In March 1963, a black mass was held at a ruined church in Clophill, Bedfordshire by a coven of dark witches. Tombs were looted, animals sacrificed and human bones arranged during a macabre ceremony. Further defilements continued at Clophill in the following years, with cattle in nearby fields found mutilated, evidence of necromancy discovered and perpetual sightings of paranormal activity witnessed at the isolated ruin. 50 years on from the original incident, the Clophill legend remains etched on the psyches of the local populace. In 2010, a documentary team was assembled to investigate the legend of the Clophill witches and to try and uncover the truth behind the paranormal events. What followed during that long weekend at Clophill was a terrifying journey into the unknown.
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if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
Combining elements of Most Haunted, Blair Witch Project and The Wicker Man in a documentary melting pot may not sound like the most entertaining concept for a horror film, but then Clophill is not your average horror film. This latest feature from Off World Films and Bleeding Edge Films is a refreshingly understated and enjoyable take on a sub genre that has been recently defined by decidedly third rate fare.Set in the actual village of Clophill in the UK, a place that has an actual history of haunting and occult activity, and shot in a documentary style the film follows a group of film makers that has set out to investigate the ruin of St Mary's Church. The now derelict building was once the site of satanic rituals and animal sacrifices, and a history of strange sightings and other paranormal activity has persisted to this day. Surrounded by a frightened and superstitious local population the team sets up for a three day investigation, unaware of what lurks at the old graveyard or what danger they may be in.While undoubtedly marketed as another found footage affair, PD:C is very much a mockumentary; the first third of the film is made up almost entirely of interviews and voice over work. This adds credibility while allowing the filmmakers to let the situation dictate their exposition, without the over reliance on otherwise banal dialogue. This approach also allow the viewers to build a rapport with the characters and the situation, which helps to buy into the more traditional found footage horror elements of the film's final act. It's also worth nothing that the crew have confirmed that around 90% of the on screen action was based on actual experiences of the team while filming.For people expecting a traditional, jumpy horror they are likely to be disappointed; PD:C is much more interested in building tension and atmosphere than throwing out cheap scares for ninety minutes. The film has more in common with the BBC's paranormal mockumentary Ghostwatch than Paranormal Activity, as the on screen action is presented in such a way as to be completely genuine. The scary moments, when they do come, are subtle and designed to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck rather than force your bum from your chair. And while the inclusion of the post investigation interviews does add an element of predictability to proceedings it never affects the tension.The performances of the cast are perfect across the board, and it never feels like watching anything but a sincere documentary film unfolding. The editing and setting are both spot on, and the camera work is admirably steady and a world away from the usual motion sickness inducing pap we have grown used to. There is a very British, stiff upper lip feel to the film that will certainly appeal to UK and European audiences. The story is very well written and executed, although if one were to pick a fault it was that the ritual element of the films last third could have been left on the cutting room floor with no detriment to the overall experience.While PD:C may alienate a portion of the modern horror audience that has grown used to jump scares and gore the more discerning fan is likely to appreciate its attempts to do something different, shunning the predictability that this sort of film usually emits in great, stinking waves. One of the freshest and most enjoyable entries into the found footage genre we have seen in years, and one of the stand out horror films to come out of Britain in recent times.
This movie is not a bad watch. It's got a good foundation of a story based on "Real Events" and the subject matter is always intriguing to watch. This being said I watched this film without reading any reviews or even reading the synopsis. After watching I started to read up on the reviews on here and there have been some very good opinions however daitch chase who left a review more to defend the movie clearly has an ulterior motive. I make it a habit to watch movies for entertainment and if it happens to peak my interested to find out more I will, but this is my own personal guide line, in any so called "REAL" movie if they people in the said "REAL" movie happen to be on IMDb with a list of credits I take their experiences to be more of an act than anything else. After all they are making a MOVIE even if the so called trivia states 90% of the film was real and not rehearsed. Actors are trained to react to their environment and place yourself as the character you are representing. So in a paranormal movie I expected much of the shaking of the camera, out the blue shock noises and just on the noise lets face facts when you walk do you have a score or musical effects follow you? no so at some point editing and sound and possibly visual effects were added. So this is a good movie but don't be like daitch chase if you like it great if not oh well. But don't pop at people who slate it.
I was quite intrigued by this movie. There are so many of these 'found footage' and/or 'documentary crew investigates scary place' movies being made these years, and most of them are pretty dreadful. This one isn't exactly action packed, and one could reasonably argue that what little that actually happens doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's something about ... I don't know. Something. But I have to say that I enjoyed it. What makes it better than most of this kind of movies, I think, is the very credible acting. In fairness, the actors don't have to do much except just walk around small-talking - but they do that very well. They come across as believable, real people. I'm not the most patient guy around and if it bores me, I have a tendency to skip the rest of a movie. This one I watched to the end.
WOW! All I can say, this movie is downright crap! I kind of suspected it to be one of those "let the cast rate the movie at IMDb to get a high rating and trick people into thinking it might be good" kind of movies, but I gave it a shot anyways because of the lack of good horror movies coming out right now. Well, I watched the first 39 minutes, before deciding to turn it off and watch a couple of episodes of "Ghost Adventures" instead.This movie is apparently an attempt at making a movie copy of the popular paranormal investigation shows from TV. The difference, and what makes this bland and totally useless is the poor story, cast, editing, color grading, and the lack of a "real" investigation. Towards the end you get to see some cultists performing a ceremony with a tied naked woman. That's the most action this movie has. It's not scary, not amusing, and in no way interesting.I'd suggest watching Emmerdale instead... It has more action than this piece of junk.