After Dark Horrorfest 2010: 8 Films to Die For IV

[newb]

Originally Posted by ChronoGrl

I have to agree with you on that one (though we'll have to AGREE to DISagree on Dread)... I thought that Lake Mungo was a pleasant surprise, so that will lead me to my next review...

Lake Mungo





Not gonna lie; this movie had a few things going against it when I went into watching it:

• The movie poster reminded me IMMEDIATELY of Drag Me to Hell's (which made me think, "RIPOFF)
• This was the last of the 8 Films for this year that I watched and I wasn't overly impressed.
• "Lake Mungo" is a really really stupid title.

So, suffice to say, I was pleasantly surprised when this film turned out to be a smartly done, incredibly well-acted and -filmed mockumentary.

I haven't seen a whole lot of horror mockumentaries. I would count Blair Witch in that category, as its premise was a "documentary" gone wrong, and I would throw American Zombie in there as well (which I STILL highly recommend, for those of you who haven't seen it). There's also Behind The Mask; And both of those are two completely different movies from Lake Mungo.

Lake Mungo is a series of interviews, found photographs and video footage of the Palmer Family who is grieving over the loss of their daughter, Alice, who drowned prior to the filming. In fact, the "reason" for the "documentary" are the bizarre occurrences and notoriety that the family receives following the wake of her passing...

Through convincing interviews of family and friends, the story is slowly revealed, as is Alice's past. As with any grieving family, they begin to search for any way possible where Alice could still be with them... And so comes the photographs.

Lake Mungo isn't a straight-out haunting movie, like Paranormal Activity; instead it takes the viewer through stills and photographs, where Alice's visage seems to appear - This kind of slow subtlety is the kind of glorious horror that just makes the hairs on your arms stand up.

I'm personally a fan of the "ghost photographs" phenomenon, whether they be "real," or doctored, like the Slender Man. That the narrative revolves around the discovery and reveal of the Palmer Family's ghostly images is an intriguing concept, and one that definitely kept me glued to the television.

While this movie doesn't have the flat-out "scares" of something like Paranormal Activity or Blair Witch, its subtlety definitely captured a genuine creepy mood that made me feel uneasy for most of the film.

My only issue with the film is that, by choosing the mockumentary style, you don't really get the climactic scene that you get with other hand-held ghost films, like the two mentioned above. Instead, the tone feels a bit disaffected and you don't have the big "payoff" as you generally expect. While I thought that the movie was really smart and well-done, it honestly left me wanting that big climactic gripping-my-boyfriend's-hand scene. It felt a bit flat by the end, though it was obviously the director's intention.

Since I ultimately felt flat in the end, I have a hard time giving this anymore than a 3.5/5. Regardless, I think that it's worth checking out. I was impressed.

damn girl....you should do this for a living.

I agree pretty much 100% on this review. This was surely a "slow-burn" but I really dug the payoff.

[ChronoGrl]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

NOW

THIS YEAR'S HORRORFEST SCORE

1. ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction - 3.75/5
2. Lake Mungo - 3.5/5
3. Skjult (Hidden) - 3.25/5
4. Dread - 3/5
5. The Reeds - 2.5/5
6. Kill Theory - 2/5
7. The Final - 1.75/5
8. The Graves - 1/5

Not a great showing this year. My favorite Horrorfest year is still 2007, which brought us Crazy Eights, Mulberrty Street, and Borderland, three of my indie horror favorites. I'm ultimately disappointed, dissatisfied, and spent a lot of my time watching these reconsidering whether or not I still enjoyed watching horror. Ugh.

However, if you're looking for some new indie horror, check out this year's Top 4, though be warned: Reviews are really split on Lake Mungo, Hidden, and Dread. While they're in the Top 4, it's their flaws that keep them under a 4-star rating.

Thanks V, Roshiq, Jenna, and those of you who've chimed in. I'd really like to know what other people this of this year's showing.

Pfew!

CHRONO OUT

[ChronoGrl]

Originally Posted by newb

damn girl....you should do this for a living.

I agree pretty much 100% on this review. This was surely a "slow-burn" but I really dug the payoff.

Thanks! I WISH!

I think that I'd probably like the payoff more now that I know what to expect... I was expecting some kind of climactic scene, although what they DID offer us in the movie was really really chilling - I am seriously impressed with the format and vehicle they used - I geek out over ghost photographs and that sort of supernatural thing, it was great to see a "ghost" mockumentary take that turn (as opposed to Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity).

I think you should check out American Zombie. Very similar style. Mockumentary. "Slow burn," and funny, too.

[missmacabre]

just finished up lake mungo. went in with low expectations and ended up liking it a lot. as faux documentaries go, this on was pretty good. not so many action, running, handy cam shots but a great plot.