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Reviews
Noctem (2017)
An Excellently Filmed Horror Flick
I've watched a *LOT* of horror over the years - obviously, if I came across this. And I've seen *WAY* too many found footage films in the genre. So tired of them, I can't even describe it. However... this film really did do something new in using a cell phone camera. What that did...? In addition to tight, dark indoor sets, it allowed for a buildup of tension and scares which worked incredibly well.
I'm also a sucker for alternative religious (meaning not Satan, not possessions) and this really was a decent story. But the way it was filmed is how I have to give it the most props - the ending was... meh. Don't expect an amazing ending, but the ride until you get there? Well worth it. It takes a lot for me to be positive, much less highly positive, on a contemporary found footage horror flick - this one gets my rave recommendation. Well worth your time to check it out.
The Devil's Well (2018)
She's Back...!
I actually found this to be a decent watch. First, I'd like to address one of the issues someone else mentioned in their review - this reappearance by the well only happening once, not every 50 years or whatever...
It did happen before!!! Recall, the cop who got stabbed and shot one of the Satanists. He mentioned the spooky scared girl (did he say she was naked? Or was it wearing a white dress - I can't recall that.). But anyways, this happened what, 30 years ago? The exact same deal - Satanists and a girl. Clearly, the girl was similarly disappeared and reappeared, before disappearing yet again. So the point is that this does indeed happen in the past, and Karla is not the first one.
You know, for what it was it was decent enough. Bunch of Paranormal Investigators go and try to help out Bryan, whose wife disappeared a year before. He was accused of killing her, and even arrested for it! This investigation is done in order to clear his name once and for all. Then... She's back! The film goes nutso, as they get locked in and subsequently murdered by four Satanists, as Karla ultimately slits Bryan's neck and then they all disappear, off to Hell, apparently.
My one issue: The Satanists all used knives or machetes. I expected, as they made q big deal of one of the Investigators having a firearm/gun, that this would be something of a issue for our Satanists killers. Instead... The Satanist assigned to that dude has a shotgun or automatic rifle, blowing him away as he shoots helplessly and uselessly. Wow, what luck! The one Satanist assigned to him also had a firearm. They had no way of knowing about his gun, as a big deal was made about it being a concealed firearm. They ended up just using a scripting crutch, having the miraculous luck of the one armed Satanist having encountered our armed protagonist.
No real special effects were used. It was filmed decently enough. I felt it was worth a watch: The film just goes so gaga in the last 10-15 minutes, taking such a freakishly wild turn, that it captivates your attention and you can't turn away, wondering just what the holy hell is going on. As it turned out, with a proper sacrifice and a bizarrely possessed and missing/in Hell itself, it was a Portal to Hell, indeed!
There are a lot of low budget, Indy horror films out there. And the paranormal investigator shtick has been used and used some more. But I ended up liking this one, as the concluding few minutes came out of nowhere -you could have never guessed what was coming, even when Karla suddenly reappeared- and thus it ended up making the film a worthwhile time investment. Try it, stick around until the end, and you just might like it!