Gallows

I saw "The Gallows" with low expectations, but at least expecting to see a decent horror movie, based on the IMDb User Rating (4.3). However, the film is awful in every aspect: the storyline is poor; the twist is nonsense and ridiculous; the screenplay is terrible. The camera of this cheap "found footage" genre is a pretext to produce low quality films with low cost. In this movie, there is no explanation for the use of the handy cam. Sometimes I question why I see flicks like this to the very end since time is irreversible and life is too short to spend watching low-quality films (like this one)! My vote is one (awful).

Title (Brazil): "A Forca" ("The Gallows")

The positive thing about The Gallows is the fact that it was well promoted worldwide, you can find it in every shop selling flicks and all magazines were talking about this found footage flick. But the hype was a major let down for me. I can understand that teens will love this kind of horrors because there's the usual nerd loves cheerleader story and pranks being done until things go really wrong.

Bur for me there wasn't any frightening moment or so typical with those found footage flicks a jump scene. And you have seen it all before, people levitating, being thrown in the air, the usual stuff.

On part of the effects, it's well done but it's so low on horror that I even thought to push the stop button and go hang myself...

Gore /5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5

From thequickflickcritic.blogspot.com/

I went in to "The Gallows" with an open mind. And, MAN, was my brain shut down but at HYPER speed.

Aimless wandering through the seemingly interminable catacombs of a haunted high school. Entering dark and ominous halls and rooms which were everything short of SCREAMING at these clueless kids "You'll get killed" and for no discernible reason whatsoever. And, I swear, one more shot of a hand slowly opening a door to who knows what the hell (yet usually not a DAMN THING) and I'll put the flippin' noose around my own neck for crissakes!

The ending (and thank God there finally WAS one) was admittedly and actually kinna cool. But it was WAY too little too late to keep this weak and wearisome found footage flop from hanging itself by it's own regurgitated premise rope.

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This being a horror movie, you just know at the beginning that something will happen. It just has to. So no surprise there. One of the twists may not be as expected, but is at least superficial, not to say complete and utter nonsense. Having said that, we also get what many horror movies have: the bad idea/plan, that never, ever makes the viewer having any sympathy.

In this case it makes even less sense, for the main character to go along with it (as the story unfolds and things and other characters pop up). It does have a few decent effects and some of the jump scares might get to you. It would be a complete failure if they didn't now wouldn't it? Also the ending is kind of nice, though the whole "Found footage" thing really is boring - though the guy who found it, did a good job editing it ...

Remember back when the found footage style was a unique style of filmmaking and only a handful of films used it? (I.E. The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, Rec.) But it's common knowledge nowadays that it's become a cliché and a cheap gimmick for studios to save on production costs. Most of the time, there is almost no effort put into the film's storyline, characters, or scares. The Gallows certainly doesn't help its case.

Pros:

-A few decent performances

-Good production design

-Has the potential to be scary

Cons:

-Insufferable main character

-Bullshit plot twist that makes no sense

-Plot itself is nonsensical

-Relies on cheap jump scares

-Has a few good ideas, but they're usually screwed up somehow.

-Found footage style is given no explanation

3/10 (Horrible)