[Rec] (2007)

Hey readers of Mondo Holocausto, tonight's review is coming from Seattle, Washington care of my old room-mate and one of my best friends Eric Sanford. That's why it's written so crapily and the punctuation is so terrible. Looking to contribute a review of your own? Feel free to do so and get me an e-mail at carmack84@gmail.com, enjoy the reviews.

-Mondo Keith

Director(s) - Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza



I may never sleep well again after viewing this film. Not to be too hyperbolic about it, but this sucker legitimately terrified me like few films have. [REC] employs the hand-held camera documentary style as seen in films as far back as “Cannibal Holocaust,” and popularized in the 90’s by “The Blair Witch Project” and most recently seen in the disaster/monster movie “Cloverfield.” That said, make no mistake. This is no rip-off film. This is unique, edge-of-your-seat, claustrophobic horror brilliance.

Shit kicks off with introducing a film crew. They’re sort of like “Insomniac with Dave Atell,” showcasing people who work at night, but with an incredibly sexy Spanish chick as the host and some dude named Pablo working the camera. We’re told tonight’s episode will consist of hanging out at a fire station and bullshitting with Spanish firefighters. Host chick starts getting bored, then right on cue the alarm starts blaring and we’re off to an apartment building where some old lady is apparently stuck in her apartment and may be hurt. Sounds benign enough, right? WRONG. The crew shows up and sees many of the residents gathered in the foyer, all freaked out and shit. The firemen go up to the lady’s apartment with a couple police officers. They find the old lady; she’s all covered in blood and won’t respond to them. A police officer goes to try to help her out; she flips out and goes straight for the jugular. Queue massive panic, cop is bleeding like a stuck pig; they scramble downstairs and to stabilize the dude. They try to get him outside only to discover the doors are locked from the outside, there’s a gaggle of cops and government agents surrounding the building and they’re apparently being sealed in for contamination reasons. The shit just repeatedly hits the fan from there. I’ll say no more.

The hand-held camera style works very well for this film. If you didn’t dig “Cloverfield” for whatever reason, give this film a shot because the camera work remains pretty realistic and it creates one of most suffocating feelings of claustrophobia I’ve ever seen on film. Unfortunately, there isn’t a legit DVD release of this film in the good ol’ USA, so you’ll have to download it if you want to see it any time soon. Hollywood has already crapped out a remake called “Quarantine” that will be stinking up theaters soon. Well, it might turn out all right, but the OG is almost always better in these situations.

Big ups to Mondo Holocausto and here’s to one fine October! LET’S PARTY!

-Eric Sanford