Indie Gems: Home Movie

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...Did you try whooping their ass?
 
Another 'Found Footage' flick I picked up from Alex of And So It Begin's list last May.
 
David and Clare Poe (Adrian Pasdar and Cady McClain) live in a house out in the country with their 10 year old twins, Jack and Emily. (Austin Williams and Amber Joy Williams) At first, the Poes' come off as over-bearing parents that have their video camera on way too much, and the kids seem genuinely embarrassed and un-interested in their dad's "capture every moment!" mantra. Then thing get a little weird, from acting out at school, to torturing animals, there's clearly something wrong with Jack and Emily. Davis a pastor, he thinks they're possessed. Clare is a psychologist, she thinks they're sick.
 
Home Movie is really creepy, and at times, a little unbelievable. (Especially the situation with the police, which I won't spoil.) But one thing I actually really appreciated was that this didn't feel like a paranormal or possession movie. These kids were straight up sociopaths, and it's almost kind of refreshing to see a horror film centered around that without some underlying demon forcing them to do things. Working with at-risk kids myself, the parent's somewhat reluctance to believe their kids were capable of this, and not seeking help earlier was pretty spot on, I only wonder when they started noticing.
 
The final scene in Home Movie really makes the film worth while in my opinion. While it has it's moments of being repetitive, it's a quick watch. I'm going to go hug my kid now..
 
Grade: B-
 
Memorable Quote: "You did know you were hurting him, right?" - David (Adrian Pasdar)

Comments

  1. m.brownSeptember 28, 2013 at 8:17 AM

    Okay...I know nothing about this other than your post... and now I must see it.

    Side note: One of my students (a real smart one) has decided to try to write a horror movie, but every idea she had was so generic, I encouraged her to examine her favorites a little closer. She comes back with this huge chart of played out vs. not played out. Demons? Totally played out.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 30, 2013 at 9:03 AM

      Definitely played out at this point. Exorcism movies used to scare me the most, but now they're just generic. I wish your student well with her horror movie! I hope she can think of something good.

      Delete
  2. TheVernSeptember 28, 2013 at 11:08 AM

    I will be seeking this out based on your review. I like that it's a found footage horror movie without the need to have demons. Creepy kids will always win over those pesky poltergeists in terms of freaking me out. Nice post

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 30, 2013 at 9:04 AM

      Thank you! Yes, there's none of that nonsense here.

      Delete
  3. momof3feistykidsSeptember 29, 2013 at 2:06 AM

    I agree with the other commenters ... I can definitely pass on demons. And sociopaths are scarier than anything supernatural. I'm not particularly a fan of found footage movies, but this one sounds worth a look. Great review! BTW, I am glad to see Prisoners was an A+ movie for you -- I'm probably going to hit that one soon.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamSeptember 30, 2013 at 9:05 AM

      It definitely is. I'm not a huge fan of found footage either, but this is one of the best I've seen. I hope you see Prisoners soon! I loved that movie so much, I bet you will too.

      Delete
  4. Alex WithrowOctober 1, 2013 at 4:43 PM

    Glad to see that the list continues to give you movie ideas! This one was pretty damn creepy. And yeah... that ending? Jesus. Little monsters.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamOctober 1, 2013 at 9:23 PM

      Your blog in general always gives me movie ideas. That's why I love it so much.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousOctober 2, 2013 at 11:37 AM

    Great post, just wanted to say you're blog is excellent. You should check out mine if you get time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dan O.October 2, 2013 at 3:54 PM

    Nice review Brittani. I watched this one awhile back, and I have to say, it still sticks in my mind every once and awhile.Fun fact, one of the captives in Argo actually directed this movie. Can't think of his name off the top of my head, but he was the one who was married to Clea Duvall's character. Take with that what you will.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamOctober 3, 2013 at 7:49 AM

      That's funny you mention that, for some reason I was looking at that guy's filmography and I saw he directed this. He seems to have a good eye for horror/creepy things.

      Delete

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