Black Mountain Side

Pleasantly surprised by this movie. Came into it with hoping of a decent movie set in a paranoid lonely environment, perhaps not completely different the 80s movie "Thing" with Curt Russel.

Quite soon i discovered that there are some small similarities between the movies but it was not a ripoff but had its own thing going which i find worked well. Actors does a decent job, Not top notch quality but overall i cant complain. I did found the group a bit too big though and sometimes i mistook the characters for one another which was annoying but you came back on rail realizing who and what was going on fast after confusion hit you. Its not a perfect movie but i found the mood and vibe of the whole thing very unsettling which of course is a great quality in a horror movie. Being a HP Lovecraft fan it satisfied me taking a bit of that mythology into it all but with that being said, you do not need any Lovecraft interest or knowledge to understand the movie. Its just extra candy for those that are.

Not going to spoil anything but i wish the movie would have expanded and gotten more info on the artifact, When the movie ends there is still some questions you want to have answered but in some ways it also probably makes the movie good in a way. Instead of having answers served it tickles the imagination a bit.

The movie had its chilling moments and as i said a very pleasant surprise among all crap you find in the genre and i very much recommend a viewing, Might not connect well with all horror fans in a great way but if you got a thing for the Cthulhu mythos and Lovecraftian literature this is a must see.

I will re watch this movie in a few months to see how a second look makes me feel but yes...recommended. I suspect budget was not huge in this movie but they have solved it well with the limitations they might have had. I give it a 7 in score and if you're on the hunt for a nice horroflick but cant decide...put this one on!

I found it interesting and was excited for some kind of explenation for everything that was going on, but the ending fell short...

This movie sounded right up my alley when I read the synopsis. An ancient structure is uncovered in the Canadian wilderness which has no right to be there. It's hard to describe the way the storyline spirals out of control with out giving away any spoilers, but the ancient structure, which is the focus of the film previews, seems to be all but forgotten by the end of the movie. I wish I could go into more detail, but I really don't want to give away any spoilers. And the ending isn't even an ending, albeit a very predictable scene due to some very clumsily inserted plot dialogue early on. The sort of statement that immediately makes you think, "I wonder when that's going to happen then." But nothing is really explained, there are several plot points left unresolved, hell, the entire story remained unresolved, with plot dead ends, and a very unfulfilling ending, which just seems lazy. To be fair the acting is pretty good throughout and the Canadian scenery is awesome, without that it would have got a 2.

Having lived in the north and through -50 nights, I am trying very hard to ignore the fact that none of these actors would have made it through day 1 if it was really cold out. No gloves, doors hanging open while they chat, running about with their jackets unzipped, no hats. Somehow the reality that they are all running about in about -5c early spring with water dripping from the eves just spoils the effect for me. Ironically it didn't need to be the dead of winter to be good ... so why????

Movie starts out with beautiful cinematography, believable dialogue, believable characters, and the kind of pacing I prefer in a 'psychological horror' film. I watch enough movies to recognize a smaller budget film, so I usually prepare for the worst when I see the markers for an indie flick, but early on, the unfamiliar actors and lack of orchestral soundtrack did not bother me. In fact, I liked the absence of music. Helped set a cold, uninviting mood.

Then about halfway through, when the big events start unfolding, the acting doesn't keep pace with the drama and frankly, distracts from a few of the scenes. Also, I'll be careful not to spoil anything, but on the big reveal, I really hoped for something different. Thought the choice they made there really hurt the mood they'd built so effectively. Went from 8 stars to 7 stars because I just couldn't take that part seriously.

To summarize, I liked the premise, (though this isn't the first time I've seen it...it's one of my favorite premises for a horror film), and I liked the general dialogue, the action, and resolution. I have a feeling they didn't have a huge budget, but they made a very solid, often bizarre, and at times creepy, horror film. Would really like to see what the writer/director/cinematographer could do with a bigger budget and more experienced cast.

Also, bravo to the filmmakers for not writing a bunch of fake reviews here. Seems a common trick lately, so thank you for letting the film stand on its own!