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Ripshin
Reviews
Nightlight (2015)
Avoid this
I lasted about fifteen minutes. This THING is populated with incredibly obnoxious kids, the usual prerequisite for this type of film.
It's filled with idiotic, callous dialogue.
Basically screeching conversations.
For whom was this intended? Middle schoolers?
What is the deal with the flashlight run on the train tracks? WHO would do that?
WHY is there a camera in a flashlight?
In the short period of time that I watched this junk, the characters continue to do stupid things. Whoever "wrote" this is talentless. Or did they allow the "actors" to improvise?
The casting is TERRIBLE. These are not "real" people, but caricatures.
Whatever the case, skip this garbage. I watch hundreds of flicks from this genre. This is lame.
Ratter (2015)
SKIP
I don't mind a slow film, but this thing is TEDIOUS.
It is not "found footage," per se, but somewhat POV. Several shots are obviously NOT from any equipment, so it breaks the established format?
And what is with the constant freezing and jumping shots?? It's annoying as &$#@, and totally unnecessary. I thought that it was either my server or streamer, and I rebooted both. Nope. It's some kind of obnoxious creative choice. Very difficult to tolerate.
And how, exactly, is the stalker accessing all of her equipment, when she changes her passwords. And entering her upper level NYC/Brooklyn apartment? I know that locks can be picked, but...
The ambient sound is ridiculous. Granted, you don't want to hear honking horns throughout a film, but that is Brooklyn. It's NOT quiet.
Technically, it is adequate, but believability plummets as the LONG minutes drag by.
I do NOT care for pets being killed in a film. It's lame and cruel. Unnecessary.
As many have stated, there is no end to this film. I don't recognize the stalker. And portraying this as some lame message about being spied on, is ridiculous.
Do. Not. Watch.
Skew (2011)
I actually enjoyed this one
A "POV film," rather than "found footage."
For once, the characters are not obnoxious jerks. That earns it several "stars."
My main question is, "What happened to Eva?" People seen with distorted faces on The Camera DIE, they don't just disappear.
When they are brought in, to the police station, why doesn't Simon show them the footage he has, of the motorcyclist arriving as they leave the convenience store?
The Trivia section states that some footage was added, and some cut. I don't feel that the coyote scene contributes much...the deer/buck scene makes more sense, by introducing the busload of tourists..
Overall, the film intrigues me. I would recommend it, if you don't mind a VERY slow build-up.
The guy running in the field next to the car is a bit creepy.
Hollows Grove (2014)
Don't bother
I am not sure WHY a "fake" haunting hunters group would allow a documentary filmmaker to expose their lies. Isn't that odd? These shows count on people believing their BS.
I normally despise the jerk characters who populate these "found footage" flicks, and this is the requisite casting.
The manner in which the camera guy for the "show" (NOT the "documentary guy") is filming them, is quite illogical. He is always too close. It doesn't work that way, when filming. Very sloppy. The camera keeps pointing within INCHES of faces. Not how it works.
The "humor" is tiresome. Lame.
Blah, blah, blah. As I always say, "Just because you can make a 'found footage,' doesn't mean that you should."
I had fifteen minutes left, and I was laughing my #$$ off. I quit.
Don't bother.
Altar (2016)
Just NO
The first few scenes feel rather pointless. If a crazy guy knocks on your hotel room door, and says "Don't go on the hike," then you know what? DON'T GO ON THE HIKE. The bride arrives at the hotel in her wedding gown, so I assume that the ceremony was close by.
Granted, the whole "honeymoon" scenario isn't significant these days. Most people live together for a while, so a hike isn't improbable. But were they doing it with friends from the wedding? Plus, one of two said the hike was canceled anyway, and they were alone. In the snow. In the dark. In the woods. Then a bunch of slaughtered people. Who were they?
Switch to the group going camping. WHY is this film student kid filming the ride to the campsite? Mundane, improvised blabbering. I was a film student. I wouldn't have done that. This stuff is so common in the genre. Conveniently, the car dies. "This happens all the time." Then WHY take the #$%@ vehicle on a CAMPING trip?
(By the way, this technically isn't "found footage," but a "POV Film.")
The "ax guy" is cartoonish. It immediately starts feeling like some trashy slasher film. Once again, if somebody approaches you with an ax, and says not to camp, YOU DON'T CAMP! Tell him you're just getting your friends, and LEAVE.
Then they let some guy in an orange shirt, IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, convince them to camp "at his site." And then he and his wife camp with them. WHAT? This is stupid garbage.
The young brother/future film student? That performance is awkward. The character is borderline Asperger's in the script. (The actor has ADHD.) It just feels wrong. Manipulative. Just "no." Weird.
SO much of this is spontaneous dialogue - and it DOESN'T work. So banal. This is BAD. The "director" has done a bunch of "shorts." Code for inexperience.
I have watched a TON of these things. One of the worst of the genre.
Ultimately, the epitome of "stupid people doing stupid things." Just because you can make one of these, doesn't mean that you should.
Stopped at the hour point. It doesn't deserve my attention.
DO NOT watch this thing.
EDIT: I decided to watch this till the end. It makes ZERO sense. Yet ANOTHER "hot mess" in the genre. Incredibly inept. Insulting. How did they get funding for this? (It obviously didn't cost much, I guess.)
Shades (2013)
Stupid people doing stupid things...
OK, my main question is...once they got the glasses back, WHY would they go back to the SAME beach? (Venice) Then, after creepy/hippy guy (Chris) chases them from the beach, THEY COME BACK AGAIN!? (Well, they had left Chris's car there.)
Why did they not just leave the guy's car at his apartment, after reclaiming the glasses? There was Uber when this was made, or even take a taxi. They could have run, hidden somewhere, and waited for one of the two.
Did they not have a hotel room? (I guess not, as they seem to just be winging it?)
I have trouble believing that these guys would travel so far to pick up a stranger's car, for $200.
"Smart people don't agree to %$#& like this!" EXACTLY.
Then there's Michael - I call him "Toothy." He never closes his mouth, and you have to look at his teeth and gums for half the movie.
The minute Michael was abducted, any person with common sense would call the police. And show them what is recorded on the glasses. Period.
Ultimately, I find it confusing as to who is stealing from whom. It gets somewhat convoluted. There are some wonky plot choices.
Interesting film, though.
The Gracefield Incident (2017)
Obnoxious
My first question...why do characters in almost all of these found footage films, have to be jerks? They are acting about half of their ages. The car ride to the cabin is obnoxious beyond belief.
And what's with characters YELLING so much, even before the alien shows up? And especially AFTER the alien appears? Stop YELLING, you idiots. And they yell, and yell, and yell.
The lead actor (who is also the director) over-emotes throughout the film. He needs to take it down a notch. The performance is really awkward - someone else should have directed.
Maybe I missed a reference, but halfway through the film, surveillance cameras inside the cabin are suddenly introduced.
Why do the male characters squeal with joy, and jump up and down like tween girls, when an object from the sky almost hits the cabin. I would be scared $#@&%.
"I didn't want to scare the GIRLS!" I hear this more than once - it's cringey.
It made sense that they gave the lead an eyeball camera - explaining why everything keeps filming. (But where is it being recorded?) But the other characters filming? Nope.
"What do you mean you couldn't find them?" Isn't that self-explanatory?
Why, later in the film, are they showing "footage" from the HOOD of the car crash from the opening? That's footage from this movie, not from a camera on the hood. Lazy.
Toward the end, the lead and his wife, are running through the cornfield, with a light projected on them? Where is that coming from? They are alone. The found footage wall is broken. (Is this footage "found"?)
I watched this with friends, and we were laughing hysterically, by the end. What a hot mess.
The Museum Project (2016)
Very, very weak entry into the "found footage" genre
This is a short film, and a good portion of it consists of them wandering around the museum during the day. Those scenes go ON and ON. Tedious.
Ok, the name, "The Museum PROJECT"? Oh, come ON. They could do better than rip off "Blair Witch."
By the way, most museums have night-time guards.
OK, what's with the ending? The museum director, or whatever the $#@ he is - is he scaring them? The "ghostly" figure sure looks like a different person. Is he supposed to BE the "conductor guy" in another form?
When the remaining two have a chance to leave, why don't they? The female character behaves ridiculously. Like the camera guy says, they should go get help. Very ridiculous choice by the writers.
The ONLY creepy thing in this "short" are the shots of the "conductor." Other than that, this is a bust.
And why does she not talk to the camera most of the time? She is supposed to be creating a narration/reporter scenario. Instead they just film walking around, most of the time. She also cuts out of her narration after a take, with no room to edit. That's sloppy. If they're going to include an extended shot of a roach, they can include the pauses.
Why is the camera guy filming them driving to the museum at night, inside the car, and climbing over the fence? I know that this is "found footage" (although the museum director has the camera, so it's not really found footage), but some of the filming is quite illogical.
Meh, skip it.
Six Schizophrenic Brothers (2024)
Garbage
This is the worst common denominator.
This is garbage TV.
A serious problem treated like Reality TV.
It really disgusts me.
For our entertainment?
I only made it through the third episode. Let me REPEAT, this is garbage TV.
Sooooo, the weird religious parents sired 12 kids. Perhaps the last episode explains it, but I am not willing to be manipulated. What was THEIR mental health? I didn't wait to find out.
This is why streaming docs are such trash. This is manipulative. And a total waste of time. WHY do I have to find a way to create more "characters" to qualify this "review"?
SKIP THIS.
Brats (2024)
Horrible
What a self-absorbed $%#@-fest.
I lasted about twenty-five minutes.
Andrew McCarthy comes across as a narcissist.
WHO CARES about this?
I am 62 - this is my generation. But I have ZERO interest in this. No wonder Molly Ringwald kept her distance. This is a total misfire.
I now have to come up with three-hundred more characters. To give this horrendous documentary any credibility, whatsoever.
Andrew McCarthy...this is sad. Your attempt to validate your screen career?
I enjoyed the movies, but this isn't "Citizen Kane." Stop giving yourself so much credit.
WHY did you think it makes sense to WHINE about your life?
Amber Alert (2012)
More of the same
UGH
STOP SCREAMING.
The talent is very weak. Incredibly annoying. Community theater actors here. Excruciating.
I wonder how the parents of Amber, feel about the manipulation of this VERY serious situation. It's kind of disgusting. Creating a "POV film" out of this. Sad.
The talent is as lame as you'd expect. The usual jerk - WHY do they always pop up? Why do we need this character? SO unnecessary.
I love this type of film, but it rarely works. It's all derivative. Lame. Repetitive. People doing dumb things. Lots of improv babbling, which seems endless.
I lasted thirty minutes. More and more yelling conversation, and ridiculous stuff.
Skip.
The Mirror (2014)
"Matty, boy!"
ANOTHER found film with excessive giggling. I guess it's like going to an improve show.
Yet more static/distortion in this film, as with so many in the genre. Such a lame, lame crutch for this type of film.
Every one of these films unnecessarily includes a "Steve." They are always distracting, and unwanted by viewers. I get the accents confused. Is his "cockney"? It sounds very blue collar.
The plot, OF COURSE, gets to the point where logic is nonexistent. You're gonna stay in a place with a guy moving around at night, with a knife, and acting bonkers?
Also, not call an ambulance, when somebody cuts/stabs themself?
Don't report your friend missing?
Yadda. Yadda, yadda.
Skip it. (The poster gives away a plot point. D'OH!)
"The Mirror was never found." Try the nearest British equivalent to Kirkland's.
Unaware (2010)
Low end of the "found" spectrum
To begin with, the female lead has an incredibly annoying voice, too high pitched, somewhat "sorority," accompanied by continual giggles. Yuck. The dialogue is obviously improv. Just because you think it, doesn't mean you should say it. Also, they talk kinda baby-talk to each other.
FAR too many of these found footage flicks have the static/electricity glitches for no real reason, beyond lamely implying that it is "found."
OOOOOOOOO, a "scary" RANCH HOUSE!! They keep exclaiming that things look creepy. Saying it, doesn't make it. The continual sound of traffic from the nearby road, doesn't evoke much, in terms of horror.
I see that one of the "co"-directors (this is his only film) brags about working in reality TV - yikes.
I stopped watching around the forty minute mark, when he started chomping on an apple with his mouth open (after seeing him sitting on the toilet).
No thanks. I could not care less how this ends, Maybe they'll find some "creepy" Tupperware in the cabinet.
Skip.
LandLocked (2021)
No idea
What exactly did I just watch? I am assuming that many of the images are "symbolic"...of something?
It interested me at first, but the last third is pretty much incomprehensible.
Yeah, yeah - the director is the lead, and those are his real brothers. And the house is their family home (or was). Using the old video footage (real) is intriguing, as some sort of "magic" camera seeing the past? But then, it goes nowhere.
I don't mind a "slow burn," but this is tedious.
I realize that another complaint may seem ridiculous, but I got so annoyed with Mason, in scene after scene, letting his mouth just hang open. It's a dumb look. (Actually, my parents taught me never to do that, and I can see why.) Also, I wouldn't have filmed it till my acne cleared up.
Cameras. Bugs. Wild turkeys. Shafts. A very snotty ugly-cry. Some burning person-thing.
Okey. Doke. Again, I have NO real take-away from this.
Skip it.
Lake Artifact (2019)
Mish-mash Mess
This thing has an incredibly convoluted storyline - definitely all over the place.
First, a few of the actors give poor performances (well, honestly, one in particular). It really brings down the entire film. Fortunately, that character does disappear for an entire segment.
The alternate timelines stuff is quite muddled.
It is annoying that, once again, the black actor behaves in a manner quite common to horror flicks. I'll call it "The Nope Trope."
Apparently, "found footage" has been attached to this flick, when that is simply not the case. A few shots might apply, along with some "true crime talking heads," but otherwise it's standard sorta-horror.
Non-sensical conclusion. Huge cop-out.
A massive MEH.
Gojira -1.0 (2023)
I am puzzled
There is so much fawning over this film.
I find it tedious. Frankly, the most boring Godzilla flick that I've ever seen.
WHAT is so spectacular? Every "money shot" is seen in the %$#& trailer for the film. If you've viewed it, it's all there.
There are stretches where absolutely NOTHING happens.
I will assume, that the monster itself, is an homage to the old films. Because the CGI looks like "Man in Suit."
The performances? Not good, although the lead male is OK. The whole "coward" aspect becomes kinda "cringe-y." Reviewers are saying that the characters have so much "depth." NOPE.
Quite a few caricatures are present.
DON'T. GET. IT.
Howard's Mill (2021)
Ultimately? Meh
The indignation of some reviewers, because they were fooled into believing that this is a real documentary - hilarious. They may not be familiar with the "mockumentary" genre, I suppose, but that's part of the fun.
I knew nothing about this film, but it's fairly obvious what it actually is. I was fooled once (I won't mention the film, so I don't spoil it for others), until the final fifteen minutes, and I LOVED it. Kudos to the creators of that other film, for pulling it off.
The "real people interview" performers here, are well cast. That's the secret to (possible) success for this GENRE.
I remember when "Blair Witch Project" came out in '99. Even though it is early "found footage," and obviously fake, LOTS of viewers were fooled. People can be quite willfully gullible.
UNFORTUNATELY, the film ends as a total bust. It is very confusing. It keeps showing the "Howard house" in moments that don't correspond with the narrative. I lost track, of who was disappearing, and reappearing. I didn't understand the ending. I don't want to keep a scorecard.
Thus, three stars.
The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan (2018)
Don't bother
The opening scenes of this film are excruciating to watch. Why would I want to see the lead continually messing up her "takes"? Her performance is awkward. The same can be said about her "mother," overacting in a cringe-worthy manner.
What's with the interviewees staring into the camera for SEVERAL seconds each time? Very weird. There is NO point - it's just an awkward, ODD "artistic" decision.
22 minutes mark..."Wait, did you see something in the window?" NO, and I had to rewind three times. The viewers eyes would NEVER go to THAT particular window, but to the ones with a clear view. D'oh!
The dim-witted, cowardly police officer? Why? Their scenes together by the thirty-minute point are pablum, adding nothing. He's never heard of Lizzie Borden? WAIT! He's the writer and director of this film! I just saw that fact - it explains a LOT.
I know she's a "novice," in regards to filming, but a junior high school kid could do better. Almost nothing she shoots could ever be logically used.
Also, WHY would they go in the dark basement at the end?
If you want to watch a "pledge" make a "sorority" film, this might work for you.
The conclusion is ridiculous, mostly in darkness, and a complete misfire.
Skip this.
Chest (2022)
Middling
This is my second time typing this, which is annoying.
They should have cut the first scene, or moved it, because I almost tuned out, thinking I was going to be subjected to an entire flick with hillbilly cops. I wasn't about to listen to THAT for long. It could have been placed before the final interrogation scene. That cost it a few stars from my point of view.
The acting, for the most part, is fine - well, besides the opening scene.
Question...the "cult" guy in the pick-up, near the end, uses his cell phone - I guess he has driven far enough from the cave/mineshaft? I never saw the fictional crew ever try to use theirs, but I could have missed it.
"Jeff" just disappears from the proceedings - I probably would have handled that differently.
There is apparently a "meta" sequel called "Jeffery's Hell" - in which the actual director of THIS film goes missing during production. Hm, maybe I'll check that one out. It's only in film festival screenings at this point - you can find the trailer.
Overall, worth a watch.
Fantasy Island (2020)
Pointless take on a 70s TV classic
Although the original TV movie/pilot in the 70s had a dark side, by the second pilot, it had been softened. And of course, the series became quite innocuous. I didn't watch the one-season (98-99) "reboot," but enjoyed the recent Fox TV follow-up.
Did anyone really need a "horror" version from Blumhouse? And with several incredibly annoying characters?
The casting isn't the greatest.
The plot is ridiculous, and actually quite boring.
I give the flick one star for production value, even though the budget was only $7 million. (It made $49 million upon initial release, so it wasn't technically a bomb.) Plus, you can't rate zero stars.
Nominated for five "Razzies."
The conclusion is a convoluted hot mess.
Skip it.
Eyes in the Dark (2010)
Yet another in the long list
Very few manage to "get" the found footage genre to work as anything more than a copy-cat film - a carbon copy of everything that has come before.
This entry has the usual tropes. Nothing new to see here. Well, except for comical "red-eyed" creatures, who look like Halloween costumes.
The usual obnoxious twenty-somethings. Doing stupid things.
MANY unnecessary scenes. The whole "university/college professor" prelude is cutting room floor material.
I'll admit to being on a binge, regarding the genre, and most of it is just derivative.
It's obvious that a found footage flick requires people filming everything, even in the most illogical circumstances. But there are times when a scene just needs to be cut, due to distraction. Everyone watching surely yells, "WHY would they be filming THAT?!"
The Dark Tapes (2016)
Awful
I watch a LOT of the found footage genre, and this is definitely in the bottom five.
It's very low budget, with some extremely bad acting. It's obvious that the majority of the performers have no professional experience. Honestly, some truly high school theater $#@% going on here.
The "monster costumes" are just laughable. Rubber suits that resemble what you would see in one of those "haunted house walkthroughs" (which still seem to pop up regularly).
The "wrap around" episode is ludicrous, even more than the other three "chapters" interspersed throughout the overly-long running time.
This is certainly one to skip.
Graduation Day (2015)
Well, here goes...
I will try it once again. Apparently, my previous attempt was declined.
I am quite puzzled.
Regardless, this is a lame film, with bad acting, and a ridiculous ending.
Obviously, most of these people are not actually high school aged, but that is to be expected. Filming "rules" for teenagers, and such.
I find it interesting, that the lead actor does not have a credit in here. He's not even listed? (He is, in the film.)
The plot involves quite a bit of obnoxious behavior - more than can be imagined at any high school. Quite a bit of blatant bullying.
The last shot confuses everything. Did the lead kill himself, or not?
Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter (2024)
Increasingly problematic
I am finding this type of "documentary" to be questionable.
They are becoming quite prevalent on the streamers, and I am wondering how the stories are being vetted.
I am not questioning the experiences of individuals, but there appears to be an uncomfortable level of manipulation happening.
The style is becoming repetitive. Is this for "sensation" and ratings? Is it completely responsible "journalism," if that's the correct term?
It's just becoming more uncomfortable to watch these "series."
I have worked on a few "true crime" things, and I began to question the producers. I will not work on any more.
Spacey Unmasked (2024)
Wow, mine was removed
There are several reviews, which say the exact same thing that I did.
WHY was mine deleted. It's bizarre.
I feel that this is a manipulated hot mess. It is performance art.
What am I allowed to say. Did ONE person "flag" me, and suddenly my review vanishes?
I watched this with a friend, and we both had the same reaction.
The "techniques" used for this "series" are questionable. Those interviewed appear coaxed to say certain things.
Am I not allowed to question certain aspects of this "series"?
I expresssed my OWN experiences and reactions in a similar situation. Apparently, they are not valid.