Shakes the Clown, Sleeping Dogs Lie, World’s Greatest Dad, God Bless America…Willow Creek. One of these things is not like the other, but that’s what makes Bobcat Goldthwait an exciting filmmaker: he’s capable of stepping out of his comfort zone (which, ironically enough, encompasses uncomfortable pursuits and ideas) and trying his hand at something that’s totally atypical of his filmography. Why make a found footage picture about two people searching for the truth about Bigfoot? Why not? If the results of Bobcat’s foray into the gimmicky horror sub-genre don’t mesh with his other work, they still make for a great midnight movie and represent an interesting evolution in his directorial career. Of course,…
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Sweet Trailer…Barry Levinson's 'The Bay'
Academy Award-Winning director Barry Levinson has some solid hits on his hands and while this may be new territory for him this looks like another solid win. More like a mash up of a handful of genres than a straight-forward fright fest, The Bay plays with found footage/viral horror, zombie-like ghouls, paranoia and more as well as setting the hysteria against a holiday not unlike Jaws. But like a buffet there’s enough going on to please most viewers. Suffice to say we’re sold, but have a look for yourselves… Always great to see an established filmmaker branch out and this looks sure to please. Those of you lucky enough to attend this…
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G-S-T Review…Chernobyl Diaries
Curiously enough, Chernobyl Diaries may mark the first non-found footage found footage film. While constructed using mostly a straight narrative approach, there’s a nagging sense that this cautionary horror jaunt (penned and backed by Paranormal Activity mastermind Oren Peli) may have actually benefited from more fully embracing the tricky conceit; it’s shot like a found footage movie, it’s crafted like a found footage movie, it scares like a found footage movie, and the title’s reference to “diaries” naturally leads us to conclude that someone, somewhere, came across the footage we’re watching by unhappy accident. But those eponymous documents are nowhere to be found in an hour and a half of story. Chernobyl Diaries bases…