Andariel Halo As of finishing the movie and coming to the IMDB page, I'm still not certain if each of the segments in this film are connected, or even if they unfold in the same shared universe. Some of the segments have some great ideas but poor execution, namely the pervading one set in 2007 with the professor and the two people. They explore the idea that "ghosts" are actually "inter-dimensional creatures" that exist at a rate of time dilation far faster than ours, similar to the aliens in "Dragon's Egg", so that actual ghost sightings are so rare because it would mean one of these creatures would have to be standing still for hours at a time just for us to be able to see it for one second. Rather than explore and flesh out this idea in the other segments or in its own segments, we get a random, pointless encounter with one of these creatures that looks for the life of me like a clown mask on a pile of rubber monster costume pieces. This clown creature says it is not a simple flesh-eating ghoul, yet proceeds to do absolutely nothing to dissuade them, randomly attacking and trying to kill them. As for the other segments, they are a very mixed bag, with none of them being particularly interesting on their own except maybe the Ghost Hunters one. The Cam Girls one was deeply intriguing until the tepid reveal at the very end. Overall this was a series of mini films that had no reason to exist, and which did not give any justification otherwise.

Kris The Dark Tapes takes full advantage of the potential for creative control the independent film scene offers production teams. So often, I feel disappointed after watching independent films that take the same route (and same shortcuts) as mainstream productions whose content is homogenized, handcuffed by studio memorandums - the same jump scares, the same plot lines, the same character tropes - too little creativity on a platform that offers so much room for innovation.Following in the footsteps of classic horror compilations, be they also found footage (such as VHS 1 & 2) or standard horror affair (Body Bags, Southbound, Trick 'r Treat, All Hallows Eve), or even further back to the founding fathers of horror anthology (Tales From the Crypt, The Vault of Horrors, Creepshow), The Dark Tapes is sure to deliver if what you are after is a creepy, genuinely-thought provoking anthology horror film that stays true to the found footage format without entering the territory of feeling too contrived. The story is intelligently written and the stories offer enough variety to satiate fans of the weird, fans of sci-fi, monsters, blood 'n guts, and psychological horror alike. This was a great outing and I'm looking forward to the next outing by writer/director Michael McQuown and co!

eddie_baggins Just when you think the found footage horror genre might be heading for a recession of sorts on the back of some rather forgettable outings over the last 5 or so years, along comes yet another finely tuned example of why the sub-genre took off in the first place, this time in the form of impressive independent filmmakers Michael McQuown's and Vincent J. Guastini's The Dark Tapes.A collection of individually themed episodes, linked between a continuing component that occurs before each new event (or dark tape), The Dark Tapes follows on from films like the VHS series or Tales From Halloween before it to keep things fresh and coming at a steady pace by never allowing it's episodes to linger on too long to make sure the audience feels like they're on their toes as to what's waiting for them around the corner.As is to be expected from films of this nature, not every episode hits a home run and McQuown (who directs all bar one of the films segments) can at times be accused of overusing effects such as audio crackling or on screen tampering to enhance the whole "found footage" vibe but when The Dark Tapes hits it hits hard and there are some memorably horrific and macabre moments in the film that suggest McQuown is a name to watch closely for those horror aficionado's.Episodes in particular that include a family haunted in their home by a nefarious presence or a smartly constructed web cam show turned bad feel tightly and effectively constructed by McQuown, who eschews his small budgeted roots to deliver some disturbing and effective chills, providing a stark reminder as to why found footage provides such a great jumping off point for those working under right budget constraints.In a genre that has been defined by those that have started with minimum funds to deliver classics of the field (the likes of Tobe Hooper, Sam Raimi and Rob Zombie), it's great to see another start-up like McQuown appear on the scene and it's likely Hollywood has taken notice of the wins McQuown manages to have within The Dark Tapes.Final Say – The Dark Tapes is a multi-award winning independent horror that genre enthusiasts should certainly track down. Filled with some impressive twists and some uniquely grisly moments, McQuown's low budget effort is one of recent times best found footage efforts and a nice calling card for a director who clearly has the tools required to become a key player in the horror film landscape.3 keen to be involved children out of 5

meningitise So, I'm a pretty big fan of point-of-view films, I think they have a great potential to make the inane quite horrifying, but this film really does nothing for the genre. Seeing the amount of awards it has raked in, the amount of good reviews, I just had to see it. Boy oh boy was I disappointed.If you can ignore the special effects and costumes that are so bad you can see parts of them literally peeling off, and the visual effects so bad you can see they were done in an amateur editing program (where they didn't even change the font from the default), then maybe this is something for you.It has a few novel concepts, but never really goes anywhere with them, save for one disturbing segment that could have been something if they hadn't throw in something supernatural to tie it in with the rest. In one segment they mention that time has frozen and thus they can't even hear their own footsteps... But you can clearly still hear them. Is this a joke?