Comments on: [REC]

By: KFear

KFear — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 07:00:01 +0000

I also want to add a comment or two about the ending of this film. It’s amazing how terror was given its home, so to speak, or its source. This film really does enter into new territory within the whole zombie genre by giving the outbreak a center, or where the outbreak all began. Sure, sometimes hints as too what started the zombie outbreak have been in some films (28 days later) but rarely has the source of the outbreak had such a humane and incredibly terrifying center. What REC lacked in characterization and development (leading to a lack of personal enjoyment) it made up for in it’s climatic brilliance. The film is a must see for all zombie fans.

By: KFear

KFear — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:01:31 +0000

Yes. They just want you to believe that it’s footage. If you had to capture a one hour snap shot of my life, on film, as CRAZY as it may be, you wouldn’t really have a chance to actually KNOW who I am, given the one hour time frame. Such as it is.
I suppose that the art is having the viewer believe that it is actual footage. I wouldn’t think that it’s always easy, and when concerning films such as Cloverfield, sometimes maintaining such a raw feel to the film can be quite difficult.

By: Dylan

Dylan — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:44:42 +0000

I agree with you guys completely. These movies are essentially “footage”, not films or stories, and while they may provide some thrills, they never offer the same enriching experience that a regular film can. Cloverfield attempted to insert a romantic subplot in and perhaps elevate above mere “footage” status – it ended up compromising the authenticity of the film for me as those type of events strictly only happen in the “movies”. It’s a real Catch-22. The one exception for me would be [Rec]; I thought it was an exceptional film, both frightening and engaging, even if it suffered from the same problem to a degree.

By: Shaun Anderson

Shaun Anderson — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:43:49 +0000

Good point about these type of films being devoid of a strong narrative. The problem is as soon as you start developing a complex narrative trajectory the techniques of cinema become crucial to achieving the realisation of the premise. These films cannot concede to all the formal techniques by the very nature of their pseudo documentary form, and as a result the narrative has to be thin and basic.

By: KFear

KFear — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:30:06 +0000

I usually welcome this type of film making. I’ve said this about J-Horror “ghost children films” too, and before long a grew sick of the tired old themes. Go figure.
I really did enjoy PA and REC was no different. At the same time, I always feel that something is missing from these films, but that’s not so say that this genre is doomed to never develop a solid story line either. But that’s exactly what is missing. Sure, sometimes you do start to feel a bond with the characters, but sometimes a well thought out story line can be just as creepy as a shaky camera and one jump scare after another.