vinov1260
For those of you that are saying, "You'd be better off watching 'Jonestown: Life and Death in the People's Temple.'" I mean...you're not necessarily wrong, but saying so diminishes some of what I thought was really clever about this film: the found footage format.In Guyana (as they say multiple times in the documentary you are all so well defending), Jim Jones talked all the time over the loudspeaker and TAPED everything. I think the found footage angle on this film pays an interesting tip of the hat to that aspect of Jonestown life. The reason we know so much about what happened in the massacre is: A. The congressmen brought a film crew with him and we have footage from them and B. Jim Jones audio-taped the mass suicide. Those that survived the shooting at the airstrip took the film with them. The audiotape was discovered at the site of the massacre. (Therefore, it's not really problematic that in this film, one of the cameras was left behind). Did I feel like the FF angle felt forced at times? Of course! But I've seen it done WAY more awkwardly in other films, I just have to give this one credit. I thought the movie was inspired and paid tribute to many Jonestown victims throughout(i.e. the guy speaking out against Father in the meeting, the note slipped to the media). It's really hard to recreate something so tragic without feeling campy, especially in the horror genre and I think they did a good job. I do wish that (as in Guyana), a few of the cult members actually survived and escaped with them, I'm not terribly sure why they chose to eradicate everyone. But...in all, I enjoyed it.
Michael O'Keefe
This thrilling drama will remind you of the Jim Jones Massacre at Jonestown in the mid 1970s. Using "found footage" genre. Patrick(Kentucker Audley) works for a company proud of covering bizarre newsworthy subjects. He receives an invitation from his sister Caroline(Amy Siemetz)to visit her at a compound called Eden Parish for exiled Christians. This cult-like community is ran by a man simply called Father(Gene Jones), who is very paranoid when it comes to the so-called outside world. Patrick and two of his friends Jake(Joe Swanberg) and Sam(AJ Bowen), photographer and journalist, travel to Eden Parish. Patrick realizes quickly that his sister is acting differently and even more so, Father is obviously wanting to cover something up. A few "citizens" are secretly wanting to leave when the journalists do. Father is very content in not letting a living sole leave his man-made Utopian community.Be advised of disturbing violence, graphic and bloody images and situations earning an R rating. Cast members include: Shirley Jones Byrd, Derek Roberts, Kate Forbes, Dale Neal and Donna Biscoe.
Steve Pulaski
The Sacrament feels like the gathering of the independent filmmakers, which, on that basis alone, makes it sound like nothing more than a gaggle of pals, who had the urge to shoot something, getting together, making a film, and cherishing a few laughs. However, The Sacrament is a crafty slowburn horror film by the same man who made The Innkeepers, one of my favorite horror films from a few years back. He's Ti West and, for the last couple years, has directed several different films along with acting in various horror films as well. In a time when so many forget the craft to go straight for the scare, West knows it's all about articulation, suspense, and artistry when it comes to making horror films, which is why he takes the first forty minutes of The Sacrament to allow for dread to loom and almost engulf us on screen before allowing the insanity to flow.The film is loosely based on the real life murders in Jonestown in 1978, concerning two VICE reporters, Sam (AJ Bowen) and Jake (independent filmmaker Joe Swanberg), and their fashion photographer friend Patrick (Kentucker Audley, another independent filmmaker). One day, Patrick receives a letter from his drug addict sister Caroline (Amy Seimetz) who states she has been recovering for several months and is living in Eden Parish, a utopian commune boasting sober living and Christian values. She offers Patrick to spend a day in the commune, which he must access by helicopter, and, in a bout of uncertainty, agrees to let his pals Sam and Jake tag along to film the experience. Upon arrival, the gang is initially unsettled by the presence of guards with large assault rifles guarding the commune until Caroline appears and looks refreshed as ever. She apologizes for the alleged misunderstanding and invites them in, revealing a beautiful, open community of small homes, gardens, a medical center, and practically everything one would think a small, seceded society would need to thrive.Caroline speaks of a man by whom they call "Father" (Gene Jones), whose voice can be heard over the loud speaker quite frequently, initiating meetings or informing his community of events occurring in Eden Parish. "Father" is the godlike figure of the commune, with everyone praising him for his ability to create, sustain, and cherish the community he has built. While Patrick spends most of his time with his sister, Sam and Jake do what they do best, which is circle around the community and speak to various individuals living in the community, all of whom seem happier and more refreshed as they praise the nonjudgmental, connected community of Eden Parish while denouncing and criticizing America and their sensationalized, media-reliant culture.Ti West clearly has a great deal of fun shooting in the limitless, outdoor environment of Eden Parish, as most of his films up until this point (The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers) took place indoors). West moves his camera(s) liberally through the wide open meadows of the commune, with the commune itself evoking an eerily suburban feel, where everything seems carefully calculated and the positioning of homes and gardens seems meticulously micromanaged. The environment of Eden Parish plays a big part in why the film is so fun to watch, since you know never know where you're going to end up or what will be revealed.In addition, West has already established himself as a fan of slowburn horror filmmaking, and with The Sacrament, nothing changes with his approach; the first forty minutes of the film carefully set up Eden Parish, digging deep and asking questions about the commune's location, code of ethics, structure, and so on, much of which is covered during Sam's interview with "Father." During this time, a frightening sense of dread builds, which hovers over viewers throughout the entire film as we see what this location reveals and what its characters are doing for one another.West is a storyteller, above all, functioning in a genre that either negates the story lines it provides or projects them in a twisted web of confusion and ridiculousness. The Sacrament is where West can finally show that by creating a film in which no paranormal entities, a topic he has handled in the past, can be found and the evil at hand comes straight from the people. Thanks to a cast of champions, many of whom independent filmmakers - and a wickedly haunting Gene Davis - and a methodical approach to a rich story, West overwhelmingly succeeds, officially solidifying him in my book as one of the strongest men in horror working today.Starring: AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Kentucker Audley, Amy Seimetz, and Gene Davis. Directed by: Ti West.
