Directed By: Joel Anderson
Date: 2008
Back in 1999 a mockumentary swept through the horror scene and caused quite the raucous. The Blair Witch Project brought dark woods and hand held camera usage to a whole new level. Since then a smattering of this type of film style has run rampant in the film genre we hold dear. From zombies, to mutants, to a giant city-destroying thing, we have seen many, many hand-shaken moments that make us want to vomit when ogling them on the big screen.
Lake Mungo is the story of a father, mother, son, and daughter out for a fun day of swimming and enjoying some nice weather. The day is shattered when Alice, the daughter, drowns while attempting to swim back to shore. After her funeral, the fun begins to happen around the house. So much is going on that the brother sets up cameras and is able to catch the apparition on film and video. What he doesn't realize is there is so much more hidden in these snapshots in time. The mother ends up befriending a psychic and the dark tale begins to unfold.
Most of the horror mockumentaries out there use fast camera movement and shadows to really set the tone of the film. When done correctly, they are able to spook you by making it all feel real enough that you feel like these are tapes that have been found and you are really seeing the last accounts of people's lives as they are torn to pieces. Lake Mungo takes a bit of a different route. There are interviews and news story's unraveling the tale of twist, turns, lies, and deceit.
The one thing they do right is unveiling it one piece at a time. First there are the creepy tales of things going bump in the night building up to full apparitions of the deceased. Next the photos have an odd image that could be someone or something standing there. Then the video shows blurry imagery and as the videos progress they get clearer and clearer. All the while, the director has you focus on just what they want you to see.
There were the typical cut scenes seen in documentaries to show time passing: the star filled night sky, clouds blowing past and even random shots from old home movies. After a while you seem to melt into the movie, and the line between storytelling and reality blurs a bit.
This story goes from haunting to murder mystery to thriller and back again. While this does throw you for a loop at times there is a building structure that all comes together and make sense as it unfurls. This is one to look into for those that enjoy the good ghost story that may or may not have happened.
3 blood drops
Rev. Tommy B enjoys playing music in his band, white water kayaking and preparing his family for the zombie apocalypse. He is a scientist who hopes to one day be a published children's book author.
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