Mikes Film Talk

The 2011 found footage horror film Grave Encounters has a great start but a poor finish. Not in a good way, though. This initial foray into the world of horror could have been so much better.

Written and directed by  The Vicious Brothers, Grave Encounters  is their maiden voyage as it were into the film world. Using the obligatory horror genre as their entrance, I am sure that the idea worked really well. At least in script and storyboard form.

I really wanted to like this film. The beginning of the film looked great. Hell, the “trailer” for the ‘ghost hunter’ team played beautifully. I wanted to make that program.

The Story

The film opens as a mock-u-mentary. We hear from a television executive how Lance Preston sent in a demo reel. It is for consideration as a new ‘reality’ program. The exec states that he was before his time and that this type of tv program hadn’t taken off yet.

Everything looked great until episode six. We are going to see episode six. He stresses that this is not a movie. It is seventy-six hours of un-edited footage from Lance’s last ever show.

We then meet the crew of Lance’s “professionals” and we see them setting up the shots for episode six.

The Cast

We meet cameraman TC (Merwin Mondesir) and Techno Geek Matt (Juan Riedinger). The pouty assistant Sasha (Ashleigh Gryzko), Psychic Houston (Mackenzie Gray) and presenter/expert Lance (Sean Rogerson).

Back to the Story

They are all there to investigate the creepy abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital. This place, according to local legend, has had scary stuff happen ever since it closed down. Offering shades of The House on Haunted Hill. The reason the facility was closed is a mad doctor was murdered by six of his patients.

The first thing we learn upon meeting the crew are that they are new to this whole ‘ghost busting’ gig. And so far at least, they haven’t seen any ghostly goings on. We also find out that Houston is about as psychic as my left big-toe. He is in fact just an actor.

*He also, through no fault of his own, provides for some of the ‘unintended” laughs. Every time someone said his name and the word problem together, I felt like I was watching an astronaut film –

Problems

Right up until everything goes completely Pete Tong I was with them. I liked how the film was progressing and was ready for the action to pick up.

Unfortunately when it did pick up, the players all lost their cool too quickly. It was like watching a high school theatre group do improv. Everyone wanted to panic and scream.

Incidentally, I wanted Sasha to die immediately. Nothing personal, but her scream was so irritating. So much so that the threat the ghosts posed seemed minimal. The ear damage her shrieking must have caused far outweighed the ghosts.

The group have had very little happen to them and they decide to call it a night. They are bored, tired and hungry. All this was good. I mean they had me right there and ready to ride the roller coaster of fear.

Left wanting

Like a celestial virgin, I was all juiced up and ready to go. However, my partner was suffering from a terminal case of brewer’s droop.

It is quite possible that this film was much scarier in the cinema. Somewhere sound and darkness could play a big part in setting you up for the jump. This just felt like a lukewarm version of The Blair Witch Project.

To say I was disappointed, would be an understatement. Somebody must have liked the film, because on IMDb there is a Grave Encounters 2 set for release this year.

Inevitably the success of the Paranormal series, which owes it own beginnings to Blair Witch, means imitations. The guerrilla style of film-making seems to be on the rise. To be fair it has resulted in some great little films. Cloverfield to name but one.

But for the love of all that’s scary, get off the Blair Witch train. Okay?

The Verdict

Grave Encounters earns a paltry 3 stars. It leaves much to be desired. The film can be seen on Tubi, Plex, Fawesome, et al.

The Trailer