As Above, So Below

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

by Frederick William Springer III

As Above, So Below

Release Date:  29 August 2014                                                           Runtime:  93 Minutes              
Review Date:  9 November 2014                                                        Rating:  2 (of 6)

      A creepy movie set in the Parisian catacombs.  I was ready for a good horror flick, something I hadn't seen in sometime.  Unfortunately, when it comes to As Above, So Below, time keeps passing me by.

     What the trailer* both cleverly and deceptively hid was that this movie is all handheld (or headband held, 6 pin cameras in place in addition to a singular handheld).  That choice was a very poor one as the story was different and might have been somewhat entertaining if you could actually see it unfolding.  It doesn't work as a device either because, though this is supposed to be being recorded for a documentary, we know the lost cameras will never be recovered so how is it that we're viewing the footage from them? 

     Because of the God awful shaking, I'd be bestowing my first ever 1.  But I'll give the story a 3 and average it out to a more generous 2.  Either way, still not worth your time.

     *I went back and rewatched the trailer to be sure.  The clips are only seconds long and they chose the most steady, inserted freeze frames and added time lapses not in the movie to give the appearance of a regularly shot film with no mention at all that this was a "documentary" or any other indication that the viewer is in for shaky content from start to finish.  Shame on you Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures!