Monday, July 20, 2009

[rec]

It took so damn long for this film to hit the states that I saw the American re-make before the original, something I always try to avoid doing. The original is always better (so if you are thinking of seeing "Let me in" when it opens next year, please see "Let the right one in" first. I am not psychic but I would put money on the Swedish film being better.)

[Rec] is a faux documentary about a reporter and her cameraman who follow around a group of firefighters for the evening. A call comes from an apartment building in Barcelona about an ill woman, and the crew goes to investigate. Once inside the building they discover the situation is much worse than they imagined, and escape is impossible. The authorities have blockaded the building due to an unspecified viral threat (calling Dr. Mike.) The fit hits the shan when the neighbors start eating each other.

All of this is seen through the viewpoint of one camera, held by the unseen cameraman Pablo. The reporter named Angela is our guide and final girl. Watching this film is like taking a ride in a Haunted House attraction. Everything is dark, you don't know where you are, there are scary sounds around you, and something is just around that corner waiting to jump out and scare the shit out of you. I loved it of course!

Some people won't like this film because of the shaky camerawork. There are the same people that didn't like "Blair Witch" for the same reason. I say take some Dramamine and watch it! Do you get sick in the car too? (This outburst brought to you by my third cup of coffee.)

I wish I had seen this film with no idea of what was going to happen. It would have knocked the socks of me. Unfortunately, I saw the American re-make, "Quarantine," first. The re-make is actually pretty good. I own it. The original is better. I can't explain it, since the re-make is almost shot for shot. The scares in [Rec] are just...scarier.

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