Hauntings and High Tech
In Memorium Finds Unique Viewpoint for Horror
The majority of independent films I see are low-budget features and shorts by aspiring directors. Certain low standards have to be expected when watching a film made on a shoestring budget. Yet, writer/director Amanda Gusack makes these constraints work for the story in the horror film In Memorium. By incorporating still cameras and a single location into the storyline, she gives the film a gritty realism that makes the audience feel like a voyeur of someone's nightmare.
Written by: Amanda Gusack
Starring: Erik McDowell, Johanna Watts, Levi Powell, Mary Portser
Rated
Running time: 73 min.
FilmGuru's Rating : 9 out of 10.
In Memorium begins with an introduction by Dennis (Erik McDowell), a budding young director who reveals he has terminal cancer. Knowing that all the recommended chemotherapy and operations would only marginally improve his chances to live another year, he has decided to live out his remaining time on camera so that his story can be told after his death. To accomplish this task, Dennis and his girlfriend, Lily (Johanna Watts), have rented a house and wired it with motion-sensitive cameras and sound equipment.
One morning, Dennis notices something unexpected on one of the previous night's recordings. A woman appears to be sitting in a rocking chair in their back room. Unfortunately, the recorded appearance of this phantom woman is only the beginning of their discoveries. Soon, Dennis and Lily discover that something (or someone) does not want him to leave the house alive.
To my delight and surprise, the story works. While the film has its intense moments (and one or two bloody incidents in the bathroom), it is not a typical horror film gorefest. It's a straight-forward ghost story, and it's damn scary.
Although Gusack is a fan of film, budget constraints forced her to shoot the film on mini-DV. "I honestly had no idea how far video had come," she said. "I figured we'd shoot this and it would look like video. When we did the camera tests with the DVX-100, I was simultaneously blown away and mortified. We actually decided to degrade the footage in post before we even started shooting."
The viewpoint through the various mounted cameras is almost claustrophobic. Those cameras are the audience's eyes as they watch the film. The result is an unnatural rigidity in the point of view. The camera doesn't move when, for instance, something creepy is happening just out of the shot.
Sound, likewise, is crucial to the film. The story explains that Dennis has wired the house for sound, but -- unlike the motion-sensitive cameras -- cannot turn it off or on. All sounds are recorded and synchronized with the video by computer. The result is a soundtrack that utilizes incidental noise the way most movies use music. There are also moments in the film where a blank screen is used to highlight dialogue and noises captured off screen.
While the photography and sound are limited by the storyline, the actors are not. With some serious talent, it's difficult to believe this is an independent production. McDowell and Watts are excellent in their roles. Levi Powell (who plays Dennis's brother Frank) begins dangerously close to the surfer dude stereotype, but finds something deeper in his character in later scenes.
While the film is certainly going to draw comparisons to The Blair Witch Project, Gusack did her best not to copy it. The documentary-style encounter with the paranormal is similar, but the characters react more realistically to the unusual things they encounter. Unlike Blair Witch, the plot doesn't resort to in-fighting or insanity to bring tension to the film. One angry spirit is enough to make In Memorium a memorable story.
In Memorium is currently making its way through the festival circuit. Gusack also has her sights set on a theatrical release.
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