Although Spanish directors Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza intended [REC] to be “a different kind of horror movie…something viewers were not used to,” the shaky, handheld camera POV technique (The Blair Witch Project), zombie-fied people-monsters (the George Romero oeuvre), and deadly-virus-on-the-loose theme (28 Days Later, etc.) of this 2007 offering (remade in English a year later as Quarantine) is hardly original. While cute ‘n' spunky TV host-reporter Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) is recording an episode of her show While You're Asleep with a unit of the Barcelona Fire Department one night, she and her cameraman (mostly unseen, as we watch the action entirely through his lens) accompany the firefighters to an apartment building where residents are disturbed by screaming emanating from the apartment of a strange old woman. In short order, the woman—bloody and crazed—nearly bites off the faces of a cop and a fireman, who soon turn into monsters themselves, after which city health officials seal off the building without explanation, trapping everyone inside. Not surprisingly, the virus spreads quickly and violently, leaving death in its wake…while Angela and her camera guy are left to stumble upon the ghastly secret behind the whole affair. Although there are some genuinely scary moments here, the chaotic camerawork is unfortunately likely to induce more headaches than terror. Still, genre fans will appreciate, making this a strong optional purchase. (S. Graham)
[REC]
Sony, 78 min., in Spanish w/English subtitles, R, DVD: $24.98 Volume 24, Issue 5
[REC]
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