I remember watching this movie as a kid (don't ask) and have had it stuck in my head ever since. Rewatching it made me pick up on a lot of things that probably flew over my head back then - namely, the dry, often absurdist humor and the messing around with genre expectations.
The story begins as your TCM-adjacent backwoods horror story before tapping into torture-porn territory, only to end up a creature-feature flick.
All that in a tight runtime…
What should have been another typical Shiraishi-style mockumentary ended up a complete bore. There is little of Shiraishi's usual creativity and playfulness to be found here. Instead, we get just two stories with very long build-ups and little payoff. I'd wager this served as little more than a paycheck for Shiraishi and the rest of the cast and crew.
In 1953, the entire population of the desert town Wicksboro, Texas disappears into thin air. Now, 45 years later, the lone survivor invites a film crew to tell them what really went down that day.
A refreshing take on the then-new found footage genre. I can see how this film inspired one of my favorite films of this subgenre "Savageland". The actors are above average, especially Bobby Harwell as the odd survivor grows on the audience. Sadly, the film crew…
Four young people go missing in the Mojave Desert with only three memory cards remaining behind to tell their harrowing fate.
Deserts have always been one of my favorite settings for horror stories. Their remoteness, harsh environment, and wide-open spaces emphasize the horror elements so much more than any other location. Plus, they make for some great cinematography, which Banfitch takes full advantage of. Some of the shots are simply gorgeous, especially for a found footage film.
Our cast of…
