Phoenix Forgotten (2017)

20 years after three teenagers disappeared in the wake of mysterious lights appearing above Phoenix, Arizona, unseen footage from that night has been discovered, chronicling the final hours of their fateful expedition.

Director:

Justin Barber

Writers:

T.S. Nowlin, Justin Barber

Stars:

Florence Hartigan, Luke Spencer Roberts, Chelsea Lopez

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Florence Hartigan	...	Sophie
Luke Spencer Roberts	...	Josh Bishop
Chelsea Lopez	...	Ashley Foster
Justin Matthews	...	Mark Abrams
Clint Jordan	...	Steve
Cyd Strittmatter	...	Caroline
Jeanine Jackson	...	Melissa
Matt Biedel	...	Dan
Ana Dela Cruz	...	Luisa
Mackenzie Firgens	...	Newscaster
Jay Pirouznia	...	Private Investigator
Marc Marron	...	Phoenix Astronomical Society
Don Boyd	...	Phoenix Astronomical Society
Tony Duncan	...	Apache Storyteller
Richard Cansino	...	Captain Groves

Storyline

Phoenix Forgotten tells the story of three teens who went into the desert shortly after the incident, hoping to document the strange events occurring in their town. They disappeared that night, and were never seen again. Now, on the twentieth anniversary of their disappearance, unseen footage has finally been discovered, chronicling the final hours of their fateful expedition. For the first time ever, the truth will be revealed.

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Plot Keywords:

found footage | talking to the camera | looking at the camera | mockumentary | video camera | 

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Taglines:

Based on Shocking Untold True Events

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for terror, peril and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Cinelou Films Main Website Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 April 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Esquecidos de Phoenix

Filming Locations:

Sherman Oaks Galleria - 15301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,816,499, 21 April 2017, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$3,599,570, 9 June 2017

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinelou Films,Scott Free Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Even though the UFO sighting this film is based on is most famously known as the "Phoenix Lights" there were also sightings of the same lights in parts of Nevada, other parts of Arizona, and even some parts of Northern Mexico on March 13, 1997.

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Goofs

When Josh first "interviews" Ashley in a parking lot, a 2002 Nissan Altima is visible in the bottom right corner, despite the scene taking place in 1997.

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Connections

References Romeo + Juliet (1996)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday
(uncredited)
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill

User Reviews

The Blair Witch Copycat Project

In the literary world, plagiarism can end a career - in the movie industry, it's just another way to fleece the public. The makers of 'Phoenix Forgotten' show off their cynicism and creative bankruptcy by churning out an anemic Sci-Fi version of 'The Blair Witch Project' without offering a single moment of originality.

In this lifeless re-tread, three teenagers disappear when they go hunting for UFOs after some lights are seen in the Arizona skies. Twenty years later, a documentary film-maker discovers a video tape which suggests what happened to them. The Blair Witch copycatting is shameless - a trio of high-schoolers are substituted for three college students - invisible ETs in the Southwest desert stand in for an unseen poltergeist in rural Maryland - spooky aliens moan in the darkness instead of a malevolent backwoods spook. Apart from these minor variations, the two films' plots and climaxes are uncannily similar as both threesomes get lost, bicker and panic in identical fashion. The second-rate script, third-rate acting, fourth-rate direction and fifth-rate shaky camera fakery of 'Phoenix Forgotten' are all inferior imitations of the original. The movie runs for 80 minutes, but feels a lot longer - and should be avoided at all costs.