watched - no 31 - Evidence (Howie Askins, 2011)

Another week and another 'found footage' movie comes along, but as we all know it's quality not quantity that counts and Howie Askins' Evidence, written by and starring Ryan McCoy, is one of the better recent entries into the current go-to-genre. It does Evidence no disservice to say that the whiff of The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and [Rec] pervades throughout the movie, as McCoy's narrative flies off in unexpected directions and the movie itself undergoes an eye catching shift in tempo from creeping tension into outright frantic, relentless and gratifyingly entertaining chaos that more than offsets any possible 'found footage' fatigue.

The generic, and flimsy, set up sees Ryan (McCoy) and three friends heading off for a camping expedition to an isolated spot, (highlighted by a 'no trespassing' sign the friends dutifully ignore), a trip that forms part of a documentary Ryan is making on his best friend Brett (Brett Rosenberg). Quite why annoying dullard Brett should be the subject of a documentary is not clear, but this lazy narrative catalyst soon falls by the wayside as the stock-in-trade gang, completed by Ryan's girlfriend Abi (Abigail Richie) and her pal Ashley (Ashley Bracken) begin to suspect their idyllic seeming weekend away might not be as much fun as they were hoping for. Hearing unexplained noises on the first night and catching a glimpse of what appears to be a Sasquatch type creature the following day leaves Brett and the girls desperate to pack up and head home but puts Ryan in the mood to, as all good movie documentarists do, stay put and see what he can capture on his video camera.

So far, so average, but Evidence is a movie of two halves, and after the slow burn of the set up it ramps up the action after Brett goes missing and the rest of the group realise that they are being hunted by someone, or something. Without wishing to divulge any spoilers it's enough to say that the someone or something is not what you might be expecting and the rest of the movie, which is made up of extended, and increasingly revelatory chase sequences, lasting around thirty minutes, takes Evidence into genuinely exciting territory that demands you keep your eyes on the screen right through the end credits.

Askins and McCoy's genre outing employs all of the stylistic elements familiar from the 'found footage' movie and throws in many of the narrative themes seen in its predecessors, but, to their credit, what could have been a run-of-the-mill knock off emerges as a highly enjoyable and deftly constructed movie whose success comes in the way it has fun with the genre traits and narrative themes it employs.

Watched - no 29 - Troll Hunter (Andre Ovredal, 2010)

The proliferation of 'found footage' and mockumentary films over the last few years, especially in horror/sci-fi pieces, has reached the point where an audible groan is likely to accompany the news of yet another excursion into a once genuinely creative area. Thankfully Andre Ovredal's Trolljegeren (Troll Hunter) successfully uses the now overly familiar traits of the 'found footage'/ mockdoc film – verite camerawork, onscreen titles, night vision sequences – to enhance rather than detract from this dark, slyly satirical Norwegian fantasy. Whilst not being a radical departure in terms of style or structure, Troll Hunter, both written and directed by Ovredal, charms, and at times thrills, with its endearingly offbeat tale of Norway's lone Troll hunter Hans, played by comedian Otto Jespersen, and the creatures he has to do battle with.

The film is the footage of three documentary making college students - interviewer Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), sound recordist Johanna (Johanna Morck) and cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) - sent anonymously to a media outlet in the aftermath of the events depicted onscreen during the students time filming suspected bear poacher Hans. Drawing on Troll mythology, Governmental conspiracies and environmental concerns, Troll Hunter may be a monster movie at heart but it has plenty of time (and maybe in hindsight a little too much) to touch on issues that affect the real world. After pursuing the mysterious Hans with the same dogged determination that he tracks his prey the students are, understandably, shocked by the discovery that Trolls, the fairy tale creatures of Scandinavian folklore, are in fact very much real and known to exist by the authorities. What unfolds is a game of cat and mouse between Hans and a variety of Trolls – the Ringlefinch, Tosserlad, Mountain Kings and the giant Jotnar – that for some reason have gone rogue into each others territories, the students intent on capturing proof of their existence and Hans' boss Finn (Hans Morten Hansen), officially the head of the Norwegian Wildlife Board and surreptitiously the chief of the top secret TSS (Troll Security Service), who is determined that this unlikely secret remain so.

Shot on a small budget, with the CGI Trolls being particularly well realised given the financial constraints, Troll Hunter does have it longueurs - a little less of the chatting and, admittedly stunning, Norwegian terrain and a lot more Troll based action would have been welcomed – but it is confidently directed, played dead straight by the impressive cast (many of whom are unknowns) and the screenplay provides laughs as well as a healthy awareness of both eco-crises and Governmental cover ups. Don't wait for the tediously predictable American remake, get a hold of the recently released DVD and enjoy this bizarrely memorable creature feature.