storyteller
Superstar
I mention this movie once a year, because I'm a big fan. It got mixed reviews by the horror thread regulars, but I feel like it's an excellent example of ambiguity done right. So, horror thread newcomers, if you haven't seen it...let me introduce you to the closest thing Canada's got to The Thing.
Black Mountain Side (BMS) is about an archeological group that has discovered a likely pyramid buried in one of the coldest, most remote parts of Canada. The material they're finding dates thousands of years prior to the first known human structures. The crew loses contact with their supply team, their local work force flees the site, and now they're stuck with supplies and daylight running short while the people start to behave in increasingly bizarre ways.
It's paranoia done right. You get introduced to everyone, then watch as they break down further and further. Meanwhile, we get to wonder if this is an illness, a supernatural curse, or just the elements catching up to the crew. But everyone is either fighting not to lose his mind, or straight up snapping.
Weaknesses: Not a ton of characterization. The focus is on the mystery unfolding and not the characters. Some of the visuals are implied rather than shown, probably due to budget constraints. It also starts kinda slow, the first half-hour is introducing you to the premise and it's a slow-build to when things really devolve.
Strengths: The atmosphere is elite, with sound-design that enhances it. You feel the isolation. The ambiguity is the big selling point though. You can theorize multiple explanations for what unfolds, and sell the concept. There's real existential horror here, word to Lovecraft.
Hate it or love it, I think more horror heads should watch and discuss it. Because it was a nice homage to The Thing, without any biting necessary.
Black Mountain Side (BMS) is about an archeological group that has discovered a likely pyramid buried in one of the coldest, most remote parts of Canada. The material they're finding dates thousands of years prior to the first known human structures. The crew loses contact with their supply team, their local work force flees the site, and now they're stuck with supplies and daylight running short while the people start to behave in increasingly bizarre ways.
It's paranoia done right. You get introduced to everyone, then watch as they break down further and further. Meanwhile, we get to wonder if this is an illness, a supernatural curse, or just the elements catching up to the crew. But everyone is either fighting not to lose his mind, or straight up snapping.
Weaknesses: Not a ton of characterization. The focus is on the mystery unfolding and not the characters. Some of the visuals are implied rather than shown, probably due to budget constraints. It also starts kinda slow, the first half-hour is introducing you to the premise and it's a slow-build to when things really devolve.
Strengths: The atmosphere is elite, with sound-design that enhances it. You feel the isolation. The ambiguity is the big selling point though. You can theorize multiple explanations for what unfolds, and sell the concept. There's real existential horror here, word to Lovecraft.
Hate it or love it, I think more horror heads should watch and discuss it. Because it was a nice homage to The Thing, without any biting necessary.
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life now
. The Tubi vault is the one place I go with a 30 minute policy. If a movie does nothing to grab me in the first half-hour, I’m out (sometimes I go as fast as fifteen minutes if the acting is egregiously bad or the dialogue is particularly bad). In this mess of bad to mid crap, I picked out two movies that I rated watchable.