Reel Evil

I happen to like "found footage" films, so thought I'd give this one a shot, despite the negative reviews and low score.

It was very poorly executed. The acting was in great need of help. The special effects weren't at all believable. The make up jobs weren't done well. The storyline was lacking and jumped all over the place. There is no real rhyme or reason to why the things that happen are happening.

To those that feel that the presence of breasts make up for a bad storyline/acting, don't bother. The breasts they show aren't even very nice. They're incredibly uneven, or have weird nipples that look like they half melted tootsie rolls and stuck them to their chest.

Overall it was just a lame attempt at a found footage film. If you're stuck in an elevator for an hour and a half and for whatever reason this film is the only thing you could watch to occupy your time, please watch it. Otherwise save yourself the trouble.

Who is reviewing these movies??? I rented it based on said reviews and only finished it because I had already paid. The gratuitous female nudity was unnecessary, the plot was non-existent, the effects were laughable, and the acting was atrocious. I know that found footage movies are made on a shoestring budget, but there was nothing here to work with. Save your time and money for something that won't make you regret your life choices.

With such an awful title, I was expecting the worst... and I got it. This resembles a kiddie ghost train, with spooks popping up in the background throughout and ominous noises aplenty. Unfortunately, we also have to contend with a trio of so-called documentary filmmakers, who cannot act for toffee and have some of the most fake 'authentic' conversations amongst themselves ever. Yep, we're back in hand-held camera/Blair Witch territory, where every scene is shot by the cast in a dark, damp area using various devices. Done right, this can be a chilling experience, as you feel the sweat pour down your back, feeling every moment of fear as it happens... Done wrong though, and you get... well, this.

Desperation sets in early, as we get the first of three extended nude scenes which are completely irrelevant to the story (Needless to say, the hottest girl keeps her togs on). They must want to distract us from the ever present crushing tedium. Nice try, not no cigar. It tries to rip off Paranormal Activity by having our heroes set up various lenses around the abandoned mental institution where it's set, to catch a glance a glimpse at the supernatural. The difference is though, that movie had a special effects budget, this has PS1 (Playstation 1 for the uninitiated) graphics done by an amateur. The 'big finale' is a cross between Benny Hill and Scooby Doo, with lots of camp running about while dubious looking ghosties fly into view.

My faith in the 18 certificate is shaken. Again. 3/10

Reel Evil is a found-footage paranormal flick directed by Danny Draven and starring Jessica Morris, Jeffrey Adler, Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau, Jim Tavare, Galen Howard, Lino Dumont and Spencer John Olson. The movie follows struggling film makers Kennedy, Cory and James who are hired to shoot a 'behind-the-scenes' documentary for a major studio production. The story has the young crew spending down time on the shoot exploring an old hospital facility that seems to be rife with entities. It is a classic case of haunting of malevolence. This film comes from Full Moon, a studio that whether you love them or hate them has a pretty tight systematic approach to horror that has lasted for decades.

The story for Reel Evil is pretty cut and dry. A standard tale of haunting where the spirits are far from friendly. The film uses all the expected tricks of found-footage that has come to define the sub-genre so there is nothing new within that aspect of the movie. The effects are a blend of traditional organic effects combined with the more modern CGI produced material. In this film the director took care not to over use the computer generated effects so that what is used is tolerable. When it came to the gorier organic effects there was just as much care taken and it provides expected realism to those necessary moments. The story is a good story which is entertaining and convincing. It doesn't seem contrived or forced upon us. The actors are pretty tight in their performances and give a believable performance as well which makes the movie watchable.

Reel Evil could have been one of those opportunities for the studio to shine but unfortunately as a horror story the movie fails. The director seems to have forgot the main ingredient-the thrills. There are absolutely no moments in this film that are scary or suspenseful at all. It is a pretty standard ghost story that tells a great tale but beyond the standard cookie cutter pattern of story telling there is nothing that stands out about Reel Evil. Watch knowing it will be a cool ghost story from a staple studio in the horror genre but don't expect to be scared or have those intense moments of suspense because they are just not in this movie.

1. Your idea of horror characters are the lazy, stupid, self-defeating trope of being people the viewer cannot sympathize with. 2. You think some nudity is a band-aid for your crappy script. 3. You pretend your movie is found footage but you can't even be bothered to make it actually look so. 4. Your movie sucks when it doesn't have to.

This film is called Specters on the streaming platform I started to watch it on (maybe an alternate version)--alas, I used "started" because I simply refuse to watch a modern horror movie that has the things I saw in my 15-minute cut off. It looked cheap (didn't have to even with a small budget), it was ridiculously obnoxious for no reason, blatantly stereotyped (no, there were no minorities, at least to the point I watched it, but I mean characters like "responsible, serious girl," "oversexed d-chebro," "arrogant celebrity/boss," etc.). These are not people. These are paper dolls that are moved around on the screen, and since I don't have to, I won't continue to watch. It's to the point where I'm instantly skeptical indie horror movies if they're made in the 2000s/2010s because so many of them are the same: low-effort and awful. Some people might not like the psychological family drama style of horror movies that are popular these days, but at least they know how to create interest and empathy and they are relatable. I can even look at old exploitation, modern "hood" films, etc. and find something to care about. But nothing here.

I don't care who likes it, stop making movies if you're going to be so lazy. It's clearly not your proper field! And, no, money isn't the issue. Look at Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead, and the original Star Wars. They had smaller budgets but became films that have stood the test of time and inspired countless other films. Films like this one inspire nothing. It's lazily derivative.