The Horror Show
Dark Chamber
by Dave Campfield
I've written about the work of Dave Campfield multiple times. Mainly in association with his hilarious horror/comedy series following the exploits of brothers “Caesar and Otto.” Thanks to the indiegogo campaign for the new Caesar and Otto film, I was able to get myself a copy of Dave Campfield's feature debut, Dark Chamber. Unlike the films I know him for, Dark Chamber is a serious, gripping mystery. It, in the end, showed one thing above all: talent prevails. I have never before seen a feature by Campfield that wasn't one of the Caesar and Otto films, but it is made clear that the man behind the camera is what brings his films to the level of quality they are at. Campfield can do dark thriller horror, and he can do it well.
The film primarily follows college student Justin (Eric Conley), who has recently come to stay with his father. His parents clearly had a rather rocky relationship that did not end on pleasant terms. Justin quickly reunites with his friend of seven years Scott (Fred DeReau). Things start off normal enough but a murder sets things in action and peaks Justin's interest. Scott's friend Rick (writer/director Dave Campfield) inserts himself into the situation and offers to set up security cameras to record anything strange that might be going on with some of Justin's neighbors. This leads to an inside look at a bunch of colorful characters who may or may not be involved. A local group of Satanists known as the “Black Circle” have been known around the area for a while and this added aspect and possible correlation to the murder doesn't help to squash Justin's interest in finding out the truth.
Dave Campfield has shown himself to be of the belief that no character should be boring. Even in such a serious, dark project he allows the characters to all have their own quirks and unique traits to make them memorable. Most thriller/mystery style films I've seen, by necessity, have a healthy dose of boring injected into them. Most are essentially thirty minutes of watching a super boring family or couple, who slowly start to become entangled in something more sinister. This isn't a problem necessarily as tension needs to build, but not being interesting should never be an option in a movie. Dark Chamber certainly got this memo. Right from the start the viewer is drawn in by a sinister tone and an air of mystery surrounding just about every character.
The movie consistently keeps you guessing, while simultaneously getting the viewer interested in all the little activities going on. The use of the surveillance equipment by the main characters breaks up the film beautifully and never lets you get overwhelmed by one aspect. There is enough going on to keep the film fresh but never to an extent where it overwhelms the overall story or becomes confusing. The film also does a very impressive job of being “smarter than the viewer.” I'm the type of guy who, by habit, can't help but assume I've figured out where a movie is going half-way in. I also tend to pick up on plot holes and things that are far too convenient, after years of over-analyzing everything in my life including the movies I've watched. None of this history as a cinema detective did me any good with this particular film. Everything you think is a simple convenience turns out to be just a glimpse into something more important later on. I truly didn't see the ending coming and it ended up in such a way that compliments the emotion of the film and makes everything suddenly become more real and in focus.
There really isn't a bland actor in the bunch and they all do an amazing job with their characters. Sleepaway Camp fans will be happy to see Felissa Rose have a great deal of fun with her role, as well as Desiree Gould leaving her memorable mark on another project. I assumed it would be a bit odd seeing Dave Campfield playing a completely different character as I'm used to seeing him play, but as with all skilled actors, this wasn't a problem. His role as Rick, a very mysterious and sketchy character, is handled authentically, and all I saw was the character himself.
The film overall feels well thought out. It seemed uninterested in getting in line with modern suspense/mystery films and seemed more at home with Hitchcockian style classics. It is quite intelligent and handles the tangled web it sets forth in a competent way that feels satisfying overall. The film deals with how things play out in a realistic and interesting way. It steers clear of a traditional “Hollywood” way of introducing new things and instead lets them play out on their own terms.
There is some humor injected into the story, but it always feels natural and never detracts from the events that are unfolding. The chemistry between the characters feels genuine and overall it just works really well in what it sets out to do. I've always been partial to movies that tell little tales that happen under the wire and that is exactly what this ends up being. It combines the intriguing characters and situations of a suburban drama with the dark world of cults and murder and it somehow all ends up meshing together quite well.
I was very much looking forward to this movie and it didn't let me down one bit. I've admitted right off the bat how much of fan of Dave Campfield I am and once again, I was not let down. Perhaps the greatest credit goes to the fact that when Campfield himself wasn't on the screen, I was still equally interested as I had become so invested in each and every character and the story itself. It's great to see the director's hand is not specific to one genre or way of thought. Talent transcends genre when you are a great storyteller and this film is as much proof of that as any other.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
The Horror Show Menu.