5 of 5 viewers "Liked" "The Blackwell Ghost" (2017, USA)
Here's what the creatures had to say:
Huntress - "The Blackwell Ghost was recommended to me with the disclaimer that it might actually be real, which the short run time kind of supported. But either way, I was really excited to watch it. It had a really good setup and wasn’t over the top in any aspect. Several scenes caused the entire audience to hold their breath amid tension so thick that Dabbles almost peed again. At the end of the film, I was left with several questions which means there is room for theory and discussion, and that is a crucial aspect to the longevity of a film." - 4 Stars
Math Mage - "Creepy not quite found footage film. A bare-bones kinda lame setup but good execution. Chekov would be annoyed that his pliers weren't used." - 3 Stars
Lord Battle - "One of the most authentic faux-docs I've ever seen. Now I'm assuming it's fake here but I should point out there is some debate over the subject. But the most shocking part of The Blackwell Ghost is how our characters fly a private plane to their investigation location! The Blackwell Ghost also seems to have solved the problem with terrible 3rd acts in paranormal films by simple removing it. Yes, this film has a much appreciated run-time of 59 minutes. The only real issue I have with the film is its horrendous cover art! Found footage fans, do yourselves a favor and check this one out." - 4 Stars
Dabbles - "Why more ghosts? I admit the film was well done and it played really well to a lot of the ghost tropes like things you would read on the internet. My anxiety yet again. I hate ghosts and ghost stories. Well done though." - 3 Stars
Wandering Panda - "A very good watch! I found this movie very intriguing and easy to relate to the filmmaker. Good run-time." - 3 Stars
The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*
(Below is for after you've seen the film)
What makes a good found footage movie? Is it how well the film blurs the lines of fiction and non-fiction storytelling? Or how the audience knowingly enters with a certainty and yet curiosity of the protagonists demise in mind? Or even how the filmmakers play in the parameters of the found footage sub-genre?
Honestly that wasn't a unfair question since no one can figure out just what makes a "good" found footage film but I assure you that all three of those topics are crucial to how valuable a found footage film is to a hunter of the subgenre and The Blackwell Ghost has a unique take on all 3. Starting with blurring the lines of reality, The Blackwell Ghost seems to be under some debate and rather than jump into that here I'll put a link to an article written beautifully by Waylon Jordan on the topic at iHorror.com.
I like to think that a found footage audience enters into a type of contract with the film stating that they understand the filmmakers will die and they've come to see why and how. Now since you're reading this I can assume you've watch The Blackwell Ghost and know that no one dies in the film. I know a couple of creatures that frequent the Overlook who would be very upset with this discovery but I however wasn't. I think the fact that a demon didn't arise strengthened this film immensely and allowed viewers to walk away questioning if what they saw was real. I mean a ghost turning water faucet turning on seems dumb when you're a step removed but to think of that really happening is quite unnerving. I also think this choice (assuming it's not real) that has become more popular in the found footage horror culture. And success from films like The Tunnel and What We Do In The Shadows have definitely pushed for the increased use of the phrase "Faux-doc".
We may never really know what the perfect equation for a found footage film is but randomly coming across indies like The Blackwell Ghost will continue to give us insight on the internal and external points of the sub-genre. And I think it's safe to say that if you leave a found footage horror film questioning if it's real or not, they've succeeded.
- Lord Battle
The Overlook Theatre materialized in a residence for a screening on 8/24/2017
*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not affect the rating.
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