As I was typing up my last blog about A Christmas Melody I realized that I hadn't finished covering all of the found footage films that I have seen. It didn't seem right to not complete the section on found footage films so here I go with another. Obviously more will follow.
I remember seeing previews for this picture and being intrigued. What could make a quarantine like what is portrayed in this film happen? The trailer did a good job of convincing me to see this movie to find out.
In this movie we meet a young reporter named Angela Vidal (played by Jennifer Carpenter) and her camera man Scott Percival (played by Steve Harris). They are from a station in LA and their assignment for the evening is to go along with an LA firehouse station on whatever calls the firefighters get. At first all is good. Angela is taken on a tour of the firehouse. She's having fun sliding down the pole. Angela seems to be get along especially well with a handsome firefighter named Jake (played by Jay Hernandez). Then there is a call to an apartment building regarding an injury.
Angela and Jake continue talking as they travel to the apartment building. The apartment building seems to be a typical apartment building in a middle class neighborhood. The small crowd of residents gathered outside and hanging out in the corridors seem average enough.
Strangely enough there is a lot of mystery as to who was injured, where they lived, what happened, etc. Everyone that the camera crew and firefighters talk to has ideas but nothing concrete. So the firefighters responding are left with the trouble of trying to find out exactly what is going on in addition to trying to treat the injured victim.
Things start to go wrong with no definitive answers as the firefighters are preparing to leave. Eventually it becomes apparent that the building is under quarantine by the government. A large bio hazard tent has been erected to enclose the building. To add to the mystery, the government agents aren't giving any answers as to why the building is under quarantine. So it is up to Angela, Jake, and Scott to find out what's going on and hopefully escape with their lives.
As I said earlier, the trailer did a good job of selling me on watching this movie. While I don't regret knowing the "secret" as to why the quarantine was put into action, I do regret watching this movie to find out.
In this found footage film, it made sense that Scott kept carrying the camera since he is in fact a camera man and he's reporting a story. This is one of the few examples of carrying a camera making sense in found footage films. The acting wasn't bad. The jump scares were good enough the first time I watched.
My biggest problem with this movie was the reason for the quarantine being implemented. I don't have a medical background but I have enough knowledge to know that the reason for the quarantine and how this played out was ridiculous at best. I know, I know, it's a horror movie and horror movies aren't knowing for having good solid plots but still.
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