The Den (2013)

Yes, this movie was done in a very unconventional format. A lot of people probably turned it off after the first 5 minutes or so as they were bothered by it. However, if you stick with it to the end it all comes together in a strange sort of way. The very beginning sets the stage for what is to transpire throughout the film. I believe that this movie is in the Lessons Learned category. Shows what could happen when people are too revealing about themselves in today's high tech electronic media. How, in an instant, your reputation and lifestyle could be altered in such a way as to destroy you. In some instances it could lead to devastating circumstances and possibly end your life. Be prepared for a few shocking scenes unlike you have seen before. It was necessary, I believe, to show the reality of what probably happens in some of these instances.

Fmovies: Here's one of those things that sound stupid if you just describe it, a horror film in the found footage mode entirely assembled via web and phone cams and mostly taking place on a laptop. No it isn't scary, the acting is below par, there's no cinematic craft, the horror plot and climax are atrociously bad, in the end it's no more than a gimmick, but for a while you can see them probing something interesting.

Part of the reason why I think it's so darn clever is in how it threads the practical limitations of what they could do on a tiny budget, around narrative limitations of how much story they could deliver within the former, around broader meta- limitations of how much is possible for a viewer to know as true, going from meagre means to the broad, perplexing questions.

Inspiration after all is nourished and energized by limits, self-imposed or from necessity like a painter has to puzzle about how he can enliven and give depth to a twodimensional surface. It's easy to think of so many things to do with a budget in the millions, which is why unconstrained imagination fizzles out, but how much can you do with just a camera?

Here it's about a viewer in the midst of images, a girl doing a behavioral study over online chat services, who like us is looking to surmise possible pattern and truth; the constraint is that we can only watch.

A lot of the time we stare into a computer environment. Jarring to see in a film but still the groundwork through which we know so many other things these days. We see through a webcam at the girl in her apartment so we acquire a sense of real time. But then things are shifted around. Videos that we were parsing as taking place now are suddenly paused. We connect to random chatters, but have no way of knowing how much is real even within the small confines of the screen. Some of them are pulling pranks, there's a startling Russian roulette scene that ends with bloodshed and everyone laughing.

Among all this is footage of a possible murder.

So this could have been great, about our inability to be grounded in a horizon of shifting images and context; a Blowup for the tumblr age. We could swim far deeper into the videos, form more ambiguous connections, play and replay edges and details, tune in and out of a far stranger parade of the visual strangeness that is taking place out there, some of it feigned, some bizarre or exciting, even stupidity or crass sex would have its place, some strangely poetic in spite of all else.

So they constrained themselves in a powerful way, but halfway through they axe all that and fall back to the convenient limits of tradition: Halloween, Scream 2, Saw and Hostel. It's a throwaway thing by the end which is a shame.

I'll keep this brief but the film was very well executed! Definitely a unique and tasteful take on "found footage" even though this is no where near. The film tells the story from a first person narrative and delivers beautifully! The unfolding of events happens in a timely manner and is the farthest thing from predictable. The set design was phenomenal as well as the acting. I feel like these films have the potential to flop with even the slightest mistakes yet this gem managed to pull through with daring concepts and tie all all ends together nicely. I would recommend this to all horror connoisseur's and am fairly confident you will enjoy the ride. My one and only complaint is the gore. A couple shots were decent but for the most part it was lacking in believability.

The Den fmovies. This movie doesn't live up to its rating. It's a take on the found footage genre using mostly the perspectives of laptop and cellphone camera.The viewer is supposed to feel like watching most of the scenes in realtime. Interesting concept, which doesn't play out. This movie kept me barely interested. The storyline doesn't create tension and is void of twists and major surprises. It just unfolded like I expected it to. According to some other reviewers this could be understood as a viable statement on the dangers of the internet. I find that laughable. People should be concerned about other aspects of the net than that. The tale of the anonymous killer has been told before - the movie doesn't offer anything beyond of that. 3 Stars because the idea of connecting the viewer to a live-feed as a willing witness is good, but just a concept. Also the last scene contains something like a statement of critical value.. certainly not enough to justify the drag. The "banality of evil" is a good quote with which to end the movie, but two good ideas don't make a movie float.. This production is made up of little besides the basic idea. No memorable performance on any level - fast forgotten flick.

OMG those are my first words about this movie. I will first say I'm a Horror movie buff and I have seen more horror films then I can count and it is my favorite genre of films so with that said I will begin. I had first seen a trailer and heard about this movie a few months prior to it's release and I couldn't wait to watch it just based on the premise. I love found footage movies.

I will say that I didn't know any of the actors nor was I worried bc that doesn't always make a great horror film as this shows. The actors did a terrific job especially the main girl Elizabeth. I will say that for a short film it was Uber intense and very much kept you on the edge of your seat. The violence was gritty and in your face and the questions it raises are very valid especially from a technology standpoint. I for one don't scare easy at all and the jump scares were the best I have seen in a while and even knowing they were coming and it still got me was Impressive.

I would recommend this movie to any and all that love horror and appreciate what this film does in the time span it is allotted. I would also note that the movie does raise one or two questions but nothing that would kill the movie buzz once the credits start rolling. I for one hope this director keeps up with his career bc as I said I love this movie and it is def going in the books for direction as well as great scares and overall atmosphere.

First i want to mention that this movie has 3 reviews so far, and the 2 of them, are probably written by someone from the staff of the movie, cause both are so obvious and fake written. Especially the one with the "Warning" title. Not even a 5 year old kid would write that kind of review. As for the movie, i have to say it was boring watching it for barely 74 minutes through a web cam, smart phone cameras, mobiles and some other similar contrivances. Well yeah, it has to do with found footage stuff, but still, put a new idea on it than the usual "watching through a mobile to make it more real and scary." The story could and should have been better, but it has some empty spaces and questions while it unravels which ruins the whole attempt making this movie good or giving you something somewhat different idea or plot. The good thing, The Den has, according to me, is showing and exposing world's addiction and stupidity over the internet and social networks and chatting. Without people knowing who they're talking to, or who that person is, they expose their selves and revealing things, personal things, for no reason, just because "that's the way it is" with technology. Posting where they're about to go, where they live, what they like, uploading photos and videos of their lives and from close friends lives, can be hazardous and worse, cause they can't know what intentions have all these unknown chatters. And some of them, or many of them, might be hackers and good ones, from those who might want to mess seriously with their lives. Also it has an obvious similarity with the Hostel movie, right at the end.

Overall, it's an uninterested movie, and i don't recommend it. Only to curious ones.

3 out of 10