7 Nights of Darkness

I wrote this review for my imdb account, but thought I'd share it on the blog with accompanying photographs.
 imdb rating was 5/10

You know the drill: several adults decide to stay in a supposedly haunted asylum for seven nights with major prize money at stake for those who remain inside the building and perform tasks left in envelopes. The first night there's excitement and the anticipation of gaining a big payday and having a little fun with each other in the process. 

One among the group is a firm believer in the paranormal, even hoping for spirits, beckoning them to show up. She is alone as the others just want to follow the tasks as written without extra fanfare, hoping to get through the week relatively unscathed and safe from any possible boogeymen. But this is a found footage film that tells us right at the start that no one makes it out to win the money, so we know where this story will lead to and how it will end.

Derivative of the likes of The Blair Witch Project and the onryo Ju-on/Ringu movies, 7 Seven Nights of Darkness knows what audience it wants to please and tries hard. I reward bonus points to the effort and there were some genuine jolts I must admit. What I appreciate from a no-budget film like this is that we anticipate what will eventually happen next, and yet when it comes the heart still skips after beating a bit speedily, with a nice gasp before moving to the following build up suspense sequence. The acting is not the film's strong suit. The cast tries to emote, attempting to show unbridled, crap-in-the-pants fear, with curse words sputtering out, documented interviews explaining their worsening emotional states as the week strains by, the ghosts appearing and causing mischief more and more each night. I have to say, though, that I was often laughing my ass off, especially early when the ghostly hi-jinks shook the cynical, smug team members out of their comfort and joy, rattling that emotional cage. I was also laughing at the cast's overreactions to the events as they transpire. Sometimes the acting is a bit overwrought, and overboard. I get it. They are trying to convey the situation as it unfolds as any of us might react when ghost girls skip across a room from afar, one of the team members fall under a type of possession and never recovers, people vanish for whatever reason, noises thump and thud like precursors to a major cataclysm, and soon no escape route seems available as "they're everywhere".

Because the ability to make a movie is as easy as has ever been, and that the found footage genre allows hungry horror filmmakers the chance to live their dream, 7 Days of Darkness is possible. The ending of this film really mines Blair Witch Project (the lovely Meredith Kochan runs towards the cries of Tom Sperry, Jr, finding all the team facing the wall, eerily reminiscent to Michael in the room as Heather is following behind as both had heard Josh achingly calling out; the twist involves Meredith seeing someone as if looking in the mirror, with the moment quite surreal) and Ringu (a ghoul can be seen crawling on all fours up the stairs, not to mention, there are numerous spirits that favor Onryo girls throughout the film), so it isn't like 7 Nights of Darkness invents the wheel…far from it. Like the slasher films in the 80s, found footage has found a prime chunk of real estate in the horror market. Netflix is vast nirvana for found footage and horror fans are willing to give filmmakers a chance. So even the most average found footage (or other genre in horror for that matter) flick can provide a bit of entertainment, no matter how familiar and mediocre.

I would say there are at least three moments in 7 Nights of Darkness that might make it worth sitting through the obnoxious performances and lack of originality. The use of darkness and a bit of grain in the photography benefit the film immensely. The jolt comes from when the camera turns around as characters holding it go into panic mode spotting ghouls or figures faint but noticeable just for a second or two; this sets in your mind the distinct acceptance that the specters are among them, soon to make their presence felt. My favorite scene has one of the ghouls giggling as she photographs two of the team members sleeping; I just thought this was rather neat. This film also does a swell job of establishing that no room, no matter how locked, is safe from the intrusion of the dead. Probably the most painful aspect of the film, besides some rough-around-the-edges performances, is the seemingly improvised dialogue; it really made me cringe at times. Some of the girly screaming over ridiculous stuff (maggots on pizza, a bouncing bucket, a cabinet noise because one of the team moved it slightly) also really, really got on my nerves. I say that as a warning: to get to the good stuff, there's plenty of bad to wade through.

I failed to mention one key scene where one of the major skeptics holes himself up in a room and insists on not opening the door to his designated room, soon finding that hiding is useless--and in an attempt to escape, just his head and arms protruding from the crack of his door to the room towards his team members who attempt to pull him to safety (all for naught, ultimately), he's pulled back inside. Like the Ju-on movies, once a ghoul gets you, your body just up and disappears. It works relatively well; they enter the room once he's pulled back inside, and only his camera remains. The two remaining members try themselves to hide in that same room, but their not so friendly specters have other ideas for them.