Most people think that this movie is some kind of documentary about “The Dyatlov Pass Incident“. I’ve watched it last night and therefore I can confirm that it’s an horror movie inspired by the incident that took place in 1959 and not an actual documentary. The movie is about 5 students that go to the location of the infamous incident. To make a documentary but, as you can guess, things go horribly wrong.
From the day that “The Blair Witch Project” was released, I’ve been loving found-footage horror. “Devil’s Pass” is quite a gem in this genre. The beautiful snowy landscapes, the sudden plot twists, the shooting, the building ambience, and an unexpected ending. All is there for a perfect Saturday horror night.
It also got me interested in the real incident, and made me wonder what really happend there 58 years ago… I guess we’ll never know.
An horror movie is a failure when it doesn’t entertain my Saturday evening. Normally, I would have stopped Southbound after the first 15 minutes… Unfortunately, it’s a trap! The first half of the movie lured us into thinking that it was good but, when it was already too late to stop it, it turned into – pardon my french – a nameless shit. I could go on to explain why I’m so negative toward Southbound, but I’ve already wasted too much of my time with this pathetic excuse of a movie.
If you’re a big 80’s fan, like myself, you’ll most definitely love this movie. The story is about two estranged brothers that reunite after their fathers’ mysterious disappearance. While liquidating his video store, they stumble upon a game named “Beyond the Gates”. This is where it all begins and where I’m going to stop spoiling any further.
For the more picky viewers, the effects must look tacky, however, I love them. From the foggy smoke effects to the pink & blue neon lights, I feel like I’ve gone a few decades back in time, where VHS still ruled.
The casting looked a little bit clumsy at the beginning but, in the end, they all played their role really well. Eighties scream queen, Barbara Crampton plays the host for the “Beyond the Gates” VHS board game. Her performance is one I won’t soon forget. Throughout the entire movie, I felt like she was staring right at me through the TV screen. Her character is both creepy and diabolical.
The theme of the movie is different from the usual chainsaw or possession galore we find around every corner these days. I know that there are some flaws in the story line, but they kind of remained trivial to me. The entire movie was refreshing and I can’t help but being very positive about this one.
Needless to say that last Saturday night was quite the walk down memory lane. My gratitude to Director, Jackson Stewart, for bringing back all these nostalgic memories. I had a great time.
