1st Summoning

I like found footage and forgive a lot of stuff normally. I don't expect the lighting to be great and the sound to be perfect. The acting just has to be better than student film acting and if they can pull off some scares, then it normally wins me over. But man, how did they put this out with those sound issues? Every time the camera was moving, there was a crackling noise. Were they using an empty Cheetos bag as a windscreen for the microphone? It was so distracting. Was going to give it a 7 but that noise issue dropped it down a whole 3 points for me. And if I were a hyper vigilant person, it probably would have dropped it to a 1.

It's not bad. It's certainly not good. It's a slightly below average found footage film, strictly for us found footage fans. No real emotional connections developed. Very thin plot. I'd only recommend it if you (like me) have run out of FF horror movies. If found footage/shaky cam horror isn't for you, please just avoid the movie and spare us that stereotypical whining review. You won't like it. Promise. Dig found footage? Meh, you could do worse.

*Side note: message me any under the radar FF movies worth seeing. I'm running low. If you need suggestions, hit me up*

In order to break the rules, you must first understand them. The makers of this disasterpiece were clearly playing chicken with oblivion. If anything this turkey serves as a cogent reminder that most found footage films should just remain lost. Especially this one, which runs afoul often.

Why 3 stars then? Well, they managed to get the sigil of Lucifer right. Most occult films get that wrong. An upside down cross is just a St. Peter's cross. The lead actress actually had some acting chops and was awkwardly pretty in her own way. The preacher had a pernicious Jim Jones vibe which I rather enjoyed. The lead actor who plays the clueless, hapless filmmaker and looks like a pitiful cross between Rocky Dennis and Devon Sawa ought to stick with his day job though. A Samuel Beckett apothegm comes to mind: FAIL BETTER.

Remember when movies used to have at least a morsel of originality? No? It's been a while hasn't it.

So stop me if you've heard this one. We have a group of young people making a documentary about a scary place, they go to the scary place, scary things happen, they keep recording despite scary things happening and the credits roll.

That's basically what we have here as we see them making a documentary about a factory built on the site of satanic worship and yeah that pretty much covers it. Throw in a bit of drama within the group, a love triangle, shaky cam and the usual found footage tropes and you have yourself another carbon copy movie.

So what sets it apart from the rest? Literally nothing. The cover to me made promises it didn't deliver, we've seen this all before and done considerably better.

If you like this copy and paste found footage films you may enjoy it, otherwise avoid.

The Good:

Looks better than most found footage

The Bad:

Unlikable characters

Some real illogical stupidity

Ultimate goes nowhere

That rattling you hear is Lee's giant earring hitting the camera. Ugh!!