Samantha Finley was murdered in 2008. This is the actual footage leading up to that horrible event. Sure. I watched this around the time it came out for public consumption and, although I remember very little about it, I know I held it as one of the lowest forms of the subgenre. Well, years have passed and in being privy to some truly ass-numbing found footage films in between, let’s see if it still stands the test of time. I would have left it to rot if my buddy and a man whose film opinions I respect hadn’t mentioned watching it and being mildly impressed with some aspects of it. Does The Giant Claw know what he’s talking about? In the case of most genre crap, I can answer an emphatic “yes” but in the case of Paranormal Entity… well, let’s just have a look and find out. I am pleased to say that not including opening credits is a nice way to keep the illusion intact in the early going. Ok, movie. Plus marks for that move. We open with audio of a 911 call where Thomas Finley frantically alerts the police his sister is dead and that “it” killed her. We then jump back to earlier where he records his family during monotonous home life. He’s recording because some psychic advised to document the strange things happening in the house. Another text wall adds that Thomas was arrested for the rape and murder of his sister Samantha and the murder of paranormal investigator Edgar Lauren. Thomas held fast to his claim that a demonic entity was responsible. He never changed the story up to his suicide while imprisoned. So, we know this is heading nowhere good. Now that we know where this all ends, we join back with our cameraman Thomas and witness all the strange shit that eventually ended in the death of multiple idiots. A dead daddy has the family thinking he may be visiting his wife and kids after passing in a tragic car accident but when “bad stuff” starts happening to the daughter, mom refuses to believe her dead husband would have any part in whatever the vileness is that is befalling the young lady. Possession is the probable culprit and Tommy thinks his sister is the focal point. Tommy fits nicely into the irritating skin of most folks behind the camera in these things and it makes for some rough watching as he keeps the camera rolling and does multiple things that kill any sympathy one would have for the shit-storm he’s about to be swept up in. Mom and sister fare a bit better but are helplessly dragged down in the charisma void that is Tommy. It’s unfortunate because everyone seems to be taking everything seriously, it’s just that any meaningful character moment is soon stained by that Thomas stank. So. Was The Giant Claw right? Yeah. I’d say he was. It’s way better than a lazy found footage film from The Asylum should be. There are things to commend, little bits that show a decent found footage flick is here and waiting to be unleashed. Even standard scares are executed well enough. Unfortunately, it all relies on the ever-present Thomas and his grating personality. Fuck him. I’m glad he’s dead.
No comments:
Post a Comment