Death
Of April (2012/ITN/MVD Visual DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: B- Extras: D Film: D
No
doubt taking a page from Paranormal Activity, Death of
April follows a girl who moves into a new home and documents it
with a webcam, only to discover that there is a ghostly apparition
living in the house with her. Some of the gags work, including one
where she is on her bed combing her hair and her shadow comes to life
behind her, but ultimately it feels a bit false.
Meagan
Mullen, freshly moved in her new home, keeps in touch with her
friends and family through a video blog. As her entries (and her
life) become more complex and emotional, strange things begin to
happen in her room: and the camera captures all of it. Told
primarily from the point of view of an ordinary wireless webcam, The
Death of April documents the unsettling activity in an otherwise
average girl's bedroom - and the mysteries that surround it.
If
this was all found footage, then who took the time to edit it and put
title cards in? One of things that made Paranormal Activity
eerie was the absence of these times and streaming timecode. Some of
the interviews feel like they are making up back story off the top of
their heads as they accompany footage of April before her inevitable
death.
Presented
in standard definition with a mixed, lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
track, the film looks and almost sounds fine for the format. Some of
the footage appears pixilated however, especially in a sequence
involving a Ouija board.
No
extras, or even chapter selections for that matter. Only a Trailer.
All
in all, this film is an easy feature. Some faked interviews with bad
actors and webcam footage edited together to highlight plot points...
you're safe to skip this one.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.facebook.com/jhl5films
