| "Whatever You Witness..... Never Stop Recording.” |
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[•REC]
DVD/APPROX. 75 MINS/2007/SPAIN MA15+
DVD/APPROX. 75 MINS/2007/SPAIN MA15+
8.5
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The film begins with a television crew who are filming a episode called "While You're Asleep", where journalist Angela (Manuela Velasco) and her
cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rosso) follow a squad of fire-fighters throughout the night. A routine call concerning a woman trapped in an apartment is
sent in and Angela and Pablo quickly accompany the fire-fighters to an apartment complex, where neighbouring residents heard screams coming
from within an elderly woman's apartment. As firemen accompanied by a police offer and the firemen’s Captain, bash their way into the dark
apartment, they find an old women breathing heavily in her nightgown covered in blood. Just when Pablo turns his camera light on, the old woman
breaks out of her hysteria fit and begins to attack the closest person near her, which is by latching onto the fire Captain's neck like a rabid dog.
After the women is subdued by the police officer, the firemen quickly carry the captain to safety to get aid. They soon find out that a full-scale
quarantine which was issued by the health department, seals off the exits of the building for reasons unknown; trapping those left inside with
those contaminated from a highly contagious disease that turns the living and the recently dead, into raging homicidal maniacs who hunger for
human flesh.
[•REC] is one of those type films that is classified as a POV (Point of View) film. For those of you who don’t know what I actually mean, well think
of it this way, this film was shot the same way like The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Cloverfield (2008). The whole POV technique is used by
to make the film feel more realistic and scary, which succeeded for the likes of George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead (2007) and Ruggero
Deodato’s The Cannibal Holocaust (1980). But sadly some of these films made can also dampen the film in terms of making the viewer feel
nauseated, dizzy resulting to the point it gives them a splitting headache. There was times I did feel these effects from [•REC] but not to the point
I wanted to turn off the DVD as the movie is well constructed, breaking away from boring television and gorging new-age digital cinema with plenty
of suspense, restless horror that is jammed packed in documentary style film.
Surprisingly for a Spanish independent film, [•REC] has already managed to have a Hollywood remake just several months later called Quarantine
(2008), which directors John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, claimed to have never of seen [•REC] until after filming their own film. Comparing
both films together I can clearly see that both films are slightly different from a directors perspective but given the chance to decide which is the
best film, I would have to say [•REC]. As I found that it was far more claustrophobic, dark and grabs your attention from start to the very ending.
For a zombie film, their isn’t much of a gore factor as most of it is shot off frame. Though you do get to see a few gory wounds, a occasional
bloodsplatter scene. Honestly it could of done with a few gore scenes, but I guess the film wouldn’t make to sense that a cameraman rather record
someone being eaten alive than running for his own life.
As for the score…. well there isn’t one at all. That’s right even Quarantine also had no score. Again it would be pointless to have one since it’s a
POV film.
In the extras, Madman Entertainment have included the following extras. ‘Extended Footage - What the Neighbours Saw’ are basically small
broken up interviews by Angela with the residents who lived in the building. ‘The Secret Achieve’ explains how the virus got out of control and how
the authorities found out and sealed the apartment building. Then you have a ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ footage, ‘Production Notes’, ‘Image Gallery‘, ’
Casting’ and finally a ‘Theatrical Trailer’ to complete the extras. Overall a well presented bundle of extras to keep you entertained for half of the
day.
The difference between [•REC] and Quarantine mainly consists of one thing really and that is you having to read the subtitles while watching the
film. I have personally come to realise is that when I watch a foreign film, I am more drawn far more into the film as you know cant take your eyes
off the film, just encase you miss what they are talking about. Where the likes of Quarantine, you can get up and get something to eat, check to
see what the time is while still knowing what’s going on in the film.
[•REC] is absolutely an intense and horrifying film to watch, which many fans of the zombie genre will consider this to be the benchmark of POV
zombie films. So don’t wait any longer and purchase this little gem or even rent to buy, either way is cool, just get ready to appreciate a great
piece of independent cinema.
cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rosso) follow a squad of fire-fighters throughout the night. A routine call concerning a woman trapped in an apartment is
sent in and Angela and Pablo quickly accompany the fire-fighters to an apartment complex, where neighbouring residents heard screams coming
from within an elderly woman's apartment. As firemen accompanied by a police offer and the firemen’s Captain, bash their way into the dark
apartment, they find an old women breathing heavily in her nightgown covered in blood. Just when Pablo turns his camera light on, the old woman
breaks out of her hysteria fit and begins to attack the closest person near her, which is by latching onto the fire Captain's neck like a rabid dog.
After the women is subdued by the police officer, the firemen quickly carry the captain to safety to get aid. They soon find out that a full-scale
quarantine which was issued by the health department, seals off the exits of the building for reasons unknown; trapping those left inside with
those contaminated from a highly contagious disease that turns the living and the recently dead, into raging homicidal maniacs who hunger for
human flesh.
[•REC] is one of those type films that is classified as a POV (Point of View) film. For those of you who don’t know what I actually mean, well think
of it this way, this film was shot the same way like The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Cloverfield (2008). The whole POV technique is used by
to make the film feel more realistic and scary, which succeeded for the likes of George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead (2007) and Ruggero
Deodato’s The Cannibal Holocaust (1980). But sadly some of these films made can also dampen the film in terms of making the viewer feel
nauseated, dizzy resulting to the point it gives them a splitting headache. There was times I did feel these effects from [•REC] but not to the point
I wanted to turn off the DVD as the movie is well constructed, breaking away from boring television and gorging new-age digital cinema with plenty
of suspense, restless horror that is jammed packed in documentary style film.
Surprisingly for a Spanish independent film, [•REC] has already managed to have a Hollywood remake just several months later called Quarantine
(2008), which directors John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, claimed to have never of seen [•REC] until after filming their own film. Comparing
both films together I can clearly see that both films are slightly different from a directors perspective but given the chance to decide which is the
best film, I would have to say [•REC]. As I found that it was far more claustrophobic, dark and grabs your attention from start to the very ending.
For a zombie film, their isn’t much of a gore factor as most of it is shot off frame. Though you do get to see a few gory wounds, a occasional
bloodsplatter scene. Honestly it could of done with a few gore scenes, but I guess the film wouldn’t make to sense that a cameraman rather record
someone being eaten alive than running for his own life.
As for the score…. well there isn’t one at all. That’s right even Quarantine also had no score. Again it would be pointless to have one since it’s a
POV film.
In the extras, Madman Entertainment have included the following extras. ‘Extended Footage - What the Neighbours Saw’ are basically small
broken up interviews by Angela with the residents who lived in the building. ‘The Secret Achieve’ explains how the virus got out of control and how
the authorities found out and sealed the apartment building. Then you have a ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ footage, ‘Production Notes’, ‘Image Gallery‘, ’
Casting’ and finally a ‘Theatrical Trailer’ to complete the extras. Overall a well presented bundle of extras to keep you entertained for half of the
day.
The difference between [•REC] and Quarantine mainly consists of one thing really and that is you having to read the subtitles while watching the
film. I have personally come to realise is that when I watch a foreign film, I am more drawn far more into the film as you know cant take your eyes
off the film, just encase you miss what they are talking about. Where the likes of Quarantine, you can get up and get something to eat, check to
see what the time is while still knowing what’s going on in the film.
[•REC] is absolutely an intense and horrifying film to watch, which many fans of the zombie genre will consider this to be the benchmark of POV
zombie films. So don’t wait any longer and purchase this little gem or even rent to buy, either way is cool, just get ready to appreciate a great
piece of independent cinema.
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