The Crying Dead (2011) Reviews

• Potential Unrealized

  jmbwithcats2013-09-17

  There are some moments near the end that could have been really scary, but they don't pull them off well which is really too bad because they set them up well and fail to follow through. The movie isn't terrible, but hugely disappointing. Example: When the guy and the girl get cut off at the top of the stairs, and she turns around with the camera, they could have made that scene really terrifying, but instead opt to have it almost all unseen, and it lacks punch, like the rest of the scares, there's no punch, so I felt let down by the build up. I think if they could have had a bit more intelligent twists in the story, it could have been real good, instead it's a very poor, mediocre film. The sound effects sounded ripped off from World of Warcraft too. Such as when you die in WOW, I swear they used that for this movie. Ultimately it could have been great, but instead I can't recommend it. Pretty lazy effort.

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• Great film for a "found footage" movie

  brent-tulley2011-12-30

  I was able to attend a Los Angeles screening of this film and was pleasantly surprised. I find these style films entertaining but at the same time, never expect too much from them. Usually they're comprised of bad acting with some cool effects. Still entertaining but poor acting and story lines. This one however had the best of both worlds. The acting was actually very good, it was a cool concept, and the gags were very creepy. The down time was palpable because of the actors involved. I'm one of the few who really enjoy these kind of films and I think this another great addition to the genre. If you want huge budget, A-List actors and crazy camera shots, this film isn't for you. But, if you want an entertaining found footage movie, here you go.

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• Not worth the wait at all!!!!

  ham_diaz2013-09-11

  I just had to review this movie. I was one of those foot footage, stuck in an old haunted hospital, fans who has been waiting forever to see this. I waited while grave encounters comes and goes. Then grave encounters 2, then several movies just like GE, even one directed by Oliver Stones son. In my opinion GE is and probably always will be #1 on the list. Now back to back to this mess of a movie. The editing is bad, the acting for the most part is bad and the story is very rushed and doesn't allow you to connect with anyone. Most of these movies will either start out slow others start out with a bang but in most cases will move in some kind of direction and allow you to somewhat connect with an actor or actress. This one however is all over the place. OK, we are led to believe they are shooting a pilot or sample for a TV series, but it just doesn't seem realistic. It just comes across and a bunch of kids with too much time on their hands wondering around an abandoned building with camcorders. To top that off it may have a jump or 2 but overall its not very scary at all. The CG was amateurish and unnecessary and the main "ghosts" of the movie were really not scary. All in all 2 thumbs down and for the amount of time they had to re-do it they could have done a lot better! SAD SO SAD!

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• the dead won't be the only ones crying after this movie

  atinder2013-09-04

  When the trailer came out about two years ago, A lot people were compared it to Grave Encounter. I was not big fan of Graven Encounter but that movie is a masterpieces to compared to The Crying dead (2011) The dead won't be the only ones crying after this movie, as you be crying for wasting time on this rubbish. The open scenes was really weired and the only decent part of the movie, Before title come up, we see fast forward scene from later in the movie. Then get a bunch of people auditioning for new Ghost hunting show. 65% of nothing happing in this movie, boring plot very unlikeable people, who could not act, or actors pretending to be as Bad actors as they could . There was not one second of a eerie feeling in this movie even WHEN the ghost showed up, effect were really badly done. Then if the ghost don't show up, these people end up getting blown or drag away, that was so many time in less then a few minutes is gets tedious and boring, dose not scarce anyone. 2 out of 10

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• Kinda scary but not scary enough

  venusboys32013-12-26

  These found footage, first person spookhouse movies generally work on me if they're done halfway well. I loved The Blair Witch Project and Grave Encounters really had me going (despite some overtly goofy CGI effects). The Crying Dead also had me most of the way there but then lost me when the spooks came out. IMO there's two big problems that deflate the scares. One is the ghosts. They just aren't that scary. Three little girls, in Halloween facepaint, double-exposed as they traipse about in the dark hallways. Kinda spooky but not very. Despite some early implications that these aren't normal kids they don't behave very strangely or look very menacing (nothing like the ghouls in the poster image). I really think they needed an additional layer of bizarre to them... a hint at something... other. The second problem, for me, was the editing... or pacing of the movie. The movie starts off with a scene that sets up the threat, but it's on the verge of laughable because it's just so overt so early on. There are also scenes from later in the movie that are repeated early on during the slow stuff... I think to assure impatient viewers that there is some action coming. This wouldn't bother me as much in a regular film but it doesn't fit the found footage conceit here... particularly since those scenes are duplicates of later footage. In a way the film plays its hand in these early scenes and the rest is just going through the motions. Sadly, the nature of the haunting just isn't very imaginative... nothing beyond ghostly little girls with 'powerz'. Once they show up it's just rinse and repeat... they don't get any weirder or scarier than when we first saw them, early on. They really needed something more. Despite those two points I still kinda enjoyed the movie. It did have me on edge at times, just by the nature of how it was filmed... the suspense is good even if the payoff is lame. The actors did a great job with what little they were given... all my gripes are with the writing/editing. One other thing I'll mention... the music in the closing credits is the same sort of generic heavy metal that a hundred other horror movies toss in. I think it would have left the audience with a bit more of a after-scare if something more creepy and subtle had been used... something that carried on the mood of the film rather than blaringly contradicting it.

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