Before anything: I've written this review once already, but seriously think the powers that be have "conspired" (Bazinga!) against me and somehow froze my computer as it was getting posted the first time..
Hello ladies and gentlemen, Muldoon here chiming in from Fantastic Fest down in Austin, Texas. I was fortunate enough to catch a pretty badass movie last night and while I saw Nordling's thoughts and can absolutely see where he's coming from, I flat out enjoyed every bit of it. Seriously, the film taps into some rather off limits stuff, so if the terms "Illuminati," "Bohemian Grove," or "New World Order” seem to peak your interest – then BAM! Get your ass to see this movie.
Seriously, the film’s great. Director Christopher MacBride has built quite the rollercoaster of a found footage flick. And while that last sentence feels a little dirty to type since “found footage” seems to get a bad rep, this flick is one of the few that really, truly feels right. I can’t imagine this film being anywhere near as effective had it been shot more traditionally. If by chance you’ve seen the Alex Jones Bohemian Grove hidden camera video where a real dude snuck into the Bohemian Grove shindig, then the whole idea of found footage/shaky cam kind of works in this flick when it’s used, which really isn’t all that much (just towards the end). Honestly, if you’ve seen Mitchell and Webb’s PEEP SHOW, you’ll be more than prepared for this one (and if not, fear not – it’s not as abstract as you might believe).
The film focuses on two documentary filmmakers played by James Gilbert and Aaron Poole who are shooting a rough doc highlighting a local nutcase, “Terrence R” who spends his days shouting out wacky theories at folks or clipping articles from newspapers and pinning them to his wall. When Terrence goes missing, the two filmmakers start to think there might be some validity to some of the more bizarre claims of Terrence. One starts to back off while the other can’t help but dig deeper.
I’m not giving much else away in terms of scene per scene or play by play, so look to a different review for that. All I can tell you is, much like a roller coaster, this flick is worth the wait in line/price of admission and it’s more fun when you don’t know how many “loops” are ahead of you when you first strap in. Would I pay to see this film in theaters? Yes. Would I bring a lovely date with me, knowing she’d hop out of her chair time after time? Yes. Is this something new that might help elevate the “found footage/shaky cam” genre? Yep.
This movie is thoroughly enjoyable and if you’re at all interested in those things I listed above, then this is your movie. Seriously, give it a go – you won’t be disappointed. It’s awesome!
- Mike McCutchen
"Muldoon"
Mike@aintitcool.com
