[Rec]



 



Director(s) - Jaume Balaguero ([Rec] 2, Sleep Tight) and Paco Plaza ([Rec] 3: Genesis, Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt)
Starring - Manuela Velasco (School Killer, Fish People), Ferran Terraza (The Nameless, Countdown), and Jorge-Yamam Serrano (Orson West, Train Station)
Release Date - 2007
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Experience fear"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):



      Horror always has a few movies a year that are released that cause a stir among horror fans.  Back in the late 2000s the found footage film [Rec] was released in Spain and would go on to become a worldwide hit that spawned three sequels and an American remake.  I never had a desire to see these films until the third and fourth film was released and looked up my alley.  Honestly, I'm not a fan of found footage films but I always go into them open minded and on occasion I've been surprised.  The four films was released in an amazing box set from Scream Factory sometime back.  I wanted to check them out and Scream was kind enough to send a review copy my way.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows a news crew filming a late night show with the local fire department when they get a call that something has happened to an elderly woman living in an apartment complex.  However, once they get inside they find themselves barricaded in and under quarantine.  Unable to leave, they explore the building and learn that there is people infected with what could be a virus similar to rabies turning normal law abiding citizens into killing machines with the news crew filming every second of the madness unfolding inside. 
       I tossed this one in and it was clear after 20 minutes that I was not going to enjoy this.  The movie itself was extremely predictable and just as boring.  After speaking with several of my horror friends I discovered that I was in the minority.  I decided to give it another chance and on the second viewing I learned that I actually disliked it less the second time around.  The acting in this one is solid.  The cast had to portray clichéd characters but they did a great job at finding the right emotion during the scene to make it believable.  The cast does a very solid job which makes the film a little more watchable.  The story for this one is slow and very predictable.  Once they are locked in the building you know exactly how the movie is going to go.  I will go ahead and say I have not seen the American remake but I would assume it follows this same story.  I did like the end portion once they reached the attic.  This was cool and I loved the look of the woman in the attic but this was not enough to make the rest of the film fun.  Finally, the film is shot in true found footage style so the death we do get are usually out of frame or the footage is so shaky you can't enjoy it.  The film doesn't shy away from blood but don't expect to see gore.  Overall, [Rec] was not as fun as I was hoping.  The story is very predictable and the slow scenes makes it a struggle to sit through.  I can see why so many enjoy it but it's not a film for me.