THE FEED...Movie Review

THE FEED
DIRECTED BY: Steve Gibson
WRITTEN BY: Matt Edens, Steve Gibson Joe Nunan
STARS: Seth Drick, Chip Facka and Brianna Healey
RATED: NR : Violence, disturbing images, language
Reviewed by Char Hardin
8 out of 10

THE FEED

“There’s definitely something up there”

For those viewers (I do) who enjoy watching GHOST HUNTERS on Sy-fy, and tune in for each episode hoping against all odds to SEE something other than Hot or cold spots, or hear the occasional freaky voice recordings…then THE FEED is for you! I really enjoyed watching this movie. Actually I was not watching a movie per se but a LIVE television show of the GHOST CHASERS investigating a haunted movie theatre in Pennsylvania.


FOLLOWING LIVE BROADCAST MAY CONTAIN SCENES OR LANGUAGE OF A DISTURBING NATURE VIEWER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED.


A team of paranormal investigators are called to the Brenway Theatre and decide to broadcast LIVE. The Brenway Theatre has sordid past steeped in mystery and the unexplained. The current owner sent the GHOST CHASERS a tape of a something caught on camera at a recent viewing, but what really caught the GHOST CHASERS attention was something else that had their hearts pounding and interests prickly and almost giddy to go see for themselves.


The cameras and crew go and interview the current owner and find out more information and the stigmas associated with the theatre’s first owner. In 1940, during a viewing of Hitchcock’s classic THE VANISHING LADY, an accident in the film booth, created a fire that engulfed the booth and quickly overtook the theatre. A young boy escaped, but the owner, affectionately dubbed, “Uncle Ernie” did not make it out. Time passed a person’s disappearance followed by another tragedy and another led the locals to believe all the bad things were because the theatre was haunted. In time, the theatre closed and changed hands. Scott Monahan current owner inherited the Brenway and all the tragedies, that had befallen the little theatre, had transferred to him. Monahan concerned that his business is suffering due to the ghost talk and hoped that the GHOST CHASERS could help. Thus, the broadcasting of their show could possibly put his theatre on the map of haunted buildings and boost his business.


“This is a Landmark show…stay tuned America…”


The set-up for the show is the theatre is closed for the evening. The GHOST CHASERS would be allowed to turn all power off and film the theatre and try to entice the “ghost” to make an appearance. They are locked in and when the power goes off…their little gauges immediately register a change. And the GHOST is actually not a quiet and friendly ghost…it is active and it is just getting started and it is not alone.


COMMERCIAL BREAKS


THE FEEDS’ authenticity in its’ presentation, made the viewer feel they are genuinely viewing the movie, as if it were an actual television show investigating haunted findings. A television show would not be complete without commercials and THE FEED has several. Fans of THE TOXIC ADVENGER and other TROMA films will recognize Lloyd Kaufman in one of the commercials…I must say I loved his green tie! All the commercials were visually appealing and typical of what the public sees on a day-to-day basis. Even a product with a long list of possible side effects had me laughing out loud.



“LET’S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!”


In the aforementioned upper paragraphs, when the lights went off, the action started immediately. The popping up of apparitions were woven in well. I know one of my fellow reviewers felt that the introduction of the ghosts, may have over done it a bit, but I respectfully disagree. If only a few apparitions or just one had been the only one featured, I would have felt cheated, as it was, there were several and not all of just one ghost. The separate ghosts are cool and give clues as to what happened in the Brenway.



The lights are out mind you, and the night vision on the camera illuminates for the viewers to see what is going on and not just listening to the audio of people roaming from room to room. The actors involved were believable and fun and their terror was palpable and you know what if I go any further…I will spill it all and I think you should see it for yourself.


This is a perfect scare for movie night in. Even better is watching during a rainstorm outside, turn the lights off, make a big bowl of buttery popcorn and pop open can of ice-cold coke and put in DVD and press play. I watched it alone, and then with a room full of friends again during a thunderstorm and the jump scares are there. My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They gave THE FEED two thumbs up and I am giving it a big 8.



Another thing about this movie it comes with Special Bonus disc with the making of THE FEED and an added short-film called THE GOLD BUG. This was a cool little story. Young couple move into a house and the landlord/owner says he has some things still in the attic and would return for the boxes. He also warns the couple against going into the attic, “…it’s not safe”. When you snag a copy of this movie, do look on the Bonus features and watch THE GOLD BUG, it was cool and directed by Steve Gibson as well. Look for THE FEED when it comes out, “It’s a spooky good time in the dark!" -Char