FOUND FOOTAGE 3D (2016)

Studio:       Shudder
Director:    Steven DeGennaro
Writer:       Steven DeGennaro
Producer:  Steven DeGennaro, Charles Mulford, Kim Henkel
Stars:     Carter Roy, Alena von Stroheim, Chris O’Brien, Tom Saporito, Scott Allen Perry, Jessica Perrin, Scott Weinberg

Review Score:

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Summary:

The cast and crew of the first 3D “found footage” film encounters unexpected horror while shooting in a haunted cabin.

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Synopsis:     Show/Hide Spoilers

As writer, producer, and star of the horror movie “Spectre of Death,” Derek James surprises director Andrew Reed, sound operator Carl, and new P.A. Lily by announcing that theirs will be the first “found footage” film to shoot in 3D. Derek’s brother Mark is also given a 3D camera to use for shooting the behind-the-scenes “Making Of” documentary.

Although recently separated following a contentious marriage, Derek casts his wife Amy Mitchell, who also co-wrote some of the script, as the film’s co-lead.

On the way to their location, the crew stops to recruit two locals for an impromptu scene. When the locals learn the crew is shooting at Rufus Mitchell’s old farm, they warn that the location is rumored to be haunted.

The crew arrives at the dilapidated cabin in Gonzales, Texas where they will be filming as well as staying during the shoot. On the first night, Derek spooks everyone by playing a recording of strange noises outside in the dark.

Shoot Day 1 – “Spectre of Death” is about a troubled husband and wife struggling to reconnect during a woodland getaway. However, the place where they are staying is reportedly haunted after a man murdered his wife and dumped her body in the lake behind the cabin. Carl is distressed to learn that Derek and Amy based their script on a true story and everyone is actually filming in a supposedly haunted cabin.

Tension builds on set between Derek and Amy over rewrites. Mark sees a strange shadow in the background while reviewing footage on his editing computer.

Day 5 – The crew films Amy’s first encounter with the specter in the woods.

Day 7 – Derek forces Andrew to rig a 3D surveillance camera using two GoPros, even though it makes no narrative sense.

Day 8 – Amy grows increasingly upset over the way Derek flirts with Lily. While Amy insults the young P.A. later, a shovel rigged to fall as part of a scene unexpectedly hits Lily in the head. Due to the seriousness of her bloody wound, Andrew wants to take Lily to the hospital, but Derek insists they continue with the shoot.

While speaking to Mark privately, Amy sees the behind-the-scenes footage in which Mark says he has no desire to get back together with Amy. Amy is upset to hear Mark explain that he only cast her in the movie to avoid potential legal complications. Distracted by Amy, Mark misses another shadow on the footage.

Day 9 – Tension boils over again on set. Amy screams at the top of her lungs. Suddenly, every kitchen cupboard inexplicably opens and all of the dishes crash to the floor.

Later that night, everyone is alarmed when they hear Amy screaming outside and discover Derek missing. However, it turns out that Derek and Amy are engaged in angry hate sex.

Day 10 – Amy has a black eye that Derek works into the movie. To help the crew relax, Derek takes everyone to Boomer’s Sports Bar in town. Amy dashes her drink on Derek when she again spies him flirting with Lily at a pool table.

The crew comes home to find their cabin completely trashed, yet Derek’s belongings are strangely untouched. Suspecting Derek is somehow behind the vandalism, Carl angrily exits the production.

Day 11 – Derek and Andrew clash over how to shoot a running sequence.

Day 12 – Amy wakes bleeding from slash marks on her forearm. While Amy is driven to the hospital, Derek infers to the others that he suspects Amy purposely cut herself for the attention.

Later, Amy and Mark find video on the computer that shows everyone sleeping the night before. Amy’s arm is suddenly slashed by invisible claws. The dark shadow then manifests inside the editing room with Mark and Amy, but only Amy can see it because she is looking through the 3D camera. Derek and Lily respond to the commotion, but the apparition vanishes.

Derek and Mark have an argument over Amy that turns physical. Mark wants to leave the location, but Amy insists on staying because she wants to complete the movie for her career.

Day 13 – Film critic Scott Weinberg arrives for a set visit. While filming the finale, Amy becomes possessed and unexpectedly murders Derek. The entire cabin begins shaking. A door flies off its hinges, crushing Scott Weinberg. The specter manifests with a spiked black hand that impales Andrew.

Mark regroups with Lily outside where they stumble on Carl’s dead body. The specter appears behind Lily and swallows her.

Mark sees the specter attack Amy before the two of them reconnect through the cameras and microphones to arrange a meet back at the van. While driving away, Amy becomes possessed, causing Mark to crash the van.

Amy openly admits that she wanted Derek dead. She thanks Mark for coming back for her, but apologizes for him forgetting that the final rule of “found footage” is everyone dies at the end. Amy morphs into a demon and attacks Mark.

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Review:

How can a horror film hope to make a splash without drowning in the “found footage” flood already eroding the market?  By being the first “found footage” film to shoot in 3D, that’s how.

Making even less sense is shooting an accompanying “Making Of” documentary in 3D too, but the “Spectre of Death” crew knows better than to challenge producer/co-writer/co-star Derek when a batty idea bulb goes off above his head.  The film’s director Andrew, sound guy Carl, and behind-the-scenes brother Mark simply surrender with shrugged shoulders as Derek explains it is a simple rewrite for his character to go from amateur documentarian to “3D enthusiast.”  Voila.  Narrative logic problem solved.

Derek has bigger things to worry about anyway.  That bigger thing is his estranged wife Amy.  Amy hasn’t been in the personal picture since their marriage took a turn, but because she co-wrote the script, Derek fears legal worries if he doesn’t make good on his promise to double up Amy as his leading lady.

With perky P.A. Lily completing their crew, everyone is off to Gonzales, Texas where “Spectre of Death” has procured a remote cabin for their phoney first-person film of a woodland weekend and a malevolent presence.  What Derek neglected to mention is that this cabin is rumored to be cursed by an actual true crime story.  And when a shadowy specter begins plaguing their set for real, cast and crew find themselves at the forefront of a different “found footage” film altogether.

From the description above, “Found Footage 3D” might sound like it has the potential to be cartoonishly off kilter in balancing its kook with its kills.  It does have that potential, but immense credit goes to the film’s complete cast and director Steven DeGennaro for keeping comedy tuned with subtlety so it doesn’t detract from the drama.

Each shell is a loose archetype, e.g. attractive young ingénue, somewhat slovenly sound guy, or nervously nebbish introvert, yet the actors and actresses fit into their roles with precisely the right pinch of personality.  Carter Roy stands out as particularly fantastic with the way he keeps jackass Derek more endearingly entertaining than callously caustic.  It’s impressive to see how everyone resists temptations to hit obvious one-notes, instead creating genuine characters that could easily have been simple stereotypes.

The surrounding story they are plugged into could use a swig of that spirit.  Where “Found Footage 3D” runs into roadblocks, particularly with that last number and letter, is that it isn’t terribly exciting.

“Found Footage 3D” focuses firmly on deepening each relationship conflict between its core characters.  That’s absolutely essential for developing drama, which DeGennaro does well, except such setups don’t service three-dimensional scenes.  There are extended sequences of seated conversations, interview interludes, and other interactions without the last half of that word, and it doesn’t take too many of them to turn the tempo to an ambling rhythm when it needs to start running.

Midway into the movie, I forgot I was watching in 3D.  Not because it became a naturally seamless part of the presentation, but because there ceased to be anything of import occurring within that third layer.  Outside of obligatory first act goofs like water spray, items, and hands making accordion moves toward the lens, “Found Footage 3D” neglects that last part of its title as the movie rolls forward, which wouldn’t be too big of a deal if it wasn’t the whole hook.

Also, I can only speculate as to the cause since I don’t know the technical intricacies behind digitally shooting 3D.  Yet whether the projector bulb was too dim or the 3D required additional on set light the production didn’t have, much of the movie is really, really dark.  That’s expected to a degree for scenes set in nighttime woods, yet even daytime vehicle interiors have issues with being unable to see something as simple as a face.

(EDIT: The film’s social media account tweeted thanks to the theater’s tech team for a “flawless” screening, adding that “the movie has never looked or sounded better!”  So apparently, cinematography holds this particular bag.)

As promised by the premise, a meta aspect exists where the movie criticizes the current state of “found footage” and its associated clichés.  A big chunk of that lamentation isn’t incorporated into either plot, however.  A lot of it is simply “did you ever notice?” dialogue reflecting the same sentiments shared by everyone fatigued on the first-person format.  Satire isn’t simply identifying tropes through a character’s open rant.  “Found Footage 3D” makes moves to turn certain ideas on their ear, though it misses opportunities to be as clever as it can.

“Found Footage 3D” is among the better “found footage” films, although it is not among the best.  Charming characters carry momentum for miles and a shockingly graphic climax reinvigorates energy for the film’s final breaths.  The route taken to get there just isn’t quite creepy enough and could use some more bite behind its bark.

Review Score:  65

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