lay that on so fucking thick the plot is almost impossible to really keep track with. There were quite a few moments when I had to turn to my friend and ask him what just happened and we'd both find ourselves rewinding the thing - the whole science, paranormal investigators who debunk hauntings with reason thing doesn't really work when you have shit flying around the room and ghosts and all sorts of other shit and the convoluted psychic powers explanation thing doesn't really do much to bring it all together. I can't help but just feel this all unnecessary  it would have worked better if they just played it as a straight ghost story.

Okay wow...that sounded like I hated it and probably isn't selling it to you at all, is it? Really the reason I am recommending this is less on its narrative and more on the fact that, like Evidence, I just want to take my hat off to Emergo for both actually having stuff happen and being genuinely quite frightening in places too - things found footage rarely is and even more rarely do you find one with both. I can't really recommend this to just general film fans, especially considering how this ends, but horror fans looking for a scare or two or doubters of this sub-genre of horror could do way worse than this film. So Emergo you get the, 'Found Footage horror doesn't need to be a load of boring shitty nonsense, it can feature films that are really scary and exciting' seal of approval!

And my final recommendation, and the only one that isn't found footage, is a 2007 ghost story called, 'The Messengers'. It's produced by Sam Raimi, that is a mark of quality right there! It has spawned both a prequel and a graphic novel. Hey and guess what, the critics hated it!

And what did I think? Well, admittedly...the word rip-off, which a lot of the critics used, probably isn't that far off. I'm hesitant to use that word, because it's such a negative one, but The Messengers is a ghost story that never strays far from the conventions or formula to the point where you could probably map out the whole plot, after only seeing the first couple of minutes. But I also think that, on the other hand, this predictable conventional nature of the film, is the main reason the film works so well.

The ghost story is a sub-genre of horror that everyone seems to get wrong. It's difficult to separate plot devices and characters apart, especially when they are the same thing as ghosts often are in these films and worse still ghost stories are becoming less and less about the ghosts and becoming more and more complicated. Trying to find a film about ghosts that doesn't also also deal with human drama or some faith vs science message instead of scaring you is practically impossible. Stop overcomplicating everything, filmmakers!  The Messengers however takes a step back, it strips away all of that shit and just concentrates on what a ghost story should be all about - scaring you. And for the most part, it is pretty scary, it looks pretty awful in places but as far as things go, this is a pretty scary little ghost story and one of the best ghost stories I've seen in years. Plus, the whole thing is fronted by the Trampire and she's always easy on the eyes. You can have the, 'Hey you got a ghost story right...sort of' seal of approval!

Think About It!

-Locke