OCTOBER 6, 2014 9:44AM
Thinking of the Children
AMBER ALERT
Released: 2012
Director: Kerry Bellessa
Writer: Kerry Bellessa, Joshua Oram
Notable Cast: Summer Bellessa, Chris Hill, Nathan Riley, Jasen Wade, Caleb Thompson, Brooke Thompson, Tom Murray
Plot: Another 'found footage' horror film. This one features Samantha and Nathan, two platonic best friends who, along with a little brother or cousin at the camera (memory fails), film themselves on a road trip in order to try out for a reality show. They read an amber alert on the highway and soon spot the car that a child kidnapper is believed to be driving, with his victim in the back. They decide to follow the car. Horror wackiness ensues.
Commentary: Unfortunately, Amber Alert could have been a decent horror thriller. The found footage format was no problem here, it fit well with the story, particularly since it doesn't involve supernatural elements. The plot was solid and engaging.
There were two big problems that kept the film from being truly enjoyable:
1) Samantha's annoying, grating, hysteric, poorly written, over-expository dialogue. She made Heather Donohue in The Blair Witch Project sound like a soothing NPR correspondent.
2) Absurd plot holes involving the police and, y'know - actually calling the police? I know horror movies hinge on people doing the wrong, stupid things at the wrong, stupid time, but at least contrive a little harder to make the police completely incompetent and our characters think they shouldn't wait for them or let them handle it. Reality show fuck-fame greed is plenty motivation, but they didn't even use that excuse!
It's an indie film. Perhaps it can get a bigger budget and be remade?
What We're Afraid Of: This one marries good old fashioned "stranger-danger" child-safety anxiety with the tension of serial murder/basement torture (not depicted but ever present as a threat). This type of fear works better when family members of the kidnap victim are featured. Our two would-be reality heroes have no connection to this kidnapped girl, which leaves them free to screech histerically at each other and tell us over and over again exactly what they're doing.
But by taking "Amber Alert" as a title and plot device, the movie at least invokes - but doesn't truly deal with - this country's morbid media obsessions (missing white girls, parental kidnappings, Nancy Grace's horrid sensationalistic outrage), some of which, sadly, are true stories.
Comments
I'm one of those people
who has not yet grown tired of the "found footage" movie genre, but
"Amber Alert" seriously tested my tolerance level LOL
sounds like a B movie for sure.
R&R
Thanks all for visiting. And Linda: you saw it?? Wow!
I heard about the plot
of this...somewhere... Maybe on NPR (reported by a calm correspondent)?
Too bad the movie doesn't rise to the importance of the topic.
I do like your style of writing, however.
I do like your style of writing, however.
r.
Mimetalker, thank you for the kind words!
And thanks as always for stopping by, Jonathan
And thanks as always for stopping by, Jonathan
Your last paragraph is
insightful, but even if it weren't I'd rate your analysis for
this--"Horror wackiness ensues"--and this--"She made Heather Donohue in
The Blair Witch Project sound like a soothing NPR correspondent." Wry,
so very wry!
Well thank you Jerry, but "horror wackiness ensues" is just me being lazy, because I hate writing detailed plot recaps.
"... which leaves them
free to screech histerically at each other and tell us over and over
again exactly what they're doing." I'm not sure I can fully explain
why, but this phrase made me want to see, say, 10 minutes of this movie.
But it would have to be a segment with maximum screeching.
I'm passing on the film, but I really enjoyed your review.
/r.
/r.
OIT - thanks much for reading!
VA - Are you sure? Because it's highly insufferable. Now I'm pretty sure this shouldn't be on Youtube, but if you must, turn to the 41 minute mark. Don't say I didn't warn you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7eIHARFROc
VA - Are you sure? Because it's highly insufferable. Now I'm pretty sure this shouldn't be on Youtube, but if you must, turn to the 41 minute mark. Don't say I didn't warn you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7eIHARFROc
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