The Horror Show
The Black Water Vampire
by Evan Tramel
It’s probably the latest Blair Witch Project‘s twin. The Black Water Vampire is Evan Tramel’s first attempt in the horror genre and it is based on found footage and wild chasing scenes in the woods.
The plot is quite familiar, so fans would not be particularly surprised nor taken aback. Danielle (Danielle Lozeau) is a filmmaker who has a lifetime dream to make a documentary about the Black Water Murders. A series of murders that happened within 40 years and regard the brutal killings of four women found drained of their blood in the frozen and icy woods of the rural town Black Water.
Danielle and her crew, her good friend Andrea (Andrea Monier), her skittish old acquaintance Rob (Robin Steffen) and laid back Anthony (Anthony Fanelli) begin their quest, which aims to solve the mystery behind these murders and guarantee that the person accused of these killings is justifiably sentenced to death.
The first thing they do before they start their three-day-hiking expedition, which will end in the final murder location in the creek of the Black Water Woods, is to interview local people and the victims’ families. Catching on camera dramatic quotes and the despair in people’s grieving eyes is the alpha and the omega for producing such a documentary. However, 60 minutes of pointless wandering in the small town and meaningless blabbering are not ideal for a horror movie.
After an hour of exhausting introductions, The Black Water Vampire finally gets to a point. The crew’s hiking trip gets completely disrupted when Rob disappears and the other three members are left with no map worrying about their asthmatic friend. Things get even worse, when during their overnight camping, a distant yet eerie growling disturbs their sleep.
The vampire-like creature that lurks in the woods is watching them and it’s not willing to let them go. Its dark, winged figure hanging from the trees terrorizes the remaining three members of the crew and a fifteen-minute battle for survival begins.
Suggesting you to sit back and watch 60 minutes of nothing until there is actually some action is not particularly convincing. However, if there is one thing I wouldn’t forget about The Black Water Vampire, that is the final scene. The ending is absolutely crazy. Feel free to interpret it as you wish. Some may find it completely ridiculous, while others may be positively surprised.
The setting is more than common, as it is a replica of The Blair Witch Project – in a snowier version though. The image quality depends on who is operating the camera at the time, so be prepared for a lot of shakiness and night vision scenes.
Generally, found footage horror films are really popular and widely liked by fans. But, how many identical horror films are enough? Director Evan Tramel’s debut appears to be a safe choice and The Black Water Vampire is unfortunately one of innumerable similar horror movies, without having something unique to suggest.
Still, the ending is priceless.
Maria Kriva, HMS
The Horror Show Menu.