Macabre Monday: Dark Mountain

I think most of us here can say that we've seen The Blair Witch Project and ultimately--at least back then--it was freaky and scary and something in a new vein altogether.

Dark Mountain (2013), another found footage film, will have you saying something along the lines of, "Hey isn't this a lot like--" Yep. Do not even say it because it's already been said for you, in fact, in the movie itself.

BUT, I do have to say that most found footage films bring me back, in a sense, to The Blair Witch Project. So even though there are immense similarities between the two films that have been pointed out, I'll try to steer away from the witchiness aspect in this review.

You know what the TBWP is about--what's this ominously titled Dark Mountain about, huh?
Well, first of all, let me just start by saying that the title caught my eye because it reminded me of a place near where I used to live called Black Mountain. So that's something.

Now that I have that off my chest, the scenery in the movie is completely different from where I used to live. Yes, there are mountains. But in the movie, the mountains are desert mountains. Why? Because the characters--a filmmaker and her two guy friends--are in the Superstition Mountains located in Arizona. WHY? (I sound like a little kid.) Because they're looking for the notorious Lost Dutchman mine.




Apparently the Lost Dutchman mine has some misfortunes that surround it. From hardcore legends, to strange phenomena, to missing people, and even deaths...this sounds like nothing to mess around with!

What I really appreciate in horror films is when they add an aspect of realness to the plot. Especially something historical. Apparently the Lost Dutchman mine is alive and well--or once was, who knows?

After interviewing a few locals--and I mean real locals--the gang begins their trek to find the lost mine and all its gold.

One thing that really annoyed me right off the bat was that these shoddy camera phone scenes were used which looked like they were using some Instagram filter named something like "1970's Camaro Douche"--I MEAN REALLY.

Let's just take a gander...

Gross, just gross. Get it away!

Aside from the...whatever is above...and the long, pondering silences...and the nods to TBWP, I did enjoy the film, I have to say.

I'm one that usually likes ambiguous endings. Where the viewer has to decide--was it this that happened, was it that, were they all just crazy, am I crazy?

This is one of those films. The way I see it, that means a lot of other people aren't going to like the ending because most people want a straight up-and-down answer.

Endings don't always sit well with me, though. Movies are hard to end. Anything is hard to end. That's why I try to judge the rest of the film even more.

Which is why I'm now asking myself: Did the movie freak me out a bit?
Yes. And that's why I'm recommending it.