Reel Nightmare
Written and Directed by Armand Petri and John De Fazio
Cast: Madeleine Heil and Garreth Morovsky
2017
Reviewed by A. Renee Hunt
Reel Nightmare is set in a New England town, where an old Victorian home is meant to be the location for an independent film. High school and college friends come together for their mate, for a three-day movie shoot, and memory sharing. Sadly, their production is never completed, due to unexpected guests and a series of mysterious events.
Found footage movies seem to be extremely popular. Ever since The Blair Witch Project, filmmakers have flocked to the affordable method of live-movie play, but it doesn’t always work. In Reel Nightmare, it’s not quite filmed through someone’s ipad or phone, but the premise is still there. The movie begins with all the usual, annoying prattle before getting to bits of paranormal mystery, and some pretty cool effects, by Paul B. Rubio. But the movie got lost. People were haunted and murdered long before the Necronomicon was ever read and witches released, leaving me to wonder if the book was really necessary.
The pace of Reel Nightmare wasn’t strong or interesting enough to enjoy. I grew tired of the interaction and the characters were so busy being petty, lives were lost and the much-needed build to the climax fizzled. Lastly, when the action truly began to mystify, there were fifteen minutes left. The flashback of the witch murders explained a bit, but there should have been more.
Reel Nightmare releases February 7, 2017.
