#Screamers/The Monster Project — #Screamers/The Monster Project( Blu Ray)
#Screamers is the earlier film here from 2016, and it’s an extremely slow burn- with moments of skin prickling dread & fleeting terror, which are mostly packed into the last twenty or so minutes. The film is best describing as corporate drama/ mockumentary for much of its runtime, as we focusing on an up & coming net company that has a set up a You tube-like platform. They get an eerier clip of women walking through a graveyard- which has a sudden jump scare of a ghoulish face popping up- fairly soon this becomes the site's most popular video, and the site gets more & more hits. They get their tech expert to track down the video poster, and it seemingly turns out to be a women who disappeared some years ago- so soon members of the company head out to Rochester, as this where the clip poster lives, and the graveyard from the clip- and in said graveyard is the burial place of Jack The Ripper suspect Dr. Francis Tumblety. The film initial unfolds a bit like an episode of Catfish- though, with a few more creepy moments, it’s only in the last twenty to thirty minutes of the film that kick more into more formal found footage terror. The film is certainly well cast, as everyone is believable & fairly well fleshed-out, so when of course things turn horror-filled you do certainly feel more for what's happening. There’s no doubt, like a lot of the more mockumentary set found footage films,the pace/flow of the film could have been tightened up, but in a way, I guess this adds to the authenticity of the whole thing. For the most part, the film kept me held for it’s just over one hour and twenty-minute runtime, with the end generally left me a little creeped out. Of the two films here I’d say this is the lesser, though as found footage goes they certainly had some production budget and the film's story is fairly original.
Extras wise for this film we get a commentary track from the film's director, and one of the films leads who also co-wrote the film- the track gives you an good insight into the film's development, it’s location, and editing choices- it’s interesting enough, though they do get a little wrapped up in their own importance, as well as liberally putting down the first Blair Witch film- which in most peoples mind( mine including) is one of the most important films in genre, and it also influenced a few scenes in this film. The only extra for this film is a thirteen-minute deleted scene, with optional commentary on.
From 2017 The Monster Project is mash-up between nightlight creepy house action and creature feature- with a nice blend of rundown eeriness, pulse bound run around in the dark, and believable creature effects which bring together particular effects with subtle CGI. The film finds faking creature encounter youtube pals Devon and Jamal, putting up a ad online to source people who believe they are really monsters to come and be interviewed. The pair set up in a rundown house bringing with them to help ex junky Bryan, and his female friend Murielle- they invite in a women who says she’s a vampire, a native American who claims he’s a skinwalker/ werewolf, and a young Asian women who says she is possessed by a demon- and as you can image things start to go very much array. The acting throughout is good to great, with each key character painted in a believable light. The rundown in the middle of nowhere house is full of dread & unease from the outset, and of course, this gets amped up as things progress. The story unfolds effective enough, and while there are clear nods back to likes of Blair Witch( in it’s later stages) & Rec- no one scene/ set-up feels like a complete wholesale rip off. The found footage is captured on a few different cameras/ devices- so we get to see some things from different points of view and from different characters' perspectives- but these most stay fairly coherent & flowing in their storytelling. All in all, this is certainly one of the better-found footage films in the last few years, and using the classic monster as a theme is fairly original- with the whole thing been executed in a chilling and believable manner. The films the first feature-length directed by Victor Mathieu- who also wrote the script so I’ll certainly be looking out for new future work from him.
Extra wise for this film we get a few more things- first off there’s a commentary track from the director, producer & effects artist, and one of the co-writers- this is as expected chatty affair, with the trio talking about the film's origins, actor choice, shot set up, locations, etc. we get a forty-four minute making-of doc- which goes back to the films origins in 2013, and how the actors/ settings changed in this period, as well as worthy interview with crew key players, and interesting behind the scene footage.
We also get an eleven-part web series following the story of the demon-possessed women before she entered the film's world. So a good selection of extras for this film.
In the sea of Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity clones, both of these films offer fairly distinct and original take on the found footage genre- and both have good/ classy production to them, which again you can’t say for a large chunk of the genre. So whether you have just a passing interest in found footage, or are a hardcore fan of found footage- I’d say pick-up this double-billed release- as it highlights two of the better films in the genre.